Wining through the Vineyards

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July 14, 2023 – Wining through the Vineyards

We wake up around 7 am its 60 degrees with very low humidity outside. The weather alone is worth the trip to Europe.

Breakfast starts at 8 am so we shower and dress ready for our e-bike adventure. Downstairs we go and it 7:55 am and the door to breakfast area is being guarded by Helga, I casually walk by toward the front door exit ...all the time Helga is eyeing me.

I’m standing out front of the hotel listening to the church bells ringing its 8 am, I turn around and look at Helga. She reluctantly opens the door and steps aside while giving me the eye.

We find our place in the breakfast area, ok when staying in a Zimmer or hotel you are assigned a breakfast table. You must pay attention to the place settings on the table. So, for example Kirsten and I wonder through the breakfast area looking for a table with two place settings, not one, not three but TWO.

If you sit at the wrong table everyone stops eating, gasps and stares at you. How do I know all this I’ve sat at the wrong table in the past.

Ok, now the challenge begins, we have breakfast, and we then make our lunch sandwiches without Helga catching us. Yes, Helga is still watching me, so while Kirsten is making sandwiches for lunch, I am creating a diversion by the breakfast counter. Helga is all over me trying to move me along.

Ok, we are off to the e-bike rental. In less than 30 minutes, Kirsten and I are on Germany’s Wine Strasse. Look it up on Google, it the wine region between Germany and France, miles upon miles of vineyards with paved paths through them. People are walking but mostly riding bicycles and enjoying the beautiful landscape.

So, to take our vacation to a new technical level, Kirsten downloads an app that shows all the path ways through the wine region. You can put in a destination; it gives you the route to follow. Just like the one on your phone or car. Simple right, not so. Kirsten sets up a route and off she goes. I’m following.

I’m just riding and looking dreaming of when we arrive at our lunch spot and have our sandwiches with wine.

After an hour or so Kirsten stops, I pull up next to her and stop. She turns to me and says I have no idea where we are. I look at her and say look at your app, Kirsten says I stopped looking at it 45 minutes ago. I’m still laughing while writing this, so we start following the Grape sign, Yes, the routes are marked with signs that show a bicycle and grapes.

After another hour or so we come into a village, and we stop at crossroad. Kirsten see’s a lady walking and asks where this one restaurant is. Its close, but we just don’t know which direction to go. The lady points in the direction of the restaurant, but then says its too expensive. She then points in the opposite direction and says there is a cute restaurant “Um die ecke” I know what that means “around the corner”.

We head toward Um die Ecke, and low and behold we arrive at the same wine bar we visited 4 years earlier while traveling toward the black forest. Check out the old blog and you’ll see our pictures.

As we sit down and start enjoying our lunch with a cold beer. Kirsten looks at me and says who needs a stupid app we always find the best spots.

After lunch we start heading back, following the grape signs, our bike shop closes at 5 pm and we have plenty of time and battery life.

Kirsten is leading and says we’re turning left up ahead, I’m like ok. When we come to the crossroad she turns right. Ok, I follow. After a while I pull up next to her and say I thought we were to turn left. She says yes, but that was uphill so I chose downhill, and I turned right.

Ok, now it gets weird, we’re heading into another village, and we come to the crossroad. Kirsten looks at me and says we’re at the bike rental shop. I look around and yea! We’re back where we began with 30 minutes to spare.

Now, that was weird! Note to self ...ALWAYS FOLLOW Kirsten!

We’re heading, back to our hotel, we see the Wine Gut where we had a bottle of wine yesterday and I ask Kirsten can I buy you a bottle of cool refreshing wine.

Kirsten does a neck breaking left turn into the parking lot and brings the car to a perfect stop in the only open spot in the parking lot. She turns to me, and says “did you say wine?”

I walk into the winery the same gentleman is behind the counter, he looks at me and I nod ya.

He hands me the same bottle of wine in an ice bag with two glasses and I stroll out and find Kirsten waiting for me sitting under an umbrella table.

We sit and discuss this evening’s dinner plans.

First, there is a volunteer fire department fest over in the next village, then second there is a concert on the grounds of castle ruin up the on the mountain.

I’m good with either, I say. Kirsten says good ... we’re doing both. I just smile and laugh.

Remember always follow Kirsten.

We go to fire department fest it’s a small carnival with a wine tent and beer tent. The kids are running around and having a great time. Kirsten and I have a beer and off to the concert we go.

As were driving toward the castle, Kirsten says it’s a country music concert. We arrive at the parking lot and start walking up the path to the castle.

Thirty minutes later after climbing up to Madenburg castle. WTF we arrive.

OMG! I need a bier.

Sure, enough there is a band playing country music, now when a Germans sings country music it’s just not the same as Willy Nelson signing “Georgia on my Mind”. Just saying!

We order a Flammkuchen(Flat Pizza) and a couple of biers and large bottle of water.

We enjoy the music, food, drink, and atmosphere. It was a very nice ending to the day.

Around 10 pm the concert is still going strong, but Kirsten and I aren’t. So down the mountain path we go.

Back in our hotel room our bed felt so good!

Goood Nighhtt.....

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