Rhine River Tour, My thanks to Mark, Eira, and Sylvia Options

[Guest_ohsteve_*]

Rhine River Tour

Revised

A gentle mist rises from the river;
daylight arrived an hour ago,
but old Sol likes to take his time
climbing those vine-covered mounts.

Soon the guide calls us aboard
we wend our way upstream,
cool waters bow away in a white wave,
ripples lap at the banks.

Just around the next bend an ancient
castle peeks its' crenelations over
sharp-sided crags and clinging bush.

Lines and rows of vineyards
push toes into alkali soil,
too soon to become wine;
you wonder if the pickers aren’t part Chamois.

Aromas' of wurst, pommes frites;
and thoughts of cold dunkel beer to wash it down.

Children fishing on the shore point,
laugh,
and shout ...

"Why do silly people wish to ride the river?."

Looking at scenes
they have seen
all their lives.

May 12, 2009/ revised Jun 4, 2009
© Steve Pray

Original

A gentle mist from the river rises;
daylight arrived a hour ago,
but old sol likes to take his time
climbing those vine covered mounts.

Soon the guide calls us to board
we wend our way up stream,
cool waters bow away in a white wave,
ripples lap at the banks.

Just around the next bend an ancient
castle peeks it’s crenelations over
sharp sided crags and clinging bush.

Lines and rows of vineyards
push toes into alkali soil,
too soon to become wine;
you wonder if the pickers aren’t part Chamois.

Aroma’s of wurst, pomme frits;
and thoughts of cold dunkel beer to wash it down.

Children fishing on the shore point,
laugh,
and shout a question...
"Why do silly people wish to ride the river?."

Looking at scenes
they have seen
all their lives.

May 12, 2009
© Steve Pray

[Guest_ohsteve_*]

To Answer Snow and Sylvia, yes it is a land of lots of vineyards especially along the rivers, but I was more of a beer drinker, than a wine drinker. So I drank beer and also if I remember correctly they didn't offer wine for sale on the boat just beer or soft drinks.

As for rows and lines being the same yea, well maybe... I guess its more the way the vines are planted, looked at one way they are rows going up and down, looked at another way they are lines going across, or vice versa, and they are both at the same time. If you have a 100x100 block of dots on a page are they rows/lines/columns/ ? sometimes the vineyards were fan shaped, narrow at the top wide at the bottom, sometimes they followed the contour of the land... not sure how else to say it... anyway more suggestions anyone.

Steve