Date: Wednesday April 27, 2016
Subject: “A Little Cooler than Expected”
Good Morning Everyone
It is Day 4 of our trip
We are in Bacharach, Germany … a cool 3C with a mixture of precipitation expected, although at the moment the sun is trying to peek through the clouds. On our way here yesterday, just before we left the Netherlands, we were in a snow / freezing rain storm. The highways were white. Several of us had wished we brought hats and mitts; I was able to find gloves at a stop we made yesterday; I am still on the lookout for a hat.
We are staying in a 20 room hotel in Bacharach … along with 2 others, my room is in the attic on what the Germans call the 4th floor, but what I call the 5th floor … it was 5 flights of stairs I had to climb to my room .... 92 steps!! (they don't count the main floor as floor 1). Glad I packed light!
I just got back from listening to the Night Watchman’s tour … the man is dressed in period costume (possibly 1600s) and he takes a tour of the village checking the gates in the stone wall that surrounds the village while telling us the history (along with many jokes) of Rothenberg over the last 800 years. He is very theatrical and you barely notice that you were outside walking around in the cold for an hour. If all history was taught this way, it would be easy to learn.
We had an excellent German meal: Weiner schnitzel, and of course, there has been lots of German beer being drunk by our tour group.
Tomorrow we are on to Dachau, Austria … the concentration camp. There are a couple of us who don't plan to take that tour; hopefully there is a place to sit and have a hot tea while the rest of the group goes. The coffee here is usually a variation of espresso … too much caffeine for me so I am sticking to tea.
There are signs along the highway with an arrow stating “Ausfahrt”. I don’t remember the name of that city in any maps that I have seen, but it must be pretty big as there are many exits to Ausfahrt ... well, until Joey, our driver explained the sign meant “Exit” not the name of a city!
Love Mom / Heather
Liz: Yes, I am meeting some friends … there are 3 ladies who have decided that adding me as a fourth to their dinner table makes sense ... I guess they don't want me to feel like I am being left on my own, so they like to include me. I do go off wandering on my own when we get some free time … I am finding some great pictures that could make nice art quilts.
Go through the gate in the wall and just to the left is a small shop of embroidered and hand-smocked dresses. I couldn’t resist getting one for Charlotte!
Date: Friday April 29, 2016
Subject: Day 6 Austria
Hi Kate, Liz, Dad, Jan & Sonja,
I am hoping that I will be able to get this email sent … the WiFi at this hotel (1st picture on right) is not very strong and sometimes I lose the connection. I have been walking the hallway and traversing the stairs trying to find a stronger signal.
The weather has finally turned warm in spite of being in the mountains … we are in Reutte, Austria tonight. We have had rain, wind and cold weather for the first five days of the trip … and although we kept really busy, oftentimes it was difficult to get good pictures.
Tonight's meal in Austria was pork and beef goulash along with schnapps ... the apricot schnapps was very smooth! The meals are huge; thank goodness we do a lot of walking!! Two Tyrolean musicians entertained us after supper.
I am surprised at the number of wind turbines and solar panel 'farms' that are in Germany. I think we were told that the country is over 40% green power and in some small communities they are 100% green power.
Today while coming into the Alps, we saw quite a few hang gliders (I can see you doing this, Liz). People were going up the ski lifts and then hang gliding off the mountains and over the valley. I tried to get a picture but the gliders showed up too small in the distance. Perhaps I will see them tomorrow and can get a better picture for you.
Tomorrow we go and visit a 'fairy tale’ castle and possibly head down a luge. If there is a fast and a slow luge … I think I will attempt the slow one!!
Love Mom / Heather
PS ... the ‘buddy’ check is working well; we haven’t lost anyone!! And in spite of the miserable weather we have been having, everyone is quite cheerful. We keep reminding each other of Rick Steves’ motto “No Grumps” allowed!
Wieskirch ...church in the meadow; you can see how plain it looks on the outside and how ornate the inside is!! There isn’t even a large town close by to support it!
Date: Saturday April 30, 2016
Subject: Luge
Kate, Liz,
A short message since the internet is unreliable.
It was a sunny day so we stopped at the luge. I ended up being first in line and was a little unsure of the speed, but I made it …. then went right back for a 2nd time, a little faster. Some people didn't want to go, so several of us took their turns and went down even faster, and then a few of us got the opportunity to do it again!! It was like going down a giant curvy slide. I will see if I can send you a picture later.
Love Mom
Date: Tuesday May 3, 2016
Subject: Castles, Luges and Bravery!!
Hi Kate, Liz, Dad, Jan, & Sonja,
I have been having trouble accessing WiFi with my tablet, although I have been able to connect with my cell phone. However, all my pictures have been downloaded onto my tablet …. so, I will write up an email anyway and hope that at some point I will be able to send this!!
Traveling through the Alps was beautiful!! We walked up the long lane (just under 2 km, one way) to Neuschwanstein Castle … and then toured the inside of the castle (about 175 steps upwards to access the different rooms / floors). The castle was not completely finished inside but each room that was finished represented a different Wagner opera with the walls covered in murals and lots of over-the-top furnishings. After all the music courses I took, I was able to correctly guess at several of the operas represented before the guide told us what they were.
I was a little leery of going down the luge; we were able to control our speed with a hand brake and my first trip down was a little slow, but I picked up speed for the 2nd trip down. Several people didn't want to use their 2nd run down the hill, so 4 of us were able to go again and I picked up a lot more speed, barely braking at all until I caught up with a slower rider. The picture shows us sitting in our little sleds being dragged up the hill on a steel rope. It is difficult to show the steepness and the length of the luge since the curves are set into the ground.
PS. I forgot to mention that we were stopped by the Polizei ... they directed Joey, our bus driver, to a parking area and then came on board our bus. They have a computer that plugs into our bus’s system that checks our travel time, stop times & service checks. We were told later ‘if the bus failed any of the checks, then there would be a big fine that would need to be paid immediately before they let the bus go ... or if the infraction was really bad, then they could remove our bus driver. Now it makes sense why Joey says we cannot leave one second before a 15 minute break because that would be considered an infraction.
Love Mom / Heather
The parent’s castle and the son’s castle; obviously he had to outdo his parents!! Walt Disney’s castles and Neuschwanstein Castle are very similar.
It was a long way up to the top of the luge riding that teeny little sled ... I should have given my camera to one of the tour members not going on the luge to get a picture of me careening down the slope!
"A Little Cooler Than Expected"
Germany & Austria
Wieskirch ... church in the meadow
Inside Wieskirch
Tegelberg Luge
A long way up on a tiny sled!
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Our hotel, Reutte, Austria
Rheinfels Castle
Rothenberg wall
Roofs from the walkway
Town centre where we met the Night Watchman
Gate in Rothenberg wall
Iconic Rothenberg picture
Getting ready to walk up the hill through the vineyards.
View of Rhine River from bedroom
Today the bus will drop us off and we are to climb some hill at St Goar and visit the Rheinfels Castle in the morning and then back to the river to take a river boat cruise back to our hotel.
It is time for breakfast and off to another full day of walking and taking pictures. I am looking forward to seeing lots of castles. I did see some as we traveled on the Autobahn.
Love Mom / H
The view of our hotel from the vineyards.
An abandoned chapel, Bacharach
Walking back from Rheinfels
Along the Rhine River, view from our boat
Date: Thursday April 28, 2016
Subject: Picture Perfect
Good Evening Kate, Liz, Dad, Jan & Sonja
Kate: I hope my sweet granddaughter is feeling better soon. I found a cute hand-smocked & embroidered dress for her today in Rothenberg, Germany. I’ve been keeping an eye out for something small for her but we really don't get much time to shop; our days are rather full of seeing things.
I walked along the village walls surrounding the medieval town and have taken some fantastic pictures that I know I can turn into art quilts; one in particular with a sea of rooftops in the rain. I found a small quilt shop, but knowing what I will be able to carry in my backpack, I declined making any big purchases.
The wall & walkway surrounding Rothenberg... don’t you love the way the house is built right into the wall!! There are small windows and slits on the other side of the walkway so the old guards could look out for possible advancing enemy.
Tyrolean musicians, supper entertainment
King Ludwig's parents' castle
