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Published: August 25th 2009
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A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
July 19, 2009, Sunday, Cochem, to Beilstein, and back to Cochem Mosel Valley Germany
Another changeable weather day and we are off to Cochem on our bikes. There is a small shuttle bus that travels the tiny medieval cobblestones streets up to the castle, and this is the bus we are on. It is amazing how the driver maneuvers around the shop awnings and sharp turns.
The Cochem Museum dates back to the year 1000 AD, however, its history is abit bumpy. In 1684 the castle was totally destroyed by French soldiers and remained in ruins for the next 200 years. Then a rich merchant reconstructed the castle, so what you see today is not a Medieval Castle but an inhabitable nineteenth century chateau. Descendants were forced to sell the castle to the Reich in 1942. Since 1978 it has belonged to the ton of Cochem. We did the castle tour, which was in German?!, with an English info sheet.
We walked down from the castle stopping in a few of the many shops. By 1:30 we were aboard the Schleusenfahrt for a boat-ride from Cochem to Beilstein. The ride was to be one hour
in each direction, however, due to a slow-up at the locks and dam, it was a bit longer, we enjoyed the wonderful scenery. Bob had a German beer and Kel sampled some Mosel wine…this is a tough life.
July 20, 2009, Monday, Cochem to Moselkern, Germany.
We left the CG in Cochem and drove about 15 kms downstream to Moselkern. There is a great hike between Moselkern up to Burg Eltz Castle. The trail runs through a “magical” pine forest. So we got the Bothan settled at a small campground and grabbed some “picnic fixins”, and started out. The hike took about 75 minutes, than we were awed by the sight of a grand castle before us sitting up on the cliff.
The Eltz family first erected a dwelling on this site nearly a thousand years ago. Over time branches of the Eltz family built houses in the castle complex. So this has been “home” to the Eltz family for many, many generations. Despite many wars, the Burg Eltz has survived intact and is still owned by this family.
We managed to find an English tour, and visited some rooms in the castle
with a good explanation of what we were seeing.
While enjoying our picnic lunch we chatted with a young couple from Belgium; then started back on the trail. No rain yet today!
July 21, 2009, Tuesday, Mosel Valley, Germany to Amsterdam, NL
This is another drive day, we are on our way to the Netherlands today and that is almost 400 kms. This is our last NEW country. We return home August 4th, from Hamburg, and have made arrangements to ship the Bothan from Bremerhaven, Ger,
July 31st. We will need a few days to clean up the vehicle, organize things, and pack, then we have a few days at a pension/hotel (?) in Hamburg.
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Joan Roolf
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Amazing Trip
I can only imagine how much planning you had to do to make this such a successful trip. Memories to last a lifetime! You both amaze me.