Day #22 Bad Honningen to Neuweid.

        Warned on the weather channels of black clouds and rain to follow, today was a great example of how computers and gizmos do not a reliable forecaster make. Sunny and pleasant, after a very cool start to the day. Autumn is now in the air and we saw plenty of ripening grapes in the vineyards that hang almost vertically off the Rhine east bank facing the warm sun in the western skies.

        Skirting the river, sometimes almost touching the water and at other times having to pass over or tunnel under the omnipresent train track and main road to find walking safety on the pedestrian/cyclist lane, we made steady walking progress through a series of attractive and arch-typical Rhineland villages towards Neuweid, a regional centre, approx. 20 kms. north of Koblenz, where the Nechar river meets the Rhine.

        Undoubted outstanding natural & man made beauty along the Rhine, but there is very clearly massive pollution and disruption of the lives of the local population by the continuous long and noisy goods trains that thunder up and down the mainline tracks on both banks—sometimes only a few feet away from private homes shops & businesses. In fact, we did note hand posters on poles saying to the effect “Stop the trains destroying our lives”.

       Continue to note an almost total absence of seasonal tourists on the streets in the small towns which judging from the large number of hotels and restaurants do seem to depend on the visitor trade. I will continue to investigate this interesting aspect.

         German environmental ingenuity. Many of the hostels, hotels and guest houses in which we are staying feature prominently interesting green technologies that are still not in wide acceptance in other countries. For example, solar heated hot water, light sensors that illuminate corridors only for the section through which one is currently walking. On the streets, vehicle engines that automatically switch off /on at traffic lights.

        Spotted on the internet and located in central Neuweid, we decided to stop at the interestingly named “Food Hotel”. This establishment is sponsored by the major German retail food chains and acts as a training establishment and conference centre for store managers. Super clean, very cheap, only 35E and offering a beautiful restaurant.

18.3 kms. walked today per Google Maps.
 Cumulative kms. walked: 382.1
 Type of overnight lodging: The Food Hotel.(industry training centre)
Cost of lodging: 51 E incl. b/fast & dinner..