Cloudy, but warm, with occasional bursts of sunshine 23C.
A couple of weeks ago, Kathleen clocked up 91 miles of cycling, in one week. Since then, dare I say, a slight obsession has developed, this week, we have done "only" 69.6 miles, no good enough!
Next we cycle into Rudesheim, to check out Church times for Kathleen, she has to see it with her own eyes, myself/Google are not trusted. It is 17:00 tomorrow (Saturday) evening, so, a repeat of 2013, I suspect, ie Church, drinks in the square, from the "wine kiosk", a meal, more drinks in the square, then, wobble back to the site, on the bikes!
Saturday, 14th September 2019
"Only" 14C in the morning, but, by lunch time, sunny, and 23C.
The section of the Rhine from here, towards Koblenz, is popularly know as the "Romantic Rhine", the bank as are more hilly and covered in vineyards, with castles dotted along the way.
That is where we cycle today, a trivial six miles, a poor show by our usual efforts.
On the return, we pause in Rudesheim, so Kathleen could try out these large seats,
The day is rounded off, for me, by sitting in the square in Rudesheim, workingman way through a selection of German wines, on sale at a kiosk in the square.
It works like this, you hire a glass for 3Euro, you have it filled/refilled with wine, for 2Euro. At the end, you return the glass, and get 3Euro back. Very civilised!
When Kathleen emerges from church, we find a very nice restaurant and eat.
When we have eaten, I notice that another customer is paying with plastic, so, I ask to pay by Debit card (Starling Debit Card, no fees for foreign currency transactions).
The waiter appears reluctant, and, I have to go to a "cash desk" to complete the transaction, but, otherwise, no problem.
I venture to ask the waiter, why, in Germany, there appears to be a reluctance to use Plastic?
His answer is, that, Germans value their privacy, and, that, using Plastic leaves an electronic trail, ie "they" know, when you ate, where you ate, what you ate.
All seems a bit strange to me, but, I suppose, in a Country which spawned the Gestapo, and the Stazi, perhaps, he has a point?
Just one man's view of course, maybe it has nothing to do with privacy.
Sunday, 15th September 2019.
An absolutely stunning day for mid-September, clear blue sky, full sunshine, 27C.
Now, before I recount this tale, you must understand, Kathleen is most definitely NOT obsessive (she says).
Kathleen, checking her Runkeeper mileage, for the week, finds she has 81 miles clocked up, for the week so far. It is decided, we will go out cycling, taking a picnic lunch, but, with option to eat at a Riverside bar, if we see one.
We duly cycle ten miles along the Rhine, just past a place called Eltville.
We turn back, and stop off in Eltville for a celebratory drink, what are we celebrating? Kathleen's, achievement of, what will be, over 100 miles of cycling, in one week. She is even feeling so pleased with herself that she buys a very pleasant lunch at Rosenstubchen, a pavement bar/restaurant in Eltville.
There are numerous Cruise Boats today, some day cruises, and some of the really large ones where people spend a Holiday cruising the Rhine, and beyond. It is clear that many Orientals (Chinese?) are now taking such cruises, and, places like Rudesheim have groups of them, photographing everything in sight. It seems rather ironic, to me, that they will, possibly, be taking home "souvenirs" from Germany, which, were almost certainly manufactured in China, shipped halfway around the world, in a Container, and, will return in as holiday luggage?
