Toward the end of our cycling cruise, our boat (the Amadeus Queen) left the Rhine to cruise up the Moselle River.  We had three really beautiful days of cycling in the wine region that included two countries, wine and of course a castle.

The Moselle is one of Germany’s most spectacular wine regions.  It was first cultivated by the Romans.  The terraced vineyards rise up from the river valley at impossible looking gradients (one claiming to be a 68 percent grade).  The hills leading up from the river bottom were quite steep and we wondered how they tended to their crops.  If you look closely at the picture you will see tracks leading up the hillside.  Small motorized cars travel on those tracks taking workers and supplies up the hill.  Grapevines are planted vertically so the grapes can be tended horizontally by the workers.  The incline of the vineyards also allows for more direct sunlight on the vines.

Our ride to Burg Eltz led us up from the river bottom which is all lined with vineyards and through a forested hillside.  As we emerged from the forest we were on a vast plateau that was covered with farmland.  We cycled through villages and farmland to the parking lot for the castle.  It was then a mile hike down to the castle.  Our plan was to take a tour but by the time we got there, there was an hour wait for tours and we didn’t have enough time for that.  So, we took a bathroom break, snapped some pictures and hiked back to the bikes.  It was a great day.

Our arrival in Amsterdam was anticlimactic since we arrived at night.  We expected to view the city as we arrived mid-morning but there was a docking issue so our captain rushed to get us there early to get a docking spot.  So when we woke up and opened our curtains, there was Amsterdam.