I Can...Kanu?

Sunday's plan is a canoeing expedition on the Lahn River for 13 km.  I get Marie as my steering companion, figuring her good driving skills may extend to the canoe.  We have a lazy float that does require regular paddling.  To beat the heat there are many sorties of splashing the other canoes.  Temporary alliances against the others quickly turn to mutiny.

After a couple of hours we come to an overhanging swing and everyone takes a turn at leaping for it from the canoe, dangling then dropping into the refreshing water.

There's a little beach skirted by a short section of shallow mini-rapids. I try it once but my butt drags on the bottom.

Eureka!  Our life jackets add the extra flotation and protection needed.  

In spite of looking ridiculous, eventually almost all of our party gives the innovation a try.

Amelie, tall and lithe, is a perfect mermaid.

Gitta gives it a try very successfully.

Clouds have been forming all afternoon and frequent thunder is followed by a rainshower. As the thunder gets louder, the girls wisely insist we get out of the river.  The last loud clap convinces us all. Quickly we tie up the boats with another pair of rowers and wait out the storm.

The last 5 km go slowly but we get to see a muskrat floating on his back like a sea otter, white swans with their grey teenagers, and lots of duck and geese families.

We reward ourselves with beer and a Hessen dinner on a terrace overlooking the river. 

Ginny knows something is up this morning as our household of teachers and students bustle around on the first day of school.

Marie says she has a morning smooched face from staying up too late.  We think they are both very fashionable school girls.  Sophie doesn't start back to her law studies until October.

We feel very fortunate that a cool day is forecast because Ben and I have the ambitious plan to ride 40 km today to Marburg and see the imposing castle.

With a map app we head out and have a few mystifying wrong turns and wish Siri would just let us know when we head north instead of south..  This impressive stone building has a biergarten and also marks a very steep downhill ride to the Lahn River.

Signs are reassuring.

The leafy forest portions of our ride are enchanting.

The bike path takes us through many quaint towns.  This vet's office was charmingly painted with animals.

Every town had a kirche with a steeple that can be seen at some distance.

River views are lovely.

We arrive in Marburg and see quickly we are in a university town.  Bikes get parked and we start climbing the hundreds of stairs necessary to get to the old town and ultimately, the castle.  Wrong turns add more climbing. 

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary was canonized because as a young widow at the age of 20 (married at 14) she used her dowry to build a hospital where she herself cared for the poor.  Marburg was an important pilgrimage for centuries.

The castle is closed to visitors on weekdays but we can stroll around the exterior and the hilltop garden.  The views are fantastic, but pictures from on top wash out in the sun.

This is a good postcard view showing the castle and St Elizabeth's church on the right.  After some cake and tea, we decide to take the train back to Giessen so we only have to ride the 9 km home from there.  40 km (25 miles) is enough for me today.

Gitta is glad to learn that we figured out taking the train on our own.  We might have omitted how a conductor gave us a demo on the ticket machine :)