July 9, Day 6

It was another early farewell, saying goodbye to all our billets so we were on the road by 9:00 am. We also said goodbye to Adrienna Joyce, who had to return to her schooling. After a short trip from Neuwied to St. Goar, we boarded the ship for a beautiful cruise upriver on the Rhine. Ken Loewen almost missed the boat, having to ask them very nicely to put the gangplank back so he didn’t have to leap for it. Too much picture taking Ken!

Early on we passed by the famous Lorelei and heard the song on the PA system. There were also a number of medieval castles and old churches during the 1.5 hour cruise. We were amazed at the number of other boats on the River, both cruisers as well as freighters. And the vineyards on the steep banks were amazing.

Then it was back on the bus for a short trip to a picnic area and lunch. We’d earlier put in our order to ensure there was lots of vegetables and fruits in addition to Mirco’s sausage and potato salad. He’d never had a group ask for the veggies and fruit before, but then he’d never had a group from Canada before either. We had our fill.

Our fill was enough that the rest of the bus ride was fairly quiet with many taking the opportunity to catch up on sleep. That may have been a good thing when we crossed a valley on a bridge that was 400 feet high. A few hours later we arrived at Rothenburg ob der Tauber and were assigned rooms at our Gasthof. A tasty pork loin roast covered with a peppercorn sauce, potato croquettes and broccoli, right after the carrot and ginger soup was enjoyed by all. The premium ice cream for dessert topped it off.

The choir performed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church located in Neusitz, just a few kilometers away. The church dates back to the 1100’s and was quite small. As with other performances, the audience was very appreciative, and clapped for an encore. This was followed by refreshments outside the building to allow for visiting with the audience.

As the support group to the choir, we’re glad to see there is still a lot of energy amongst the members.

Submitted by the Hubbies