Fahrrad "Rad" Tour

     Today after class I went on a tour of the Rhine with classmates and a CDC tutor.  We rented bikes near the Dom and then rode South along the Rhine. The map below is an overview.

I think about 25km total. I will be riding a bike to Bonn one of these weekends- it is very close and the path is nice!

Half of the bike tour crew. My classmate Anton is to my left.

These three buildings are for some reason my favorites in Cologne. They look like re-purposed industrial buildings, but I think they are newly built.  I'll look into it.

The bike pat along the Rhein was very smooth and flat.  A "selfie" for some bike riding excitement.

The path becomes heavily vegetated.

     Along the bike-path families, friends, and couples laid about taking advantage of the green-space and view of the water.  Our bike gang was a bit unsightly and loud, but probably large enough to be amusing for locals at the very least.

Horses and pastures just South of the city.

      At some point on our ride two of the CDC students collided, resulting in a knee on pavement massacre.  One of the girls got it pretty bad and was bleeding.  We only found this out after waiting along the path for 30 minutes wondering where the stragglers were. I took the opportunity to work on my horse (pferd) calls. They need work.

Ferry to other side

     Once we were together we used a ferry to cross the river.  The ferry exists solely to transport bike riders and runners from one side of the river to the other.  It was a short ride, and it ended at a very nice "German village."

"German Village." In reality, a touristy facade for leisurely afternoon snacks.

Garden for Beer

     We stopped and grabbed a beer in the little riverside restaurant.  I got to meet some of the other CDC students from the more advanced classes.  They were all DAAD participants, which is a German scholarship for undergraduates and postgraduates.  This is the same program the students in my class are a part of.  DAAD takes people from every country and pays for 1 year of undergrad, or for your postgraduate education.  It is an incredible honor to be DAAD from what I've heard.
     During our group drink, I eventually met a DAAD participant Nathan from Baton Rouge.  He is a junior from LSU- we had a good time talking about football.  He will be in Bonn studying and I will make sure he meets my childhood friend David, who is moving from ABQ to Bonn for a semester.