The big Z

I don't know if it is called that here, but we went to Zurich today.  It appears to be a lovely clean and well kept city.  The Linmat River which runs through Baden, where we are staying, rushes off to Zurich where it widens and therefore slows also.  The Zurichians use the river for swimming and there are several areas on the banks that have change rooms, stairs, sitting areas, etc, to accommodate the large numbers of people who take advantage of this free service.  Even the tourists love it and 4 of us (not me) took bathing suits and swam downstream, got out, walked back upstream, and then swam down again and again.  It was a little cool, so we didn't spend all afternoon.

In the morning we found a geological exhibit with some of the most beautiful mineral and fossil samples I have ever seen.  And we lunched as the Swiss do, raclette  and flammen kuchen.  Insert at the end of the visit a trip to the big toy store, and everyone was happy.

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Attractions on our cycling trip. 

We started off in Cologne with a trip to the Chocolate Museum.  Lindt does just as good a job of the production and story side as they do of the actual chocolate side.  And they provide lots of samples!

We had wanted to go to the Peace Museum at the site of the destroyed bridge in Remagen, but it was closed for technical renovation.

We did get to the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein across the river from Koblenz -- by gondola over the river!  It was very impressive with its thick walls and multiple defences, but what K liked best was the High Tech Romans exhibit.  He built aqueducts, rowed a galley, built a bridge and an arched doorway, tested pulleys and hooks to lift building stones.  He is an engineering boy.

Just south of Koblenz is Schloss Stolzenfelz.  It was a 13th centruy ruin which was given to Wilhelm in the mid 1800s who restored it as a summer place.  It has a wonderful view (you have to climb up the mountain to get there), beautiful gardens and some lovely furniture.  K liked it so much that we bought a paper model kit which he will make at home.

In Andernach, they is a cold water carbonated geyser.  Unfortunately it is a boat ride away, but there is a small sampler one by the river which we enjoyed.

We had a few ferry rides -- fascinating to the boy who loved watching the navigating across the river and the docking procedure.

One day took us through the Romantic Rhine section with castle ruins on almost every hill and a very fast flowing narrow river.  Here the vineyards started seriously and after arriving in Rudesheim, we took the gondola ride over the vineyard up to the statue of Lady Germania.  I was up there 7 years ago and she was encased in scaffolding.  She looked much better this time.

Another closed attraction was the ancient loading crane right on the river with hamster-like treadwheels inside for slaves.

And, of course, there were bridges and towers and ancient walls and gardens and play structures and boats of all shapes sizes and functions.  Going upriver, we cycled just a bit faster than the barges headed in the same direction.  There was one boat, Spera, which we met up with 7 times.