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Vineyard outside Detzem
All day long we passed miles upon miles of these vineyards clinging to the sides of the mountains along the mOsel and Rhine.
We headed down for breakfast just before 9:00. At first I thought we might not see Frau Schmitz, especially if she had had a good time at the bash next door. Within a minute or two of our arrival in the breakfast room, Frau Schmitz bounded in with a smile on her face. She carried baskets of bread and jams. She took our hot chocolate orders and returned numerous times bringing in all the usual breakfast goodies. As Bernkastel-Kues
The towns of Bernkastel and Kues (across this bridge over the Mosel River) are world-renowned for their wines. we were finishing our delicious Frühstuck she brought us free bottles of Sekt (champagne) from the Schmitz cellar. We told her in Pigeon German how wonderful our stay had been. We promised we’d try to come back next year at the same time.
After somehow fitting all our suitcases and shopping bags into the van, I returned inside to pay Frau Schmitz for the two night stay. Total cost was 220€ plus she gave me two 2006 souvenir wine calendars. I was curious to see what the little town of Detzem had to offer so I headed in the opposite direction of our usual jaunts. There wasn’t much to see in Detzem, but as we climbed the hills leading out of town we drove through some magnificent vineyards. Acres upon acres of naked vines all in perfect alignment. I found it hard to believe that there was so much land being cultivated for wine production. There must have been at least five vineyards owned by the Schmitz family.
I knew we would be seeing many, many more vineyards as we made our way along the Mosel River so I reversed direction and got us on the B53 (Moselweinstrasse).
We passed through miles upon miles of vineyards perched precariously against the increasingly steeper mountainsides. One has to see them to comprehend just how steep some of these places are. At the bottom of many of these vineyards you find a little roller coaster-like car which chugs up a tiny rail system through the vineyard. Riding on the car would be hairy enough, but dismounting to tend to the grapes would totally paralyze me. I would have to cling to the vines just to keep from tumbling down the hillside. We drove through famous wine towns like Thornich, Piesport and Wintrich before reaching Bernkastel-Kues. It was a little after 10:00 am when we arrived in Bernkastel. The place was shut tighter than a drum. I attributed that to the fact that it was New Year’s Day, it was still early and it was a Sunday. I was hoping to find a little wine outlet where I might get a carrier box full of wines to bring home. We took a brief walk to the tiny Market Square. We got some nice photos and checked out the price of the wine in the window displays. I was excited to see Ausleses
Town square of Bernkastel
There were plenty of little wine shops in this section of town but all were closed. for under 5€ a bottle and Trockbeerenausleses for around 10€. Too bad nothing was open…yet.
We got back in the car and drove another 20 minutes to the home of the famous Zeller Schwarze Katz wines, Zell. Two summers back I brought back a three pack of truly exceptional Ausleses when I visited here. Once again as we came into town, everything looked dead. There was even more rubbish left over from the New Year’s Eve festivities. There were remnants of fireworks everywhere and instead of empty wine bottles, I saw Schnapps bottles and beer cans littering the parking lot. We walked all along the pedestrian only zone. Nothing at all was open; not even a restaurant or café. It seemed like every other storefront was a wine merchant but none even posted a sign saying they would open later that day. It almost looked like they had left for the Winter. We couldn’t even find a place with postcards. At the end of the zone we saw a wine rack and menu board outside a store. When we got closer we saw bottles in the rack. I didn’t care what prices they charged, I would be some booze
here. I reached for a bottle in the rack and was stunned to discover it was empty. All of them were empty. They were just display bottles. All the lights in the shop were off. Could you imagine a wine store in the U.S. leaving empty bottles right in front of the store on New Year’s Eve? Every single one of them would have been smashed with a few going through the store window I would bet.
We continued our route along the river as it wound its way toward Koblenz. We stopped a couple times to snap pictures of the vineyards and tiny towns across the river. Oddly enough I saw many more barges going up and down the Mosel on New Year’s Day than we had seen on our previous rides along the river. We took a few minutes to feed some ducks and swans. The ducks were kind of picky but the swans just loved my leftover marshmallow balls. Where we had stopped was normally the entrance ramp for a local four car ferry across the Mosel. Because of all the barge traffic and the steep hills coming right up to the river banks, there aren’t
Mosel roller coaster?
Actually this little train carries the vineyard workers up and down the steep hills along the Mosel. The little flat car behind it helps bring the boxes of harvested grapes down to the roadside many bridges across the river. I suppose other reasons these ferries still exist are because the Germans revere nature and don’t wish to spoil the beauty of the Mosel Valley plus the fact that the ferry operators have been providing this service for centuries and need the income to get by.
The road seemed to go forever. Before long my passengers had all fallen asleep. There were only so many wine towns I could drive through before I got totally bored. At the first blue Autobahn sign I encountered I bailed out and got on the A48 just after passing though Cochem. When I reached Downtown Koblenz almost an hour later everyone was suddenly revived. We parked near the Deutsches Eck where we were thrilled to see lots of tourists milling around. The Deutsches Eck is where the Mosel empties into the Rhine River. At this confluence stands a huge statue of Kaiser Wilhelm. In 1945 the equestrian statue was destroyed leaving only the pedestal. On my past travels with Gail and her Mom we had only seen the concrete pedestal, but in 1993 as a symbol of the reunification of Germany, a new statue was commissioned and erected.
At least there wasn't any snow or ice for a change
Most of the ride along the Mosel looked exactly like this: steep mountains on both sides of the river with grapes growing on every inch of the slope. Where does all this wine go? In Pennsylvania our liquor stores only sell 3 or 4 brands of Mosel wine yet on our ride we must've seen at least 50 different vineyards each with its own sign and insignia on the hillside.
Even back in the 80’s this park was full of nostalgic Germans gazing out at the two most Romantic rivers in their country. Along the promenade are flags of all the German states. At the far left side is the American flag. At the base of the pole is a plaque commemorating the lives of the Americans and Europeans killed on 9/11. In only a few minutes the big crowd of tourists disappeared. When I looked back at the Wilhelm statue I saw all 100 of them posing for a group picture. Nearby was a big river ship called “The Viking Sun”. By the time we climbed up the steps to the base of the statue the entire group had headed back to their ship leaving the Deutsches Eck virtually deserted. We tried to climb the steps to the top of the statue, but sure enough, the entrance was chained. The Germans really seem to view Sundays as a day of rest - nothing is open.
We took a quick potty stop at the one place that was open, the public WC. We returned to the van and prepared to drive up (South) the Rhine to our overnight spot
Beilstein on the Mosel
Across the river was the town of Beilstein. Looming above it on the hill is Castle Metternich which was destroyed by the French in 1689. The famous Austrian Chancellor Metternich was the last holder of the title "Count von Metternich". All that's left are ruins, but a very affordable hotel stands nearby (http://www.hotel-b-
urgfrieden.de/engl-
isch/index.htm). Again, I'm saving that info for yet another future visit.
in Bacharach. A few blocks from our original parking lot we saw a big souvenir stand with lots of lights on. I pulled over and we dismounted again. The place looked open. Lights were on, cuckoo clocks were going, toys in the window were moving, but the door was locked. We peered in but couldn’t see anyone. While we were doing this a strolling couple also walked up to the door and tried to go in. The sign on the door listed Sunday hours. It seemed very unusual for a German business-owner not to put up a sign indicating that he would be closed for the holiday. We waited about 15 minutes hoping he was at lunch or something. Meanwhile more people out for a walk on this Spring-like day came by trying the locked door. We finally gave up. It didn’t look like we would find any souvenirs on our last day.
On our way out of Koblenz we passed by a familiar site, the Königsbacher brewery. I always forget about that place yet every time I go through Koblenz I pass it and say “I have to take a tour of the brewery someday”. Believe it or
We took a few minutes to feed some ducks and swans.
The ducks were kind of picky but the swans just loved my stale leftover marshmallow balls.
not, it looked open. There were maybe twenty cars parked in front. I think they were at the restaurant/Bier Garten because I doubt the brewery would be open for tours on a New Years Sunday. We didn’t have to stop anyway. I suddenly had an idea of where Grandma might get her postcards, where Gail could find souvenirs for the dog sitters and where I might score a few bottles of wine.
The name “Boppard” rang a bell. I drove there thinking it had to be a popular tourist town since the Rhine tour boats often stopped there. If the boats were cruising today, they had to be stopping in Boppard. The Boppard merchants would want to open their doors to potential customers. Wrong. We didn’t even stop. The town looked as shutdown as Zell and Bernkastel. I hoped the next big river village might be hopping.
In a short time we reached St. Goar. I exited the river road and drove toward the tiny main street. I had hoped that the store with the giant cuckoo clock on it might be open. No dice. With no place to turn around I continued up the narrow cobblestoned street
The Mosel version of pigeons
These gigantic swans seemed to be cavorting all along the river. They apparently live on the garbage and bread crumbs people through for them. as it wove its way up the mountain. When I saw the ruins of Berg Rheinfels I felt sure I has finally stumbled on a place where the gift shop had to be open. Too late. They closed at 2:00 that day. I drove back down the mountain and drove down the pedestrian only street. Nobody was on it and nothing was open. Just as we left the built-up area of town we saw a shop with lights on! They had big red Santas in front and tables with tourist junk on them.
The store we walked into was everything a Globus tour bus group could want: postcards, beer steins, Christmas decorations, nudie playing cards, wine, beer, Bavarian clothing, knives. It looked like they were about to close but the English-speaking proprietor told us to take our time and look around. He even turned the lights back on in the upstairs Christmas shop. He had lots of merchandise but it was a little too kitschy for us. Had it been our one and only trip to Germany then maybe the wooden beer mug with boobies might have been ok, but we were looking for unique items. The owner gave
Where we had stopped was normally the entrance ramp for a local four car ferry across the Mosel.
Because of all the barge traffic and the steep hills coming right up to the river banks, there aren't many bridges across the river. I suppose other reasons these ferries still exist are because the Germans revere nature and don't wish to spoil the beauty of the Mosel Valley plus the fact that the ferry operators have been providing this service for centuries and need the income to get by. each of us a tiny sample of peach Schnapps which he makes himself. I was very surprised to learn that his father is a professor at my Alma Mater, Kutztown University. He was a very nice guy, but we just couldn’t find anything we wanted to stuff into our suitcases. Gail considered a couple Christmas ornaments but the prices were ridiculous.
We walked two doors down to another open souvenir store. This was a smaller shop but it still stocked its shelves with plenty of tourist memorabilia. The cashier at this shop also offered us tiny cups of peach brandy. I considered buying some since it tasted so good in the small amounts we were given but at 20€ a bottle I took a pass. It would’ve sat in the liquor cabinet for the next ten years right next to the Slivovitz and sloe gin. Gail bought two smokers along with incense cones for the dog sitters.
Since it was beginning to grow dark we renewed our drive toward Bacharach. Just as we reached Bacharach where I planned to check into our hotel then head out to dinner, Gail asked how far we were from Wiesbaden. That was
an easy one: just punch Wiesbaden into the GPS and voila! It was about 40 minutes away. Gail suggested we look for yet another great restaurant we had dined at many years before, Zum Dortmunder. I remember it being highly rated by no less than Michelin’s Red Book. We set the GPS to Wiesbaden and continued driving beside the Rhine River. The nearer we got to Wiesbaden, the more industrialized and less interesting our route became.
The minute we arrived in Wiesbaden I knew we were in trouble. We had no idea where Zum Dortmunder was. Nothing looked at all familiar. We were about to just park in the downtown area when Gail suddenly figured out that the GPS had a menu page which allowed you to type in the first few letters of a restaurant or hotel and Helga would come up with the directions. She directed us toward the right vicinity but because of the large pedestrians-only zone we couldn’t be sure exactly where it was. We parked in an alley. I wasn’t sure if this was a legal parking spot or not. Once we got into the pedestrians-only zone things looked more familiar. We finally found
Zum Dortmunder at 34 Langgasse. Thank God it was actually open.
Inside it was almost as if we were back in Bavaria. The restaurant was decorated in dark wood and reds. Christmas wreaths and garlands hung from the light fixtures. Big oak tables and chairs sat under artificial candle sconces. We started our meal with our usual drinks. This was going to be my last shot at Hefeweizen for a while. This night we splurged. Gail and Phoebe got white wine, Gen got a Pilsner and I ordered a huge Hefeweizen. Cassie got a Coke and Tyler ordered a Spezzi. Gen, Gail, her mother and I had Gulaschsuppe. Gail’s mom also had a salad. Tyler had a Ratsherrenschnitzel, a veal cutlet covered with a fried egg and bacon. Cassie had another Jägerschnitzel. Gen and I ordered Speckpfannkuchen which was a giant bacon flavored pancake. We also got more fries and roasted potatoes than we could finish. To complete the pigging-out process Gail ordered a raspberry flambé while her mother got a huge Coupe Danemark. Cassie had her first glass of Schnapps. I think she liked it a little too much. Total damage for this final night = 108.30€. Considering we
The base of the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument
This eagle stands at the base of the stone pedestal that supports the equestrian statue. Normally you can climb stairs inside the pedestal that take you to an observation deck just below the statue. It was locked-up when we visited.
had absolutely nothing for lunch I guess it wasn’t too bad.
After dinner we took a leisurely stroll back to our car, often stopping to check out the store window displays. I was a little anxious to get back to the car since we just might have been parked illegally. Fortunately there was no ticket even though I was definitely parked in a loading zone. I hadn’t seen the sign walking in the opposite direction. In the car we loaded up the GPS with the address of the
Hotel Blüchertal in Bacharach . I had booked and rebooked accommodations for our final night in Germany many times before we left the States. I wanted something relatively near Frankfurt Airport but still in an interesting town. I kept trying to find something in my price range in the Cologne/Koblenz?Rhine region but had no luck. Everything I tried in busy tourist towns like St. Goar, Rüdesheim and Bingen was either sold out or too expensive. Although the Hotel Blüchertal was a bit farther away from the airport than I would’ve liked, the price was right and the location seemed perfect. Unfortunately for us however, after driving all the way down to Wiesbaden,
Looking down on the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers
Along the promenade are flags of all the German states. At the far left side is the American flag. At the base of the pole is a plaque commemorating the lives of the Americans and Europeans killed on 9/11. eating our big dinner, then driving back, by the time we reached Bacharach it was too late to do any sightseeing.
We followed Helga’s voice instructions to the “T” as we drove through the narrow cobbled streets, through the city wall and on to the Blücherstrasse up the hill overlooking Bacharach. We beared left when Helga instructed and drove and drove and drove. We seemed to be at the very top of a very high mountain looking into the Rhine valley. Luckily it was so dark we couldn’t see just how vertiginous the route had become. Eventually the road serpentined back down the mountain and deposited us back at the entrance to the town. Back through town, back through the city wall and back up Blücherstrasse. When Helga told me to bear left I continued straight reasoning that it made no sense that Blücherstrasse would suddenly veer off to the left. A few hundred yards further up the road we found Hotel Blüchertal. From the outside it looked like another charming, cozy little inn. Inside it was a tad bit disappointing. No one else complained, but with this being our most expensive lodgings at 30€ per person per night
I expected more. Our rooms were way in the back of the building. They reminded me of 1960’s motel rooms. This being Germany, of course the rooms were clean, but they were very utilitarian. Nothing fancy. No TV, no bath soap, no luxurious bathtubs. The rooms were warm and the beds were comfortable so I guess I should have been happy, but this was my least favorite place.
With no TV in the room and being a bit too tired to go out again, instead we watched my “Nightwatchman of Rothenburg ob der Tauber” DVD. We had a party polishing off our half-finished sodas, bags of chips and candy bars while we watched. I did some re-arranging of the junk in my suitcase. Before going to bed, Gail and I went downstairs to see the clerk about paying for the rooms. We had to leave by 7:00 in the morning and we wanted to pay now in case no one was around that early in the morning. A sweet young girl was cleaning up the ballroom after an apparently all-night long New Year’s Eve party. She assured us someone would be there in the morning and even arranged for
Finally a town with some open stores
When we saw the row of Santas we knew we were in tourist heaven. Sure enough, right across the street from them we found two open souvenir shops. breakfast to be served a half hour earlier than normal just for us. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad.
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