Day 25 of the Walk to the World Cup – JUNE 3rd

Mayen to Lahnstein– crossing the Rhein

I drove Chris and Tom back to the airport last evening and when I got back to Monreal, Phil and Sam had arrived. They were with Sandra in an Italian restaurant and so I joined them to continue my ‘eat to the World Cup’. Monreal is a really gorgeous medieval village that has won many awards for its beauty and we walked back alongside the river and the tudor(?)-style houses with their tiny, immaculate gardens. Sandra has taken some photos and I am hope they will be used for one of her excellent water colour paintings.

This morning I met our host for the first time and ended up buying 6 bottles of his own Mosel Reisling. He is a wine dealer and this is the first vintage that he has made himself. He was also able to explain to us that the tall, stripped pine trees and the trees will coloured ribbons are both May Day ‘things’ about young men and Spring and all that!

Back to Mayen and Sam started walking with me whilst Phil and Sandra began the game of moving up hire car and motor home along our route. Sandra was driving the van this morning and Phil soon joined the walkers as we headed east towards Ochtendung and Blankenheim. First stop was at Ochtendung, another clean and very pleasant town and we agreed to have one more stop before we got to Koblenz and the rivers. Second stop was just before 2 pm. after 16 miles and we had our usual 60 minute break and nap.

Sandra was walking with me through the city and over the rivers whilst Phil took his car to find us accommodation for the night – east of the Rhine. We didn’t have a street map of Koblenz and had to ask directions to find the Mosel crossing and the Rhine bridge. I was tiring by the time we crossed the Rhine but it was a special moment and another stage of the journey completed. We found the park and the same steps down to the river path that I discovered back in early April and despite all the recent rain, it was clear of the river and we made our way south.

The river looked magnificent, swollen with all the heavy rain and snow in southern Germany with huge trees floating by like match sticks and massive barges plying their trade up and down one of Europe’s great arteries. By this time it was after 5pm and we phoned Phil to find that with another Bank Holiday on Monday, most of Germany seemed to have shut up shop again and he was finding it difficult to book rooms. We continued and he rang 30 minutes later to say he had found a hotel in Horsheim and we walked to find him, Sam and the car.

I was dropped off at the hotel whilst the others went back to pick up the motor home – a kind man drove all the way in his own car to show them the way. Getting ready to eat again now, so must go.

Yellow jersey, walker of the day – Sam – youngest walker at 13 years old.

Distance covered – 23.6 miles. Total covered – 473.4 miles