Historic Travel-the Rhine
Mark Twine once wrote, ““Germany, in the summer, is the perfection of the beautiful, but nobody has understood, and realized, and enjoyed the utmost possibilities of this soft and peaceful beauty unless he has voyaged down the Neckar on a raft. The motion of a raft is the needful motion; it is gentle, and gliding, and smooth, and noiseless; it calms down all feverish activities, it soothes to sleep all nervous hurry and impatience; under its restful influence all the troubles and vexations and sorrows that harass the mind vanish away, and existence becomes a dream, a charm, a deep and tranquil ecstasy. How it contrasts with hot and perspiring pedestrianism, and dusty and deafening railroad rush, and tedious jolting behind tired horses over blinding white roads!”
Now replace the Neckar with the Rhine and a raft with a 443-foot boat and you can understand how we spent Monday afternoon. I sat on the top deck in perfect weather, sipping a drink and watching castles go by. Such beautiful landscape! Tall mountains on either side with only enough room for small villages, each with its own castle. If its not small villages it’s full of campgrounds. People from all over Europe come to this area with their tents and campers and relax by the river.
Historically Speaking 