Up at 5:00 am-leave MAINGAU HOTEL at 6:00 am-walk, pulling luggage, through empty streets to train station. Take 7:45 train straight to airport-walk long ways to our gate-arrive at 9:20. Glad we started early, Frankfurt Airport is much larger than Austin’s. Plane leaves around 10 am-arrive in Austin at 2:30pm. (9:30 pm in Germany) HARLEY & LIBBY greet us at the door. JILL & her son GUS are at a Willie Nelson concert. Glad to be home-start washing clothes & go out to eat. Try to go to bed at 11-fire works going off. Been up for almost 24 hrs. Next morning, up working in yard. Get dizzy, head starts spinning-can’t stop until I fall into some concrete blocks. Armand takes me to emergency room. Try not to scare JILL & GUS-my face is a mess. Turns out I had my 1st bout of VERTIGO. We are so grateful to JILL for taking such wonderful care of HARLEY, LIBBY & THE FISH. It was a pleasure to meet her son GUS-who got to visit for a week. They took an opportunity to visit Austin- Jill loves to swim & ride bikes. Armand took them to the airport on Wed to fly back home to Florida. JILL & SON GUS-LIBBY BETWEEN THEM & HARLEY SOAKING UP ATTENTION THANK YOU SO MUCH. LOVE, KAREN & ARMAND

This was probably our last trip to Europe-I’m glad we did it with our grandsons, PATRICK & PHILLIP & JOHN & AMY. No trip would be possible without ARMAND in front of me leading the way, pushing me from behind or beside me telling me he LOVES ME. Not exactly true but every story needs a HAPPY ENDING.

Walk to bus station-60 degrees-Armand stops for rolls-sit at outside table & eat breakfast together for the last time- never happen back in Austin. Buy all day bus pass. See bus going to GATEWAY GARDENS-I want to go. What a mistake-NO gardens it’s a business complex-not even 1 flower. Now going through airport- now driver says we have to get off. Run catch bus going other direction-it starts to have trouble- no stops, takes us back to starting point 2 hours later.

Go back to bus/train stop. Ask for sights to see. All museums closed on Mondays, suggests taking train downtown. Meet RITA, who not only tells us which train to get on, tells us when to get off, then goes with us to explain what we need to see. How nice of her to spend so much time helping us. Go into fancy department store to restaurant on 7th floor for view of city.

Now on to visit our last CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL-ST. BARTHOLOMAUS. Visiting these churches brings me a since of peace and appreciation for how religion has been so influential in the lives of so many people dating back thousands of years.

After walking back and resting, we sit on benches in the park and down by the river and people watch. Something we never do in Austin because most of the time we are the active people. We saw people playing ping pong, fathers playing basketball with their kids, father playing ball w/2 yr old, bikers, runners, people walking little dogs (dogs can go everywhere). Walk to river- sit on ground. Geese & pigeons walk by. Paths are full of active people and families of all nationalities. We will miss Germany.

Leave early in the morning. This is our last biking trip in Europe. So glad we got to share it with John, Amy, Patrick and Phillip. (& SPARKY & ARTHUR)

Looking forward to going home and seeing HARLEY AND LIBBY. Am so appreciative to JILL who has taken care of them for 3 weeks. Also need to wash clothes-ONLY WASHED OUR CLOTHES ONE TIME ON TRIP.

Leave hotel at 7:30. Other group still there. Walk to train station. Ask for help to make sure we are in the right place. John & family are now across from us getting on a train to BERLIN. Train goes over 150 mph at times. We arrive at FRANKFURT AIRPORT. Ask for help- man directs us to Another train that takes us 5 min from MAINGAU HOTEL. We are back to our starting point where our adventure started on June 14th. At least it ended better than it started. 10:30-leave luggage-go for breakfast. Watch IRON MAN competition on TV. It”s taking place down by the river-a 10 min walk from the hotel. Decide to go- very impressive. I’m even more impressed to know that my son JOHN completed an IRONMAN also, running his 1st marathon. I’m tired watching, go eat Asian food. Then sit in our park across from our hotel and watch all the families out together on Sunday. Not sure what we are doing tomorrow. Can’t ask Armand-he’s sleeping 😴

Put luggage in front of door-eat last breakfast alone-6:30 am-leave OLYMPIA for the last time pulling suitcases to our new home URBAN LOFT-65 degrees. Leave luggage at hotel-go to huge Catholic Cathedral. Starts to rain-text Amy we are going to mass at 9. Amy, Patrick & Phillip join us. John shares information about church. K & A decide to tour city on Hop on Hop off bus. Almost fall asleep-go back to start- go to hotel-take nap. I love our room-seems so big after boat- especially bathroom- very modern. Take another 90 min tour of city- never get off bus. PHILLIP loves German food- meet them for our last meal. Armand & I are very fortunate to be able to spend time with John, Amy & our fantastic grandsons Patrick & Phillip. Get to talk to Jennifer & Nathan tonight in Austin. Ready to go home.

Breakfast & meeting-the 4 of us are the only ones who attend. Not sure it helps us that much. K & A left before A, J, P & P. 1st day that we never saw each other. Cold to start-60 degrees with slight head wind. Do not stop today except to take pictures of goats, ducks & chickens in the same enclosure. A little bit of everything today-shady bike paths, industrialized areas, gravel, river, town roads with traffic. Stopped 2 times to ask for help. Last biker takes us to the Rhine. See MS OLYMPIA around 12 getting close to big bridge where it’s going to dock. We stop for lunch-a candy bar and water. Get to boat at 12:30-take nap. Meet John and Amy for snacks at 4. They had a little confusion keeping their group together, but we were all successful in finding the boat and completing our adventure. We biked a total of 130 miles.

After snack go visit nearby Catholic Cathedral and stay for part of the mass. Fantastic last dinner with baked Alaska for dessert. Can’t say enough about what a fantastic job everyone did.

Give my blog cards to our new friends MOLLY & GLENN from Minnesota; MAGGIE & VIC from Brighton, UK & MINEKE & JAAP from the Netherlands. There were around 100 people on board. Very nice to make new friends.

Go back to room to pack. Breakfast is at 6:30 & luggage needs to be outside our door by 7:30. Armand is asleep.

Family breakfast-pack lunch. I put 3 chocolate muffins & a Danish in my paper bag. Asked for a 2nd pillow last night and a smaller bike seat today. Decide to bike. Our family biking groups change throughout the ride. 1st-4 & 2 (Armand and me). Then we meet up by chance. Now it’s 3 and 3 (Armand, me, Patrick-who bikes behind me so I don’t get lost) Meet up again because 1st group stops for lunch. Now Phillip, Armand & I bike away with Phillip leading the way. I stop for pictures-Phillip leaves us & joins other group. I really liked today- good bike paths but what made the difference was wind at our back & 75 degrees. We see an amazing number of really old people on bikes-electric bikes has changed the world of biking and touring. We walk into town- see statue of Beethoven & visit another beautiful Cathedral. Get back in time for snack before dinner.

Short day- bike paths go through a lot of industrialized areas. Can’t eat much for breakfast. Take sack lunch-start off biking together. Soon the 4 bike away. Catch up for lunch-4 bike away again. Slight head wind is really slowing me down-it doesn’t help that I am 76. Stop at grocery store-buy large bottle of tea. After a few twists and turns-see the OLYMPIA! It’s 12:30- need nap. Molly and Glenn tell us about getting internet at Aldi’s grocery store. Want to download my pictures. Poor Armand has to walk the 1 1/2 miles to the store. Download pictures but can’t see them on iPad when we get back to the boat. BBQ dinner on top deck tonight- not enough space-Armand & I go downstairs & eat in air-conditioning.

Get lesson from Molly about taking pictures on my phone while biking. Not sure I can do it. Go sit on bench with Armand-take bread to feed geese. Geese are not afraid-walk right up to me. Meet family from India with 3 kids. Little girl speaks English. Kids are excited when I give them bread to feed the geese. Nice family- nice way to end the day.

Armand goes to bed early. Tomorrow is going to be our longest day. Not sure I’m going to bike. A lot of people staying on boat and enjoying ride down the Rhine. IT’S 103 IN AUSTIN!!

Big breakfast-everyone packs lunch. Start together-get left behind quickly. Easy biking on trails-65-70 degrees. Stop for a snack-here come the 4- they had stopped for pastry. Eat lunch together. Huge castle on hill . GLENN & MOLLY from MN Stop and take our family pictures. Stay together until next Stop. Hear phone ringing in my basket. Someone had put their phone in my basket by mistake. Patrick figures out how to answer it. John & Amy stay behind to return phone. Group of 4 changes-Armand, Phillip, Grandma & Patrick pulling of the rear so I don’t get lost. Make it back to boat at 2:30 with only a few wrong turns. 3:00 nap, 4:00 snacks. Take walk around square- beautiful statue. Debit card doesn’t work-running out of money. Another 3 course dinner-2 desserts- I eat Armand’s ice cream.

Huge breakfast- pack lunch. Armand doesn’t pack anything again and then eats my rolls. Start out together. All stop, park our bikes & walk up very steep hill to castle. Armand and I tour very impressive castle- John and family decide not to go. Once we leave, they bike ahead because I am very slow and there is a headwind. Never see them again-we get back to boat at 2:45 in time for my 3:00 nap. Other Gonsoulin’s did more hiking uphill and got back after 3. Resting now in preparation for another 2 hour huge dinner. Snack at 4. Wonderful Asían food for dinner.

Huge breakfast- they even provide bags so you can make lunch. 20 mile family bike ride along Rhine with me making lots of stops for pictures. It’s hot and I’m also going very slowly and others bike ahead and stop and wait for me. Good bike paths, follow river most of the time. Back to boat, nap, snacks at 4, 3 course dinner with dessert at 6:30-9:30. Go for walk with Patrick-Armand buys him ice cream.