Riding south -- day 2

I thought I had it all worked out -- had the map all marked and thought I knew how to use the bicycle signs.  I guessed correctly that there was one right outside Wesel train station and set off brightly having bought an extra inner tube and some chain lube which silenced the incredible squeaking I had developed yesterday afternoon.  But about and hour into the ride, the signage let me down and I ended up doing an extra 10km heading off in a direction that was wrong and then having to double back.  Disgusted, I pulled out my phone and got a direct route to Dusseldorf along bike paths, but right through all the towns.  I didn't see the river till I got to the endpoint and there the bike path finally went along the water for a few kms before I headed into the centre of the city to find the Hauptbahnhof (main train station).  Best guess at distance today is 68 km.  Riding with a phone in one hand is not as hard as I thought it might be, but the battery on the phone can't take the hour and 51 minutes, so when I got onto a stretch where it was fairly straightforward, I turned the phone off to save some battery.

I did make it with time to spare, but it was rush hour and so the train was very full.  I had the bicycle's ticket, but the conductor informed me that he could have made me wait for the next train as riders have precedence over bikes.  But I had been standing on the platform with him and I think he felt sorry for me.  It was about 2 stops before enough people got off and the individuals who has grumbled when asked to give up their seat for the bike space, got to sit down.  I was 'die Dame mit dem Fahrad'  (the lady with the bicycle), for the rest of the trip.

Comments on today.
Some towns were very middle eastern with lots of language that was not german and most restaurants and fast food places proclaiming Turkish, Greek and other cuisines.
Trains and trams and busses are everywhere -- elevated, below ground and at street level.  We could learn from the excellent public transit.
Bicycles and people can coexist very nicely.  Most of the time the bikes were on the sidewalks with the pedestrians --no problems.  A little ring of the bell and even the kids move back onto their section of the walkway.
There is an election coming up this Sunday.  Posters are everywhere.  I think the less said on the poster, the greater the chances for the candidate.

Again today, with the concentration on getting to the endpoint, there was no chance for stopping to smell the roses -- or look at the churches, or explore the gardens, etc.  Next time I will get a better guide so that I can be confident of the route and the length of time it will take.  Having to spend about 3 hours on a train also really cut into the day.  Also, I guess I would like to take a cruise along this part of the river to see what I missed between the beginning of today and the end.  That's for another time.

Always good to have future plans!