Monday, June 15, 2026 (8.1 miles)

After a bite to eat and more sentimental strolling I continued my prayers of the last few days that all travel details would fit seamlessly together and I enlisted other prayer warriors as well.  I pop directed much energy on positive self talk for a successful day arriving at my next destination plus that I could/would shift gears from anxiousness and hesitation to excitement and anticipation.

My cab ride to the airport was perfect and I felt my cheer increasing as I was able to “chat” (a tiny bit) with my Galician driver!  I have been studying Spanish and my comprehension has improved considerably – less so the actual conversing.  This last week I tried engaging more often in little ways. 

At the Santiago de Compostela Airport I was first in line at the Iberian Airlines counter and decided to risk checking my backpack, literally and figuratively freeing me of some baggage!  

The flight to Madrid was smooth yet not as scenic as I had hoped because my neighbors had their window shades drawn!  I then successfully navigated that crazy, modern airport in my ninety minute layover to board my next leg to Frankfurt, Germany without a glitch!

They served an Amazing salmon for our inflight dinner(!!!!) and I spied some pretty beautiful landscapes, even though I wasn’t sitting next to the window!  My backpack arrived safely and was one of the first luggage items on the carousel, YabbaDabbaDooo!!  Surprisingly there was NO immigration, customs or baggage check and soon I was following excellent signage, hoofing it to the long distance train station!

Having reserved and paid for my train ticket ahead of time gave me a good amount of confidence for my next travel piece.  The company app sent some timely reminders, which I actually didn’t need since this time I did research what the heck I’d be doing!  After being bused from the tarmac to our gate, It was easily a quarter mile walk to the train station. I arrived with about ten minutes to spare yet still had to run since the train came to a halt a fair distance from where I was waiting!

I had an entire seat to myself for the incredibly BEAUTIFUL, ninety minute, smooth ride through verdant countryside – almost entirely alongside the glorious Rhine River!!  My eyes beheld Bavarian style structures and several castles!  I say “Bavarian” because I am uneducated.  That doesn’t seem correct since I’m now in Germany, yet that’s what comes to mind as a description.  I am hoping to learn so much more in the ensuing, Fourteen Day Rick Steves “Best of Germany, Switzerland and Austria” tour I will be meeting up with tomorrow evening!!!!!

My stop in Koblenz was the last followed by a very flat fifteen minute walk to my hotel. I arrived at 9:30 pm, barely twilight (thankfully it is staying light here until after 10:00).  I was so Happy and Relieved that all of the travel logistics worked out!  I only unpacked essentials and I was tucked for slumber!! 

Tuesday, June 16, 2027 (6 miles)

The linens and pillows on my bed are Incredibly Comfortable!!  Despite my cocoon, I wasn’t able to  sleep in past 6:30.  After breakfast and catching up on my notes, I wandered in and around the general vicinity, snapping photos of eye catching structures and window shopping.  I happened upon the city library, a wedding in one of the squares, peeked into boutiques and counted many eateries.  As for shopping, there were So Many options – from chain outlets to a big mall and everything in between.

“Koblenz” comes from the Roman word for confluence and is situated where the Mosel River flows into the Rhine.  Two thousand years ago it was the northern border of the Roman Empire and has long been a strategic base.  “A transportation hub with a key bridge and a mighty fortress, it was heavily bombed in World War II.” (Rick Steves Germany, Austria and Switzerland).

And we are underway!!  The Rick Steves group of 28 including me, congregated at 4:00 for a presentation from our local guide, Ruby.  We introduced ourselves, shared how many Rick Steves tours we had been on (some of the group quite a few) and/or visits to Europe.  There are seven of us from Washington State!  We had time for some brief small talk before heading out for another hour – this time for a walking orientation! 

We had many statues, structures and sites pointed out as we strolled over to the Rhine River where a Viking Cruise boat as well as many others were docked.  And here we were also at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers, “Deutches Eck.” Ruby pointed out the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress on the hill and Koblenz cable car – both extras we can seek out on our own in tomorrow’s unscheduled time.  The cable car is a seven minute ride over both the Rhine and Mosel Rivers, Deuustches Eck (“the German Corner”) and all of Koblenz.  

Of particular interest were several  “stumbling stones” Ruby pointed out to us.  “In Koblenz, stumbling markers are officially known as Stolpersteine (stumbling stones). These are 10×10 cm brass plaques embedded in the pavement in front of the last voluntarily chosen homes of victims of the Nazi regime. They commemorate individuals persecuted, deported, or murdered between 1933 and 1945. There are over 150 of these mini-memorials scattered across Koblenz.” (www.cjgkoblenz.de)

I had seen the spitting statue earlier in the day and in our walk I learned there was of course a story behind it.  “During the French period between 1794 and 1814 and continuing afterward, a large number of children who were born to French and German parents were named Jean. The popular name later morphed into the Schang per the local dialect and then into Schängel, which became a moniker for the residents of the region.

The most famous Schängel is a statue of a little prankster that periodically spits on unsuspecting tourists from his fountain perch on Willi-Hörter-Platz. The base of the fountain, built in 1941, contains bas reliefs of young boys engaged in other mischief, such as smoking, fighting, and mocking their elders. An inscription identifies the mischievous Schängel as the symbol of the town, and he graces manhole covers all across the town.” (atlasobscura.com)

We ended our evening dining at Wirtshaus Alt Coblenz – in the downstairs “cave” portion of their establishment!  I chose the salmon entree and was amazed at how perfectly it was prepared, being from such a renowned salmon region myself and being married to a salmon chef extraordinaire!!  As luck would have it, somehow the Washington contingent was all together at one end of the table sharing (mostly teaching profession) stories and travel adventures!  It appears I’m with another wonderful group of humans!