Saturday 27 June 2015

First part of European adventure coming to a close

Hello everyone,

I have caught up and posted all my photos. I am under pressure to finish everything...

I am now packing up the 2 boxes I brought with me (I  didn't buy many things while I was here - not surprising - I had no time to actually shop!).  Tomorrow, I am whipping the apartment into shape for the next expat (yes, they already rented my apartment for July 1st).  Monday drop the boxes off at work for shipping, and move into the hotel for 2 nights.  I also have to de-register at city hall, turn over the keys to the relocation person Tuesday morning and then the car.  Then there is a last minute dinner with a colleague and Wednesday, flying home.  Few days to recover and back into the office Monday, July 6th.

I am back to Venlo August 10th for about 2+ months to introduce my replacement to his new job.  Once I settle in back home, I need to figure out what I will do here for 2+ months besides work.  There are some places I did not get to which I wanted to such as:

1.  Cologne, Germany
2.  The gardens at Palais Het Loo (I went here but it was winter and no access to gardens)
3.  London?  Barcelona?  Prague? (though I would need to take a few days off here)
4.  We are going back to Munich on business in September so who knows what else is there to do here?
5.  Zurich...
 
I am planning to return to Slovenia - I have to nail down the dates but it is most likely mid October.  Actual vacation time :-)  By the time I get back home, it will be November and then its Christmas - Wow!!!

So I am signing off for now....Back in action after August 10th.

Ciao,

Mary

Day 2 of Rhine - Lorch, Bacharach, and Gran Sasso

Stahleck Castle

 
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle was a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the Rhine river near the town of Kaub.  It was built in 1327.
 
Pfalz


Gutenfels Castle in Kaub


Another view of the Rhine



Schonburg Castle (It's a hotel and restaurant today)








































Marksburg Castle (Was once a prison)
It has never been destroyed - its original
 We drove around to Braubach and over a bridge to cross to the west side of the Rhine.  It was about 2pm at this time and we decided to go for a late lunch.  We stopped in a little hotel directly on the Rhine river.




Dining room in the hotel where Dad and I had lunch

If the weather was nicer, we would have ventured out to the deck..

This was a painted wall on the deck
Another wall...
Another wall...



Katz Castle from the deck of the restaurant




















































Town of St. Goars-Hausen



Then it started pouring rain just as we near the Lorelei rock, the most famous feature on the Rhine river.
 
 
Then we continued onto Oberwesel....

 
Church in Oberwesel
Ox Tower as you enter the town of Oberwesel




We arrived home around 5:30pm after a wet, soggy afternoon.  As it was Father's Day, I asked Dad what type of food he wanted and he said Italian so we went to a little teeny restaurant in Bingen called Gran Sasso.  It was very small with about 8 tables but the food was all homemade.  Dad had spaghetti Bolognes and I had a pizza and brushetta.  Wonderful!  We then headed back to the hotel around 8:30pm and this was the view from my room window...
 
 

Fabulous colors!  The camera doesn't do it justice.









Day 2 on the Rhine - Rudestein and Mouse Tower

After we came down the mountain top from the Niederwalddenkmal, we dropped into Rudisheim, the town and I took a few photos of the Bromserburg Castle.  It was built around 1000 AD and today, it is a wine and local history museum.


Bromserburg Castle
Gardens at the Castle



Directly next to the Bromserburg Castle, you can find the Boosenburg Castle.  All that remains is the tower built in 12th century, however a large manor home is attached to it in 1900s.  


Boosenburg Castle tower
 
 

View opposite the Boosenburg















Then we drove towards the town of Assmannshausen but before we arrive there, we drive pasted the Ehrenfels Castle ruins and the Mouse Tower which was under scaffold and restoration.


Mouse Tower
 
 
On the middle Rhine, we found castles and towns every few minutes.  Hard to believe but this entire area of the Rhine was extremely active with trade and a major waterway through history.  The rich robber barrens built their castles and these were later destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed...you get the idea.
 
 
Rheinstein Castle


Reichenstein Castle



Sooneck Castle



Day 2 on the Rhine - the Niederwalddenkmal

Now it is Sunday morning and the weather is not very good at all.  It is extremely dark and cloudy, so Dad and I decided to not do the river cruise and I am so glad we decided not to.  Instead we drove the car to Rudesheim and headed north on the east bank of the Rhine.  It took us about an hour to get to our first destination and Dad kept asking me what we were going to see and why we were driving through the "bush" of Germany (didn't want to tell him it was actually a park  :-)).  I told him that he would see lots of great things today and to just enjoy!

Our first stop was ...Niederwalddenkmal.  What is that?  It's a 125 foot monument overlooking the town of Bingen and Rudesheim up on the top of the mountain range.  It was built in 1883 and is now a UNESCO site.  It is made up of 3 statues - 1 Germania on top, 1 angel of war and 1 angel of peace.  Guess what? - Dad was impressed...


Angel of War
Angel of Peace

At the base of the monument
The Germania at the top

"So what do you think Dad?"







A selfie...


View of Bingen from the monument (a grey day)
















Because I have so many photos of the 2nd day in the Rhine, I will send numerous posts....

Rhine River Valley in Germany

Dad and I left Saturday, June 20th around 11am and after a quick trip to the bank, headed out for our Rhine River adventure.  Cloudy and overcast, we drove out to Bingen, where we would be staying.  It's a small town about the middle of the Rhine valley in Germany.  We arrived to our hotel around 4pm.  It took us so long to get here as we detoured through the German countryside abit to Maria Laach, the volcanic lake area.  I was rather disappointed as it was impossible to get a photo of the lake.  It is fully surrounded by extremely tall trees and you had to walk quite a distance to get near it. 

Once in Bingen, we were a bit tired from all the driving and just checked into our hotel.  Dad wanted a nap before dinner so I left him in his room but I decided to scout around for the visitors information centre and drive around town.  As always, these centres are very helpful and have many things to see.  When I returned to my hotel room, I looked out the window and saw this view...


Ruine Ehrenfels (Castle ruins)


Vineyards on the mountainside overlooking the Rhine
What a view
Dad and I having dinner in the hotel NH Bingen




We had a dinner in the hotel then made an early evening of it.  Next morning, we were out the door at 9am after breakfast.

Friday 26 June 2015

Slovenia - Trsk Gora and the final day


 Welcome to the area known as Trsk Gora where my Aunt Anna and her husband, Joe own a small vineyard overlooking this Slovenian mountain range which divides Slovenia and Croatia.  It is near the town called Novo Mesto where they live.  There is also a small cottage on the property for weekend living.  I only got a few photos of the family as the light late in the afternoon worked against me.  I didn't get too many photos as Dusan and I had a great talk getting know each other and time flew by.

What a view.

The vineyard with a view

Left to right - Frank, Martina, Natasha (Dusan's wife),
Joe, Anna, and Dad


Vines on the patio at the vineyard


My cousin, Dusan on the patio overlooking the vineyard
 Tuesday we went to visit my Aunt Mary and her family again and yes, we had a fabulous lunch.  I didn't get too many photos here either...too much talking.


Pork with swiss cheese and procuitto in the centre


Greek salad

Roasted potatoes

Homemade bread

Pork ribs with stuffing

A light cake for dessert
Then it was onto the airport in Zagreb to return for work on Wednesday again.  Dad stayed behind until June 19th.