Blogs from Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Europe

We walked around Edigheim and Frankenthal for our last steps in Germany. We met our walking goals every day, plus some, especially from hiking in Switzerland! Amy had her last pistachio ice cream and some yummy pommes frites for the walk home which almost certainly canceled out all the good exercise. Despite 6 or more miles a day, all the bread, pretzels, wine, sekt, prosecco, wurst, kase, ice cream, gelato, bugles, and dinners have likely added to our poundage. Count-down to Leonardtown weigh-in has begun.... read more

We had our last breakfast at the Hotel Seeburg, had a last walk, took a few pictures with the sun shining, and checked out. We got to the station for our regular train but, for once, it was late! Sure, it was less then 10 minutes but it made us miss the train to Interlaken West since all the schedules are so tight. We decided to just walk between stations. This time, because we knew where we were going, it was easier and seemed much shorter. We did some last minute shopping, got our tickets, and headed back to Mannheim Station in Germany. As we were leaving Switzerland, we got a few questions from what we guessed were Customs Agents. We showed him the souvenirs we bought and he kind of rolled his eyes and went ... read more

Today, we got ready for a big family Birthday Party. The 23rd is Brian’s Mom’s Birthday as well as his cousin, Uli’s. This is also the anniversary of the day Peggie arrived in the States from China and the same date she married Brian’s Dad. Everyone arrived in the afternoon and the house was full of catching up and laughter. Tables full of all kinds of appetizers started the feast and Britta brought a wonderful Rhubarb kuchen (cake). It was so good, we had dessert with wine thirty before dinner. The recipe is coming home with us. Then some pork roast and all kinds of salads for dinner. We took Nick and Bina (Gabi’s dog) around the neighborhood. The crowd starting thinning around 1000 and we realized we’d better go pack for our trip to Switzerland. ... read more

We walked to Frankental again to get our 5 miles. It’s a nice stroll and you can find something new to see every time. Today we found a statue of “Der Treidler” along the path. A Treidler would pull (by hand and back) small boats down the River. Amy tried to help him. After our Wine-thirty treats, we took a taxi to dinner at a small restaurant owned and operated by friends of Britta and Osse. We tried some good German food (Wienerschnitzel and Rumpsteak mit Zwiebel (with onions)) and lots of fried potatoes. Brian got to try a local specialty of crepes with bacon, white asparagus and greens only grown here (Baerlauch). It's like wild garlic or ramps for you West Virginians. It was a very nice evening and it was late when we got ... read more

We arrived early with no lines or paperwork in Customs. It seemed too good to be true. Then we hopped a regional train to Mannheim. We took a Taxi to Aunt Eva’s and were there before lunch. Easy Peasy! Eva made us soup for lunch. We unpacked and took a walk around the neighborhood to stretch our legs. Amy found a playground to stretch in. Brian wouldn’t let her climb to the top because we aren’t part of the wonderful German healthcare system! Our Travel Gnome is with us and he made a few friends on the walk and in Eva’s garden. We had our traditional “wine-thirty” in the afternoon with Sect, snacks and mini-pizzas. Eva made us lasagna and salad. Britta, Osse, and Nick the dog came by to say hello and eat with us. ... read more