Friday, Transfer to Bacharach,
Rolled our luggage one last time over Goslar's cobbled streets to the Bahnhof.
Ready on our track when a mass exodus occurred!
Our train was both delayed and track changed, causing us to miss our reserved middle
ICE connection (super sparpreis).
A run back to the not-so-nearby DB office, and we had a new Fahrplan, with one more change in Ingelheim.
Not sure who started it, but we were soon both singing "John Jacob Ingelheimer...!"
We ended up with an hour to kill in Frankfurt HB, which came in handy for a Dunk in Donut coffee run!
In Bacharach, wow- much has changed since 1997!
A pedestrian walkway over the tracks, and the station is no longer staffed.
There are fewer stores, certainly, bakeries, along Mainzerstrasse/Oberstrasse/Koblenzerstrasse since I last visited!
We located our apartment on a short side street, where our hostess greeted us.
A beautifully restored home, we were up one floor. Two bedrooms, each with their own TV (in addition to the living room), with a big bowl of fruit and a bottle of Minerlalwasser to welcome us.
And a lovelyrain shower! Great find!

A Quiet Day in Bacharach
 

Jutta, our landlady, had a nice informational booklet about our FeWo (Ferienwohnung or apartment) in both English and Deutsch. She even had plenty of TP on hand, so we didn't have to run right out to the only (tiny) grocery in town-Tomi's.
After unpacking, we DID stroll the truncated town for photos of the castle-turned-youth-hostel, the lacy remains of Wernerkapelle, and to see what Tomi's grocery offered.
The town is not as lively or large as I remembered it.
Every once in a while a tour bus would disgorge a handful of visitors after navigating the very narrow main street. There were a handful of souvenir-type shops, quite a few cafes and wine-tasting locales, but overall the town seemed tired.

Out for a light dinner of hard-boiled eggs, boiled potatoes with Frankfurter Green Sauce and a nice glass of 'Wolfshoehle' white wine (9.50€).
We strolled down to find the KD boat dock for a future boat trip.
Possible rain tomorrow, so we decided to 'wing it.'

Heavy rain overnight and much cooler the next morning (I appreciated the feather comforter with the window 'mostly' shut).

After buying rolls for Sunday at the one and only
bakery, we browsed a bit in a shop of paintings.
The husband of the owner couple (Adolf Messing und seine Frau) had had a stroke two years ago, and since then, had learned how to use his left, nondominant hand to complete watercolors of regional scenes.
The gentleman told me that both he AND his father were artists, proudly sharing a newspaper article, maybe 20-25 years old, reviewing an art exhibition that he and his father had with much success. It was nice being able to make this connection in his language.
I left with a beautiful small watercolor of the Malerwinkel area.
We bought our final trip tickets to Frankfurt airport from the Post office clerk to save a couple minutes on our early departure morning (beware, I had forgotten about the 2€ per ticket surcharge if a DB ticket Automat is not used).

We walked further along the main street (direction: Koblenz) to find Kleiner Brauhof-a converted carousel serving Bacharach-brewed Bier! Only one other soul inside, a woman vacationing from the Saarland area of Germany. Clear plastic siding around the carousel kept the chill at bay, as I enjoyed my local brew.
Next we climbed the many steps up to the gothic remains of the Wernerksapelle in the light drizzle,
and beyond to Burg Stahleck, a youth hostel for the last 100 years. Great views over the Rhein river far below!

Lunch at Cafe Rusticana
 

Lunch at this cozy cafe on 'Main Street.'
The couple that owns this tiny business out of their home (they live upstairs in this restored vintage building), have been in business for 55 years. Retirement is planned for October.
It was cold and raining, and we arrived toward the end of the 'lunchtime rush,' snagging one of the last two packed-in tables!
We both had goulash soup- more meaty and less tomatoe-y here. Good.
We split their homemade apple strudel for dessert.

We strolled up to the Bahnhof to purchase the RheinlandPfalz ticket for tomorrow, as we plan a KD boat ride to Boppard, then a train to Cochem.
Quiet evening in watching CNN and BBC, before getting a takeout woodfired oven pizza from 2 doors down. Washed down with one of the best Radlers yet!

Sunday Boat Ride
 

After our usual continental breakfast at 'home,' we caught the KD ship to Boppard. Note 20% price reduction with holder of any train ticket or pass.
Cold and blustery along the Rhein!

The ship was VERY crowded inside with a large Japanese tour, AND the fact that the preceding ship had been cancelled for an unknown reason.
We found 2 empty seats at a table otherwise occupied by a couple from Portugal, and another from India.

The ship cleared out nicely before our destination, and we had warm drinks with a view.
I have traveled this area many times, but my travelmate gawked at the many castles, taking several photos, including the Lorelei area.
After docking at Boppard, we had nearly an hour to fill, so we stopped at a small Konditorei for a slice of
Black Forest cake, mmmm!
I had never been to Boppard before. Despite its tiny Bahnhof, it seemed to have a larger shopping district--a place I might consider as a home base in the future (good train and boat connections as well).We arrived at Cochem to alternating sunshine and brief showers. There were several tents set up just before the old town, selling handicrafts, unique jewelry, and foods.
Lively town of alleyways stretching uphill from the Mosel, dominated by its castle above vineyards.
I have visited several times, and generally find my co-travelers greatly like the area.
My friend was not interested at touring Reichsburg castle for one of the remaining English tours at 15:30 or 16:30, so we window-shopped with all the other visitors. Many stores were open on this Sunday.
As it was again windy and colder, we stopped for small pots of tea at an outdoor terrace, and people (and dog)- watched. Of course, a treat of cinnamon-sugat crepe was enjoyed at the tents as well. (How did I avoid gaining weight?)