Rain and the Rhine...

June 3, Oberwesel, Germany-Much to the parents delight the family got up on time and we had a lovely European breakfast again (yes, more lunchmeats, cheeses, more bread, jams, hard boiled eggs, yogurt and cold cereal; and even the jolt of strong coffee tamed by an assortment of juices). Off the take a river cruise on the Rhine River. The day was rainy and obviously gray, but we would not let it damper our day! We drove south to the next town of Bacharach to catch a boat of the K&D Line.

With the rain getting harder we decided to wait in the car until the boat docked, and upon docking we scurried to the ramp. Even though it was raining lightly we stood in the bow and took some photos of the castle on the ridge of the mountains along the Rhine River (wow too many prepositions in that sentence!). We had a brief port in Oberwesel then off to St. Goar. We got off in St. Goar with umbrellas and ponchos to begin the exploration of another small town along the Rhine. Just as we entered the main part of the town a wheeled-based train made to travel on streets arrived. We chose to hop on the train for a ride to the top of the mountain to explore a castle.

Since we were on a tight schedule we explored the castle for about an hour, then headed back down to catch another boat back to our origination point, Bacharach. By now, the rain was heavier so we opted to sit in the main interior cabin of the boat. After a smooth cruise back we then began our road trip to France, rain and all.

As navigation goes, we had a relatively easy drive to Strasbourg, but once in the city the navigation became a nightmare. The Google instructions were way too confusing, so we pulled out the trusted map app on the iPhone. We missed one turn and had to weave and bob through a few one-way streets but we followed moving dot on the blue line. Hotel destination accomplished. 

We settled into our rooms and it was time to explore another lovely European city. Rain did not hinder our venture, but with our European breakfast long gone, we made our first stop at a restaurant. Not too many appeared opened, but we found one that offered quite the variety. I believe all five of us tried a cuisine from a different country. Overall, the meals were good and everyone was satisfied; so we headed out to further explore city center of Strasbourg. We found the Cathedral and were amazed at the beauty and size, I believe the church construction began in the 11th century. A few more streets were toured and it was time for a coffee break (after all, that's what all these bristos are for, right?). After our break we found the square which hosts the largest Christmas market each year, and it was time to head back to the hotel.

We all got comfortable and met up in the hotel parlor. It was a very large room that offered a billiards table, so we had a family tournament (I took the time to catch up on this blog) which we all enjoyed [even used the iPad to play some good ol' Rock n Roll]. Not too often you can share quality family time like this.  We decided to take a river tour the next morning that would allow us to see a much broader section of the city. With early morning plans made, we called it a night.

Rhein...land of the castles

Today was our day to pick up Jake & Shayne in Mainz, home of the Gutenberg Museum. We had a lovely European breakfast (well, most Chase as he opted for sleep over food, I guess boredom wore him out yesterday!) and went shopping. We spent almost an hour in a Christmas store that had more ornaments than trees in the black forest. You could spend a year's salary to decorate a tree! Thankfully, we walked out of the store with money left in our pocket and a personalized ornament. On to get a stein...not that we'll ever drink out of it, but one that will be a keepsake of Germany. We ventured back to the hotel to get checked out and ensure our teenager saw noon. Off to Mainz we headed, but getting out of the old district was not an easy feat. Once we found one of two gates into the old town, we made good time and arrived an hour early. The older kids were still in the museum, so we visited an old church near the museum (also the local Saturday market, great atmosphere) that was built in the 1300's, I think it was the Cathedral of Mainz. With still some time to kill we sat down at a bistro for a local brew, Bitburger. It was not one of the better biers we tried, but the people watching was thoroughly enjoyable. Soon Jake and Shayne came out of the museum, so the road to the Rhine River began. Our family road trip was less than an hour and we were in the quaint town of Oberwesel. Since we were going to cruise the river, we opted to stay in a B&B in a vineyard just outside of town. The Pursch's were the proprietors of the B$B, and we stayed in their vineyard. One important visual necessary, the vineyards are on very steep mountains, so a walk through the vineyard was not to be, nor could you see very far. To our delight, Pursch's shared some of their wine with us. We tried 4 varieties of Reisling, from very dry to semi-sweet. What we learned is their Reisling wine is not what most of us drink in the USA; and their family was 1 of ~ 11,000 winemakers in their province. They produce about 25,000 bottles a year on 10 hectares. We spent an hour visiting when the husband and wife, what a friendly host. We strolled the Rhine River and took in some of the local castles. According to one sign, there were 36 castles in the immediate area, not sure how many hectares. Since the older kids got up a 4 am we made it an early evening and were ready for our cruise on the Rhine.

Germany..the bad and the good

Our day started with a short drive to Dachau, a small town NW of Munich? We arrived @ 10 am and began our visit of the historic concentration camp, the bad. The entire camp is now a museum and memorial to those thousands that perished. I still can't believe that anyone could hate people/religions so much as to murder in the masses. To walk on the same ground is sombering. After all the excitement in Dachau, Lance let me drive on the autobahn over to Rothenburg. I felt like a native until a white Porsche passed me doing at least 280km....my 170 didn't seem so fast but I hung in with the majority. I love this country(Laura) Rothenburg is a 15th century city that is known for it's mid-evil flare. The winding cobblestone streets and old buildings have a unique charm. The city is partially surrounded by a 30' stone wall, a moat and tall cliffs. Because of its high perch you can see some distance away. The countryside is lush and green...it will take your breath away! We did a night watchman tour of the city tonight and learned that this city was been spared through several over takings. The last being during WWII when a section do the outer city was destroyed by US air attacks on the German army that took over Rothenburg in 1944. The Germans agreed to leave so the city and history was saved. In addition to the history of the town the night watchman shared the location of a famous bier garten aptly named the Devil's Bar, or Hell. So when the locals tell you to go to hell, they are merely recommending a good place to get a pint of ale. After our tour we made a quick walk to the square and found a local pastry shop that made a crusty pastry called snowballs (lightly fried pastry dough shaped like a snowball, and about the size of a baseball). They offered over 20 varieties, but we chose the one with the most chocolate. A great treat that we split 3 ways. Our evening in Rothenburg came to an end.

Munchkin Fun in Munich

The day was jammed packed and we ended the day with a one mile walk in the rain at 2300. The Singleton munchkins are dog tired and are ready for bed. We've taken our hot shower in the Barbie Doll House shower and have packed for our next road trip. We will fill in the details tomorrow if we have Internet. Off to Dachau and Rothenburg in the morning.

Monk & Bavarian Style

Today was a leisurely day with our first driving destination to Andechs, home of a very old monastery and some of the best barley pop. The small town seemed to be mostly a rural farming community about two miles from a large lake. The church was built on the highest hill of the town, and by the time we arrived the visitors parking lot was almost half full. We walked up to the church and explored the exterior and a couple of the adjoining buildings. Then we ventured into the small church and were totally amazed at the decor. Our thoughts were geared toward modest since it was originally a monastery. Elegant paintings and a massive gold alter. Stopped to say a prayer and thank God Almighty for the beauty of His work. It seems like most of the churches we've visited have been a true work of art. A venture into the religious side of the souvenir store was next and we saw several rosaries and crosses and all kinds of history information the church. A couple of purchases later and it was time to eat. As I mentioned last night the menu selection was already decided...ham hock, sauerkraut and a dunkel beer. We ordered one hock and it could have easily fed four! Oh, it was so tasty, yes all of it. Our son Jake asked us to get him a special brew from here, so after wrangling the language barrier we convinced the cashier to allow us to switch the variety pack with only one flavor. However, the brewmeister wasn't as keen on the purchase, but after a brief scowl and a huff we got our take away as ordered. Next destination, Munich...and it involved a brief stint on the A95, an autobahn. Laura was thrilled to be driving and only let one Porsche pass! While Google provides driving directions, they don't always work when the street you are seeking has several name changes. Needless to say, I pulled out the map app on the old iPhone and followed the blue route. No hitches to hotel destination. Since we've been gone over a week, we took some of he afternoon to do some laundry. We all managed to pack for the is trip with one carry-on suitcase and one small pack. So, a time out for laundry is a must, thus one of the reasons we chose our hotel. They offered self-service laundry right in the hotel. In fact we are completing a second load now, and I hope some other guest doesn't need jeans and shorts more than us. Better go check the dyer now now! In between laundry duty, we took a walk to the city center and made our way to the market and the world famous Hofbrauhaus, former royal brewery of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Quite a place...between tourists and locals the place was full, even had a "Umpa" band playing. Took time to people watch and have a brew. Can't imagine the frenzy during Octoberfest! May have to make another stop tomorrow night. Tomorrow we will be touring the BMW museum and production plant. Chase is jacked! Afterward we plan to take a Segway tour of the city, it should be a fun day for all...remember I said you had to mix in teenage things. Off to fold clothes and get another night's sleep on one of Europe's definitions of a bed!

Bavaria in castle-style

Like the past few mornings it was up early for the breakfast buffet and hit the road. Today we hit the German autobahn, so Laura drove and Lance was the navigator. About 45% of the route was via the A8, so Laura did a fine job of staying up with the lead dogs...only two problems for this stretch: (1)truck traffic after a Euro holiday is unbelievable; (2)no matter where you go there is always road construction. Anyway, we still make 120 kms in well under an hour. The rest of the route (more direct, but not the fastest) was made via a 2 lane highway, and mostly all rural. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery! We arrived in Fussen without any major navigational issues, except missed our last roundabout by 90 degrees,only one street off. With an early arrival we could not check in, so we embarked on the castle adventure, Neuschwanstein. Not a bad drive to the tourist parking lot, only 5 Euros and a 300 meter walk up the slope to the ticket center. We had reservations, so no waiting for our 1325 pickup of the tickets for a 1425 tour. We grabbed a brat and beer and began our hike up the mountain. While fairly steep, we made it to the castle entrance in 10 minutes (just like the sign said). For those that may want to see this castle, you can opt for a bus ride at 2,80€ rt. We took some photos out the exterior and patiently awaited for our candid shot with the castle in the background. Can't imagine the chaos during the peak tourist season. Around 1400 (we're already getting used to the Euro style of time and money) the rain came. Funny, that is the same time it hit Salzburg yesterday. Fortunately both times we had a covering to stand under, and today we had our trusty $5 travel umbrella and Dollartree ponchos! Boy are we prepared or what. At 1420 tour #477 was announced, so we made our way to the turnstile with tickets in hand. Promptly at 1425 we were able to punch our ticket, and so the Enlgish speaking tour began. We learned that only 1/3 of the castle was finished and King Lugwig only lived in the castle for 172 days upon the completion (same third). The architecture and paintings on the wall were magnificent and the work work was beyond comparison. The detailed wood work in the master bedroom took over 4 years to complete. Another grandeur room was the throne room, perhaps a tad ornate with a tile mosaic floor that had over two millions pieces and aa chandelier that weighed over 2000 pounds! Even the kitchen was the size of our house! The tour inside was well worth the scare on the autobahn, the wait in the rain and impatience of all the tourists. Since no photos were allowed inside the castle we bought a few photos of the interior for a memory and to share. Being near the top, we decided to walk further up the mountain (rainwear and all) to walk on St. Mary's Bridge. This bridge is made over a gorge that is ~300-400 feet deep (something to google). Even though it was raining it was worth the 15 minute hike up the mountain to get another georgous vantage point. Hopefully, the photos will be ever so telling (even cloudy and rainy). With photo op capitalized we made the trek back down the mountain and arrived at our Peugeot at 1600. Off the see the quaint town of Fussen. We chose a slightly different route and upon enterly the town from another way we soon realized we were in the heart of the old town, that has very (and I mean very) limited auto access. Not knowing exactly what part of town we had entered we decided to park as soon as could and explore. Didn't even make it out the auto when a merchant yelped in broken English "you can't park here!". I am sure in German he was saying something like what a stupid American! Driving slowly we weaver among the pedestrians for 2-3 blocks and. Aide our way back to a normal city street; and much to our delight we were only 4 blocks from our hotel. Whew. Now that our car was safely parked and we had a room in the inn, we headed back to the old town. After an hour of strolling we were all getting tired, so we thought we'd do take away (Euro for 'to go'). Finding a menu to please all of us was not so easy, but none of us were in the mood for the local cuisine. On the walk back we bought a slice of fresh cheesecake and carrot cake, then we found a small restaurant that made Gyros (good enough for the adults), but not for the teenager. He saw the iconic American fast food symbol near our hotel, so dad and Chase made a McCafe run. Even found a petro station that we could buy a cold beverage. Learned that grocery stores do not serve any cold beverages. We had a lovely picnic in the courtyard of our hotel and our bodies we so glad to be resting. Took hot showers and finished this post. Tomorrow brings an easier day, at least that's the plan...drive up to Andechs to visit the world famous monastery and have one of those monk brewed beverages with a ham hock! Then on up to Munich for a couple of days. Hope all had a wonderful Memorial Day holiday!

A short catch up...

Well, we have been on the run ever since Chase joined us in Vienna on Saturday night. Early breakfast and a venture of driving in a foreign territory. Even with plannned driving routs via Google, the instructions might as well have been in German! Really wasn't that bad but their signage and lead indicators are NOT very clear. With only a couple of snafus we made it To Hallstatt by noon and it was one of those postcard perfect sights. We'll try to give more details later, but a long weekend in a peaceful small town like Hallstatt should be on everyone's bucket list. After an overnight stay, we got up early and had a nice Euro breakfast. Our next stop was Salzburg, but on the 75-90 minute drive we stopped at a summer Rodelbahnen. We were first in line to buy tickets, but we let a few locals go first to see what was to be in store for us. Rodelbahnen, you ask...it is a luge like ride. You have a sled with one handle that serves as the brake; and you ride it down a metal track (perhaps like a tube on a water slide). You are pulled up the mountain backward by a chair lift that has a big hook. We hope to post a video as Chase filmed one of his rides with his GoPro. After a unique adventure we headed on to Salzburg...only one minor misdirection and we got into the city. Our room was ready early, so we unloaded the car and got our bearings. We spent the day visiting the old Salzburg and got to see almost everything we planned. Missed the Hellbrunn castle, but may stop by in the morning before we head to Fussen. Fussen is the site of the castle, Neuschwanstein that inspired Walt Disney's first theme park. Yes, the one we all see before every Disney movie. We've thoroughly enjoyed our first few days, but have made some "memos to self"...need a goof-off/veg day after day 5. Can't do Salzburg justice in one day, perhaps 2 would do. Have patience while driving in a foreign land and expect to get lost every now and then. Odds are your spouse hasn't been there either, so be kind. Mix in more teenage things to do, 'cuz how many churches and old buildings can one take! On to Germany!