July 9, 2023
Day 8: Mainz - Rüdesheim - 22 miles
The Romantic Rhine did not disappoint today
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Sunday morning and Mainz was asleep as I headed north. Sundays in Europe are quite different than Sundays in the USA. About everything is closed for the day, reminiscent of the blue law days of my youth. The path out of town was not complicated and the Velociped app and Google Maps seemed to work well.
The first few miles were through residential to light industrial areas of Mainz. I crossed the Rhine on a major highway bridge with excellent bike infrastructure and a divided wide bike lane. It led to a cycle path hugging the Rhine for the remainder of the day.
The views were amazing. The Rhine plain from last week was replaced with a river valley bordered on both sides by mountains. Fruit orchards were replaced with terraced vineyards as far as you could see. The seldom-seen village from last week was replaced with a series of quaint German villages every 5-10 kilometers.
The Castle towers of Kurfurstliche Burg welcomed us as we cycled into Eltville. The walk around the grounds was quite nice. The following kilometers passed many stately riverfront homes and estates.
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Being a short mileage day, the group cycled off the path and into Oestrich-Winkel to check out the village that looked promising from the path. It turned out that the village was preparing for a music festival. The wine booths were open, and these cyclists became day drinkers. My wine spritzer was refreshing on this 90-degree day.
A few miles later, feeling a little happier, I cycled into Rüdesheim, my destination for the day. Google Maps was flawless and took me to Hotel Zum Bären. It was before noon and the group headed down the hill to lunch. This village is at a 45-degree angle with the hotel near the top.
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Some of the group left to ride the cable car after lunch. I opted not to since it was 90+ degrees. Ellen and I stopped for ice cream before embarking on a 90-minute river cruise. It promised many castles and a welcoming view of the river from the water. It was a sweltering cruise with nice views.
It was back up the hill and time to shower and relax waiting for the others to return from their excursion. Ellen accompanied me to dinner at Restaurant Cafe Stadt Frankfurt. I had sauerbraten, potato dumplings, and red cabbage, a very German banquet. Delicious! I passed on beer.
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It was a particularly good day on the bike with beautiful scenery, a nice cycling path, no rain, and a short cycling distance. Off tomorrow to St. Goar.
Today's Trivia
Castles abound on the Rhine! A trip along the river is like a voyage into a fairy-tale land, with at least 60 picturesque castles and formidable fortresses presiding over the river from the surrounding hilltops.
Today's ride: 22 miles (35 km)
Total: 133 miles (214 km)
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