2012-05-05 Rudesheim, Romantic Rhine, Marksburg castle

• Wheelhouse lowers to unbelievable depths
• Depart Mainz and watch the Pearl quickly sneak away
• (outside) Mechanical music museum
• Rudesheim has statue of Germania accessed by cable car (amongst vineyards)
• Met the Scenic Diamond
• Romantic Rhine - A dozen or so castles perched on cliffs above Rhine. All seemed to collect tolls, some by robber barons. Most destroyed by French? Though some were destroyed by other armies.
• Marksburg castle, where we had dinner, was never destroyed. Most are rebuilt.
• Lorelei rock high cliff flag shows where she/they were, but there is a statue near the shore.
• Front and earlier rear loading canons (rear loader did more damage to loaders than target)
• Three pipes on far hill were chimney stacks for the tin mine that was in the valley to keep smoke out of the valley