Boppard to Andermach. Breakfast, castles and Koblenz.

Mileage:- 31 miles.

Total mileage:- 616 miles. 

Hotel:- Hotel Garni Fuchs

This was our breakfast platter this morning. Meats, asparagus, smoked salmon and fruit. Plus breads etc. 

Our hope that the river would have gone down enough to avoid diversions proved right. That we might enjoy the rest of the Rhine Gorge in sunshine was wrong. 

We quickly rode through the rain staying on the route to Koblenz. There were a number of castles on route, usually in spectacular settings. 

The route into Koblenz was clear and straightforward, bringing us quickly to Deutches Eck (the German Corner). This is the point where the Mosel joins the Rhine. 

This was a spectacular setting. There was a massive art work by a Chinese artist. There is also an enormous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm 1. 

The route then headed across the Mosel and our first diversions of the day. Much of the parkland at the rivers edge was still under water. But the cycle route had diversions in place and we were soon back on route. The path now was alongside the river, sometimes almost level with it. Then we started to find sections that were still flooded. Alternatives were easy enough to find. But as we got closer to Andernach we had gone a few kilometres along one section which was muddy and wet, then it became impassable. We retraced our steps and followed the road into Andernach. We went into the old town, saw an hotel sign, and the owner opened the door and had us booked in almost before we were off the bikes. 

Ann and Jenny guarding the bikes at Deutches Eck.