Germany and Austria (July 12 - 16)
Small quaint villages to beautiful castles and ruins. We saw just a snippet of Germany's history, from medieval ages to the more recent history that scarred the world. We only spent a short time in Austria, but it was breathtaking and beautiful. Danke Germany and Austria for the memories!
Our stop in the Rhine Valley was one of my favorites. Bacharach was a beautiful quiet place, free from tourists. We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. My dish of pike was one of the most delicious meals I have ever tried. The whole spread was gorgeous, elevated, and paired nicely with a signature Riesling. I am so thankful for the tour for the opportunity to eat in such a wonderful establishment, one that I never would have thought of on my own.
Our next stop was Rothenburg, a beautifully preserved medieval town. It was like stepping into a fairytale. However, this fairytale had tourists! In sharp contrast to the quiet Bacharach, Rothenburg was humming with activity. We decided to ditch the main square and took a long and lovely walk around the old wall, sheltering in the shade and taking in the view of the town's rooftops. After a much needed rest in the hotel, we returned to follow the Night Watchmen around the town as the sun set on Rothenburg.
But, the night wasn't over yet. Our wonderful tour guide welcomed us to join her and some other tour members for drinks. It was a great time of community and a lovely way to end our time in this medieval town.
We visited St. Goar down the river the next day. After a grueling hike in the hot summer sun, we were rewarded with a wonderful tour of Rheinfels Castle, complete with a serenade from our talented guide. Before hiking down, my parents and I found our way to the top of a wall for some beautiful views.
On our way south, we stopped at Dachau Concentration Camp. Rick Steves tours that visit Germany make a point to include a stop at a concentration camp. While this sobering experience is different than a vacation one might imagine, I greatly appreciated the commitment of Rick Steves in sharing the history of the places we visit. The good and the bad. Walking along the prison halls, the destroyed barracks, the gas chambers and crematorium served as a reminder of the atrocities that happened and that we all have a part to play, to say Never Again, Never Again will we let this horror reign.
While we stayed in Austria, in the hamlet of Ehenbichl, we weren't yet done with Germany. We drove back across the border to visit the trademark of fairytale itself, Neuschwanstein Castle. As a huge Disney fan, I was excited to see the inspiration of Walt's magical works. It lived up to the expectation as a fantastical, albeit unrealistic, structure.
Just down the road was the luge, something I had no idea about, but was excited to discover. I rode the luge four times! But one of my favorite moments was watching our tour guide ride down, closely followed by our bus driver. We all had quite a ball racing down the slopes!
