Beautiful, beautiful day.  Sorry if we get redundant, this ride is just so incredible it is tough not to do.  Cool and crisp with the wind in our face (we are apparently on an every other day schedule with the wind), but luckily not as fierce as yesterday.  One last glimpse of the Cologne Cathedral as we cross the Rhein.

We’ll keep the wording brief and just fill in with photos of our trip south on the River Rhein

through small villages, beautiful churches, fabulous bike paths.

The contrast of new and old is striking.

Thoroughly enjoyable and peaceful ride!

We passed Bonn, the capital city of Germany.  Though our path did not lead us through the middle of the city, we were able to catch a glimpse of the German parliament building.

Just south of Bonn is the enchanting town of Bad Honnef, a place of very special memories for me with my family as a very young girl.  We spent an hour or two in town, taking pictures of the little chapel where my parents were engaged,

and the Drachenfels (the castle ruins at the top of the hill), I think a dragon was slayed there, but vague on the details.

But the day was still young and the weather too wonderful to stop, so we continued on.

We passed by through Ramegen; the Remagen Bridge was one of the major crossing points over the Rhein by the U.S. forces in WW II.  The remnants (I believe) are in the picture above on the left.

We decided to go one town further to Kripp, smaller scale and quieter and a beautiful view of Linz across the water.  We dined on Jägerschnitzel and Gorgonzolaschnitzel; Jerry and I will look like good healthy Germans by the time we get out of this country.