The rain called it a day (or is that night) sometime during the night, instead of wet when we surfaced we were instead treated to heavy mist as the morning warmth warmed the valley. Out of all possible weather fog and mist is perhaps my least favourite, you can dress for wet, snow and heat, but fog, well you can't see a thing, no one else can see you, its just unpleasant all round. Just as well I got a lift up to Altenahr with the Brotchen as Dad's collecting me later to go training in Neuweid with the BC guys.

By mid morning the mist had pretty much disappeared and a steady trickle of tourists joined the locals in their search for snacks and drinks. I have to say that apart from being a bit, lets say abrasive, our Dutch visitors are quite conservative, not for them the delights of pastry wrapped around a delicious meat filling, nope even Frikadel are fairly safe, its the Würsten that they go for.

"Two more Currywürst and one with Pommes,” Kris requested.
"On the way.”

Yeah it was a tour group all on their huge trekking bikes, beige clothing and bad German. So bad in fact that even Kris was having to use some English, which they seem to understand quite well, to communicate.

"You should take the orders, you have good English Gab.”
"Ha, if only, even Con got a higher grade than me,” I admitted.
"But you're English.”

Am I? Drew was English but me, the now me, Gaby, well I was born here, the Ahr valley. Drew would be heading to England this weekend but Gaby is going to Bavaria, accepted by one and all as German despite my birth place and parentage. Did I plan this? Do I want it?

"Its where I was born Kris, doesn't make me expert on the language.”
"Didn't you get some prize in German?”
"Erm,” trust her to remember that, "Two Currywürst.”

The conversation was still playing through my head when Max put putted into the kiosks yard. I plated up his schnitzel and fries and met him at our usual table.

"No sauce?”
"You want sauce?”
"No, no its fine,” he backtracked, "Busier today.”
"Yeah,” I agreed as I idly nicked a chip and chewed on it.
"Don't you get fed up of Pommes?”
"What are you saying, that I'm fat? I don't have many.”
"Whoa girl, I never said anything like that, I just meant you spend all day cooking them so you might be fed up of them.”
"Hmmph,” I allowed, "I guess it would be nice to have proper chips sometimes.”
"Like your English chips? The big ones?”
"Yeah,” I allowed with a sigh, big soggy chips like Hygenic Fisheries back in Church Warsop.
"So why don't you do them then?”
"It's not my decision.”
"You could do some when Thesing isn't here,” he suggested.
“Maybe, Max?”
"Hmm?” he replied around a mouthful of schnitzel and Pommes.
"What do you think I am?”
"A good cook? My girlfriend?”
"Fifty percent isn't bad I guess, no, do you think of me as German or English?”
"Never thought about it, German I guess.”
"You do?”
"Yeah, what is it your sister says, something about ducks?”
"If it looks, sounds and acts like a duck it probably is a duck?”
"That's the one, well you dress like a German, you sound like a German and you act like one so you must by default be one.”
“Really?”
"Now Mandy, she is definitely English, her German is horrible and even in the Kostüm she looks and acts foreign.”
"How can you act foreign?”
"I dunno, she just does, like she's trying to fit in.”
"She is and her German's improved a lot.”
"Yeah but she has to think about it, she thinks in English, you think in German.”
"I do? How can you tell?”
"Simple, you just talk, Manda has to translate all the time.”
"Hmm, never even thought about it.”
“My point exactly, you gonna leave me some of those?”
"Eh,” I looked at my hand, I've been munching chips all through our conversation, "Soz.”
"You can make it up to me in a bit.” he hinted.
"I'm going to Neuweid after work.”
"Training for Bavaria eh?”
"Yeah, we're going Thursday so its the last proper sesh.”

"I really must get one of those,” Nen sighed.
"One of what?” I queried adding Max's plate to the dishwasher pile.
"Boyfriend.”
"Yeah,” Kris agreed.
"He's not...”
“Gab, he is most definitely your boyfriend,” Nen stated.
"I was gonna say he's not available.”
"She could hardly deny they're an item,” Kris opined.
"Haven't you two got stuff to do instead of discussing my love life?” I suggested as I felt the colour rising in places too personal to divulge and my face too.
"She has a love life!” Nen gleefully announced.
"And I'm on my lunch now you've done.”

I did a forehead slap before rolling my eyes, one day!

“Ready for Maidstone?” Jamie asked as we climbed up the Wiedtal out of Niederbieber.
“Maidstone?”
"The Champs Bond,” Cav chipped in from behind.
"I'm not going,” I advised.
"Not doing the Nationals?” Geth added, "Why not?”
"Er, I'm doing the German.”
"I thought you were English,” Jamie mentioned.
“Must be confusing me with someone else,” I joked.
"That Drew kid,” Cav opined.
"Who he?”
“Just some lad from last year, so where are the German champs then?” Cav pressed.
"Somewhere in Bavaria near Austria?”
"That's a long drive,” Geth suggested.
"We're flying,” I bragged.
"Alright for some,” Jamie sighed.

This evenings ride is supposed to be a 'Zone 3' effort what Caroline describes as fast conversation. That's actually quite a good description for a steady twenty, twenty five kph ride – too fast and you can't talk beyond short snatches but hard enough to need to keep up the effort. Instead of splitting us by gender, we're all out together for a change, its good to be able to chat to the lads, at least the conversation doesn't revolve around lipstick and boy bands.

"So when do you go to England?”
"Thursday, you?” Daz replied.
"Same.”
"How's the shoulder?”
"Okay I guess,” to be fair I'd pretty much forgotten about it, "Aches a bit from time to time. Yours?”
"Same really, bit sore if I swing it like this,” he mentioned as he demonstrated, "Ow!”
"Well don't do it then dummy,” Claire pitched in.
"Boys,” we both chorused.

"Have you seen the course for Sunday Gabs?” Tal enquired.
"Looks simple enough.”
"It goes over a Pass,” she bleated.
"It does?”
"Not much of one,” I pointed out.
"Yeah well, I hate hills.”
"I bet it won't be half as bad as the 'Ring the other week.”
"Easy for you to say Fräulein Bergenziege!”
"Baaa!”

"Never thought we'd be doing this when we were at Eastway man,” Josh noted.
"That was the last time I did the champs.”
"Aye, me too, well cept the hill climb like.”
"Beat you there too,” I mentioned.
"Ah've just got to lose Cav this time.”
"And that new Wogan kid.”
"Aye,” the big Toon mused.
"And I've just got some Bavarian Fran and Barb were on about that I've never heard of.”
"Who are Fran and Barb like?”
"From up Roni's way.”
"She riding in Bayern?”
"Dunno, probably.”
"Tell her hi if you see her.”
"Will do,” I agreed.

And so the conversations went on, we followed the river up and up into the Westerwald, indeed all the way to Altenkirchen before starting a loop back slightly more directly towards the Rhein. By the time we started the drop towards Neuweid we had close to a hundred kilometres in our legs and the sun was low on the horizon. Of course find any group of bike riders and there will be an element of competition at some point and this evening was to be no different.

The others seemed to know where the line would be, the speed ramped up and the non sprinters slipped off the back. That still left half a dozen of us charging for the line, I'm guessing the yellow name board some three hundred metres ahead. I slipped onto Cav's wheel, he's the one to watch right? How wrong can you be, Mand shot past, Geth on her wheel, by the time I realised Cav wasn't following it was too late.

"Thought you'd be going for it,” I suggested as we freewheeled back towards the house.
“Geth owes me ten euros,” he grinned.
"For what?”
"Holding you off.”
"But you could've won.”
"Everyone has their price, and I didn't feel up to it tonight.”
"Hmmph!”
"You should thank me.”
"For why?”
"You'll be fresher at the weekend.”
"As if, I've got the time trial on Friday.”
"You'll owe me forty euros if you don't win that.”
"How'd you work that out?”
"That's how much it'll cost me.”
"Eh?”
"There's a book on you.”
"You what?”
"I bet the others you'll win.”
"Hmmph! What about the road race then?”
"Not enough info but you're a cert against the clock.”
"You've more confidence than me,” I admitted.

Maddy Bell © 08.08.17