It was a short ride today.  But, I didn’t take note that I was going to have to go up over the Taunus hills  to get from the valley of the Lahn to the Rhine.  The Taunus are not particularly high, but they are sharp, and I seemed to go up and down several times.  So, miles wise it was a short ride, but it was a tough one.  A good part of it through the Taunus and down was through woods, with lots of Germans out with their poles walking the tracks.

The Rhine at Mainz is huge, even more so these last few weeks because of the rain.  It runs very fast.  Makes the Thames even at its widest look like a minnow.  Lucas’ place looks over the Rhine, and you see really long river boats passing slowly by, also the Viking river cruise type boats.  I can’t think of anything worse than being stuck on one of those for a few days.  It’s the sort of thing Americans who are doing Europe do.

Lucas and I had dinner at a local German bierkeller, where there wasn’t any football mania, but rather some very earnest Germans of a certain vintage having a side show and talk about Roman artefacts, given no doubt by some Herr Doktor Professor.  Anyhow, at least they were doing the business in a bierkeller and mixing their self-improvement with fun anf beer.  The Rhine has been a main thoroughfare from north to south in Europe, and will have lots of history.  The Romans were in Mainz and elsewhere along the Rhine

Lucas gave up his bed for me, in spite of my protestations, and he took to the couch.  I’d say he’s glad I was only staying one night.  

Berlin-Lutherstadt  :   Lutherstadt - Bernberg. :   Bernberg - Blankenberg  :  Blankenberg - Einbeck  :  Einbeck - Kassel  : 

Kassel - Kirchheim  :  Kirchheim - Marburg  :  Kirchheim - Limberg/Diez  :  Limberg/Diez - Mainz  :  Mainz - Koblenz  :

Koblenz - Krov  :  Krov - Remich  :  Remich - Verdun  :  Verdun : Verdun - Reims  :  Reims - Amiens  :  Amiens - Arras