Today we started our day with breakfast at our hotel. The dining area was not busy at all and there were lots of great things to eat as well as bottomless espressos for Scott. We packed up our gear and were rolling again by 10 am with a destination of Miltenberg, about 60 kilometres upstream. The ride started on the street with a well marked bike lane and then we transitioned back to the primary bike path along the river. Being Monday morning, there were far fewer riders to share the narrow space with today. For the most part we could drop our anti collision guard and just enjoy the ride.
In the hotel front office the currencies of the world are pinned to a large map on the wall. We laughed because Canada`s currency was a $2 bill. Printing of the $2 note ceased on February 18, 1996. I had to look that up.
Our route today was again well signed and clearly directed us back and forth across the Main several times, alternating our riding on the North bank and at other times on the South side. To keep us on our toes there were again a few detours that needed to be navigated. We found the ride to quite enjoyable on this warm spring day and saw a number of cycle tourers enjoying the ride going the other way. With large sections of repair work being completed and long lengths of fairly fresh asphalt, it appeared that the Main Radweg was getting significant attention.
We marveled at the straight and perfectly tilled field! Flat tops with sharp edges! This area had lots of fields but with it being early season, it was hard to tell what the crops would be.
First crossing over the Main shows a very peaceful river with little activity around. Our cycle path was often right beside the river in park like settings.
When on the right path, the signs lead the way. The blue euro sign was a new addition that we are trying to figure out. It has the term ¨kultureweg¨ under the symbol.
Schloss Johannisburg as seen from a nearby bridge crossing. Originally built in the early 1600`s and used as a king's summer residence, the palace was nearly destroyed by US artillery in the closing days of World War II. Rebuilding started in 1951 and took more than twenty years.
Miltenberg is another pretty, historic town that is on the tourist trail. It has one main street that is full of shops and was quite busy when we arrived. After a bit of back and forth we located our room for the night and got cleaned up before heading out to explore and find a restaurant for dinner. By now many of the ¨day trippers¨ had left and we walked along the quiet streets and up the hill behind the town to explore the castle above. Here we were treated to some great views.
The Miltenberg Main Bridge is an arch bridge. It was first built in 1900 in natural stone masonry and was rebuilt in reinforced concrete after its destruction in 1945. St. Jakobus Church is in the foreground.
Dating back to the 12th century, this building was originally built as a defensive fortress. It played a significant role in protecting the region during times of conflict.
Today's ride: 64 km (40 miles) Total: 129 km (80 miles)
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Steve Miller/GrampiesToo bad you came to Frankfurt too late, or we passed by it too early. We were just in Miltenberg on Saturday. If we all had planned things better we could have met up somewhere along the Main. Maybe another time? Reply to this comment 2 weeks ago
2 weeks ago