Today was not a day for records or big sensations, but rather one for transitions. The Vosges became flatter, the landscape wider, and yet the route still had more than enough character to make it more than just a ride home.

The night was good and restful. In the morning it was 6 degrees outside, with bright sunshine and not a single cloud. According to the weather forecast, it was supposed to reach 20 degrees every day – which sounds good on a motorcycle, but is not so easy in practice. The motorcycle clothes still had the winter inserts in them, and they couldn’t be quickly removed and stowed away somewhere because of the space problems. At the same time, it was still chilly in the mornings and evenings, so “just put on thin clothes” didn’t really work either. So once again we had to improvise. No thick sweater, something airier underneath, a thin scarf – and then see how the day developed.

Before heading towards Germany, breakfast was of course on the agenda. And today we had a classic breakfast at a French boulangerie. Really delicious, I have to say. The coffee gets 4 out of 5 coffee cups from me. The only catch was that the cup felt half empty. It tasted good, but more for the hollow tooth than for waking up. After three sips, the issue was basically over. But well – croissants are delicious, so let’s not be petty. ☕

Then we continued through the northern Vosges. And even though I thought I was slowly riding out of the Vosges, it soon became clear that it wasn’t quite that easy. New hills kept appearing, then valleys, then small passes. Especially in the area west of Schirmeck, around the Col du Hohwalsch, I was still riding through large wooded areas. Lots of peace and quiet, lots of greenery, really beautiful scenery – even if the roads there were quite worn in places. Not a perfect surface, but this mixture of forest, narrow road and slightly rough surface still had its charm.

The landscape was strikingly beautiful today because so much is starting to bloom. Everywhere this interplay of light green, dark green, yellow flowers, yellow rape and white flowers in the trees. It is precisely these colors that make the difference in spring. It is no longer this bare or still half-wintery picture, but everything looks lively, soft and friendly.

Later, we continued along the Marne-Rhine Canal for a while. With locks, boats and this artificially calm waterline, it was almost like a little change of scenery after the forest roads and hills of the Vosges. Just curves, forest and low mountain ranges – and suddenly this almost serene canal landscape.

Shortly before the German border, things got interesting again. I actually thought I was almost out of the Vosges by then. But the area around Lembach showed what it was capable of once again. Suddenly the hills piled up again, I rode through valleys and small passes and realized: the Northern Vosges are not done with me yet. It wasn’t until I crossed the border towards Nothweiler that the landscape slowly changed.

There was also a very practical problem today that many motorcyclists are probably familiar with: As long as I was riding, even 18 to 20 degrees was still pretty pleasant. A bit of wind, some speed, all good. But if I went through towns, through detours or behind slow-moving traffic, it suddenly got really warm in my heavy clothes. That’s exactly what happened today when traffic was diverted through a town due to a road closure. I was sweating profusely in my motorcycle clothes at 20 degrees. By then it was clear: the weather is beautiful, but it’s getting tricky to ride. In the morning it was too cool for very thin clothing, in the afternoon it was almost too warm for my winter gear. A bit like last year – and in the end, the only thing that helps is to persevere and somehow come to terms with it. 😄

At the end of the day, I arrived in Siebeldingen, in Rhineland-Palatinate. Not a spectacular destination with an Alpine panorama or pass sign, but a nice destination for the day. After the forest, canal, wine region and the last few kilometers of the Vosges, it felt like a harmonious stage.

Conclusion: The northern Vosges mountains were really beautiful again today. Lots of spring, lots of variety, a few little road and temperature capers – and that’s exactly why it ended up being a really good day of riding. 🏍️🌿