Bacharach on the Rhine River

The Rhine River

After a few days of vacation on the Mosel River, why not head to the Rhine River?  The two scenic valleys are no more than a 30 minute drive from one another.  Even if you don't spend an overnight on the Rhine, take a drive, a train, or a KD day cruise from any town to any town between Koblenz and Mainz to see an endless parade of castle after medieval castle.  It's really exciting to be the first to spot one and shout out, "There's another one!"

We stayed a couple of days this summer in an absolutely gorgeous little town called Bacharach on the west side of the Rhine.  Most of my German relatives in Bavaria have never heard of Bacharach, yet it is often pictured in ads for Rhine cruises.

On the right side of the photo above you see the ruins of St. Werner's Chapel from 1289, and on the left you see the picturesque St. Peter's Church.  We got these terrific views of the town on an evening hike up to the Stahleck Castle above the vineyards.  The castle is now a youth hostel, Jugendherberge Burg Stahleck, and I would highly recommend the exciting experience of staying in such a historic structure.  (We did not, unfortunately, because it was booked months in advance of our arrival, so make your reservations as soon as possible.)  The hostel has rooms not only for backpackers but for families too, and it is clean and well-staffed.

Stahleck Castle on the Rhine, now a youth hostel.

The village of Bacharach is perfectly charming.  I just melt over the cuteness of half-timbered, fairytale houses with geranium-filled flower boxes, and Bacharach had me oohing and aahing all over the place. There are lots of narrow winding streets to meander, too.

Bacharach's ancient city wall still remains largely intact in some areas, as well as ten of its towers throughout the town.  We made a fun game out of finding each one.  In fact, we slept in one - at Hotel Kranenturm, another accommodation I highly recommend.

Bacharach's Market Tower

Hotel Kranenturm, with Castle Stahleck on the hill.

One of the highlights of our three week summer trip was riding bikes for miles along the Rhine.  The skies threatened rain the entire day, but thankfully never caught up to us.  We rented our bicycles from a friendly, animated, America-loving shopkeeper at Hotel Hillen on Langstrasse for 10€ per bike per hour.  Ask him where he's visited in America and he'll probably throw in an hour for free (after he's done talking your ear off.)

The river walk on the shores of Bacharach is park-like and lovely, with rows of historic buildings, just like in Cochem.

Apartment in the Baixa District in Lisbon

Don't be fooled by the cracked plaster and peeling paint on the exterior of this holiday apartment we rented in Lisbon.  The one-bedroom unit in the Baixa district was spotlessly clean, large and comfortable, affordably priced, and an ideal location for our family of four.  My teenagers loved that there was a little market a block away where they could walk to in the morning for fresh rolls or in the late afternoon for a soda.

Local market in the Baixa in Lisbon.

Marisa, the young owner of the apartment, is extremely kind and helpful and has excellent English language skills.  She takes special care to show you how everything works and where everything is, and provides city maps and books and suggestions.  On our last day, when we departed the residence, Marisa called a taxi and waited with us so she could talk to the driver for us. 

The main living area of the apartment is lovely and well-lit by two sets of French doors which open to small balconies.  The sofa you see here is a futon, which my son slept on:

My daughter slept on a second futon in the hall outside the master bedroom:

The master bedroom is spacious and the bed is comfortable:

The small kitchen had everything we needed to prepare light meals:

My husband was happy that the air conditioning worked very well and I was delighted we had a washing machine right in the apartment:

The Baixa district is a superb location to stay in downtown Lisbon.  This apartment is just a short walk to Rossio Square where you'll find the Rossio train station, cafés, shopping, markets and street performers.

If you would like to book this terrific apartment in Lisbon, you can find it listed on TripAdvisor.  We paid 85€ a night, plus a cleaning deposit.

UNESCO Town of Évora in Portugal

When an entire town is named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you know it's going to be an interesting place, and that is the reason we chose to make an overnight stop in Évora on our trip through Portugal last summer.  Medieval city walls, an ancient Roman temple, a 16th century aqueduct, a Gothic cathedral, and even more fascinating history await visitors to this town located about an hour and a half drive from Lisbon.  

After a little bit of a glitch with our accommodations but then finally checking into a lovely hotel, we realized we were just around the corner from the remains of Temple Diana, Évora's most famous landmark.

This Roman temple survived the ages since its construction around the first century A.D. because it was put to various uses since the Middle Ages and regularly restored.  It is considered one of the best preserved Roman ruins on the Iberian peninsula.

View of Temple Diana from the Évora Cathedral.

Besides the Romans, the Moors left their mark on Évora as well.  The city was under Moorish rule for over 400 years.

Dom Manuel Palace

Moorish ruins.

Being the avid steeple climbers that we are, we gladly paid the 13€ for four of us to climb the Évora Cathedral tower up to the roof.

The views over the town are magnificent, as the church was built on the highest point in the city.

The cathedral, a blend of Romanesque and Gothic style architecture, was built in 1186.  It is believed that the flags of Vasco da Gama's first ships to the Orient were blessed here.  Very unique to the Évora Cathedral is the very pretty lantern tower over the crossing with its picturesque windows and six little turrets surrounding the spire.

The central square in town is Praça do Giraldo and it's a nice place to stop for a cool drink or bite to eat.  We had dinner at Café Arcada, which has a large diner sort of feel, and their menu pleased everyone in our family.

Praça do Giraldo is Évora's central square.

Before you leave town be sure to browse the shopping alleys.  Beautiful items crafted from local cork are great souvenirs.

On your way out of town, you can visit the Aqueduct of Silver Water which stretches for 6 miles and was built in the 1530s to deliver water to the city of Évora.

You can drive right through the aqueduct's arches.

Review of Hotel Helios in Blankenberge, Belgium

View from the roof terrace of Hotel Helios.

As I've mentioned before, one of my highest recommendations of where to go in Europe with young children is the coastal town of Blankenberge in Belgium because of the very many children's activities available there.  The go-cart track under the pier and another pedal-cart track a few blocks away are unforgettable fun for kids.

A convenient hotel for families staying in Blankenberge is Hotel Helios right on the seafront.  It's a modern, higher-rise hotel with reasonable rates and can accommodate your family with a suite, junior suite, extra beds, and cribs.  Most of their rooms face the ocean and the roof terrace has terrific views over the beach and the town.  A breakfast buffet is included in the room price as well.

Hotel Helios is in the background of this photo.

Review of Hotel Polo in Ronda

The fam on our balcony at Hotel Polo.

Location, location, location - always so critical when choosing accommodations - was unfortunately a bit neglected when we selected Hotel Polo in Ronda, Spain, for our two night stay.  Not that its location was inconvenient or cumbersome.  It was only a short walk to the magnificent Puerte Neuvo, or New Bridge, which soars over the dramatic El Tajo canyon dividing Ronda into old town and new town.  But Hotel Polo is located on the "new" side, and after strolling through the quiet, lazy, charming "old" town, I would much rather have slept there.  Precious little Hotel Ronda (link to it here) in the center of the old quarter would have been just my taste.  Maybe next time.

Anyway, my disappointment in Hotel Polo was somewhat hastened when arriving in what was obviously one of their unupdated rooms:  dirty carpet, slouchy beds with thin sheets and no pad, rickety old furniture, and moldy bathroom.

Our guest room in Hotel Polo.

Extra bed is a good feature.

En suite bathroom

Old furniture.

Alas, however, it's not always easy to find a room (with air conditioning) for four people in Europe, and the price was right ($125/night - in dollars because I booked on hotels.com).  The reception staff was kind and helpful and the lobby was clean and cheerful:

Lobby at Hotel Polo in Ronda.

Traffic on the street outside our window was not too heavy:

And I peeked into some nicely refurbished rooms that perhaps one might request:

My husband and daughter, big breakfast eaters, really liked the hotel breakfast (not included in the price):

And for families with little ones, a park with playground is nearby: