Two Good Days

Yesterday we left Bayreuth on a 10 am train. We switched trains twice and made our way back to Mainz. We collected our bikes and continued on our way along the Rhine. While we were at Magdalena’s collecting our bikes, we asked her to call the campground to check if it existed and had space. They said “Oh yeah, we have plenty of space for tents!”

Our destination was a campground on an island in the middle of the Rhine. We biked along till we came to a fork in the trail. One direction was blocked by construction. Our Google map wanted us to go on that route. We turned the other way and waited for Google to recalculate. When she did, she made up a very, very complex way of going back to the same fork and turning onto the path that was closed. 

We pedaled around until we stopped and tried to figure out a way to get over the Autobahn, onto the bridge, and down to the island. A man biked by and we flagged him down and asked if he knew anything about this. He said that there was no access to the island except a long emergency staircase for construction workers. (No wonder the campground had plenty of room!) But he knew of a place on the other side of the Rhine where he’d seen people camping. He told us he would lead us there.

He led us through a maze of construction, up onto the bridge, and over the river, until we came to a big harbor festival. He led us through the big festival, which was going to have fireworks that night until 11 pm. As we threaded our way through the festival, Mommy mentioned to me that our new German friends (Jurg and family) lived in this very city. 

It turns out the second campground wasn’t actually a campground and was right smack next to the huge festival. We realized we had an address for the Germans! We put that into Google and made our way there. They walked out of the house just as we pulled up. They invited us to pitch our tents in the grass area behind their house.

Then we ate supper together in their house, which was very fun. The adults told us it was too late to go watch fireworks, but finally the kids won. We left the house at 10 pm and began the half-hour walk to the festival. We arrived just as the first fireworks went off. On the way back, we decided that the show was worth it even though we didn’t get to bed until 11:30 pm.

Today we said bye to the Germans after eating a yummy breakfast in their house and pedaled back down to the Rhine.

Our ride was full of castles and ruins. 

It’s not an exaggeration to say there was one around every corner. We are camped at a campground with at least three castles in view.

— Lyle