Middle Rhein....

The path through Mainz was excellent, taking us under sandstone & iron bridges, passed a tall ship & a wonderfully aromatic huge Nescafe processing plant, then finally through acres of allotments & orchards.

At Bingen the whole of the large waterfront was taken over by their equivalent of the Chelsea Flower Show - on until October if you fancy a visit. We camped right opposite the famous Loreley Rocks, where it is fascinating to watch the pilot tugs pull enormous barges through this treacherous section. Just around the corner, we pass through St Goar, very busy with cruise boats. From here we can see 3 castles, & the rest of the day brings us views of all shapes & sizes of 'schlosses' set in very steep vineyards.

At Koblenz, we suddenly notice the river flowing the 'wrong' way & realise we have turned up the River Moselle. This is the point, therefore, for us to cross the arched Roman bridge & regain the Rhein path. As we enter Remagen, we recognise immediately the remains of the famous Luddendorf railway bridge. This was used by the first complete American infantry batallion to cross the Rhein in March 1945, showing great enterprise & bravery - it was subsequently destroyed 10 days later during the fighting, but a significant strategic step had been made. We camped at the site right by the bridge, where we had had a family holiday 5 years ago. We chose a different plot this time, remembering our tent flooding in a summer thunderstorm on the last occasion!