Catching up with the extended family

Last night, the staff of the Hotel Krone told us that breakfast would not be served until 8 am today as they would have a late night!  What a fantastic night it was.
We have decided to leave the Hotel a day early and head to Munich tonight as our 10 am flight to Cluj in Romania would necessitate a 4 am departure. We have booked in to the only hotel at the airport - the Hilton, to make life a little easier.
And this morning we are condensing our clothes in to one suitcase to take with us - there is absolutely no point taking two.

We head over to give a bit more of a hand with the packing and this afternoon will head down to Schorndorf to visit with Steph's Uncle Rudi and Aunt Olga. It will benice to see them again after so many years.

Robyn is online this morning telling us to travel carefully as heatwave conditions are expected across southern Europe for the next 5 days - believe us, we know - the warnings here are often. We are heading first to the mountains of the Mamures, so hopefully it will be a little cooler. I have booked us rooms at a wellness resort - complete with pools, so hopefully we will be ok!!

This morning starts interestingly - with a blackout. Right across town the hotel owners tell us. Looks like there will be no breakfast. But no, they insist that they can do breakfast ad they have a gas cooker in the kitchen to boil water for coffee.  Its a much slower start to the day for the hotel staff. I quiz them on what time the Jazz Party finished last night and they tell us that it was early - only 1:30 am.  I had been pumping zzzs for almost 3 hours by then - right above it!
I explain that I too play the double bass and am told that father and son both play, AND that they have three basses if I want to 'jam'.  I beg out as it would mean cutting my nails.  I did comment on the beautiful sound of the bass played last night and was told that it is more than 100 years old - and English!

Breakfast done and dusted and its back to the packing - I am feeling so much better today so get busy wrapping ornaments, glasses, pots, plates etc. Michael and Felix head back to the cellar and Steph heads for the kids rooms.  Its all a-go at high speed today.
Second interesting bit, Felix gets Michael to pack his wines in a box.  Felix later picks the box up to find the base would not hold the weight and lost two nice reds. The bigger problem was cleaning up the spilt wine and glass when there is chaos all round.  And Michael, in the midst of it became heady enough to have to go outside to the fresh air.

In readiness for the cleaning of the house after the workmen finish today, and the uplift of the houseful of furniture next Wednesday, the kids are off to stay with Steph's Uncle Rudi and Aunt Olga.  Oma and Opa to the kids.  So after lunch, we and Steph and the kids head for Schorndorf - 25 minutes away.  We are hardly at the top of the stairs in their home when we are enveloped in warm bear hugs. It is SO nice to see them again after so many years. We have been invited for afternoon tea and Michael samples every one of the cakes Olga has provided. Great coffee, some great laughs and reminiscing and all too soon it is 5 pm.

We have decided to come in to Munich tonight so our day is less frantic tomorrow. We program the GPS with Munich Airport and we head back through Schwäbisch Gmünd, Aarlen, skirt the edge of Ulm and come in to Munich from the north west. In Spain there is El Toro, the Bull, adorning the roadside.  Here is it deer!

And this week is the first of the six week summer break, so there are plenty of caravans, motor homes and even a Citroen with a jump seat!

By 9 pm we have returned the hire car and are ensconced in the Hotel Hilton - right between the two terminals.
Michael is chuffed to find a wurst van set up in a Pratt engine!  Who says take away food has to be boring!

Dinner is in the Charles Lindburgh Restaurant - wait for it - a Route 66 themed american style buffet! Still, it fills the hole.
Now I am off to cjeck in for our flight in the morning.  Gut Nacht! 

The packing continues

Breakfast at Hotel Krone is standard but fresh and they make great coffee.

 I am drinking peppermint tea now in an effort to avoid dairy products with my flu.

As we head over to Steph and Felix this morning I make a short detour to their new house that I have not yet seen. Sure, the houses and the blocks are larger, but the streets noticeably smaller.  There are workmen at the house, so I don't go inside.  Looking at the driveway down in to the garage, I wonder how even Steph's small Renault Zoe can even fit down the drive.

Yesterday Mathilda was busy in the street, and this so reminds me of Izabella when she comes to our house. Turns out it say Best Friends Forever. Henri is the name of the horse she has been riding this week!

Back to the current house and there is more cleansing of gathered stuff - clothes, bags, plants. More boxes to pack. But Steph has decided against wrapping and packing glassware (which I could be doing) because it takes extra cleaning at the other end.  She will just put them in a basket and carry them over.  Me, I save all the boxes for our glassware and each time we move, they get put back into their boxes. EVERY TIME.

Lunchtime here is normally the main cooked meal of the day but as we are going out for dinner tonight, and as the children will not be home for lunch today, Felix just pops down to the butcher and comes home with wurst rolls. Two plain, and two pizza.  They are warm and unctuous! We add German mustard and hoe in. You end up with juices running down your chin - VERY yummy.

At the new house, the kitchen workers were drilling to install the rangehood, and all of a sudden, one of the banks of downlights go out. Steph's cousin's husband Thomas has done the electrics, and they are on holidays in Hungary this week, so they will have to wait for his return next week before it can be sorted out.  Aah - the joys of new houses!

And wouldn't you know it - have just done a search on Rotary Clubs in Schwäbisch Gmünd. One meets at the very hotel we are staying at. And they met yesterday at 12:30. Too bad I was feeling so poorly. Oh well, I'll try to go when we come back after visiting Romania.

And the surprises continue at Hotel Krone.  Tonight we are booked in with Steph and the family to their annual Jazz im Garten - and they proudly announce that this is their 14th year.
As we are upstairs getting changed, we can  here the band warming up below our room. When we get downstairs, there is mein host playing the Double Bass! A very versatile man indeed!!
And the food was fabulous.
And the music was great.
And the company was special.
And the service was spot on.
And everything was just so right in the world tonight!

We order drinks and once they take our orders, serve us all very generous plates of mixed salad - so refreshing and just enough to sate the hungry beast. 
Felix, Mathilda and I had the Paniertes Schwieneschnitzel - Felix with Pommes Frites and Mathilda and I with Spatzle with the most amazing gravy that the chef tells us he cooks over 3 days.
Steph has the Unser Sommersalat - a large salad with fish pieces and grilled scampi.
Niklas, like most four year old little boys has a large plate of pommes frites and ketchup (or is it a large plate of ketchup with chips!!)
And Michael, well of course he must try something special.  He orders the Wild aus der Region: Rehragout mit Freiselbeerbirne, frischen Pfefferlingen, Kronenknopfle und Salat - Venison ragout with Pfefferling mushrooms, potato dumplings and salad.

Steph heads home with the kids about 8, Felix follows at 9 and Michael and I head upstairs at 10:30 with the moon high in the night sky, hanging over the party lights burning brightly. 

Leaving part of the family behind

Steph and Felix finally walked in the door this morning just after 1:30 am - and not long after we had eventually gone to bed! A quick chat and they told us that they too were caught in a traffic jam on the way in to Munich - and the cause? A truck fire! And the place? The same spot we were caught last week!! What is it about that area I wonder - do do do do.

Turns out that their 'seats' for the concert were in the rafters and not seats as such, but as they said it was a rock concert so the music was loud enough and they could see everything which was good because it was a good stage presentation as well as the music. And they were happy because Green Day came on the stage just after they got there at 8:30 pm and played for 2.5 hours.

And this morning Felix woke us on his way out to work to say goodbye. It has been a real pleasure meeting him and spending time getting to know this person who is so important to our Steph!
Of course, this morning has dawned overcast and wet - almost appropriate for the last day we are spending with Stephi on this trip. :'-(
Breakfast is kind of flat. Oh sure, Steph takes a run down to the bakery to get our last Swäbian pretzels. They are going to be missed as a breakfast item - they are huge, crispy on the outside and the two small 'tails' and otherwise moist and soft and oh, so, yummy. We skirt around the issue of leaving as we chat about anything but our impending departure!

While I look for accommodation in Madgeburg for later in the week, Michael and Steph take a walk into town to do a little shopping. As they leave, it begins to rain heavily again, but clears soon after. Once they are back, we sit and just chat over a coffee or three.

A final check that we are not leaving anything essential behind, and it is that hard time.
With promises of a return visit in the not-too-distant future we are off. The tears flow.
It is hard to leave someone that is so much a part of our extended families.

We walk down the stairs for the last time and put our last things in the car. The day is dull and although the rain has paused for our departure (thank you!) there is still a wind and the autumn leaves continue to fall. It looks as well as feels despondent. There is no point in further delay, so we hurry away, not keen to go, but not wanting to wallow! Please don't look at me like that Steph!

And its not long before the rain is falling again. We are headed back to Munich to catch up with Ricki (who came with Steph to Australia in 1997) her new husband Bernd and their lovely little daughter Charlotte.

The trip takes on a very different colour today. We have taken this road a few times over the year, but this time we know it will be the last time for now at least. We travel in and out of rain. The air is so alive and in the afternoon sun, the countryside is crisp and almost 'electric' in colour and atmosphere.

We arrive back in Munich just in time to join the frantic peak hour traffic in this large city. By the time we are nearing Ricki and Bernd's address it is almost dark (like at 5:15 pm - how different to a few short weeks ago). Bernd is still to arrive home - he is a lawyer and had flown to the north of Germany for appointments with clients today. In the meantime, we enjoy the company of his girls (!) and spend time reminiscing with Ricki about her trip with Steph to us in Australia in 1997 and our great trip to Innisfail where we visited the Jordans.

Charlotte is 5 months old, alert and happy. She comes to both Michael and I without hesitation and Ricki is joyfully proud. Eventually she manages to put her to bed and she puts the finishing touches on dinner as Bernd arrives home. He too is warm and welcoming. We had met him only very briefly in December when Ricki was visiting her family in Schorndorf.

So the four of us exchange travel stories of recent times. We all laugh at how closely we have missed each other both in France in June and Italy last month. We chat about Australia as we have our salad and about family as Ricki serves a truly yummy Chicken Coconut curry.

Ah, what's that? Ah. Charlotte Marie! Awake! And despite both Ricki and Bernd taking turns in trying to settle her, she is just too upset. Eventually, Ricki retires with her - ah, nothing like yer mum! We chat further with Bernd as we help him to pack the dishwasher and wash the glassware and eventually get to show him our family photos and some from Maryborough and Australia. He has another early start tomorrow morning - heading to south of Stuttgart a little over 200 kms away. So its off to bed before midnight for me (although, as usual, Michael sits up later!)

Truly a bittersweet day.

These boots just couldn't keep on walking

Well, after waiting for phone calls all night with one ear and one eye open, this morning I arose feeling cranky as I phone Zuji back AGAIN. Once again I get that all-too-cheery call on waiting message. grrr But then, joy of joys, Kilash answers the phone. He was the first agent that I spoke with on Friday. He tells me that the agent did try to phone me back last night and as he is again checking availability now that we know all our options, the call drops out again. I had asked him to phone me back if we lost contact this time, so when it happens I take the opportunity to check the phone number I have given them and shock-horror, soon realize that it is Steph's old phone number. Ooops.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, Kilash is on the ball and checks the contact I had left on the original booking and so phones the mobile. Of course, it is almost flat so I have to put in on to charge while we talk. Why can't anything be easy??? So now, it is all over. Done like a dinner. We are booked to come home. Rather bittersweet really. Miss our family and friends so that will be nice, but we have made so many new friends and I am sure there are still plenty more to make!

Oh, the details??
OK
Depart London Heathrow 11:05 am Sunday 15 November (local time)
Arrive Sydney 8:20 pm Monday 16 November (local time)
We will spend a few weeks in Sydney and Newcastle visiting the Mums and call in on the Brisbane folk on our way home.

Now though, it is time to go and say goodbye to Mutti and the Mucz family so we drive down to Schorndorf to see them all. Its a work day, so we don't tarry too long. When we get to Mutti's most of the family is there for lunch. Final hugs and the tears flow. But somehow I don't think it will be too long before we are back. A last photo and off we go.

Today is the day to buy Michael some new boots. We bought a pair when we were in Germany in January and finally they have split. But he has literally walked all day every day in them. Up towers, over stiles, on the 'cat's heads', under the edge of waterfalls and over craggy rocks. He has stretched in them and crouched in them. They have been sodden and dry and dusty. So do they owe Michael anything? Nah, I don't think so! Someone mentioned that they come with a 12 months guarantee, but somehow I think we would have a hard time claiming against it! Anyway, he wanted another pair exactly the same so went back to the Larca store near Schorndorf and he got his Meindl boots, so now he is a happy boy!

And this afternoon we headed into Schwäbisch Gmünd to post a load back to Australia - two boxes each a tad under 20 kgs! Gosh, anyone would think we have been away for a year or something!

Steph and Felix have Green Day concert tickets in Munich tonight (yes, we are not the only ones who drive three hours to see a show and then return in the same night!). Felix had to work, but Steph has had the day off with us - nice sharing time. We stay in and cook pork cutlets and veges. Tonight I am tired, so I won't be sitting up for Steph and Felix, but no doubt Michael will. Goodnight all. Tomorrow we head off to Munich in the early afternoon and to see Ricki and her new husband Bernd and their little daughter Charlotte.

So, the count-down is on. AUSTRALIA

Ding dong, the bells are ringing . . .

It dawned a cool morning - all of 2°C! Oh yes, winter is well and truly on the way in Europe. Felix wants to study today so after a prolonged breakfast, Steph and Michael and I head out to explore the countryside around Schwäbisch Gmünd. We filled the car with petrol after travelling from Slovenia on one tank of fuel - part of Slovenia, across Austria and then about a quarter of the way across Germany. Not bad huh! In Australia, the only way you could even travel part way across three states on a single tank of fuel would be if you were in the corner areas where they all meet!

While the weather is still fresh and crisp, the sun is shining and out of the breeze it is a beautiful autumn day. Although lots of people here in Europe say that they love autumn, I think that us, coming from an area where we have predominantly evergreen trees are truly enjoying the change in the season the most. What they have here that we in Queensland can never have is a totally different look of the landscape for each season. At the moment its warm to look at (probably to compensate for the falling temperatures!) and when there is a mist or fog, which is often, it is very surreal - as though you are looking out through a gauze curtain.

So, we begin our exploring at the remains of the Limes and Roman Fort just on the outskirts of modern Schwäbisch Gmünd. Throughout our journey, we are constantly awe-struck by the monuments we've seen. However, the Limes and Roman Fort need some imagination (with the assistance of some thorough information boards and models) but this does not minimise the expanse of the Limes Germanicus (Germanic Frontier) created by the Roman Empire.
Limes Germanicus represented a remarkable frontier line of walls and forts bounding the Roman provinces of Germania Superior (this comprised the areas of western Switzerland, the French Jura, Alsace and south western Germany) and Raetia (containing the Upper Rhine and Lake Constance). The Limes forts were established between 83AD to 260AD to divide the Roman Empire and unsubdued Germanic tribes. This frontier eventually stretched from the North Sea outlet of the Rhine to Regensberg on the Danube! The total length of the Limes frontier was 568km of walls and ditches; including 60 castles, 900 forts and 30000 troops.

However, we are concerned with the immediate area of Schwabish Gmund. To appreciate the area, and get a 'feel' for the Limes requires a long and enjoyable walk. We first start at the parking area, which provides an information shelter with substantial information boards (in both German AND English), together with a bronze high relief map. This information allows you to obtain an overview and directions to commence ones exploration.

Leaving the shelter, we are presented with a tall monument which indicates the regions the Limes actually reached: VINDOBONA (Vienna); CASTRA REGINA (Regensburg), to name just a few. Nearby we reach replicated sections of Limes walls and ditches. One side of the road (yes, and it's the original Roman road) is a wall section constructed from dressed tree trunks and shattering. The other side provides a wonderful example of Roman technology at its best - the composite masonry wall. After, several absorbing moments we head upwards and towards Kastell Freimuhle (Castle Free Mill). The fort was first discovered in 1901 and subsequent investigations have revealed the castle to have been 55m x 55m, about 0.28 ha. Little remains of the site, except for the wall and tower footings. At the centre of the site is a bronze model depicting what the fort may have looked like.
We then retrace our steps to the replica walls and proceed along the Roman road. The map at the information shelter indicates the road leads to a lower fort. This is an interesting promenade which is punctuated by altars, road statuary and mortuary stele. It appears the lower fort may be further than expected, however, it is indeed a glorious day for a jaunt. We come across the remains of a roman bridge concorse, here a modern wooden bridge has been added to allow visitors to cross into an adjoining forest.

Forest's in this region are just spectacular and more so when we cross the bridge into the forest. Following a well worn path, we climb further into the forest where we finally reach the remains of a small part of the wall. After enjoying the silence which the forest provides, we once again retrace our steps to resume our trek along the Roman road. Finally, we reach our destination and it is realised that there is nothing left of the fort - only a green pasture. The walk is not a disappointment as many interesting sights have been experienced, and nothing less than the forest itself.

From here we drive up into Schwäbian Alb so that we can look back over the valleys of the Rems River and indeed over Schwäbisch Gmünd itself. The light is magical, casting a warm glow over the landscapes below and it makes me want to find a piece of paper and some watercolours. From above, Schwäbisch Gmünd look a real picture with its mix of red terracotta roofs, statuesque civic buildings and churches and wooded hills.

Up into the lowest slopes of the Alb we find small towns and smaller villages in a rural setting. That 'alpy' smell of freshly fertilised land is back and you know even after travelling in and out of the Alps for the last months, we still crinkle our noses when we smell it. I'll never forget it, and I'm sure I never want to get used to it!

Passing through towns with evocative names like Straßorf, Lauchof and Lenglingen with its equine industry, through to Hohenstaufen with its castle sitting high on the hill in the forest over the town (we haven't got time to walk up), we continue on our way and cross the Neckar River to go to Plochingen - home to the Hundertwasser-Haus (reminiscent of Antonio Gaudi's architecture that we saw in Barcelona) named for the local architect who designed it. This ultra modern flowing masterpiece is home to commercial spaces as well as apartments. But Hohenstaufen is more than just one building and they have retained their old market square with some great examples of timber trussed houses. The old market house has been adapted to modern uses - something that is always nice to see. Modern art sits alongisde more traditional items like the 13 bell Glockenspiel that chimes its tunes at 11 am, 3pm and 5 pm daily. We are standing looking at thise small history column when the bells start at 3 o'clock.

All the time, we are en-route to visit Katie and Josef (friends of Steph we met when we were through here in July) at their home in Stetten - a small town set amidst the vineyards. Katie has been baking up a storm and we enjoy slices of Zwetschgedatsche (plum cake) and a Kugelhopf as we played with Joesphine their gorgeous little daughter (and missed our own little precious one Izabella). It was remarkable to see not only how much she had grown in the last few months, but also how much she has developed as a little individual!

And finally we met Olga and Rudi Mucz (Steph's aunt and uncle) for a final dinner with them at the local s’Būrger Stüble Restaurant just next door to their house. The food here is typically Swäbian and always delicious. And I have forgotten to write down the menu, so you will have to make do with a translation of what I remember!
Entrees:
Olga, Rudi, Felix and Michael began with Kürbis-Creme-Suppe mit saurer Sahne(Creme Pumpkin Soup with sour cream)
Mains:
Gänsekeule mit mit blauen saukraut und Kartoffelknödel (Goose leg with with blue saukraut and potato dumplings) Rudi, Olga and Michael
Casserole der Rehe und Wildschweine und Pilze mit Spätzle (Casserole of Deer and Boar and Mushrooms with Swäbian noodles) Felix
Schweinefilet in Cognac-Sahne-Sauce mit Spätzle, Kartoffelsalat und grünem Salat (Pork in Cognac cream sauce with Swäbian noodles, potato salad and green salad) Steph
Maultasche mit Ei mit Kartoffelsalat und grünem Salat (Swäbian ravioli with egg with potato salad and green salad) Maria
Desserts:
Steph and Felix and Michael and I shared two desserts that are the speciality of the chef - a trio of tastes - Mousse au Chocolat, Panna cotta und Nuss-Eis (Chocolate mousse, Panna cotta and nut ice cream). Mm, mmmm!
Of course there was champgane and red wine and liquers consumed in sufficient quantities to ensure that the conversation was lively and varied. At times like these, the rest of us are thankful that Michael is able to be our designated driver!

A great night for us all!!!

Families

Slept in until 9 am and then rose to have breakfast with Stephi - she had been down to the bakers and got those yummy yummy pretzels and fresh rolls. None of this stuff out of the freezer or those over-preserved breads from the supermarket here! We opened the blackberry jam that Sarah had made (at Il Sarale in Umbria!) and was truly delicious.

And so this morning it was in to the Post Office - I had something to post to Isabelle in Pontorson in France (no, I am not telling you what it is - you will just have to wait and see!) and some souvenirs for Donna - the big one is for you sis - as well as finding out the best way to get some 'stuff' home.

Max box size 60 x 60 x 120 and no more than 20 kgs. Try to find a box anything like that size here. The largest that the post office sells is much smaller and all the shops in the mall where we were rip them down as soon as they unpack them. Hmmm, might need to rethink what we don't bring home! Now its off to do some grocery shopping - gosh how I love the delis here - even the ones in the supermarkets are so different to those back home. Ideas, ideas and more ideas!!!

We have been invited to afternoon tea with Mutti (Steph's grandmother) who greets us with hugs hard enough to break you in two. She served the lightest most delicious chocolate torte and a sweet yeast bread with jam. Both she had cooked this morning - not bad for a lady of 89 years is it?! And it was not just Mutti who was there - Olga and Rudi (Steph's aunt and uncle), Anja and Thomas, Ulli and Andy and their girls Maya and Anneka rounded it out. We all squeezed into Mutti's dining/lounge room and the chatter flowed back and forth for about 2 hours. Then it was time to say goodbyes and head back to 'home'.

Tonight Ulli and Andy and coming with the girls and we are having raclette. We shopped today for all the ingredients - reclette cheese, pork fillet, turkey breast, salami, ham, potatoes, capsicum, mushrooms and zucchini. Ulli brought the dips/sauces and I am determined to get the recipe for her yummy cheese one. We shared champers, a bottle of Chateauneuf de Papes and lots of stories. They are just about to begin building a new house, so the toast was to old friends and new beginnings. Great night.

Felix gets home from an absence of 3 days about 10 pm much to Steph's delight - ah, true love!

Making plans for Australia

Today was a quiet and kind of frustrating day.

When we woke about 8 am Steph and Felix had gone to work.

I spent the first two hours on the phone to the trave agents, trying to change our flights back to Australia. When I booked the return tickets last December (and then only because we had to have proof of our return to our place of residence so we could go to the US to visit my brother) I knew that we would probably need to change them and that this would incur some cost. We can be a little flexible around the 13 - 16 November, so armed with this information I phone Zuji who have informed me that for security reasons they will not make changes through email.

I get an agent who sounds asian and when asked about the weather back home, he informs me that 'home' is in India where the Zuji Call Centre is located! Back and forth we go, exploring all possibilities including cancelling these tickets outright and booking a return fare home (a return ticket is always cheaper than a one way ticket - helps to have worked in the industry!) But the penalty costs are too high. And when I originally booked the tickets I was smart (NOT) and booked them through to Brisbane. Now however, we want to go via Sydney and catch up with our Mums before we return to Queensland and Maryborough. My Mum flies out to South Africa for 3 months to visit Michael and Aunty Mary on December 8.

Turns out that a change in the route - that is, Sydney instead of Brisbane, can only be okayed by the airline and they only work to 5 pm Monday to Friday - bugger the greatly increased time difference, it is now 10 hours instead of 8 and I have missed this time. So now, I have to wait for Monday because we sure as hell can't afford two changes.

After that, I went back to bed and slept for much of the day - I am fighting a cold and a persistent sore throat so a few extra hours sleep was great.

Michael emptied the car and brought all our bits and pieces up and then did some washing. Tonight we sorted through all the literature we have yet to send home and sorted winter and summer clothes into the appropriate suitcases. Steph had a minor heart attack when she came home and saw the table covered in 'stuff' for them. Some camping gear and food staples that we are not going to be able to use any more. But it didn't take long to go through it and put it all away.

Felix is out tonight, so Michael and I are treated to some of Steph's Hungarian Goulash and Rice. She ate a big lunch (as they do here) and so just had bread with cheese and cold meats. We chatted over dinner and later Michael ironed and we half watched X-Men while he did it.

Tomorrow we are off to the Post Office to sort out the most economical way to get our extra stuff home - ah, the fun of it all!

Bacharach - the other one!

No, its not Burt, it the other one, the town on the Rhine River between Koblenz and Bingen!
And so our journey down the Rhine continues. We woke to the tolling of the bell of St Peterskirche (which is literally a spit away) this morning. The sun is bright and you can really see the age on the buildings this morning - in fact, the Altes Haus that is the oldest building dating back to the 1300s and where we had had dinner in 2006 now looks a little forlorn. Can't imagine that it will stay that way for too long though, I mean, it has the prime position in the town and certainly looks structurally sound.

So we are eating our breakfast downstairs and I am looking out the window and what do I see walking past? A Pub Crawl t-shirt - you have gotta be kidding me!! Michael raced out to see if it was a Maryborough one, but no - it was from Milan (so it was probably something quite inane like a buck's party or something). The guy was a way ahead so he didn't get to talk to him, but it sure got my pulse racing for the morning.

In 2006 we left too early in the morning to do any of the local buildings and when Michael and I came through in December, everything was closed up tight as a drum - and it was the middle of the night too. So I am determined today to see a little more of this amazing small medieval town. St Peterskirche will be open at 10 am so we hang around with me uploading yesterdays blog. Once the doors are open, we wander over. While this church is a monument, it is also a local church for the parish and very obviously well cared for. The pastor or one of his flock is in the church when we arrive and is opening windows and putting up the 'no-access' ropes. He smiles pleasantly and bids us good morning and then disappears up a stairway where in a few moments I see him walk along a gallery to the organ. Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but good loud organ music in a church always does it to me. The gooseflesh comes in and the hairs rise and I get all emotional. Sigh, but in a nice way.

The church is painted beautifully inside with an incredible amount of attention to detail. And this highlights the considerable amount of remaining medieval frescoes still on the walls. It is nice to see that down through the ages here, someone made sure that the works of old were appreciated - so often we see evidence of them painted over by later generations. Anyway, the day is marching and so must we.

Above the town amidst the grape vines stands a viewing platform in one of the original Sentry Towers. Bacharach is a walled city and one of the best examples of a fortified town remaining on the Middle Rhine. In fact all of its 14 towers remain to their original height and you can walk around most of the wall. The walk up to the tower is steep through the vineyards, but Michael goes and gets some amazing views of the town with the Rhine in the background. That done, we prepare to leave the town for points further south.

We turn back out on to the main road and leave a fairtale world behind us as we join the mad rush, marvelling at the amount of traffic there is on the River. Hardly a moment goes by without at least two barges in view plus the cruise boats and speedboats and other small boats battling against the strong current to gain ground (or water!) on their journey up this mighty river.

We are headed for Castle Sooneck. It sits high on a rocky outcrop with commanding views of the Rhine River - and of the busy quarry next door to it - which was where much of the stone was mined to build the castle. We visited this impressive castle in 2006 but were too early for the tours - while today we are not! It's amazingly cheap to have a guided tour (albeit in German) at €2.60 each. In the 30 minutes we have to wait until the next tour, we look around the battlements and again I am amazed at how narrow the fire steps (platform) are that they archers had to work from in defending the castle. There is barely enough room to kneel at the arrow slits.

Castle Sooneck is now owned by the State through the equivalent of the National Trust. Built in the 12th century to help protect the lands of the Abbey near Aachen, it was later a robber-baron castle before being seized by the king, later destroyed and then re-built. It has been rebuilt and now is furnished with 18th and 19th century furniture and fittings from its earlier times and that of nearby castles. Very impressive - although I still cant believe that these people were short enough to sleep in the beds they had! There is a fascinating collection of paintings of this area, the castles along the Rhine and other estates of the Abbey. And as the guide is only giving the tour in German, it is all we can do to catch the names of some of them! The furniture is amazing - including beautifully handcrafted inlays. And there is a chandelier that weighs 600 kgs - that much we all understood! But once again we cant take photos - just one in the courtard looking up before we go in!

One of the women on the tour has her dog with her - well, if you can call it that. They cant even be called 'toy' dogs any more as these are tiny - really tiny. It is little more that the size of her two hands together and she and it look quite ridiculous. I was very surprised when the tour guide didn't tell her to leave it outside - especially when they make us all put these huge felt scuffs on to walk on the parquetry floors. Now THEY (the floors that is) were amazing! All perfect, and with a different pattern formed depending on which way you looked (thanks to the artisans aligning the timber grain perfectly). And nary a nail in sight. Anyway, they cleverly do not need to employ a cleaner as we all did our bit by polishing those floors with all our slipping and sliding! I am happy to have been able to get inside and have a look.

Its now just a short drive to Bingen where the Nahe River joins the Rhine. There are a number of really noticeable landmarks here such as Mäuseturm (the Mouse Tower) that sits in the middle of the Rhine to warn sailors of a bad pool to the Klopp Castle high in the centre of town with its foundations that date back to the Roman habitation of the city of Bingium 2000 years ago. And the best way to view them all is to catch the vehicular ferry across the busy Rhine to the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein and take a trip up the hill behind the town to the Niederwalddenkmal - the Niederwald National Monument erected in 1883. But first we have to dodge opposing traffic - not once, but twice - firstly on the vehicle ferry dodging the surprisingly fast barges, and then on the other shore, in the car we have to dodge the frequent trains. Sheesh - life does not have to be so busy (tee he he - as we are finding out!)

The Niederwald National Monument was built to commemorate the formation of the new German empire in 1871. Because of its size, expense and popularity, the monument that features a victorious Germania has often been cited as the most important national monument of Imperial Germany. The last time we saw this, it was under a blanket of snow and in the early hours (as we were then really anxious to be with Steph that day for Christmas) and we could not see a road up to it. Still, even then when it was indistinct, it look impressive and today it is certainly more so up close.

We have a light lunch here while enjoying the view (just schnitzel and frites - nothing special) and watching the cable car coming up from the valley.

And now we are out of time. We are meeting Steph and some of her friends for dinner at the Shaba Thai Restaurant in Stuttgart and have just short of a 3 hour drive ahead of us. I initially tell Kate to plan a route that does not follow the autobahn - but after just a short drive down the road change my mind. The autobahn gets very busy ear the exits to major cities - but then it might just be that it is the afternoon peak hour too! And I am to forever wonder whether the non-autobhan routes might have actually been faster! The roads around Heillbron particularly are a mess as there are major roadworks her too.
Anyway, we find the restaurant just minutes before Steph gets there but spend about 10 minutes trying to find a parking spot. Then right on 6:30 pm, a whole lot of cars leave (can the work hours really be this late??) and we are now parked nice and close to the restaurant.

The food is fabulous and the company even better! Thanks so much for your fun company Tania and Katy and Steph (oh and of course you too Deitmar!).
Our menu choices are mainly left to the girls (who meet regularly for Thai food) and we share:

a selection of Entrees including satay chicken, green papaya salad, glass noodle salad, money bags, spring rolls, seafood salad

and a selection of hot Main dishes that included a red curry and coconut whole fish, massuman curry, pad thai, rice, duck with ginger - all very very good.
But the best of the night was the very refreshing lemongrass (non-alcoholic) drink we had. Michael and I had two each it was so quenching!
(Now, don't complain - I fully expected their menu to be fully online so I didn't write it all down).
Felix joined us after his appointment at the university was done.

By the time we get home to Steph and Felix's place (with both of them passing us at speed on the autobahn!) it is after 11 pm and we all head for bed fairly quickly.