Postcard from Germany: Denis Papin in Hann Münden

I’ve been looking for connections between Blois and Germany since we arrived here three weeks ago on our cycling holiday. Imagine my delight when I discovered, quite by accident, that Blois’ very own Denis Papin, the inventor, built a steam-pump powered paddlewheel boat, probably pedal-driven in 1704, and as a demonstration, used his steam paddlewheeler …