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This summer, I returned to the Rhine.
When I was much younger, I once took a river cruise from Mainz to Koblenz. I still remember the dining on the cruise ship, the view of the Loreley, and something that fascinated me more than I can explain: whenever the ship stopped, people would simply get off and disappear into the towns along the river. To me, those towns felt strangely distant. I could see them from the water. I could hear their names in the announcements. I could read the signs as we passed by. But I had no idea what they were really like inside—what kind of streets they had, who lived there, what their ordinary days looked like. They were places that existed somewhere beyond the view from the ship. And then, about fifteen years later, without ever really planning it, I found myself there. This summer, I spent quite a long time in Bingen—long enough to simply slow down, sit by the river, watch the water, and leave behind hours of quiet footage like this. After taking my time and enjoying the Rhine at my own pace, I crossed over to Rรผdesheim, where I stayed for two nights. The view of the river from my hotel, the mornings, the breakfast, the quiet moments in between... |
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A deep blue dawn settled over the Rhine.
From my riverside hotel in Rรผdesheim, I watched the day slowly break, with Bingen across the river gradually defining itself against the hills. Then, from the darkness, the KD boat slowly emerged—its silhouette taking shape on the quiet river. And in that moment, I somehow knew that one day, I would look back on this morning with a deep sense of nostalgia. Everything felt almost unreal. It wasn't exactly a dream I had been chasing for fifteen years. I had never made a plan to go there, or even consciously wished for it. And yet, somewhere in the past, there must have been a fleeting thought that passed through my mind: "Could I ever go in there myself... someday...?" Fifteen years ago, I could only look at these towns from the cruise ship. This time, I was there. And for that— for being alive, I am grateful. |
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