Castles in the air

After a morning of housekeeping duties – including a surprisingly inexpensive shop at a nearby Lidl – we lunched on board before setting off to find a castle.  Schloss Stolzenfels, pictured below from the river, was our target:

Getting there involved two bus rides, into the centre, and then out again in a different direction. Given our extremely limited command of German, just getting there was quite a triumph.  What we had not anticipated was that the bus would deposit us at the foot on an extremely steep climb up to the castle – one had rather hoped for a little road round the back.

However there was plenty of time to get our breath back – it was half an hour or more until the next (compulsory) guided tour. So we had a look at the gardens, which were pretty, in an oddly Moorish kind of way:

Also the courtyard from the other side:

And the usually shy photographer caught on the terrace overlooking the Rhine.

Once we got inside, it was a bit of a disappointment: the original mediaeval castle was mostly destroyed in the 17^th or 18^th centuries, and the existing version is a 19^th century fantasy. Furnishings were to match! Not surprisingly Queen Victoria was said to have felt comfortable when she visited. The floors were wood, and we all had to shuffle around wearing giant felt overshoes – I suppose it saves on polishing. Photos were not permitted.

The descent was easier on the lungs but tougher on the knees, but we made it and a bus appeared within minutes, likewise with our change in the centre. So back to the boat, and a well-earned libation.