In Honor of Oktoberfest

In honor of Oktoberfest:

My little Bavarians and …

… my now big Bavarians.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

We spotted this in Berlin.  Laughed out loud.

Upon later research I discovered TJ Maxx calls itself TK Maxx in Europe to prevent confusion with TJ Hughes, a British department store.

The Berlin Wall

Berlin in 1987.

The last time I was in Berlin before this summer's trip was in 1987, before the wall came down.  I was very curious to see how much had changed and couldn't imagine being able to walk up to Checkpoint Charlie or under the Brandenburg Gate.  I hoped that there would still be a portion of the wall standing so my kids could experience what it was like.  There was:

Quite a long stretch actually, although the graffitied exterior has mostly been chiseled off by souvenir-takers.  Along this section of wall is an exhibit called Topography of Terror.  The outside exhibition was temporary, I believe, and was about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.  We did not visit the indoor museum.

Topography of Terror outdoor exhibition.

Pieces of the wall are displayed throughout the central Berlin area.

A path of bricks with bronze markers trails through the city delineating where the wall used to be.

We spent hours in Museum Checkpoint Charlie where fascinating exhibits tell the history of the Berlin Wall and those affected by it.  My 15 year old son was amazed by the many objects, techniques, and tricks people used to escape East Berlin and spent more time reading displays, I think, than ever before in any museum.  The stories are phenomenal.

I found this section of the wall quite poignant:

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.

Cochem on the Mosel River

If you google "most charming villages in Germany" you will likely come upon a small town called Cochem on the Mosel River.  That's how I discovered it.  And since it is located relatively near Dusseldorf, where we arrived from the States, I made it our first overnight stop on our trip this summer.

What to see in Cochem?  Large castle?  Check.  Cute half-timbered houses?  Check.  Charming town square?  Check.  Romantic river-side strolling?  Check.  Plus steep wine vineyards all around and delicious Mosel wines to sample.

I can't believe we hiked up to the castle the same day we got off the plane after a 12 hour flight, but we did.  The walk is not strenuous and the views of the valley are lovely.  The guided tour of the castle is relatively brief and therefore inexpensive - we paid 14.50€ for a family ticket.

Construction of Cochem Castle is thought to have begun in the year 1000.

Views of the Mosel River valley from Cochem Castle.

The town square in Cochem is one of the prettiest I've ever seen.  This photo was taken from the second story window of the Rathaus (city hall):

Cochem town square.

Below the castle along the river is a colorful row of historic homes and buildings, making a stroll on either side of the river very scenic.  We walked several miles every evening on the beautifully landscaped paths and bridges.

My Daughter's Personal Secretary

This last year was spent entirely on getting my daughter into college.  Certainly I take no credit for her acceptance to nine top-notch U.S. universities, for it was her 4.7 GPA, excellent ACT test scores, AP coursework, Girl Scout Gold Award, chamber orchestra viola playing, and ballet dancing talent that made that happen.  She did it all on her own.  But the indecent hours she spent on studying and activities in high school left zero time for scholarship applications, financial aid forms, letters of recommendation requests, résumé revisions, transcript and test score releases, merit award appeals, email correspondence, or tracking deadlines.  For that, today's high school seniors need a personal secretary.

It is no exaggeration when I estimate I spent about 10 or more hours a week from October through June as my daughter's executive assistant.  Truly, I am baffled by how colleges expect these kids to keep up the grades and intensive extracurriculars required for acceptance while simultaneously meeting all the universities's administrative preconditions for admission!  The Common App didn't really make things much easier, as many schools don't accept it, and even when they do there is still a unique essay to write for each application.

I tell you, planning a summer trip to Europe was on the back burner all year.  I wasn't even sure I wanted to go. On the one hand, I treasured the idea of spending weeks of quality time with my kids, especially my daughter maybe for the last time, but on the other hand, what if she didn't have enough time to prepare to go off to college?  What if I didn't have enough time to emotionally prepare for her to go off to college?  In the end, we left the decision up to her, and she didn't hesitate to say yes, she wanted to go back to Germany.  I'm proud of my young Europhile.

Easter Lamb Cake

It sort of looks like a lamb, doesn't it? A dear German friend of mine baked us this traditional Osterlamm, or Easter lamb cake, last year. Just about every German family has a different variation of the recipe for this Easter treat, usually handed down through the generations.

Photo Friday: Everybody Loves a Parade

For the last 12 years or so I've hosted an annual 4th of July parade for the kids in our little neighborhood.  It's probably time I passed the torch to someone else, as my kids are both teenagers now and are no longer interested in decorating their bikes with streamers and circling the tract.

Running into a local parade while on vacation, however, is one of my favorite travel accidents.  The costumes, the culture, and the audience of townfolk are all so endearing.

Portuguese cavalry parade in Lisbon.

Lisbon

Parade in Brugge, Belgium

Grainau, Germany

Grainau, Germany

Appenzell, Switzerland

Near Buckingham Palace in London

London

This is my Photo Friday link-up post to DeliciousBaby.com.

What Families Should Know About Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle

It is the number one tourist attraction in Germany and a beautiful sight to see, set in a ruggedly spectacular landscape in southwest Bavaria.  Neuschwanstein Castle and its surroundings are a highlight destination.

Let me immediately dispense my advice, however, for families with young children.  If your children are age 7 or younger, I would suggest you skip the guided castle tour.  The ticket lines are long (although you can purchase them online now), the wait times for the assigned tour times are long, and the tour is long and crowded.  In the summertime, over 6,000 people a day visit Neuschwanstein Castle.  For those with older children, a tour of the fairy-tale palace is worthwhile and leads through the Throne Room, the Drawing Room, the Dining Hall, the king's bedroom, and more.  The consummation of King Ludwig II's obsession with swans, art, and Richard Wagner's operas result in a rich, ornate interior of eccentricity.

Regardless of whether you have purchased a tour ticket or not (tickets must be purchased in advance at the ticket center in the village of Hohenschwangau below the castle), you can, and should, still venture up to the castle.  Access to all exterior areas, courtyards, the Marie's Bridge (named after Marie of Prussia, Ludwig's mother) over the stunning Pöllat Gorge, the forest trails and waterfalls is free.  Views of the Tegelberg mountain, the Alpine foothills, the bright orange Hohenschwangau Castle, Alp Lake and Schwan Lake are breathtaking from all directions.

Marie's Bridge over Pöllat Gorge.

View of Hohenschwangau Castle from the walking path up to Neuschwanstein.

Views of the castle from all directions.

The walk from the village all the way up to the castle takes about 30 minutes, is steep, and is partly loose gravel, so it's not stroller friendly.  If you have the time and energy it is a beautiful hike, but otherwise, transportation options are available.  I have done the walk, but when we took the kids we opted for the 2.60€ per person shuttle bus.  Maybe some day I'll try the horse-drawn carriage for 9€ roundtrip.  Note:  even if you take the shuttle bus or the carriage there is still a 10 minute, steep walk from the drop-off location to the castle!

King Ludwig II of Bavaria built Neuschwanstein on top of a cliff ridge beginning in 1869, overlooking one of his childhood homes, Hohenschwangau Castle.  He meant to reside in Neuschwanstein and financed its construction with his own personal fortune, but sadly he died after having lived in the palace for only 172 days.  But what he left us to enjoy today is a fairy-tale castle with towers and turrets, gables and balconies in an idyllic Alpine setting.


Tourist information:

•  Neuschwanstein Castle is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from April 1st to October 15th, and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from October 16th to March 31st.  Closed on January 1st and December 24th, 25th, and 31st.

•  Admission is 12€ for adults, all persons under 18 are free!

•  Tickets must be purchased in advance at the ticket center in the village of Hohenschwangau below the castle.  Tickets for the shuttle bus to the castle can be purchased here as well.

•  If you take a tour, there are public bathrooms inside the palace near the kitchen, which you will see at the end of the tour.  There are no restrooms in the courtyard where people wait (sometimes for a long time) for their scheduled tour time, nor anywhere else up on the hill.  Down in the village, there are pay restrooms (drop in a coin to unlock the entrance turnstile) across the street from the ticket center.

Courtyard where you wait for your tour to begin.

This is my Photo Friday link-up post for DeliciousBaby.com.

Travels With My Mom

On this Mother's Day,

some memories of travels with my mom:

My brother, mom, and I in Wüstenzell, Germany, in 1966.

My kids, mom, and I in Wüstenzell, Germany, in 2005.

The Village of Rimpar in Germany

Okay, so we went to the village of Rimpar for a beerfest.  Sans kids.  That doesn't mean I can't recommend it as a family destination, does it?

Hubby and I in Rimpar, Germany.

It just means I'll have to import some photos from Google since most of mine are not particularly family-friendly:

German children would not, however, find this photo unusual.

Amongst all the festing, we did take the time to take a short look-around at Rimpar in the district of Würzburg.  The most notable sight is Grumbach Castle, built in 1347, with its small historical museum and lunch tables on the grounds perfect for an afternoon picnic.

Photo credit:  Reinhard Kirchner at Wikimedia.org

Rimpar also has several clean and modern children's playgrounds and might be the perfect rest stop for a family traveling the Autobahn 7 through Franconia.

Playground Scheuerberg in Rimpar.
Photo credit:  www.rimpar.de