I apologize in advance for the lack of photographic documentation of Day 30. It was raining all day and I barely stopped cycling to eat and relieve myself, let alone take photos.
There’s not much else to say. It was grey and raining when I awoke in Bütgenbach. I checked the forecast and saw that it was going to last pretty much all day, maybe tapering off around 4 pm.
Well, I couldn’t really just loiter around in the small town of Bütgenbach until then. And, even if I did, there was no guarantee it would even stop raining.
So, off I rode into the cold, damp yonder. The fact that it is now cooler is really nice. The fact that my bike shoes turned into little bath tubs – not so nice.
I managed to temporarily solve the pannier issue by using the waterproof garden hose tape. I secured the rack to the frame with nearly the whole roll of tape and it actually worked really, really well. The bags were secure the full ride.
I followed the same cycling route along the old railway tracks I had taken two days before when coming into Bütgenback. This route is called the Vennbahnweg and took me all the way to Aachen. It was nice to be away from roads and cars on such a wet day.
I stopped only once at a place called “Waffle Stop.” How could I ignore such an exclamation? I attempted to dry off (read: become less wet) while eating a waffle and drinking a cappuccino in an old train car that had been converted into a cafe. The cappuccino was what seemed to be lukewarm watered down instant coffee with whip cream on top… interesting culinary interpretation.
The horror that unfolded when I arrived at my hostel in Aachen was unbelievable. I am referring to the coating of dirt, mud, sweat, tears, and rain on me and all of my things. It must have taken me at least an hour to wash and / or dry all the items that needed it.
After all this, I decided to take a look around Aachen and find some dinner. It was an empty sort of Sunday evening, the rain keeping people cooped up at home. I found a neat old family restaurant for dinner and chatted with a couple from the US for a while.
It was nice knowing that I had a rest day in Aachen the next day so I could see it in a more lively light!
I had survived my first complete downpour riding day. I fear there are more ahead of me… soon I will be in the Netherlands…
DOTD
An Idiot Broad Abroad 