Bacharach, Germany June 13, 2013

After hearing kids running around at 5 am, we finally got going about 8 am with free breakfast at the hostel.  We then packed up and walked down to the town with our packs on.  Jan had suggested that we get a cab but that would be 10 Euros!  I thought we should walk and walk we did.  By the time we got to town, I was completely drenched with sweat.  We got to our hotel in town and both showered.  We hopped on a Rhine river cruise boat (not an actual cruise but rather a large taxi service for 300 people - quite nice).  We cruised the Rhine for about 40 minutes until we got to St. Goar (pronounced Go - Are).  We then hopped on a small tourist train up to Rheinfels Castle and toured around - no more walking up or down huge inclines today.  The castle was very interesting and we met a couple from Hastings, England and chatted for awhile.  Then we came down and had a beer (both of us) and headed back to the dock.  We had lunch on the pier - we brought some sandwiches and had our Schwarzwalder Kirsch Torte (Black Forest Cake), Apfel Streusel (Apple Strudel) and Butter cake as dessert.  It was interesting that many of the businesses in town were closed from the flooding last week which saw the Rhine rise 7 metres - there was evidence of water as high up as 3-4 feet on the buildings in town which is quite elevated from the river itself.  When we got back to Bacharach, I stopped in for a 12 Euro haircut (where better to get a brushcut than in Germany) - Jan was thinking about a haircut as well but the award hanging on the wall was from 2001.  Went for dinner at the Jagerstube and had soup, salad and wiener schnitzel (and wine - I know, surprise no beer).  Guten Abend.  We are off to Rothenburg ob der Tauber tomorrow.

Stahleck Castle - Our home for the first night

On the Rhine

Stahleck Castle and Bacharach

Rheinfels Castle

Gettting a Haircut in Germany