Tucked up in Diez

No post yesterday because no connectivity. So two days to report. Thursday morning we devoted to sight-seeing in Bad Ems, and very much enjoyed it. We even came across a parrot in a window:

The place has quite a history – it was a favourite watering hole/spa of the Romanoff Tsars – Nicholas and Alexandra came frequently – and this was their summer villa (we moored just across the river):

Lots of others came too, and allegedly the insult by the French Ambassador to the Prussian Emperor that Bismark manipulated to launch the 1870 Franco-Prussian war took place here. How about that for erudition!

The town also has a modern funicular that takes you aloft for a well-earned beer. We were able to check up on Saskia from the terrace:

Also get a good view of the Russian Orthodox church, with its gold onion dome.

After lunch we set off up-river, encountering rather more current than expected, and found a remote and fairly deserted harbour for the night. At least it had water and electricity, if no internet connection. 

This morning we set off again, and found another castle to admire:

Very little traffic on the river, except for people in canoes and kayaks – all heading downstream with the current, of course. Surprisingly they are allowed to go through the locks – something strictly forbidden in France. We arrived in good time at Diez - pronounced Deets – and found a place on a decent pontoon just under the town castle. However the bad news is that the next lock was damaged in floods, and will be closed for a year! That means we will not get to Limburg – at least by boat. However we plan to stay here at least two nights, and perhaps three, and we can make our way to Limburg to explore by other means.