Exiting the Moselle after the huge lock you get an eyeful of majesty. The junction, called Deutsches Eck, features a huge statue of Kaiser Wilhelm. The statue was destroyed during WWII, then rebuilt after much debate. It looms as we turn the corner on Viking, one eye on it and the other on the next huge ship to come plowing by. Huge cable cars glide overhead, landing at the ancient fort on the cliff above. Upriver just a bit you are treated to architecture befitting the joining of two hugely important rivers: our fathers and grand fathers in WWII had to cross this mighty water to complete the defeat of pure evil that this Christian country had become.
As you head north the Rhine’s current vigorously pushes back at you. We encountered a 4-5 kph current, about 2.5 to 3 miles per hour, but in spring time it’s much stronger. Even this comparatively mild current cuts our normal speed in half. The 6 kilometers to the Lahn River went slowly as a result, a thirty minute ride taking an hour instead.
We were passed by a dozen cruise ships. Apparently we were doing this trip during a common departure time from the major docks at Koblenz. All the ships were “blue boarding.” They place a large blue board on the starboard side to show that they are on the “wrong” side of the river. If you are going against the current you want to be where the current is weakest, located on the inside of river curves, so the ships switch back and forth. You want to be on the outside of the curve if you are going with the current. So as we were entering the Rhine we had to be on the lookout for giant ships in our lane coming from the right. Fortunately we encountered free sailing.
The Lahn is a welcome relief from the Rhine’s current, although when in flood the Lahn offers stiff resistance. We moved easily upstream through the numerous old locks. In many the water roared in, although their bark was much worse than their bite, as we rose gently up the hills.
Scenery on the Lahn is more pastoral than the Moselle, no vineyards at all, and more rounded hills, making it far less spectacular. Yet it is very relaxing, with an exception: it is often difficult to find a mooring. We found only one free mooring that kept us there more than one night, In Limburg we lucked out in getting a spot in the motor boat club, as there were only tiny docks that are free of charge. In Bad Ems we had to use the marina. The new moorings noted in the flyer were more of those tiny ones.
You might think that not knowing German would make you uptight. We did have to learn a few German words to communicate more easily with the lock keepers. Most of them knew a few of the very context useful English words, mostly to learn what direction you are heading when you announce your presence. They publish the phone numbers published in a useful flier the first lock keeper gave us.
They asked how far we were going that day, then called the next lock keeper, who then called the following and so on. This usually meant that we had very short waits for a lock to open. Most have a good waiting dock, especially needed if you have to wait between noon and 1230 when the locks are closed for lunch, although they often opened the gates a few minutes early. By comparison, the French come back a bit late, while the Dutch and Belgians don’t close for lunch at all.
The most notable town is Limburg, NOT the home of the famous stinky cheese. Its ‘alt stadt,’ (old center) is loaded with half timber buildings in excellent condition and a magnificent medieval castle overlooking the Lahn and the rest of the alt stadt. The first castle here was built circa 800 CE. This high point was once surrounded by a wall. The well to do built their housing therein. A second wall enclosed the Rossmarkt -Horse Market – where most of the half timbers are located. The one at Romer 2-4-6, one of the oldest half timbers in Germany, dates from 1232.
You can’t come to Germany without ordering a schnitzel or cooking one you bought ready to fry. We chose a place in Limburg along the park to order up a selection. A ‘selection’ when it comes to schnitzels refers to the various sauces available. There is some variation from restaurant to restaurant. Mine this time was the red pepper sauce, too sweet by far for my taste but beloved by this year’s bumper crop of bees or maybe they are hornets. The mushrooms and cream sauce version was much more suited to my taste. These two are common options in restaurants. A third option came with grilled onions and bacon, not typical. We ordered beers with brands we’d never heard of, one sporting a pilsner look, the other a dark. Both came with gorgeous heads. I enjoyed watching the buxom but disappointingly small waitress. I had been hoping for one of these big blonds you seen in October fest commercials. Our’s was carrying around some beautiful foam sporting offerings, especially to the group standing at a tall table next to us. They’d were standing when we arrived and still there when we left an hour or so later, despite there being plenty of seating. They were munching nachos with tortilla chips! American-Mex is here!
