MONDAY, 21st AUGUST :  HASLOCH to LOHR am MAIN

We decided last night to leave at 7am today in an effort to beat the heat if possible, so after showers and a cuppa on our 'terrace', we left at the appointed time.  It was an easy ride to Wertheim in the cool breeze, the sun hadn't yet made an appearance over the hills so all was shaded and there was a large cruise boat 'Emerald Sun' moored at the confluence of the Tauber and Main Rivers.

There was a smaller boat moored behind it and a third parked a little further down the river, a busy time in Wertheim today, once all the passengers are up and about!  We didn't need to go into the town today, turning north (I think) after crossing the bridge, riding on the dedicated bike lane on the road for a little while, loving being on the bikes in this lovely part of the country.

 On reaching  the town of Orphar, Ort 

we stopped for brunch at a drive through bakery

where there was just one lady behind the counter, she was extremely busy and doing a great job serving both drive through customers and those who walked in, with minimal waiting time.  We were impressed!

Back to the path and the river which was glass like today and we were still enjoying the shade and the cool breeze.  

Others were also enjoying the cool morning!

One of the many bridges which cross the Main, this one is massive.

Coming into Homberg am Main

grape vines just past the town

A lock at Triefenstein

Marktheidenfeld

The bridge into Marktheidenfeld

Hoping to buy cold drinks in Marktheidenfeld, we found instead a large fair being dismantled.  There had been dozens of food and drink stalls, rides and all sorts of 'fair' attractions and we missed it!  We did find a Lidl and an Aldi though so bought a couple of rolls and cold drinks, found a shaded bench along the path and had a little picnic.

Our picnic bridge and bench

We passed villages, bridges, barges and cattle along the river 

Contemplating jumping in, it was by now quite hot and not so enjoyable.

We reached Lohr am Main at about 1 o'clock, checked into our hotel and rested for a couple of hours before going out late in the afternoon to be tourists, find a pub and have a meal. The tourist part was easy,,,,,

A steel silhouette of Snow White on the castle wall.

The story of Snow White was thought to have been inspired by the birth in 1725 of Maria Sophia, the daughter of the Bailiff, Christoph Philipp von Erthal and his wife Maria Eva.  After the death of her biological mother, her father married the beautiful but vain Claudia Elisabeth von Reichenstein.  He gave his second wife a beautiful mirror made at the "Lohrer Spiegel manufaktur" mirror and glassworks in the town.  The mirror bears an inscription that "talks" to the beholder and can be admired in the castle to this day.  

                                  

The pub and meal were not so easy.  It was Monday Ruhetag (rest day) for many of the eating and drinking houses and those which were open, were full, so no room for us at the inn.  We did eventually find a pub that was open and had an unoccupied table so we occupied it for a time and had a conversation with a man from Liepzig who sat at the next table.  We also found a little cafe that had room for us so we didn't starve I'm happy to say!