because so many place names in Alsace end in ‘-heim’. My favourites so far are Algolsheim and Plobsheim, with Ohnenheim (which I mistranslate as ‘homeless’) coming a close third. 

• Distance cycled: 48.1 miles (Neuf-Brisach to Strasbourg, including 3.6 miles that cyclemeter didn’t record)
• cumulative cycling: 380.5 miles

It’s crazy: so long as I fuel up every now and then, I can cycle (admittedly only about 12 to 14 mph, depending on gradient and wind) for miles and miles. But I can only just hobble a quarter of a mile, using a stick and an amount of swearing, as my shin aches. If I sit or lie for too long, my heel and/or my toes burn with pins and needles. So the only comfortable positions are standing still or cycling!

OK, enough moaning! I’m getting very fond of Alsace. There is an enjoyable mix of German and French cultures and languages. I’ve already mentioned Germanic place-names and eating pretzels in France. At an impromptu drinks-stop in Obenheim, the proprietress spoke with us only in German. But Google Maps, that fountain of truth, says it’s a ‘French restaurant: Auberge B’m Hans’!

We didn’t follow the official EV15 route much today. A lot of it in this stage is along a canal tow-path. These can be narrow, poorly surfaced and close to the water (scary for at least one of us) and above all deadly boring. Yesterday’s canal stretches had no views except the water and surrounding trees, but didn’t offer compensation in the form of speed. So after stopping at Markolsheim’s Maginot line museum, we used a road that links Neuf-Brisach and Strasbourg for most of the journey. (We joined the official, canal-side route when it appear that the road wold get big and busy.)

I’ve said that I can keep going, and I’m sure I had more miles in me when we arrived in Strasbourg. But that didn’t stop me from falling asleep fully-clothed as soon as we got into our hotel room. We did surface in time to go to Vélicious, possibly the best vegan restaurant I’ve been. (The other contender is ‘Loving Hut’ in Vienna.) It’s got quite a haut-cuisine feel, and has an amazing selection of cakes. It also describes itself as ‘végaine’ rather than ’végétalienne’. Yum and Tschuss!

About the Maginot Line museum	About the Sherman tank
Sherman tank	About where the Sherman served
Half-track	About the half-track
About the armoured car	Armoured car
About a towed gun	Towed gun
See-saw at Diebolsheim	Shutter at B’m Hans
Shutter at B’m Hans	Plobsheim
Strasbourg	Strasbourg-Krutenau
Part of Strasbourg university	Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back before petit déjeunet
Arnold’s playthings?	Vélicious
Main course	Cake!