Today’s post is 1650 words, 60 photos, 2 videos, an 8 minute read. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the views, likes, and comments on last week’s blog post from Puerto Vallarta. If you missed it, click here.

I’m back to writing about Germany. This week I’ll take you on an afternoon cruise on the Rhine River then onward to Bonn for a street festival and a stop at the Beethoven Museum. Come along for the ride. If you missed my previous posts from Germany, click here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The Trail from Mehring to Boppard

It was a sunny but cool morning along the Mosel River when we departed our comfortable lodging in Mehring. We bid farewell to Ilse, our friendly host. She granted me permission to take a photo of her next to the grapevines along her driveway. If you need a place to stay in the Mosel River region, check out her lodging by clicking here.

The trail took us from Mehring to Bingen, on the elbow of the Rhine where it turns east. At Bingen, we followed the road known as the Middle Rhine Valley Scenic Route or the Romanitc Rhine. This road runs on both sides of the Rhine Gorge and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its concentration of castles, vineyards, and the famous Lorelei Rock. We stopped a couple of times along the way to take in the sites. One of the stops was at a small farmers market on the shore of the Rhine. There was even a guitar resting on its case with no owner in sight.

Our destination was Boppard, one of the scenic towns along the Rhine River where we boarded a vessel operated by K-D Lines. Like the trains, the boat left on time.

On the Rhine

Once on the boat, Wayne and I found a couple of available seats on the top deck. It was sunny but the breeze was cool especially after we were underway. By the end, my face was a little wind and sunburned. There was narration in German and English throughout the 2.5 hour voyage. Our tickets were 16€ (about $18.50 USD).

The Rhine River runs for 765 miles (1230 km) from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea near Rotterdam, Netherlands. It’s the second longest river in Central and Western Europe after the Danube. The river is a major trade artery for Europe with the shipping of coal, iron ore, oil, and agricultural products. The Rhine is consider one of the busiest inland shipping routes in the world. It is also popular for river cruises from one hour to several days. In the photo below, note the long boat cruise ship and the natural gas barge passing each other.

The scenery on either side of the Rhine was quite beautiful especially the small towns along the river way. There were plenty of castles on the hillsides. I marveled at the effort it took to build on a steep hill. Apparently, the owners charged tolls on the river to pay for their castles and the help to keep them going.

We were in a drag race with one long boat (we lost) while meeting another going in the other direction.

In these two photos note the cargo barges, one with containers and the other with scrap metal.

Some of the hillsides are so steep that the use of mechanical harvesters to harvest grapes is impossible. Workers handpicking the grapes ensures a high quality harvest as they can select the best fruit while discarding any inferior or damaged grapes. It also avoids damage to the vines from the mechanical harvester. Crews are often seasonal workers, family members, and occasionally tourists who pitch in to help.

While on the cruise, I saw several different types of vessels making their way down the River. We saw a couple of kayaks, one with a small sail to help with the paddling.

We passed a campground that was full of caravans as RVs are called in Europe. The weekend weather was perfect for camping, even with that I was amazed at the number of campers.

 

We traveled as far as St. Goar where the boat turned around and returned to Boppard. Before docking, the Captain proceeded a short way down the river for a good look at the Lorelei. This steep slate promontory stands 433 feet (132 meters) above the river. According to legend, Lorelei is a mysterious maiden who sat upon a steep rock overlooking the Rhine River near St. Goar, captivating sailors with her beauty and enchanting song. As boatmen gazed up at her, they became distracted by the melody and the glittering current below, steering their vessels into the river’s dangerous rocks and whirlpools. Over time, the tale came to symbolize both the allure and peril of the Rhine, blending romance, tragedy, and the power of nature into one of Germany’s most enduring river legends.

After the stop at St. Goar, the boat headed up the river carried by the strong current. It was later afternoon when we disembarked in Boppard. I enjoyed the cruise, it was well-done. I have to say I like the scenery and beauty of the Mosel River a bit better than the Rhine but both are well worth the visit.

Bound for Bonn

It took us about an hour and a half to reach our lodging at the Intercity Hotel in Bonn. As luck would have it, I scored one of the half dozen parking spots at the hotel. Sure it cost 20€  (about $23 USD) for one night but it was better than finding street or ramp parking in the busy, crowded city.

Bonn, population 330,000, is a historic city located on the banks of the Rhine River in western Germany. Bonn has a rich cultural heritage and was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990. Today, it is renowned for its vibrant university scene, beautiful parks, and significant role as a center for international cooperation and development.

After checking in, we set out to find the street festival we passed on the way into town. On our trek we passed the botanical garden for the University of Bonn, considered one of the top 100 universities in the world. We ask a couple of coeds for directions to the festival which they politely gave us in excellent English.

The festival was the Poppelsdorf Straßenfest about a 25 minutes walk from the hotel. It’s one of the most popular street festivals in Bonn with two stages of live music, local food and beverage vendors.

Wayne and I walked through the very crowded festival. We tried to look at what the food vendors had to offer but the crowd made it near impossible. In addition, there was a lot of beer flowing making it even more challenging. We walked around the corner and found a small, hole in the wall Greek restaurant. A local fellow helped us order a plate of food and a beer. He told us that if we didn’t like the food we could eat and walk away. The food was ok and there was a place to sit so we dutifully paid after eating.

Back at the hotel, I realized that the main train station was next to my window. Fortunately, I never heard one train pass by during the night.

Ode to Beethoven

The next morning after breakfast and coffee, Wayne and I found our way to the Beethoven-Haus, Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthplace. It is now a museum housing original manuscripts, compositions, instruments, and personal items. It was drizzling so we were glad for an indoor activity. After paying the entrance fee of 16€ (about $18.50 USD), we walked across street and entered the museum.

 

After leaving the museum, we walked through the nearby shopping area. Not all the stores were open because it was Sunday. We did pop into a church to get out of the light drizzle. I liked the color of the interior. It looked so fresh and inviting.

Soon we were back at the car and headed for next stay in Julich, a village about an hour due west of Cologne. Join me next week for stories and photos from that part of Germany.

But before I go……

THE FIVE SENSES PLUS ONE

Saw – castles, churches, villages on the cruise, morning fog in Mehring, many vessels on the Rhine River, Beethoven birth house and museum, lots of highway

Heard – church bells, the sound of a diesel engine, people talking, loud music, cars humming along

Touch – railings, buttons in the elevator, camera shutter

Smell – food cooking, fresh air

Taste – Greek food, passion fruit drink, beer, water with gas

Learned – about the Rhine River, about Beethoven that he was a difficult person given to outrage and sarcasm but a genius as a musician

Until next week, happy travels!

Tom

PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM