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.

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.