SATURDAY, 19th AUGUST ; MILTENBERG to HASLOCH

There are 10 rooms in the Pub where we stayed last night, we were in room 9 on the 3rd floor above the pub, which we'd been warned could be noisy but as It was closed for the summer holidaysthere was no problem, thankfully.  It has been rather warm and the small fan in the room and the lack of a breeze blowing in through the small window didn't help a great deal in cooling things down.  However, the bed was very comfortable and we managed to sleep.  

There were only a few people about this morning when we ventured downstairs & up the road to the bakery/cafe for a really nice breakfast and we enjoyed the stroll in the peaceful cool of the morning.  

There was a small market in the square in front of the town hall 

but as we were leaving we didn't buy anything, just took a photo.

It was too early for the tourist groups to be out and about, unlike yesterday when we arrived to find crowds everywhere.  Having seen several barges but no cruise boats on the first few days of travel, we found there were 2 or 3 berthed in Miltenberg and after breakfast, when we'd packed and retrieved the bikes from their storage space in the basement, 

found a group of boat people outside our pub so were held up a little until they moved on.  It was okay as the 10 feet tall fellow guest we'd met yesterday was also about to leave and so we chatted again, or should I say he chatted and we listened!  A likeable fellow, he really liked a good chat.  Having said auf wiedersehn, we had a photo taken by a young passer by 

and departed, taking more photos on the way out.

A section of the cycle path was closed for repair which required riding on the road for a little way which isn't really a problem (drivers are very cautious to bike riders and we were soon on our way.  

When we stopped to check a map, a Yorkshire man from Leeds wandered over and asked if we were lost.  He and his wife are regular visitors with their motorhome to this part of Germany, we chatted for a while before continuing on our way.  

Coming into Freudenberg, we saw a cute little houseboat gliding along the river

and then again when it moored on the banks of the river as we were enjoying the icecreams we'd just bought.  

We crossed the river again to the other side then made several stops on the rest of the way to Hasloch.  It is very warm, and being out in the sun for much of the day is a bit wearing so any chance to stop and rest in the shade is taken.  

The Scenic Jade going through a lock

Feeling the serenity!

We stopped here for cool drinks and realised we'd been here before.  When we asked a waitress why there was an Australian flag flying there, she told us that the cook had spent some time in Australia and had called his daughter 'waltzing' Matilda.  He must have fond memories of his time down under!