Middle Rhine Day

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Geo: 49.9689, 7.88394

Rhens is well situated due to rail and boat connections. The KDL Line runs boats up and down the Rhine. We were able to get the boat about 10 minutes from the hotel. It will be a 5 hour trip Bingen. There are many stops. It seems that these stops are often pickup and drop off points for bus tours. Generally it seems that most of the bus tours get about a 2 hour ride.

The boats are quite luxurious with multiple dining rooms with white table cloths, etc - mostly for the tour bus crowd. The rest of us ordered from a simple menu. However, we got to sit outside and enjoy the scenery and the great weather.

This particular stretch of the Rhine is considered to be particularly pretty. Lots of interesting villages and castles along the way. The Rhine is a very busy river with passenger ferries and freighters somewhat like what you would see on the Great Lakes.

We had an interesting conversation with an elderly German fellow who described Trump as being crazy in the head.

Upon arriving in Bingen we walked around the historic part of the city including climbing up to the Castle.

Our return journey was somewhat frustrating. We had decided to take the train back because it was a 40 minute trip. We purchased our tickets from the agent. We were to take a train from platform 103 at 17:17. There was a train at 17:17 on platform 102. Some people tried to tell us to take that train but we didn't. We eventually took the next train on platform 102. No trains came to platform 103 despite the fact that the agent and our ticket had made it clear we were to take the train at platform 103. So much for German efficiency.

Thankfully the train we did take got us back. The trains are very nice and quiet.

We returned to our hotel for dinner. The hotel seems to be the preferred dining spot in town. Last night we had the venison so we decided to go vegetarian. It was very good. The white asparagus is thicker than my thumbs and very tasty - milder than the green asparagus which we are used to. The local Reisling was very good as well.

The hotel seems to be the place to be in town. Small cycling groups seem to be here as well as a bunch of the locals playing chess.

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Comments

[Carla]

The asparagus looks wonderful. The ferry, boat ride looks very relaxing. Has the weather improved.