Back to modern Germany

Yesterday was almost like being in Germany 100 years ago, aside from the technology, that is. The host speaks Hungarian (i don't) and we depended on Google Translate to communicate. She had an older version of the app and I showed her 'conversation' mode on mine. By the next day we had the same app and everything went smoothly. 

She even let me use their washer and dryer, no charge! I badly needed that. 

I mailed another postcard to Agnes, my favorite granddaughter. Today is her 11th birthday! I gave her a call. 

Today I'm 50k down the river in Koblenz. Small room (not as small as the capsule at Space Hotel) and the smallest shower I've ever seen that wasn't in an RV. 

Today's route continued through the Rhine Gorge and stayed close to the river. I think I'm all done with mountains :-)

I'm amazed at the vineyards in the gorge. Many of them are on such steep ground that I imagine they have to tie a safety line to the workers to keep them from tumbling down to the road. Serious! 

The results of these dangling laborers is kept locked up in dark rooms like this. 

Photos can never recreate what landscapes look like. 

Speaking of "No King" day (nothing happened here), judging by the number of castles in this area, there were a lot of kings! Some of the castles were just fir princes, but there was hardly a time when one wasn't in view. 

Here's one on an island in the river. It has a natural moat. 

But most of them are up high on a hill. Either way you get a pretty good defensive position. 

Even some of the railway tunnels look like castles. 

Several of the castles have been turned into hotels. I remember that 50 years ago Becky and LeeAnn, stayed in a German castle that had been repurposed as a youth hostel. 

Cities are so proud of their castles they even portray them on their manhole covers. 

Boat traffic on the Rhine is never ceasing. Mostly it is some sort of cargo, but there are also the cruise ships. 

These long and narrow cruise boats fascinate me. I see them on the river or docked at a tourist location often. I wish i could visit one and see what it is like inside. Maybe if iask?

A famous feature on the Rhine is the Loerely Rock where the river makes a sharp bend and navigation becomes hazardous due to large boulders hidden in the water. There's a good story behind this feature. I'm going to clip it from the guide book for you. 

"The legend of Loreley is of a fair maiden who, having been spurned by her fisherman boyfriend, swore vengeance upon all riverfarers. She sat atop the cliff singing alluring songs to lure them towards the rocks and their doom. 

"Nowadays, although the river has been dredged, these are still dangerous waters and larger boats take on a pilot to navigate past the Loreley. A bronze statue of the siren, marked by a flag, sits at the end of a long narrow spit just downstream of the rock."

Over on the bike track I could just barely hear her singing, but it was all in German and didn't lull me over. 

The route does come up from the river to visit some of the towns and villages. Here's some snapshots of the local communities. 

First stained glass I've ever seen of Adam and Eve getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden. 

Another castle

Brazilian flag surrounded by mannequins.

And a pretty snail on a tree. 

There he is. There are things you don't see when you're zooming by in a car. 

The route ended in Koblenz where the Mosel river joins the Rhine at Deutsches Eck.  It's a gathering place, a place for selfies, and a huge monument. 

Who is that dashing adventurer? 

And this fellow just rockin' that accordion! I contributed to the fund. Wish I could post a video. 

Looking forward to another day on the road. Only about 430k to go!