This is a speeeeeeedy update – it cost 2 Euros (about $3) for 15 minutes of internet time. Just long enough to write a FAST post, post photos, and run!
Koln (Cologne), Germany:
Bacharach, Germany (Rhine river valley), where we are staying for 2 nights in the castle overlooking the town:
Burg Eltz (near Mosel river valley):
More to come soon, when the internet doesn’t cost so much!
We left Amsterdam yesterday, after being caught in a huge downpour of rain, and headed to the border of The Holland to Sittard on the train. Karen came to the station to pick us up, and we stayed with her & Jason last night at their house in Havert. Such a nice, small town – and the weather. Ahhhh. Cool air! Mike was starting to wonder already if he was going to get me to ever leave Germany.
Later today we are off for Koeln (Cologne) with Karen. We will spend the night and pick up our rental car tomorrow. And then? Well, who knows. This is actually the part of our trip that isn’t packed with reservations already. We’re just going to take it easy and go with the flow.
I’m on Karen’s computer right now, since mine refuses to get online. More photos the next time I post!
It amuses me every time I go to look up a Zip Code and I notice that their form has a blank for …
The Zip Code!
Uhm, if I knew that, why would I be using the form? I mean, come on. It really doesn’t make any sense!
We have a tentative itinerary! We were able to get a car hire malta group! We have hotel rooms! We are going to MALTA! We are leaving on Friday!
Eep. That last part sent a wave of panic through me. So if it is quiet here, you know why – I’m busy packing and getting ready!
I’ve finally seen SUNSHINE today! This is HUGE considering all the rain we’ve had. We’ve already had 3.85 inches for July, and our average for July is 4 inches. Yeah, we were all starting to be a bit waterlogged. However, with the sun coming out, the heat has returned. It has been a relatively cool summer, but the highs are supposed to be back in the 90s now, like normal. Hmmm… I would prefer the cool temps *and* the sunshine, but to get that combination I think we would have to move, which isn’t likely to happen any time soon.
Speaking of going to cooler places though, guess what else?!? We are going to The Holland ™ and then to Germany!!!!!! Mike left on Saturday for The Holland for work, and then he will go to London, and then return to meet up with Jason & I in Amsterdam in a few very short weeks! The plan so far:
– We will spend a day or two in Amsterdam
– from Amsterdam to The Hague (to pick up Mike’s giant suitcase which he can’t take over to London because it is too big for the puddle-jumper flight)
– over to Germany to visit Karen
– Cologne (Koln)
– Frankfurt am Main
– Heidelberg
– southern Lake District, maybe?
– Neuschwanstein
– Garmish
– Munich and some knit time with Elemmaciltur (shhh, don’t tell Jason.) I have to get some of that great German yarn sometime! Oh, and Addis. I must, must, MUST find some short addi sock needles!
– Salzburg – I’m already trying to get the Sound of Music tour on the schedule, because I didn’t do it 16 years ago.
– Maybe a trip to Eagle’s Nest?
– Back to Munich & up to Dachau – history is a very important thing to see.
– Nurnberg
– Rothenberg – I hope to stay here for a few days, sort of a vacation from the vacation. A little down time in the quaint, amazing walled city.
– Wurzberg
– Through Frankfurt, and back to Karen’s house.
– Back into The Holland to return to Amsterdam and go home.
Ok, it looks long – but some of the items are just part of a day – like Neuschwanstein will take a good portion of the day, but then we will head to Garmisch and spend the night and go see sights there the next day. It isn’t final yet, and some items might get pulled off.
It also looks a bit long because we had no choice but to stay about a week longer than we had originally planned. Jason & I are going over using frequent flyer miles, and while we had a huge selection of flights to get us there, we only had one option for returning home – 6 days later than I had wanted to return. Oh, who am I kidding – I’m psyched to be staying 6 days longer! But it wasn’t the original plan. So we will be there for over 2 weeks, giving us a lot of time to roam!
I lived in Germany over 15 years ago; I returned to the US when I was 7 months pregnant with Jason. He has never been there. I lived in a tiny, tiny town, Illesheim, which is near the larger town of Bad Windsheim. I was not far from the autobahn, and Rothenberg was about 15 minutes away, so I went there often. I absolutely adore that city – especially at night after the tour buses have come and gone. It is just an amazing place.
Matter of fact, I’ve been to many of the cities on the list, but I want to share them with Mike & Jason. I just can’t wait!