Next stage

One of the things I love most about Europe is the old world charm.  In the past few days we have visited little clay-tiled villages where the cobblestone streets are so narrow even the little BMWs have a hard time getting through.  I've sampled classic cuisine (foie gras and confit de canard) in houses that have centuries old beams holding up their walls and spanning plastered white ceilings.  I've walked along a river that has run through European history for thousands of years and opened shutters in my bedroom in the age-old welcoming of the day.

Those are the things I have come to expect in Europe, but the modern intrusion -- the computer in the souvenier shop selling traditional knit sweaters, the TV dish on the side of an art nouveau apartment building, the solar panels over the orange tiles on the roofs -- these always come as a surprise.  I guess it is the juxtaposition of the old and the new that makes this place so fascinating.  Couple that with the reaction I had the first time I came to Germany (and still have when I hear German spoken outside my family and see German signs ) that I had stepped into a land of make-believe; and you have the perfect recipe for an enchanting holiday.
 
And totally delightful was my visit with Rhonda -- including the fashion show where we both giggled at the underwear being paraded  down the catwalk.  But this was just the first part of my adventures, so after a lovely market trip in St. Louis this morning, Rhonda took me to the SBB (Basel Bahnhof) or train station. The train system is run with absolute precision and efficiency so at exactly 12:15, we left the station heading north.  This was an express train and so there were only stops about every half hour as we glided swiftly and smoothly over the Rhine and into Germany.  We paralled the river through agricultural areas sporting corn in the lower regions and grapes on the higher slopes.  Stops were usually 2 minutes and then it was on again, crossing the Rhine and sliding into Mainz 3 hours after getting on.  My hotel is less than 50m from the Bahnhof and I was checked in, into my room and out by 3:30.

The Gutenberg museum was top of the list and there was still an hour before closing.  Fascinating book and printing exhibits including 2 of the very earliest Bibles from 1452 - 1455.  Introduced myself to the river with a glass of Sylvaner at an outdoor stand and ducked into the Dom (Catholic Cathedral) just in time for a service honouring music -- the message likened music to Jacob's ladder bridging the distance from earth to heaven.

Can't wait to get the bicycle tomorrow morning and embark on this part of the adventure!