Dr. Google tells me I should attribute this to Geoffrey Chaucer–“All good things must come to an end”. So goes it with our ride from Strasbourg to Mainz. We have turned in our bikes to EuroBike and given them a most favorable report along with some suggestions for improved ‘way-finding’. We leave Sarah and Therin tomorrow as they travel to Copenhagen and Cathy and I to Berlin. After ‘an internet fast’ in Nierstein there are a few ideas and images left for today’s blog.

The end of nuclear power in Germany was evident as we passed this huge monolithic concrete sculpture devoid of vapour pouring from the top.

We saw the future with solar power multiplied thousands of times on both large and small rooftops.

Paved cycle tracks lined with colorful poppies, innovative wood stack sculptures and Storks in a field all fed my camera.

Our final ferry crossing over the Rhine was interesting with the mix of vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles and farm machinery.

Just after the ferry we made a short detour into Oppenheim, a delightful little town recommended by my friends Hugh and Bev who visited here many years ago. We stumbled upon Katharinen-kirche a large church which dominates the area around it. A side door opened into a vaulted ceiling worship area with an unusual fabric installation.

Another 5 km. brought us into Nierstein and the Weingut und Gästehaus Schwibinger. That is German for the most delightful B&B winery. Such a different stop than all our other larger type hotels. Denny was a superb host inviting us to look around the winery and try a bottle of their wine.

Denny informed us that wine growing conditions in this area are particularly favorable for Riesling wines. The rolling hills were alive with workers tending to the fields as we rode along.

Some of their grape stock is 30 years old and grows sweeter grapes but not as plentiful as younger stock which produces higher yields but not as high a quality.

This beautiful bird was sitting atop a post in a vineyard singing up a storm and flew away just as I focused and shot.

Saying goodbye to these two bandits tomorrow will be really hard. What a great time we have had together.

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