August 8, 2014
From Boppard to Rudesheim: Castles, castles and more castles plus heat and head wind
Our room last night overlooking the Rhine was really lovely. We took our time eating breakfast sitting on the terrace enjoying the atmosphere so it wasn't until after nine that we set off but we had only planned a short day today so we could enjoy the feast of castles that awaited us
Our first stop was in St Goar which was remember from our previous trip on the Rhine for its particularly fine Public Toilets. Thankfully they weren't needed today but Ken reminisced fondly about there quality. This time we focussed on the other attractions of the place. Steve Miller had told us that there was a very fine Cuckoo Clock Shop there so we paid it a visit. Outside it was the 'Largest free hanging Cuckoo Clock in the world'. Inside was an Aladdin's Cave of genuine Black Forrest Cuckoo Clocks. The cuckooed, played music, the figures danced and drank beer and on one there was even a Lanz tractor. You could really spend serious money in this shop if you were so inclined.
In New Zealand people often use ancient tractors to launch their boats in the sea. Along the Rhine their meticulously restored vehicles are used to tow caravans and trailer loads of camping gear. Ken thoroughly approves of this as when we had a Farmall A (beautifully restored ) to launch our boat the fuss about getting it in sea water was enormous. Eventually the tractor won and Ken sold the boat. Now it has a happy retirement in a barn at home occasionally doing very important jobs.
We saw our first vines when we were in Remagen and since then we have passed through many steep vineyards. Nearly all of these will have to be cultivated by hand but when you look high up on the hills you can see small particularly steep terraces where grape growing has been abandoned. We saw some trimming being done on what looked like a precipice to me using a narrow crawler tractor and in another place there was a man meticulously weeding by hand. The grapes are well through veraison which roughly corresponds with what would be happening at home at a corresponding time of the year, they are of course much earlier ripening varieties than the ones we grow.
At Bingen after innumerable castles and stunning sights you are suddenly spat out of the gorge. We found the ferry over to Rudenstein. This is a humming town stuffed full of tourists. Everyone seems in high spirits and the place is a mass of hotels and restaurants. My book tells me it is the second most visited place in Germany which seems a little hard to believe.
Today was short but I found it challenging with a temperature of 33 degrees and a very brisk head mind all day
Today's ride: 49 km (30 miles)
Total: 256 km (159 miles)
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