On Our Way Home after Five Weeks

Vineyards in Rudesheim

Grapes for Ice Wine

We have a quick breakfast and then scrape the frost off the car—it is currently 0 degrees centigrade.  I talk to Rita about the grape harvest which is almost finished for the year.  The grapes for Ice wine (a very expensive wine), will be picked after six days of freezing temperatures.  This has yet to happen this year.  At this rate, I’m sure it will be soon—maybe this week. 

The trip to the Frankfurt Flughafen is uneventful.  Following the airplane signs makes it easy and convenient to stay in Rudesheim.  Depending on the time of day, it can take 30-45 minutes to get there.  After dropping off, and videotaping the rental car’s condition, we discover we’re at the wrong Terminal--American is in Terminal 1, not 2.  We drag the luggage on, and off, the sky train, check it in and find the Admiral’s club.  The front desk clues us in on what the procedure is for the VAT tax refund.

For future info, once you go through the passport control check, go to the right.  There is a red phone on the wall to the right.  Call passport control and ask to have a passport controller come to stamp your VAT refund forms.  They will come within 5 minutes.  Sometimes the controller will ask to see the items to verify the form and purchases.  If the item is in your checked luggage, you might have an issue (we had some of our purchases with us).  We lucked out—they didn’t ask to see our loot.  If you want your refund now, you have to go back to the B area of the terminal.  However, you can also send your stamped forms from the States and have your refund put back on your credit card. 

Our nine hour flight into Chicago was good but very long.  Since Steve has platinum status, he had reserved seats in the exit row of economy class.  The leg room is like business class.  You are able to stretch out.  Upon arrival in Chicago, we pick up our luggage and go through customs which was very easy.  We just dropped off our form and walked on through.   So, all of our loot, including 10 bottles of wine, made it through with no problems.  We rechecked our luggage and then found out our flight was delayed because of high winds.  At 7:44 pm we boarded for a four hour flight into Santa Ana.  It was on this flight that I realized we were missing a carry-on bag with Christmas decorations, my pink West Point rain jacket, and Steve’s zip-up sweater vest.  I guess we were really tired.  You store your items in the overhead bins and you forget, after nine hours, what is where.  Upon arrival in the OC, we file a claim with lost and found.  Three days later our lost bags were recovered.  The Nuremberg angel will adorn the top of my daughter's Christmas tree this year and for years to come.

Last Minute Shopping in Mainz and Our Last Night in Rudesheim

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Shopping in Our Former Hometown of Mainz

Our breakfast was a pleasant surprise.  Lots of good meat and cheese, along with plenty of brotchen.  Bacharach is a lovely, small town to stay in, however, the roads (narrow, crowded & under construction) and the proximity to the airport (about 65 km) is not as easily accessible to the airport as I would like.  Rudesheim, on the other side of the Rhine and in the vineyards, has direct autobahn access to the Frankfurt am Main airport. 

Before making our way to Rudesheim, we go shopping in downtown Mainz.  The city, along with others in this part of Germany, have changed in their ethnicity.  There is a middle-eastern influence. 

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After visiting the cathedral, we have coffee & apple strudel in the town’s market area.  It was in this plaza that I would buy fruits, veggies and flowers most Saturday mornings when we lived here in the 70’s.  It was also here that I would shop at the small, beautiful Christmas market each year.

In order to convince ourselves that we have sufficient luggage to bring home our purchases, we repack our cases at the car.  An hour, or so, later, we set the GPS for Rudesheim.  This side of the Rhine is more scenic with lots of tudor-style buildings, and wineries, alongside the river.  Many years ago, Melissa and I stayed at a zimmer way above Rudesheim and among the vineyards.  I hesitated to make Steve drive up there, however, the accommodations along the Rhein are more expensive and full of tours.  Rita, at Haus  Zoth, had a room, with bath, available for 46 euros.   (Later I found out that you can stay at the abbey for 55 euros.)

Benedictine Abbey of Saint Hildegard  in Rudesheim am Rhein

On our way to dinner in Rudeshiem, we get lost and find ourselves further north on the Rhein at a restaurant in the next town.  This restaurant is heavily decorated with wine artifacts.  Grapes, wooden figurines (men holding wine glasses), and plaques are in every nook and cranny.  We enjoy our last dinner of ½ roasted chicken and pommes frittes. 

Bacharach

It was raining when we left Rothenburg this afternoon.  We stopped at the Christmas store for one last purchase.  As you travel from country to country, and city to city, you sometimes wish you had purchased that one item.  You know you’re not going to find it in the next city, or country.  It is unique to that area. 

Malerwinkel Pension, Bacharach

After a brief shopping trip and visit to McD’s, we’re on our way to Bacharach, getting closer to Frankfurt for our departure on Tuesday.  Even though we’re driving at an average of 120 km/hr.,(and still getting passed on the left)  it takes us three hours to get to Bacharach.  The hosts at pension Steeger Tal, where we usually stay, are not home.   This seems to be typical during this time of year.  We do, however, find a room at Malerwinkel Pension.  The building is 300 yrs. old and is situated outside of the town’s turm, away from the train tracks.  It turns out to be a quiet location.

Enjoying Apple Strudel

Bacharach

Cafe Restaurant Rusticana

We walk into town via a pathway from the pension’s back entrance.  

We return to a restaurant we ate at on our last trip--Cafe Restaurant Rusticana.  The owner was sitting at a table, by herself, at her computer playing solitaire.  We order Jagerschnitzel and ½ roasted chicken and entertain ourselves, and our hostess, with conversation.  Her English is perfect and is a joy to talk to.  She is a race horse enthusiast and owns several champions.  She shared a photo of her champion mare who had won a race in France on June 26, 2010.  Her husband was also in the photo.  He passed away five days later.   After a long visit with our friend, we walk down the street to a local winery’s restaurant and tasting room.  We enjoyed tasting eight progressively sweeter white wines for eight euros.  Having lived in this area for three years, we are biased to German wine.  Of course, the Spatlese and Auslese, sweeter wines, appeal the most to us.  Now we just have to walk “home”. 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Jagdschloss Pension

Happy Birthday to my Brother, Tom!

Our apartment at Jagdschloss Pension in Nordenberg (50 euros), 5 km from Rothenburg, is so nice and comfy, we decided to stay another night.  We gas up the car (65 euros—ouch) and spend time shopping in Rothenburg.  Surprisingly, many of the stores on the back streets are closed.  There are several tour groups and Steve finds some to talk to while I’m in the Christmas store.  It’s a nice day to walk around.  It’s cold but not raining.  When we return to the apartment, I take a walk in the town and Steve does his retirement thing (or just plain tired thing)—relaxing.  Later, I drag our bags and goodies we’ve accumulated up to the room and start pre-packing to make sure it will all fit.  Thank goodness two bags can expand a few more inches.   However, I have two bottles of wine I may have to leave behind (I’ve packed ten).  I didn’t realize I bought so many.

Regensburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Walhalla Temple and The Walled Town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Happy 2nd Birthday to our Granddaughter, Lauren! 

With a low of -2 degrees centigrade this morning, it was no surprise that our slanted attic windows in our room and our car had frost.  No snow.

As we drove into Donaustauf yesterday (on the outskirts of Regensburg), we noticed a very large temple structure on the hill.  You could see it from everywhere--it dominates the valley.  Our hotel host said that it is Walhalla Temple, built by King Ludwig I.  After breakfast, we drove to Walhalla.  Since it is undergoing reconstruction on the exterior and refurbishing on the interior, we did not go inside.  However, we did walk around it.  It is massive.  Steve found it interesting in that it was constructed on the side of a steep slope—not on top of a hill.  I found the following info later on the internet since we could not get a brochure in English. 

Massive Walhalla  Temple

Walhalla Temple

The temple is a hall of fame that honors laudable and distinguished Germans, famous personalities in German history — politicians, sovereigns, scientists and artists of the German tongue".^[1] The hall is housed in a neo-classical building above the Danube River, east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. to remind the Germans of the country’s great people in their history. The Walhalla temple is named for Valhalla of Norse mythology. It was conceived in 1807 by Crown Prince Ludwig, who built it upon ascending the throne of Bavaria as King Ludwig I. Construction took place between 1830 and 1842, under the supervision of architect Leo von Klenze. The temple displays some 65 plaques and 130 busts of persons, covering 2,000 years of history — the earliest person honored is Arminius, victor at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD).

After touring Walhalla and visiting McD’s, we set out for Rothenburg ob der Tauber.  The zimmer we usually stay at is closed—gone on holiday.  However, just up the road we get an apartment at Pension Jadgschloss.  It is very large with a balcony.  We drive into Rothenburg for dinner and a walk - it is 3 degrees (Steve is pleased - NOT).  We find a restaurant that serves Jagerschnitzel--yea.   Steve has been unsuccessfully searching for this dish at restaurants the last several nights.  It’s lighter than a Wiener Schnitzel.  I was not going to eat another picnic style dinner in our hotel room. (Steve figures time spent eating is less time spent meandering in the cold.)

Moonlit Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Even though it’s cold, 2 degrees, it’s nice to walk around the town at night without all of the tourists.  The lit up, tudor style buildings are beautiful in this walled town.  We take the Nightwatchman’s tour and remember when we took the tour with Sean several years ago.  We have been in this town many times and each time new experiences and memories are made.   We were here during our military tour and with our parents in the 70’s, later with our kids and now, once again, by ourselves.   I’m sure I’ll be here, again, with my grandchildren.

The Beautiful City of Regensburg

                                                        

Regensburg Cathedral

After breakfast, we decide to go to an area we haven’t been to on previous trips.  Regensburg is northeast of Munich, towards Nurnberg and the Czech border--about 140 km away.  We’re driving in pouring rain and it doesn’t look clear ahead of us (only behind us, of course).  We find Hotel Walhalla on the outskirts of the city in the town of Donaustauf.  After we check in, we drive into the city.  It reminds me of Prague.  The rain has stopped and we’re able to walk around the city. St. Peter’s Cathedral and its spires dominate the city skyline.

Built in the 1300s on the site of earlier cathedrals, Regensburg Cathedral (Dom St. Peter) is the finest Gothic building in Bavaria. Its exterior, alive with interesting medieval sculptures, has recently been fully cleaned. Inside are even more sculptures along with an extensive collection of medieval stained glass.

There is a 12^th century bridge over the river Donau with a turm at the city entrance, and beautifully restored buildings in the pedestrian only zones.  This city is in Bavaria and is very picturesque and fun to walk through. 

Bridge over the Danube

As we’re walking through town in search of a German restaurant, it’s getting colder.  It’s predicted to get down to -3 degrees with possible snow.  It could be an interesting morning.  Thank goodness for Beatrice (our GPS).  She gets us home safely in the dark. 

Salzburg to Munich with Magnificent Views of the Bavarian Alps

View from Our Pension

Looking out of our balcony doors this morning, we see the mountains blanketed with fresh snow.  Such a pretty sight.  Thank goodness we don’t have snow on the ground—at least, not this morning.  At breakfast, we talk to several other guests, an Air Force Major and his family, and a mother and daughter from Athens.  When you have breakfast in a large room, you tend to meet people and find out about their travel plans. 



After another great breakfast, we set the GPS for Munich.  By the way, our Garmin Nuvi 270 is still trying to “locate satellites”.  She’s been searching for the last 5,000 km. 

By going to Munich, we’re trying to avoid the predicted snow for Salzburg, but stay another night in Bavaria.  Of course, as we’re driving, we’re headed into a rain storm and it’s sunny behind us.  The alps are on our left and they are full of snow.  So lovely.  We’re usually here in the summer, so this is a special treat to see.  Our hosts have said this is early for such cold weather. 

The Bavarian Alps

We find a room at Haus Bauer in Gauting, southwest of Munich.  Melissa & I stayed here about 15 years ago.  Our attic room is o.k., but a bit overpriced.  However, an early check in allows us to get into the city.  As we’re walking to the S-bahn station, it’s windy and cold.  Unfortunately for Steve, the weather doesn’t stop me.  We figure out the ticket purchase (an all day ticket for two) and the S-bahn routes and board the next train that takes us into the city.  I’ve been to Munich many times, so I’m somewhat familiar with the pedestrian-only shopping street location.  We finally find the pipe shop I was looking for and purchase a few more for Steve.  Walking along a back street, we see a memorial for Michael Jackson.  It is set up around a statue in front of a hotel where the star stayed while in Munich.  We talked to the young ladies who maintain the memorial.  There are many pictures of Michael, angel & bear figurines and lit candles on all sides of the statue.  The girls said that every once in a while someone will destroy the memorial and then they have to re-create it.  Such dedication.

Tribute to Michael Jackson

Marienplatz, Munich

Later, Steve visits McD’s, to keep warm, while I shop in the rain.  After the stores close, we visit the Marienplatz and wait to see the Glockenspiel figures perform at 9 pm in the rain and cold.  It turns out to be uneventful.  We brave the cold weather back to our hotel room and cuddle up in our comforters.