Coming home richer

The travel day is never our favourite, but everything from the checkout, to the train, to the plane all went as well as could be expected.  We arrived in Toronto at 8:45 pm, and we in our car by 9:50, home at 11.  And, I managed to sleep a solid 6 hours. Today's picture shows that there are some relaxing times even in a travel day.

So, we brought back some wine, a new spatzle press, a new slicer gadget, a new sharpening gadget (recognize a theme here?), and a few gifts, but it is, of course, the memories that are the most precious souveniers:  a variety of river cycling, cathedrals, castles, boats, fountains, federweisser, pastries and dairy products.

Remember, if you want to join us for pictures and discussion, put Friday, Oct. 12, 7 pm on your calendar and let me know you are coming.

Finally, ON the Rhine

Since being here, we have cycled beside the river, cycled over the river, trained over the river, ridden a cable-car over the river, walked by the river and today, finally, been on a boat ON the river.  Between spitting showers, we took a nice one hour tour of the Rhine and the Mosel with a guide pointing out some of the highlights.  It was a lovely way to cap off our last day here.

And now to answer the questions some of you have undoubtably been asking:
Yes, Federweisser does improve with age.
Yes, the Germans love to shop -- a new shopping centre opened today and the advertisement for the Forum Middelrhein was that it was not a shopping area, but your new home!
Yes, there is a bakery on every block! (with fresh savouries and sweets).
Yes, there is decent wine for 2 euros a bottle!
Yes, the kanelbulle at Ikea in Germany have cardamom, just like in Sweden.
No, it's not hats, but everyone, male and female, wears a neck scarf.
No, happy hour is not about half price drinks, but about half price entrees.
Yes, the Germans still do icewein, for 8 euros a half bottle (about $10).
Yes, the trains run all night (our hotel is close to the tracks).

So, if you have enjoyed my blog and wish to join us to see all the pictures or have some other questions, put Friday, October 12 on your calendar -- our house 7 pm.  Let me know if you are planning to come.

Not my usual K day

With rain forecast in varying amounts for the whole day, we decided to take a train north and visit Koln -- aka Cologne (or just K whereas Koblenz is KO).  The leisurely regional train went up the east side of the Rhine,  went through woods and small towns, by vineyards and finally into the flat fields that characterize the region beyond Bonn.  We came into Koln via the bridge with thousands of locks fastened to it -- lovers put their names on the lock, lock it to the bridge fencing and then throw the key into the Rhine.  And as one leaves the Hbf, there it is, the number one attraction of the area, towering over you at 157 m, Kolner Dom (today's picture).  The gothic structure with incredible vaulting and flying buttresses for support is simply awesome.  One could go into detail about the windows, the choir, the organ pipes, the side chapels, the golden case for the relics of the magi, the incredible treasures in the Schatzkammer, but nothing will amaze you like standing before the structure and feeling your own insignificance.

Also in the city, is the major art museum of the Rhine region -- the Wallraf- Richartz Museum.  The permanent collections of medieval, and baroque are extensive and well displayed (even english!), and currently there is an impressionist exhibition which includes Monet, Gauguin, Cezanne and Van Gogh.  Certainly worth the visit!

It was commuter time by the time we headed back south, but the folk are pleasant and most were gone by Bonn so we could enjoy a nice view seated together.  Even though there was really no rain, we don't regret our choice of day's activities.

(P.S., my usual K day is a day spent with Kieran, and there are no regrets there either!!)

High over KO

The forecast for the next 3 days varies only in the amount of rain is predicted for each day.  So, we dropped off the bikes and then headed up to the Ehrenbreitstein fortress which is on the east shore of the river.  There is a seilbahn (cable car) which affords a unique aerial view of the city, river and surrounding area as one rises from the west shore.

There were not many people at the fortress.  It dates back to 500 BC but serious building started with the Romans.  Imagine standing where the legions had been.  Amazing!  There were many more exhibits from the ages since 400 AD, including a restoration of the post WWII apartments which were up there.  An amazing view which we enjoyed over a delicious lunch choosing items from the pfifferling (local, wild mushroom) menu.  By the time we were ready to head back down, the rain had done another serious pounding and together with the wind, it made for a wobbly ride in the cable car.  Evidently the operators thought so too for they closed the ride about 15 min. just as we were getting out.

We are getting to know the city fairly well and find all the necessities without difficulty.  We bought the train ticket for heading back to Frankfurt so that is settled.  11 am Thursday morning we will head out.

Today's picture is one of the many taken from the cable car.  Come to see the rest of them on a time we will organize after we get back.

Any party will do

The forecast for Monday and Tuesday is not great, so we decided today should be a riding day.

Just south of Koblenz, there is a river that empties into the Rhine -- the Lahn.  There is a bike trail that goes along that river (and, I suspect along almost every other river in Germany), heading east.  A bicycle friendly bridge took us to the east side of the Rhine and we headed south.  At Lahnstein the route proceeded east along a very lazy river.  There were several little locks in the 27 kms we travelled   to Nassau, sometimes directly along the river, other times through a Sunday-closed town, or on a tree-canopied path through the woods.

We arrived in Nassau to discover it was the 100 anniversary of some market feast we had never heard of, but any party will do.  This was what we had hoped for yesterday in Urmitz, but it was unexpected today.  There were little tents selling everything from clothing (I think all of Germany needs neck scarves) to brushes I had no idea there were so many shapes, sizes and varieties), to grinding stones (Ian sucked in), to kitchen gadgets (my weakness), to 1/2 meter sausages in buns, etc, etc.  The picture today gives a little bit of the flavour of this well-attended festival.  Kids were doing rides and eating zuker watte (cotton candy) just like at Rockton fair.

But unlike Rockton, the regional train station has at least one train every hour back to Koblenz and though there were only 3 cars, 2 of them accepted bicycles and we were back at the Hbf by 5 pm.  Unfortunately, but nicely, most of the town is closed on Sunday.  We managed a couple of buns and a donair, so no problems.

going local

OK, today was a 'take it easy day'.  We started by wandering around the downtown, poking into stores, picking up items on our list.  Our aim was to get to a certain church at 12:30 for a choral concert.  The two choirs did a nice job in a church started in the 5th century -- but after two songs (modern) Ian heard a band outside and excused himself.  There was a sax solo of "I will follow him" which I fully expected to erupt into a full Sister Act "I love him", but did not.

We had seen a sign for an early Oktoberfest celebration tonight and tomorrow evening in the town of Urmitz where we had been on Wednesday.  They also had a Bauhaus (european Home Depot), so we decided to ride up there and check them out.  We rode in local attire -- no cycling shorts, helmets, jerseys, bags. Ian even got a neckscarf for the occasion. Thanks to a friendly older couple on folding bikes, we did find the Bauhaus (3 different underpasses).  I love the European style, especially in bathrooms.  Also, they are starting to carry the new LED lamps.  We need more light in our dining area and something like that would be lovely.

The Oktoberfest was just a drinking party in the evening and we couldn't see negotiating the train (with bicycles) or cycling back along the Rhine after such an adventure, so we didn't go that native!  We rode back and had a traditional dinner -- sauerbraten and spatzle with speck and zwiebeln in Kaserahm sause (german version of spaghetti carbonara) while watching the barges head up and down the river.  Life is good and this vacation is great!

Here we are at the Deutches Eck -- corner where the Mosel joins the Rhine and the most important Koblenz location.

Moseying on the Mosel

Ian wasn't feeling too well and since we had missed a number of pictures on our cycle along the Mosel yesterday, I decided to retrace our steps (pedals, I guess), take the photos (with an SD card in the camera this time), and go on a bit.

Vineyards hanging on hillsides are just awe inspiring.  This year the harvest is not ready while I am here, so there are no little machines slowly cogging their way up the monotrack (shown in the photo with my red water bottle for size reference), no eastern Europeans with big baskets on their backs, and no sweet smell in the vineyards.  Summer has been quite cool and rainy here, so they are delayed.  But there are lots of bunches just waiting for those few more sunny days so I am not too worried about the harvest.

In the 50 km that I rode along the Mosel today, there was one dam with lock system.  Obviously this is not enough as in a number of towns there were high water marks on the buildings which were significantly over my head! And this was not a long time ago -- one of the worst floods was just in 1993.

I took the train back -- yes, the car I got into showed room for 8 bicycles.  What a nice system that provides for frequency and variety of trains on many routes.  It took me back to Koblenz Hbf (Hauptbahnhof -- main train station) which is less than 1 km from our hotel.

We are still exploring the city with its many statues and very interesting fountains.  And we continue to sample cheeses and breads and meats and beer and Federweissen (actually both red and white).  I bet you wish you were here.

Historic bumps

We decided to go in a different direction today, so it was to the southwest along the Mosel. This is a much quieter, lazier cousin to the bustling Rhine, but the tour boats have found this lovely river too.  The Mosel cycle path follows the train line for much of this first part, except where you are directed into some of the little towns and tempted to stop for a coffee or a glass of the local fermentation.  Winningen is very picturesque with grape vines growing across the streets at about the first story height.

Thanks to a little store in Gondorf, the scraping brake pads problem on Ian's bike was fixed fairly easily -- or at least dealt with until we got back to Koblenz where he traded bikes.  Picnic sitting on a little wall holding up a grape vine terrace -- unforgettable!

As he is still getting over his cold, Ian took it easy in the afternoon while I did some more riding to the south along the Rhine.  I had done this last year, but coming the other way.  Today's picture is of one of the cobbles sections along that route -- another reminder of the history around you at every turn and every bump in this case.

We had dinner in a basement room of the Alt Coblenz restaurant, which must have been a storage cellar, complete with arched ceiling.  Food was authentic too, and very tasty!

River Rhine

Although we had picked up the bicycles last evening, we had to stop at the bike store for pump and repair kit and another lock.  Helmets for 3 euros a day when the bicycle is only 8?!  No thanks -picked up one for 14 euros at a department store.

North over the Mosel bridge and then onto the cycle path along the river.  Going downstream, the barges are just a bit faster than we leisure cyclists -- (on the way back with the tailwind for us, we beat them easily going upstream).  I am still delighted by the usage on the river -- personal craft to immensely long double barges laden with coal or containers.  And the bridges tell of different eras and technologies -- none go back to Julius Caesar, but there are many Roman ruins clearly visible.  One of my favourite bridges is the one in today's photo  -- a gorgeous new suspension span.

We prowled around Koblenz after we returned about 4 pm (about 40 km today).  Watching the cruise barges dock and jockey around each other is fascinating.  There was even a ship building works on one bank with the planking for launching on completion.  Solved the card reader problem on the computer and so I can now put in a teasing picture (so that you come to see all the photos).

For a second evening, we did the bread and cheese thing in our room, which is very modern and lovely.  We had eaten lunch out on the road and it was getting a bit cool to eat outside, which would be my preference.  Besides, the bread and cheese here are fabulous and the federweiss is available for take out (just remember to transport the unsealed bottle of fermenting grape juice standing up!).

Riding into history

The flight to Frankfurt was uneventful -- good!
The new adventure started with the locating of the long distance rail station.  It is in a beautiful modern building,  housing hotels and shopping along with the rail.  How fitting that the ICE (inter city express) which glides effortlessly and quietly along the rails, should have a building which is as sleek and aerodynamic looking as the train itself.

And then we got to the Rhine - whisked by the vineyards literally hanging on the sides of the mountains, spoke the classic names of Rudesheim, Bingen, St. Goar, marvelled at the ruins of castles still perched on their rocky peaks, repeated the Lorelei story at the rocky curve in the river.  Many have gone before us and we are looking forward to treading (and riding) on those ancient routes.

I did take a picture of the ICE train in order to insert into this blog, but the little computer is not reading the SD card from my camera, sorry.