Romantic Rhine

Today was our last day of castles on the Rhine, or so we are told. We actually saw over three.

When the Tasmanians recommended a visit to Stolzenfels Castle this morning, we decided to go for it.

We overcame our fear of guided tours, and boy were we glad! The place was filled with fabulous armor and weapons, including lances, shields, swords, maces, and crossbows. We also loved the paintings, gardens, fountains, and flowers.

We had a late picnic lunch on the riverfront in Koblenz, and then set out to cover some serious ground in order to reach the campground that had been recommended to us by several other cyclists as “the best campground on the Rhine,” Campingplatz Reineck. 

We covered 22 miles after 3:30 (for a total of 33 miles for the day) and rolled gratefully into the campground at 5:30.

The last several campgrounds have been skinny, crowded strips squeezed between the Rhine, the highway, and the railroad tracks. In contrast, Reineck is tucked away in a lush, forested canyon about 3 km off the main drag. It is also not right next to the railroad tracks, which was a nice change! We are actually thinking we might get a decent sleep!

We are basking in the simple pleasures of this place: table, chairs (with backs), and quiet. The hot showers are a religious experience for the parents (6 minutes for 50 cents).  

Lots of folks from Holland here. We guess we are only a couple days from the border.

- Ruby and Liv