Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dream Realized in Bacharach


Ever since I've been stationed here in Europe, I've squandered many precious moments wishing I could stay in a castle for one night. Keep in mind our usual travel accommodations consist of a family friendly budget hotel or billeting at a US military base so the notion of staying in a castle is a significant departure from the norm. Maybe it is the little boy in me but staying overnight in a castle had a wonderful appeal about it. Last weekend this dream was realized and we stayed at Burg Stahleck in Bacharach.

Before I go into detail about our castle, let me tell you a little about Bacharach. On the way there Jen asked me what my favorite German city was. That was a tough one for me. Munich has the hofbrauhaus and Garmish has it's Bavarian charm. Berlin has an incredible sense of history and Rothenberg is ripped straight out of a fairytale. All of these places fall just short of Bacharach in my book. In 1842 Victor Hugo wrote about the village by stating, "No doors, no roof or windows, a magnificent skeleton puts its silhouette against the sky. Above it, the ivy-covered castle ruins provide a fitting crown. This is Bacharach, land of fairy tales, covered with legends and sagas."

The crown jewel of Bacharach is it's towering castle on a hill overlooking the mighty Rhine river. We've visited this castle or Burg many times before. We liked it so much that it seems we've dragged all of our visitors to the place over the last three years. To be honest, we've been there so many times that it was starting to get boring. Staying overnight, however, provided us with a completely unique experience.

The best part about all of this was the price. Our whole family stayed at the castle (w/private room/shower/breakfast) for only 42 euro or around 55 bucks. This place is the best kept secret in Europe! Now if only we could find such deals in Rome or Paris. Here are some of the highlights:
Spring Flowers and our Desert RoseJen and I leaving...reluctantly...our castle for the dayLuke Loves His Ice Cream (just like his dad)

All of us the next day sopping wet and exploring St Goar's Burg Rheinfels

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Car Free Day on the Mosel River

If I could bring just one custom to the US from Germany, it would have to be the Car free days. Dig this: A county would shut down its main highway (like Foothill or Sepulveda Blvd in LA) to cars and encourage the locals to take over on bikes. What a concept! We've done a few of these and had a blast each time! Not only is it a great workout, it's also a great cultural experience and a good excuse to rub elbows with your neighbors.

Zell Mural




Banks of the Mosel River right before Zell

Last weekend we headed up to the Wine village of Zell. This picturesque village is the home to the famed Schwartze Katze (Black Cat) wine. The stuff is also known as the nectar of the GODS! It's great! Anyhow, we ditched the car and strapped in the kids and took off on a pair of wheels. Factor in favorable weather and a stunning route down the river and we had ourselves quite the outing.

Taking a wine break during the trek (only 3 KM into it)



Wasn't all cool and the gang, however. Luke melted down after a few clicks down the road. Rather than struggle on, we decided to pull off, find a wine tent, and let the kids run wild. Turned out for the best. We weren't going very far regardless.


























Monday, May 4, 2009

Kids Say the Darndest Things: Travel Edition

We've logged many a mile lately between the trip to Torino, Bruges, Switzerland, etc. This usually means mom and dad go nuts while the kids go crazy. Not fun. Luckily Julia and Luke are turning into pretty funny kiddos.

To pass the 2.5 hour trip back from Torino, Italy, Julia and I played a game called the Zoo Game. The idea was based upon a video game that we play where one builds an amusement park from the ground up. However, since we were in the car we had to rely on our imagination to play the game.

After getting past the easy questions (i.e. What kinda animals will your zoo have?), I asked Julia if she wanted to hire members of our family to work at the zoo. Here's the breakdown:

Jen: Decorator
Me: Animal doctor (not to be confused with veterinarian)
Tia Nena: Train driver
Uncle Daniel: Wore a costume and made the kids laugh
Funny uncle John and uncle Nick: In charge of the beer tent and making more kids laugh
Grandma Lauretta: Julia's personal assistant
Grandma Beth: Tour guide
Uncle Nick Baldwin: Stroller rental attendant
Aunt Kathryn: Accountant and Financial Consultant (quit after Julia let too many people in for free)
Grandpa Gary: Security, Fix it man, and Custodial Engineer
Luke: Security (according to Julia, Luke was the "heavy" and carried a weapon to be used to shoot the ugly people who tried to get into the park. Jen and i were laughing too hard to correct her)
Grandpa Dan: Helped people who had problems (the "fixer")
Auntie Mandi: Taught kids about the animals
Aunt Ashley: Ticket Taker
and last but not least, Julia: CEO