Bernkastel

Friday we spent the day in Bernkastel. This village dates back to the Renaissance. We started the day with a one hour cruise along the Mosel River. We then walked along the picturesque streets. The day ended at Vinothek. This place has 135 wines from the Mosel Valley. For a small fee you can go to the stone cellar and taste every wine if you so choose. Yet another beautiful day. I think Lynn and Sam brought the sunshine with them. I don't believe I will ever see such a beautiful day while walking through Bernkastel. On the drive home, I found myself to be the only one still awake. I don't think ending the day with massive wine tasting helped keep my passengers awake! Sammy agreed with me that Bernkastel looks just the way it is suppose to look. A perfect little German town. Another great day!

Festung Ehrenbreitstein

"Established as a fortification by the Romans between ten and eight BC, this fortress overlooks the spot where the Mosel converges the Rhein River. Ehrenbreitstein, formerly the strongest fortress in Europe, second only to Gibraltar, shares with the latter the distinction of being one of the largest fortresses ever to be hewn into solid rock. It is the only major piece of architecture of historical and artistic rank built in the Rhineland under Prussian rule." At different points of history the Archbishops of Trier chose to keep valuable relics in this fortress. The relics were the skull of St. matthew and The Holy Robe.

We had a great time seeing this part of history. There was no information in English, so what I wrote is all we really know about this site. History takes on a whole new meaning when you can see a place like this.

This was the last stop of our first full day of sightseeing with Sammy and Lynn. It was a "beautiful day."

Taxi Ride

Last Tuesday, I got the chance to taxi with Scooter in an F-16. We had a great time. Here are some pictures.

Burg Eltz

Our first house guests! Lynn and Sammy were the first to listen to Ryleigh. They got on a plane (3 planes) and flew over the water to Germany. We picked them up around noon on Wednesday and headed back to Klausen (listening to Jylian scream for 2 hours). After unloading and a quick shower we were off to Wittlich and then to dinner at Kloster Machern (see previous post for pics). Both Lynn and Sammy were exhausted after traveling for 24 hours and then sightseeing. The next morning we loaded up the car with baby gear and headed to Burg Eltz for a tour of a German castle. It was beautiful. Princess Ryleigh and her role model Princess Samantha felt at home. It was a great start to the German portion of their European trip.

The Eltz castle was initially built almost a thousand years ago. The family dwelling was surrounded by the river Eltz, which allowed the Eltz family to control a major medieval trade route. Over time, three different Eltz families built on to the original making the castle that is seen today. All three branches were completed in 1615. The castle is now owned by Count Karl, of the Golden Lion branch of the family. The Golden Lion branch of the family has had sole ownership of the complex since 1815. This castle is said to be strategically unimportant, but it is beautiful and was a day well spent!

The Girls

I just have some cute pics of the girls and thought I would share.....

New Neighbors

The other morning I heard a strange noise. I looked out back and saw a man pounding a stake into our backyard. I tried to talk to him about what was going on. I got that he was putting in an electric fence and the cows would be using our yard. I was very disappointed, but now that we have our new neighbors and Scooter the "cow whisperer" talked to the cows, we enjoy seeing them everyday. It took Cy a few days to give up his yard, but we all get along now. Ryleigh is a little sad about not being able to fly her kite, but we will find a new field for that activity.

4th of July Weekend

We had a wonderful 4th of July. It was a long weekend filled with BBQs, family time, wine tasting and much more. This was the first weekend that I missed being in the states. It was strange to celebrate the 4th in a different country. Thursday we had a BBQ with Scooter's flight. Friday was a down day that we spent at home. Saturday the squadron went to the vineyards. The pictures show how beautiful the Mosel Valley is in July. We had a great time with friends and enjoyed some great wine.