We didn't lounge around much this morning--we had plans for a cruise on the Rhine! We at breakfast at our hotel--they serve a nice breakfast with plenty of variety, and even bring a soft boiled egg to your table, along with orange juice and coffee. After our first morning the nice waitress remembered we liked a little extra orange juice, so every morning she brought us an extra pitcher!
Just part of the breakfast offerings:
Each table is set with fresh flowers:
After some discussion with Scott, the hotel owner, we planned our day. We rode the train up river to the small town of Bingen, where we took a ferry across the Rhine to the town of Rudesheim am Rhine. We'd board our river boat in Rudesheim for the 3 hour trip back to Boppard.
Rudesheim is a lovely little town, and we enjoyed exploring a few of the pretty streets.
Town Square:
One of the pretty streets winding through town:
High above the hills of Rudesheim is the Niederwalddenkmal, a 125 ft. tall patriotic monument constructed in 1871 to commemorate the foundation of the German Empire after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. There's a gondola ride up to the monument, and we enjoyed the 15 minute ride over the pretty vineyards. The view was amazing!
Looking down on Rudesheim
View over the Rhine
Beautiful vineyards:
The Niederwalddenkmal Monument:
After enjoying the views for awhile, we rode the tram back down. The town was "filling up" fast--probably because it was a beautiful sunny Sunday and Mother's Day. Lots of locals and tourists like us--the streets were jammed!
We walked down a few side streets and somewhat escaped the crowds. We found a nice biergarten with outdoor seating, and enjoyed a delicious lunch and a couple of ice cold beers.
It's Spargelzeit (Asparagus season) in Germany! Most restaurants have a special spargel menu--with several dishes featuring the large, white tender stalks. The Germans love their spargel!
As asparagus is David's favorite vegetable, he ordered a plate of spargel mit sauce hollandaise. He said it was the best asparagus he's ever had! Wish I could have tasted it, darn! (Strange but true--I'd allergic to asparagus)
David's delicious white asparagus--which cost about $12 a plate!
David enjoying his large cold beer:
I forgot to take a picture of my lunch! Since I couldn't eat any of that yummy asparagus, I drowned my sorrows in a nice plate of pig knuckle and sauerkraut! Mmmmmm, good!
Finally it was time to board our 4:15 cruise on the Rhine. We were at the front of the line, so we got great seats on the upper deck right in front.
The dining room on the ship--we sat outside right in front of this area:
David on the ship:
It was a beautiful day on the Rhine! We enjoyed every minute of the 3 1/2 hours on the river, the scenery was just amazing. We saw more castles than we could count, passed many pretty little villages, and hundreds of vineyards!
Some pictures along the very beautiful Rhine River:
Some of the castles have been restored, and are being used as hotels and/or restaurants:
Several castles are just remains--still pretty to look at:
We docked in Boppard about 7:15, and it was a very short walk to our hotel--it's right across the street from the dock!
No dinner for us tonight--we were still full from our delicious lunch. We had a glass of wine and snacked on some crackers, just right.
What a wonderful day it had been! We enjoyed every minute of our cruise on the Rhine--what a beautiful region this is.
Good night from the beautiful Rhine River Valley……..
Tomorrow: Day trip to Cochem, and a visit to a castle
Amazing countryside---looks like you had the best seats for your cruise on the Rhine. As always, the pictures are amazing and make me want to visit the area. White asparagus sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnne's family took us, also, to Rudesheim. I loved gliding over the tops of the vinyards. It brings back memories. I didn't, however, like the Chardanny from this paticular area. Too pungent for me.....
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