Castles and More Castles

We took the train from Mainz to Dusseldorf today, much of the trip along the Rhine River. We got to the Rhine River Gorge, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Along this stretch of the river are 40 castles, all about 1000 years old. Pass one and almost immediately there was another. This was an important transportation route and castles fortified and protected land holdings and demanded tolls from other users. These landowners were the robber barons of their day, the greedy 1% of their time. Some things change, some things don't.

In Dusseldorf, we met Jenny (from Reedley). It's fun to walk and talk with a friend from home, to hold in-depth conversations without translation, to relax and enjoy a moment with someone with whom we share a world view.

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