A briefing from Gottfried - the paths today? - closed here - closed there - closed here? - "We shall see" - "today everything is possible" - you follow me!
The pack departs together - out of Worms - through fields - beside the levee - wild flowers - native grasses - remnants of crops past - crops new - potato - potato - cherry grove - potato - wild flower - wild grasses
- lovely weather - lovely day - stop for coffee - all of this too good to be true.
Silence - bad news - one of those bollards has caught out Anne - she has had a bad fall - Gottfried , close friends and Andrew stay to help - a taxi to the boat - a taxi to hospital.
No Gottfried - No backup plan on behalf of Gottfried - the travellers are left without a guide - the river paths closed - new routes required.
Knud organises the travellers -volunteers become leaders - sweepers - corner guides - they reach Erbach- see - well done! - coffee in a flood ravaged cafe - travellers pleased to put some Euros into the coffers of the tired and dispirited owner - News of Anne? - pretty sore - taxi to hospital - Peter worried - worried - worried.
Onward - Peter Harper has accepted the role of Moses - he leads on - he pauses - consults his map - he is tendered 57 independent pieces of advice - he distills a route - onward - onward.
Back towards the river path? - turn right says the leader - flooded says the German riders - turn left - he is off the map now - stoic - the backup tape that contain the vast store of his orienteering skills is loaded - like Moses Peter Harper leads his people - away from the flooded river - onward - through village - along minor road - along roads that become shared with enthusiastic drivers - a roundabout! - whereto? - take the first exit - - oh! - oh! - more cars - is this is leading to a freeway? - yes! too late! - Moses subconsciously recalculates - there is a lane! - turn - the tribe follow - the safety of a vineyard lane is achieved.
Where are the others? - they miss the lane - they find themselves on an autobahn - the cars - the trucks - they are terrorised - they are frightened - a terrible experience - they find their way off the Autobahn and into Opperhiem - they are greeted by the tribe of Moses - comforted - the tribe have enjoyed their quiet, peaceful ride through the vineyard - the contrast of experience could not have been more extreme.
The tribe rests, regroups - coffees - a few kilometres to Patria - the travellers arrive at Patria - they are flat - unsure - apprehensive about potential recriminations - about over-analysis of the day - people worry about one another - worry about the trauma of the autobahn victims - they sit in the saloon - pensive - the bar does superior business.
People gather in saloon - the makeshift wi-fi hotspot is loaded - loaded to capacity - emails are download and emails are uploaded - a distraction for the pensive - it is time for a vineyard excursion into the very home of Rhine Riesling .
Covered trailers hauled by all manner of tiny tractor meet the travellers - the wagons are equipped with bench tables appropriately modified to support the consumption of Riesling whilst minimising spillage from bottle and glass.
Through the town - into the vineyard - climb - sharp turn - climb - another joke - another drink - look at that! - another drink - another joke - look at that! - photograph that! - climb some more - look at that sprayer running up and down the steep rows of vines! - photograph - the shutters go mad - the drink consumption continues - the jokes become less reserved!
Pull up - a lookout overlooking the Rhine - the wagons are unloaded - the travellers are served the largest sausages that they have so far experienced - they marvel at the sausages - they marvel at the view - huge river - a major road - an express railway line - a path for the biking commuter, the biking tourist and the horse mounted local - a vista capturing a catalogue of human surface transportation - the travellers look up - the vista approaches completion - the planes entering and exiting Frankfurt airport jockey for landing position.
Back into the wagons - climb - climb again - a medieval watch tower - the view it commands of Neirstein, its vineyards and the Rhine? - stunning!
Down - down - down to the town - a beirgarten for a smorgasbord dinner - Knud gets another undeserved slap - why? - the Beirgarten owner's interpretation of a smorgasbord is a plate of mostly inedible nibbles supplemented with local product that failed a winery's
quality assurance processes.
The travellers drift away - some to local restaurants - most back to Patina via the ice creamery - some to sleep - some to chat on the upper drink - some to present and present their drink cards to Marek the Minor.
Oh No! - how much more of this can Knud take? - he gets yet another undeserved slap! - someone has used his initials to announce that breakfast tomorrow will be delayed by two hours - the crew don't get the joke - the crew furious!
Not the greatest day the travellers can remember - they feel sorry for Anne, for the unfortunates scarred by their experiences of the autobahn and for poor old Knud.
