Day 2 : Freiburg - Strassbourg

Hey Guys out there,

If you travel around like me, you soon notice those little differences between two countries. E.g. one knows they've crossed the German/French border if:
a) There not a single bike lane (not even the small ones drawn on the road),
b) You're the only poor bugger to ride a bike (except maybe in a village),
c) The roads are so bumpy driving on them becomes a pain in the ass (literally),
d) Car and Lorry drivers seem more keen on hitting you than avoid you (scary but true),
e) If you're driving on the sidewalk you get shouted at (even if 15 min before you were encouraged to do so),
f) all of the above.

Anyway after a long and resting night in Freiburg I got on my bike around 8:00 AM and continued my trip north. Soon I got out on the fields and after getting lost once found the way to Rust. Along the fields and under bright sunshine I rode and soon enough I saw the rides of Europa-Park. It's quite a thing to pass there by bike, since every time I went there it was either by car or bus. Rust is a really cute little town, the only disturbing things are all those damn "Europa-Park Mice" on every street.
Without stopping I continued across the lands and finally crossed the Rhine and then *horror movie sound* I was in France. Oh horror and desperation never shalt I go biking in France again! About 30 km later (everyone of them felt like a light-year) I drove into Illkirch, and there just like back in Germany was a real biking lane! So I drove safely into Strasbourg.

Strassbourg upon arriving is ugly, cold and I asked myself what I was doing there, but while having to drive trough the whole town to get to the youth hostel I saw the Strasbourg of the back alleys, a completely different town than the one I got into you'd think. I had to discover those little streets I thought immediately. And so after having a shower I got around. My roommate in the hostel had left just after I arrived but by fluke I met him in an alley. Since I had not eaten yet I gratefully accepted his invitation to share his supper (Bread, Saucisson, Cheese and Wine - Du pain, du vin et du boursin quoi) on the bank of a little channel. We talked about god, and the world, and the youth and everything else. He's also touring by bike, and is now on the way home to Nantes after having been in Hungary, Austria and Germany.

After a tiring day and an eventful evening we went back to the hostel, and I slept soon and sound. Next days trip will take me to Karlsruhe...