8.9.95 (Fri)

I am now on the KD boat. It is 8:40 am and the cruise will start at 9 am.

Thank God my eyes have by and large recovered and the weather today is quite fine, though cloudy. My prayers last night have been answered.

I am wearing my lenses now. My eyes are still a little bit red around the pupils. But it feels all right with the lenses on, just a little itchy because of the dryness I think.

* * *

Just when I was thinking that the weather was quite fine, it started to rain. It is 10:10 am now and still raining. I don't think it is going to stop during this journey. I sat on the deck at first. Then it rained and became chilly. I stayed up there for about an hour. Then it occurred to me that I could stand the coldness no longer. So I am now on the second level of the boat beside a big window. Here it is warm enough and I feel much more comfortable. The one bad thing here is that people smoke and I simply can't avoid the smoke.

* * *

I am now in a very old town called Bacherach. I am waiting alone on the platform for a train to Koblenz. Besides some staff, there is absolutely nobody else here in the station. It is now 12:06 pm and the train will be here at 12:19 pm.

I got off the boat because I found it very dull. I could not stay on the deck because of the weather, yet it was very suffocating inside the cabin with loads of Japanese tourists all around. I thought this would be a nice place to get off because, besides Mainz, it was the only place along the boat route that was singled out in Let's Go Europe. However, it seems to be a deserted town. I can see and hear nobody here in the station. It is kind of dreadful. Too quiet.

The boat trip from Mainz to Koblenz, which would last from 9 am to 14:55 pm, was too long. It would be fine if it lasted for two hours or so. The view on the Rhine was surely good but I just could not keep looking at these more or less the same views for hours.

* * *

I am now on the train to Koblenz. I think it is a pity that I did not enjoy the cruise very much. I think I might like it better if the weather was fine.

I really like riding on trains.

I think most of the towns in Germany look similar. There are the same old colourful buildings, castles and ruins. I am beginning to worry that I might find the Romantic Road boring. If I really do, I just might cut the second day and go straight from Rothenburg to Munich by train. This reminds me that I need to reserve a room in Munich. Oh yes, I also need to check the phone number of the British Midland Airways for booking reconfirmation.

This railway actually runs parallel to the Rhine. So I can see the river from here just as well.

It might not be normal for me to find so many things boring. There should be something other than novels that amuses me.