We had rented a car in Frankfurt so all eight of us could hit the Rhein Valley for castles and great Rhein wines. The two cars wound south and west about 45 minutes and our first stop was Kloster Eberbach. This monastary was built in about 1100 and the monks there were so busy going to prayer 7 times a day and once at night that they had to have a whole corps of lay workers to make the wine for them to sell to support the Monastary financially. It was a really cool structure, and Julia grabbed our camera and took a lots of wonderful pictures. We will only put a few pictures up now, since it is late, late, late.
The dormitory for the monks
The Cathedral at Kloster Eberbach
Jenny tried her first white wine, and liked it
We then drove south and crossed the River Rhein on a car ferry, or Autofahre, and drove a few kilometers to Burg Rheinstein, or Rheinstein Castle.
Rheinstein Castle, or Burg Rheinstein
This castle was built in the 13th century to overlook the Rhein and to stop ferryboats headed up or downriver and charge them taxes.
There is a castle about every 2 or 3 miles in this stretch of the Rhein, so moving goods was an expensive proposition back then, and the commercial interests put a lot of pressure to end this practice, which ultimately led to the creation of early Germany.
Annie at the Castle Gate
Julia, Jenny and Amelie at the Burg
The castle had a cannon, which might make one think twice about avoiding the payment. We explored every room that the public has access to, including some towers that were way up high at the edge of the sheer drop of 600 or 700 feet to the river. Spiral staircases and stunning views up and down the Rhein Gorge abound.
A spiral staircase is in every tower
Stained glass in Burg Rheinstein
Given the geography and the siye and business of barge traffic on the river, it was kind of like going to Hood River, Oregon, and exploring a castle there.
Another castle just a few kilometers away
All the kids were very much in Disney Princess mode, especially Jenny. Julia remarked that she felt like she was exploring Cair Paravel, in Narnia. We did not see any of the Pevensie kids, but I thought I might have seen a Death eater in the distance. Another round of ice creams, some shopping in the gift shop, where both girls puchased calligraphy pens and ink, and Jenny got sealing wax and a W impression maker to seal her envelopes, and we were off again.
We stopped for a delightful dinner and a glass of very good white wine at the Peter Ohlig winery in Rudesheim, where we saw evidence of magical felid carnivores,
then came home to catch the end of the Spain vs Italy European Foosball game. Since Italy lost in a shoot off at the end, Bernhard recommends we change our travel plans to Spain instead, since Italy, last years winner, will be in a countrywide mourning. He was not actually joking.
Tomorrow, we will spend the day locally, and begin the sad task of packing for us to leave our dear friends, the Pastoras, who have simply drowned us in hospitality, translation services, and fun, fun, fun. After we get dropped at the Frankfurt train station for our trip to Basel, Swityerland, and then to Verona, the Pastoras pack up and head to Euro Disney outside of paris, and then to London via the Chunnel.
We are having great fun!
