July 7, 2023
Day 6: Nierstein - Mainz - 14 miles
Finally, the beauty of the Rhine
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The hostess of our gastehaus, Weingut und Gästehaus Thomas Schwibinger, prepared a delicious European breakfast and set a lovely table with a view of the garden. The breakfast experience in Europe is so much more enjoyable and less hurried.
The hostess recommended that our group not head back downhill to the Rhine cycle path but rather climb to the top of the mountain. She said it would be only a "5-minute" steep climb and then kilometers of panoramic view of the Rhine. She was a good saleslady and off we set.
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It was much more than a 5-minute climb of 5-10%. She did deliver a spectacular view of the river valley. The group followed the mountaintop paths north and soon was lost. Out came my phone and Google Maps. We took a pretty direct route through the vineyards and cherry orchards. The trees were ripe with plump dark red cherries. I stopped and sampled a few, tart yet delicious.
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The cycle paths eventually led down to the river and on some not-busy to somewhat busy roads as we headed towards Mainz. All motorists were polite and respectful of cyclists. We joined the Rhine cycle path about 3 miles out of Mainz and enjoyed the city's riverfront and architecture. Getting lost when navigating to the hotel using Google Maps seems to be the norm. The tour company does not provide hotel-specific navigation.
After a frustrating convoluted route, we arrived at Hotel Mercure near the main train station. Our reservations had been canceled. The hotel front desk made several calls and found that it was an error on the hotel's part. Checked in and still waiting for luggage, we headed out to lunch.
Several hours later and after a nice nap, I retrieved my luggage, unpacked, and did my laundry in the sink and shower. It was time to dine out. I joined my friend Ellen and her friends Tom and Cindy who by coincidence are on our upcoming week's tour.
It's about time to call it a day. My bedtime reading is looking over the itinerary and details of our Romantic Rhine cycling week that begins on Sunday. Tomorrow is a free day to explore. I'll bike to the central marketplatz. I checked in my bike for this coming week tonight. It is ready to go for a ride tomorrow morning.
Today's Trivia
A large monument commemorates the 249th Engineers Combat Battalion and the 3rd U.S. Army for their actions at Nierstein during General George S. Patton's Rhine Crossing operation, winning the "race to the Rhine". The successful Rhine Assault Crossing started on March 22 1945 at Nierstein and nearby Oppenheim and allowed the U.S. Army to bring more than 60,000 military vehicles across the "last natural border" into the heartland of the Reich in a two-week time span. The operation was a key factor to end the war months before the Allied HQ had planned it.
Today's ride: 14 miles (23 km)
Total: 147 miles (237 km)
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