Day 38: Muggy
E phatlaladitšwe: 19.08.2023
Ingwadiše go Lengwalo la Ditaba
The Hotel Köppel in Bingen, where we stayed, is one of those beautiful houses that have probably been in family ownership for a long time and have the incomparable charm of an old house. Windy corridors, uneven floors, creaking stairs - simply beautiful. We are very satisfied with our choice!
We continue along the Rhine, sometimes closer, then further away, corridors, fields, meadows, apple orchards, vineyards. We briefly stop at a particularly ornate rest area, a hobby gardener brings us freshly harvested tomatoes and doesn't want anything in return.
Through Ingelheim we reach Mainz, the industry becomes denser, Schott is looking for 100 new employees ('We reinvent glass every day'). komoot suggests a beautiful old railway bridge towards the other side of the Rhine, but there are too many steps, there are also other bridges. We find them a few kilometers later and arrive in Kastel, where the last Main River floater gave up in 1964. This profession is dedicated to a sculpture where we take a rest. The sun is not scorching, but it is incredibly muggy, which makes driving quite exhausting.
We continue on the left side of the Main River, along the railway line. We meet a racing cyclist, an older gentleman, who asks about our tour because he himself rides a lot of bikes and has cycled from Wiesbaden to Munich and further into the Alps a few times. He also tells us his best experience: the Großglockner Road at night. Virtually no traffic, the starry sky above him, pure goosebumps, still, but non-cyclists wouldn't appreciate something like that. We do! It's noted for retirement.
We continue past Höchst towards Frankfurt, changing sides; the skyline appears. komoot has an idea of how to get to our destination, maritim. I can convince my wife to drive past the Allianz, turn left over the bridge, and drive past the main train station to the hotel. After all, I know my way around, I've been to Frankfurt relatively often, mostly to the maritim before Corona.
I have the best memories of this hotel: I once got to stand in the elevator with 4 fully styled flight attendants (I think it was Qatar Airways). A man never forgets that...
We continue along the Rhine, sometimes closer, then further away, corridors, fields, meadows, apple orchards, vineyards. We briefly stop at a particularly ornate rest area, a hobby gardener brings us freshly harvested tomatoes and doesn't want anything in return.
Through Ingelheim we reach Mainz, the industry becomes denser, Schott is looking for 100 new employees ('We reinvent glass every day'). komoot suggests a beautiful old railway bridge towards the other side of the Rhine, but there are too many steps, there are also other bridges. We find them a few kilometers later and arrive in Kastel, where the last Main River floater gave up in 1964. This profession is dedicated to a sculpture where we take a rest. The sun is not scorching, but it is incredibly muggy, which makes driving quite exhausting.
We continue on the left side of the Main River, along the railway line. We meet a racing cyclist, an older gentleman, who asks about our tour because he himself rides a lot of bikes and has cycled from Wiesbaden to Munich and further into the Alps a few times. He also tells us his best experience: the Großglockner Road at night. Virtually no traffic, the starry sky above him, pure goosebumps, still, but non-cyclists wouldn't appreciate something like that. We do! It's noted for retirement.
We continue past Höchst towards Frankfurt, changing sides; the skyline appears. komoot has an idea of how to get to our destination, maritim. I can convince my wife to drive past the Allianz, turn left over the bridge, and drive past the main train station to the hotel. After all, I know my way around, I've been to Frankfurt relatively often, mostly to the maritim before Corona.
I have the best memories of this hotel: I once got to stand in the elevator with 4 fully styled flight attendants (I think it was Qatar Airways). A man never forgets that...
Ingwadiše go Lengwalo la Ditaba
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