Day 52 (June 24) Heidelberg

After a very warm overnight sleep, we ate a relaxing continental breakfast at Knopf Tours.  This would be a laid back sort of day as the principal tasks were to wash the bike, repack our travelling luggage and put away the items that we leave behind in Heidelberg.  We also had the chance to chat with several other couples who are just starting their European adventures on their motorcycles.  One of the couples we met last year.  It's truly fun and enriching to compare travelling notes.  Also we saw off a couple of solo riders who were starting their adventure (Michael was heading to Zermatt and the rider from Texas was heading for Spain to escape the rain that was on his originally planned Northern route).

It was also time to purchase our flight tickets for tomorrow's flight to Vilnius.  I had a bit of a challenge getting that done as the WIFI router kept losing its signal.  But eventually, I succeeded.  Lunch was the leftover pizza from the night before.  We settled our lodging bill, arranged for a 7am shuttle pick up, and I  put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank, rode the bike to the local gas station to fill it up.  I came back and disconnected the battery.  The bike was now ready for storage.  I didn't change the oil as it only had 2,500 miles on it.

I took inventory of what we were leaving behind, packed the panniers, locked them, and we transported them downstairs to the long term storage area.  Next it was time to pack our motorcycle gear in its travelling duffel and pack the remainder of our clothes.

We walked into the village to get some more euros and check out the LIDL and ALDI grocery stores for the last time this trip.  We enjoy seeing what they offer in the way of general merchandise.  On the way back to Knopf Tours, we stopped at the same little Döner shop for a salad dinner which was quite good.  Our evening was spent hanging out with the other couples and sharing more stories and tips.  It was a fun time.  Clouds started rolling in and the temperature dropped, but it was still in excess of 80f.  Darkness led to trying to sleep, but it was so warm.  Fatigue eventually trumped the heat until . . .