Thursday 11th July

When I returned to the boat on Wednesday afternoon, it was
to the news that the lock workers strikes were spreading and that we would now
leave immediately instead of at 11.30 and sail all night in order to get to Miltenberg by 8.00 am. The idea being that we would be bussed into
Miltenberg, while the boat moved ahead to avoid the scheduled strike at a lock on the approach to Wurzburg. We had heard of another ship being held for 7 hours and we wanted to avoid anything like that.

We still managed to make our Yoga session at 7.00am and a rushed breakfast, which we have now gotten under control and reverted to our regular breakfast at home. The one and a half hour trip into Miltenberg was broken by a visit to Schloss Kleinheubach were we were received by the princess and given a wine tasting. This consisted of the Bavarian equivalent of Prosecco, a loverly dry Reisling as well as a wine similar to Pinot Noir. The latter was excellent. Unfortunately Ches didn't much take to either of the "whites" and I found already generous servings doubled in size as she poured hers into mine. I was half cut by 11.00.

Miltenberg is a stunning, compact little town with half timbered houses from the 15th to 17th centuries. We had a brief guided walk and then had time for a leisurely lunch and more time to explore (code for "Ches to shop").

The guides had tried to convince everyone to dine at the Haus zum Riesen, the oldest inn in Germany, serving meals uninterrupted since the 17thC. Several who did were disappointed. Roger and Kim tried a restaurant at the first square. Roger assured Kim that the dish he ordered for her was primarily cheese. She didn't want any salami or cured meats. That's what she got and was staring at the plate when we passed them. A few others were dining at restaurants in the next block however with Ian we continued almost to the end of the street where we found tables out front in the shade .

Ian had lost Gabby so we convinced him to at least join us for a beer. We struggled with the menu till a waitress brought us an English one. Oh Lordy! "Roasted Haunch of Hare with Croquets and Salad". Guess who ordered that? The other person had "Roast Pork with Dumplings and Salad". The croquettes were light and fluffy, the dumplings like balls of Clag glue. The Pork was fine however and the Hare excellent.

When we met up with the busses at 3.15, it was to hear that our ship had been the last one to get through the lock and had made it to Wurzburg. While this meant another long bus trip back to the ship, it was a small price to pay. It also meant that we had a bonus of an evening in Wurzburg. We decided that an hour or so of walking would do us some good.

Actually, it would have been 20 minutes or so to go to the heart of town and we would be having a walking tour there tomorrow, so we instead identified a green strip on the map that we figured should be a park. Was it ever. In the middle of a bustling town, here is a park around 500 metres long by 150 metres wide surrounded by dense shrubs and trees sealing the inside off from the surrounding streets and building. Here were paths running the length and breadth and criss-cross paths linking them. A pond in the middle and trees and shrubs and wildflowers. Basically they have created a country meadow in the city. Just so tranquil.

After dinner there was a glass blower giving a demonstration on board the ship. This guy has had exhibits in Japan and all over, so not just any old glass blower. He explained that German Glass blowers are extremely secretive and that he had been lucky to work with an elderly