Ludwigsburg to Frankfurt, Germany

The last week of our trip was the Bike and Barge event. We boarded the barge in Ludwigsburg and sailed the Nectar, Rhine, and Main Rivers on our way to Frankfurt. The Merlijn, is a converted sand and gravel barge. Henk and Jantien, the owners, converted the barge in 2002 to a 24 person Bed and Breakfast Barge.

The bedrooms were on the lower level each with complete bath.

In the dining room were two long rows of tables where we had our breakfast and dinner.







Breakfast was a buffet of typical Dutch fare.












Dinner was always a 3 course meal and included local specialities.








The crew consisted of the owners, Captain Henk, Chef Jantien, Steward Rene, Housekeeper Natalia, Tour Guide Jack, and Jack's spouse, Marianna, who was the "Sweeper". The sweeper was the last person biking. She and Jack communicated by radio to be sure everyone was safe.

The deck of the boat was a relaxing place to visit.





















Bicycles were also stored on part of the deck.








We biked through many interesting towns and cities. Some of the towns and cities were: Besigheim, Bad Wimpfen, Heidelberg, Manheim, Worms, and Mainz.





Here we are on the path. We saw many farm and vegetable fields.













This house in Bad Wimpfen was reportedly the narrowest half-timbered house in the town.








In Heidelberg, we had a 3 hour walking tour of the town. It is a university town. Many of the cities that we visited were destroyed during the war. So what we saw were modern buildings. In the small towns, we saw more of the old style buildings. Some dated back to the 12th century.







This is one of the older streets in Heidelberg.

















On top of the hill, was a huge fortress complete with a moat and wall. This photo only shows part of the fortress.






In Worms, we noticed the hot air balloon above the tower.

Our last stop was in Mainz.







In the busy market square was the Gutenburg Museum and a statue of Gutenburg. In the museum were two original Bibles that were printed.










Also, St Stephens Church contains 9 stained glass windows by Marc Chagall, a Jewish artist. He created these as a sign of Jewish-Christian solidarity in 1978.

Four of the six biking days, we had a picnic lunch along the bike paths.

We biked a total of 138 miles. The bikes were typical European commuter bikes, 7 speeds and weighed approximately 45 pounds! Not what we were familiar with, but satisfactory. The bike paths varied from paved to dirt to cobblestone so these bikes were up to the task.

Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany

We made a brief stop at Dachau. A visit to this site always leaves a lasting impression regarding the cruel treatment that humans inflicted on fellow humans.




This was one of the bunkers where prisoners were held. Cells were small and sometimes prisoners needed to stand for hours.











These bunks were where most of the prisoners slept. They were very small and as you can see close together. Very little private space.








No privacy when the bathroom was used.








Facilities for washing.









Many persons either died or were killed while at Dachau. Use of the crematorium and gas chamber were common.





Jews, professionals, intellectuals, artists, and religious leaders were killed in these ovens.













Some persons died in this gas chamber.









Dachau leaves a lasting impression.