April 29/19

Cruising the river toward Rudesheim.

Katz castle near Loreley Rock at St Goar.

Then Maus Castle on left at Loreleystadt-St Goarshausen……so we have the cat and the mouse almost across the river from either, spying on each other …. hahaha!

82 ft deep at Loreley and 300+/-wide with lots of traffic on a sharp turn. Means “murmuring rock”.

Each kilometre is identified along the river. We are going from highest to lowest. Apparently when we meet the next river it reverses and starts to increase.

It is just one castle after the other. Incredible!

Rüdesheim

10,000 pop. but 3 million visitors per year.

There is a cable car up. to monument honouring the reunification of Germany. In 1853.

Siegfried Mechanical musical museum in a house from 15th & 16th century.

First built one was made in 1911

Next a crank music maker… “Harmonipan”

One with sheet metal discs built in 1900. …. “Symphonion”

Big ugly … made in Budapest in 1908.

1877 Thomas Edison grammaphone

Hupfelo maker…. 6 violins … amazing——1911. 12 left out of 500.

Next….Oldest room like Sistine chapel…… not quite but….. Frescos from 1559. Piano 1928.

Family’s chapel…. all original. Flooring tile from 1200s… older than the walls.

Onto the Mein River … 50 locks in next 4-5 days. They had to lower the sundeck because of the height of the bridges that we have to go under.