We left Frankfurt with our rented car...yes we decided to rent a car and drive along the Rhine from Frankfurt to Bingen and then along the Rhine River as far as Koblenz and then we would head towards Holland from there.
It was a good plan - and we were excited to go~
We took one last picture of the Main River and saw these people on paddle boards early in he morning ~ Krista???!!!! Look here!
Nick walked to train station where he had rented the car - and came back with it to pick me up with the suitcases & packs!
Hey cute...a little VW Polo! Stick shift (yeah!) and small...but we got one suitcase on the back seat and one in the trunk...oh well...no problem there...just "jam" those babies in there! Where there is a will - there is a way! ha!
Off we went~ Along the freeway in Germany.....
...the roads are great...directions & signs..all easy to read and with the map on the lap...well easy stuff!
We headed west to Mainz...and took a off road (all well noted) towards Bingen...it was easy & fun to find!
......and then we turned off to Bingen...and all at once....there was the Rhine River!
Oh my so pretty...and so wide!
Lots and Lots of barges continually going up & down the Rhine River...bringing cargo from Holland to Basel Switzerland ~ this is the only way it can get into Switzerland and also Austria ~ a very busy river
...and so many beautiful tourist boats too!
We came to Bingen which is on one side...and then the small ferry/car/people boat can take you across the river to the other side...and that is all you have available...no bridges across.
We decided to hope over to the town of Rudisheim...also a darling little town along the river!
Here it comes Nico!!!!!
Let's do it OK?
Another tourist boat...they are low on the water...with state rooms and a big deck on top so the passengers can see all around them! Most of these boats start in Rotterdam and flow all the way down the Rhine River...and you can end in Basel Switzerland!
There are many vineyards along the Rhine...I had forgotten - but then it had been over 30+ years ago...since I last drove it! Gosh that sounds like AGES ago!!!!!
There is the little rental car! How fun to drive these little cars....they zip around so easily ~
Definitely a serious consideration when we return to the States...a little "zip" around car....with STICK SHIFT...YES! HA!
We can't recall all the castles and towers along the way...but just took pictures to share with you!
Yyes there were trains along both sides of the river too!
You can also use the KD boats - there are day trip boats from one section to the other...or a round trip ~
K Koblenz to D Dusseldorf Cruise Line - we had considered it ourselves....but decided a car was the way to go...because we could continue our journey to Holland if we did the car rental instead!
So here comes lots of pictures of some beautiful scenes along the river as we drove...casually coasting at a speed like granny's! And yes we actually are! ha!
Yes ....
Auf Wiedersehen!
Cute small towns along the way...and so many people enjoying their trip along the River!
Castles....
......and castles.......
........and more castles....along the banks!
...and more castles...some are called "burg" because a family lived there...and some are called "schloss" because they were used for protection - a fort that is!
This one was in the middle of the water...on a island!
They say this is the nicest route from Bingen to Koblenz or the other way around~ my Lonely Travel Book helps a lot - to keep up with where you go and what to see!!!
We decided to stop and find a place to stay for the night~
We came to a little town called St Goarshausen ~ and just stopped at the first place to ask if they had a room for the night~
Hotel Colonius Rhine River
It was adorable and breakfast was superb...! We were thankful for the room...yet wifi was not in the room! Ugh! Older Hotel...so only down in the Lobby ~ Tough...my Mom was not doing well ~ She was not going to make it very much longer my family said in CA! I was a nervous wreck and it was very hard...for Maralin my sis who was with my Mom continually at the care home!
I stayed by the wifi for some time...went to sleep and then the next morning we came down to breakfast to check again with how things were going~ TOUGH...very tough~
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