Tuesday brought more clear skies and sunshine, and we were ready to take advantage of it! Our first stop of the day was the city of
Koblenz.
Koblenz sits at the intersection of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers, and is one of Germany's oldest and largest cities.
There are lots of beautiful buildings to see in the city. I didn't know much about it, so we sort of followed a German tour group along. I didn't understand a word the guide was saying, but she pointed to lots of interesting buildings, and I took pictures of them. This was working out quite well until she ditched us at the river. I didn't see how they lost us, but I'm convinced she had her elderly tour group running full blast and
ducking behind hedges until we were gave up the chase.
After we lost our group, we went back to our traditional way of checking out the city...looking at the church. Once again, they never disappoint! It was beautiful.
You would never expect such a pretty color to be inside, but there it was. The stained glass was amazing! After walking around
Koblenz for a while, we were on to the next stage...
driving down to Mosel River and checking out castles. Anyone who knows me knows one thing...I LOVE CASTLES!!!!
I had a certain castle in mind, too...Burg
Eltz. It's very unique in that instead of being built on the top of a hill or mountain like most castles are, it's in a valley. You park in a lot that i in the middle of no where. All you see is woods. Then you start walking. (They had a shuttle bus, but that's for wimps. I'm just saying.)
Up, down, up again, and then you finally come over a rise and look down into the valley...and there she is. Beautiful! (Ignore the
band aid on the left side. She's having a little work done, and it's impolite to stare.) Still, the work is not over, and you have to walk down into the valley and over to the castle.
You aren't allowed to take
pictures inside the castle, but I took a couple in the inner courtyard while waiting for our tour. You can check out their
website if you are curious to see the inside.
I love the bright pops of color here and there. The inside was very beautiful, too. All too soon, it was time to hike back up and out of the valley to our car and head off to the next location down the
Mosel.
We had a few
issues with Thomas (our GPS) on this trip, too. I think he acts up
occasionally just to make sure that we appreciate him. Here, he is saying "Go straight". We're saying, "Uh, NO!"Are you kidding me? It's not even a road. IT'S JUST TWO MUDDY RUTS IN A FIELD!!! I'm starting to think that Thomas was hitting the famous Mosel
Riesling wine while we were touring the castle.
Anyhoo, we got him straightened out and on to a REAL road. Pretty soon, we reached the city of
Cochem.
What could be more fun on such a beautiful day than taking a ride up the side of a mountain in a little two
seater lift. Russ and Brandon went first. :0)
The view from the top was amazing, and you can see
Cochem Castle in the distance. That's our next destination! After admiring the view for a while, back down the mountain we went.
And on to the castle.
Cochem castle is one of the few castles in Germany that, after it's destruction, was rebuilt back to its
original face.
More hiking...but it was definitely worth it. The castle gates were very impressive.
And the view from the gates was fantastic. You can see the Mosel River and the town of
Cochem below.
This is the view from inside the main gates of the castle. Another gate. Safety first, I always say.
The castle is very pretty. When you are inside, you can really see the amazing details on the stained glass windows.
The tower on the right is called the Witches Tower. It's the only tower on the castle that is left from the
original castle. None of the others remained through the battles. Because it
remained intact, local legend says that a witch lives in it and protected it. When the owners rebuilt the castle, they left this tower alone. The painted finish on it is what the entire castle used to look like.
Inside the castle, there were lots of interesting things to see. This door is right off of the hunting room where the men hung out , told stories, and drank. Notice the way the key hole is designed? This is so that no matter how drunk the men got, they could still get the key into the key hole. With all of the wine and beer they drink in this region, I'm not surprised that someone came up with this ingenious design.
This is a special light fixture. It is supposed to bring luck to the castle where is is hanging, and scare off evil spirits. They say that if you rub her red belly and make a wish, it will be granted. Our guide asked Brandon if he wanted to do that, and he declined. He said if he had to rub that things belly to get a wish, he's fine without it. I'd have to agree. She was a tad creepy looking.
This is the dining room in the castle. They had some great furniture, and the blue and white dishes were from the Netherlands.
Back to the outer courtyard again, and the tour was done. We had a great time exploring castles along the Moselle River. And we got a great workout as a bonus. I've hiked several miles up and down mountains this day. I'm ready for bed!
Ahhh...to dream of castles and adventures...minus the creepy red bellied lamp girl. That's still little too creepy for me.
Just so that the Moms fully appreciated our shopping experiences over here in Europe, we hauled them over the Spangdahlem and Ramstein Air Bases. They even got to go into the biggest AAFES in all of Europe. I know. It's exciting.
There is a great view of the Mosel River valley just off the highway on the way to Ramstein.
This is where all that Riesling wine we love so much comes from.
The Moms got to ride on the famous Autobahn! That is an experience in itself. Just remember to keep an eye on the signs, so you don't miss your Ausfahrt due to the high speeds. 
Once upon a time, approximately 5,000 year ago, people first settled on the banks of the Mosel River. Over the years, the settlement grew. The best forms of income for nobility at this time were tolls, so Adalbero of Luxemburg added a toll station for the Mosel ferry here. Around 993, he built a castle and named it after his favorite animal, the bear. (He had a bear on his coat of arms.) Over the years, "Barenkastel" became "Bernkastle". Across the river, the community of Kues was also growing. Eventually, the names of these lovely towns were hyphenated into one...and now you have 
If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Bernkastle-Kues one day, do what this lovely Princess and Prince did. Hop on this 
Landshut Castle. Unfortunately, the original structure of Barenkastell was destroyed by Adalbero's rival in 1017. A second structure was built here around 1200, but was burnt down by Archbishop John I not long after that. The third time's the charm, though, and Landshut Castle was built in 1277. 
It sits quietly, nestled in the vinyards and overlooking it's domain. 
Is this a view, or what? 
Bernkastel is on the right bank of the Mosel River, and Kues is on the left. All of the land on the right bank of the river is covered with vinyards. 
This lovely inn is hidden within the castle walls. It's a perfect place to enjoy a nice lunch and look out over the valley. In our case, it was the perfect place to warm up with cappucino and hot chocolate! After exploring the castle for a while, we hopped back in out magical carriage and descended to check out the town below. 
Don't you just love this hotel? It sits on the Kues side of the Mosel River, and when you stay there, you can spend your days watching the swans glide by or gazing up at Landshut Castle. It's a tough life, but I think you can do it. Oh, by the way, if you are a webcam fan like Dad, be sure to check out their 
Just a short walk from the river, through narrow cobblestone streets, and you soon find yourself in the Marketplace.
This is the Town Hall. 
This area is home to the Middle Mosell Wine Festival in September, and Medievil Christmas Markets in November and December. 
I spotted a giant just off the market square! Watch out, kids! He looks hungry! 
The lovely princess is standing in front of Spitzhauschen. It's an extremely narrow house that was built in 1583. Each story juts out just a little bit more than the one below it. 
