We just returned from a 22-day vacation to Europe and I thought that this would be a suitable "I'm baaaack" post. We have been planning this vacation for a few years and have just been able to make it happen.
Day One: Having looked forward to this for a long time, the kids were energized and ready to go. After living in Argentina, the kids are used to long haul airplane rides and are more interested in what they get to do during the flight than they are about the destination. We got their backpacks packed and made our way to the airport for a late afternoon departure, direct from Bogotá to Frankfurt on Lufthansa.
Day Two: We made it, and the flight was uneventful. Upon arrival, we weaved our way through the airport and were surprised at the small number of people from our flight who were terminating their travels in Frankfurt as the great majority continued to the transit area. We got to the luggage belt and waited and waited and waited. The luggage came and went. The people came and went. Soon there were no more people and no more luggage. Then the belt stopped. Uh-oh. Fearing the worst, we were pleased when the Lufthansa baggage person (or bag lady) informed us that our bags were indeed in Frankfurt, but they were accidentally put onto the wrong baggage cart. 15 minutes later, we had our bags and car seats and were off in search of the rental car. Surprise, surprise, Uncle Mike was waiting for us. We made our way to get the rental car and were off Uncle Mike's house in Eltville am Rhein.
We got settled and the cousins got to play for a little while before we set off on foot to explore. The first stop in Europe: A gelato stand on the way to historic Eltville along the Rhein River. We walked along the river and explored the grounds of the Kurfürstliche Burg Eltville. It was closed, and we were tired and beat after the 10 1/2 hour flight.
Day Three: The next morning, Candace and I said goodbye to the kids and drove down to Switzerland, paying for the right to use their freeway system at the border (a common theme). We passed through Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen Valley, and parked at the Stechelberg tram station. The scenery was amazing as the tram station is that the bottom of a rock-walled valley with snow-capped peaks. We trammed up to Mürren and checked into the Hotel Jungfrau Mürren on the side of the mountain. Candace was smoked from the jet lag even after laying in the backseat for most of the drive down from Eltville to Stechelberg. We took Uncle Mike's advice and immediately found the North Face Trail. Initially wanting to take the funicular up the steep mountain to Allmendhubel, we opted to be tough and we walked up the hill and found the trailhead. The trail took us along some amazing scenery, passing cows with their bells dinging, and constantly staring face-to-face with several thousand foot rock faces. We were so glad to get out and knock out an amazing hike despite the horrible way we felt.
Day Four: Knowing we had limited time in Switzerland, this day was going to be our marathon day no matter how poorly we felt. We woke up, enjoyed the hotel breakfast and made our way to the Schilthornbahn to take us to the top of the Schilthorn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schilthorn). We initially thought about hiking up the mountain and taking the tram down, but having heard that there was still snow on the trail we decided to take the tram up, check out the trail, and hike down if suitable. The trail looked good and so after pumping ourselves up by watching clips of James Bond's On Her Majesty's Secret Service at the top (where part of the movie was filmed -- and there is a heavy Bond influence), we started down. The trail was manageable and the views were absolutely spectacular. Around every bend, it was incredible. Down, down, down we went past the Roter Herd, considering a stop at the Rotstockhütte (we didn't stop) and down to Spielbodenalp. At this point, we were trying to follow the signs back to Mürren, but opted to head down to Gimmelwald on our way back -- in order to NOT have to go back after getting to the room and sitting down -- knowing we wouldn't want to get up again. On the way to Gimmelwald, we saw the sign for the Gimmelwald Sprutz (waterfall), so we took that detour. Down, down, down we went. The waterfall was fun, and by the time we made our way back up the hill and to Mürren, we were pooped. 6 1/2 hours and 12 miles later we were at the hotel, washing our feet and reconsidering our decision.
The previous day, we noticed a Rick Steves recommended restaurant (La Grotte at the Blumental Hotel in Mürren) and we had been day dreaming about the food we saw on the menu the last 2 hours of the hike. That is where we ate dinner, and it was delicious.
Day Five: After a great night's sleep, we slowly packed up and headed down the tram, enjoying the last minutes of the amazing views. It was raining in the morning and the mountains were partly hidden from view and we celebrated our luck of having two clear sunny days to experience the Alps. On the way back to Germany, we stopped to walk around Lucerne, Switzerland for a little while and admire the historic Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) -- built in 1333. We met up with our kids and the cousins at the Heidelberg Castle for a rainy picnic to end the day.
Day Six: We slept in a little bit to recover and were still super sore from our jaunt down the Schilthorn, but we gutted it out and got up to go visit a few of the sites around Eltville. The first stop was Burg Eltz. We left Mike's house with the trusty GPS which promptly took us to a ferry crossing to cross the Rhein. Um, no thanks. So after re-adjusting the settings to NOT include ferry crossings, we made our way to Burg Eltz, nestled in a beautiful bowl surrounded by lush foliage. We toured the castle and hiked back up to the car. In trying a new strategy to get the kids interested in this long trip, we let them take their iTouches to take pictures, and boy did they. We were amazed that the kids took to photography. Instead of dragging them from place, we let them explore with their cameras and they LOVED it. On the way back to Eltville, we stopped at the Rheinfels ruins to explore. We had a great day taking hundreds (probably over 1,000) of photos -- of which only a few will be including in the post-trip scrapbook pages.
Day Seven: Now before proceeding, you have to understand that my brother Mike is a professional traveler. He has no time to waste sleeping, eating or using the restroom. When he vacations, he gives 110%. So we only agreed to his Bavaria plan knowing that it would not disappoint. Unfortunately this included a 04:30 wakeup to get on the road by 05:00. We were in the car by 05:11 (not too shabby) and the kids were cozy. We drove a few hours to Hohenschwangau and got some DELICIOUS pastries for breakfast, and made our way up to Neuschwanstein Castle, the most visited place in Germany, and for good reason. The castle, the setting, and the tour was fantastic. Thanks to Uncle Mike for watching Sam and Caroline while Candace, Claire, cousin Zach, and I took the tour. After the tour, we hiked up to the bridge on the mountain behind the castle for some amazing photos of the castle.
As if Neuschwanstein wasn't amazing enough, we proceeded back towards Eltville, stopping in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval old town, and what you think of when you think of old school German towns. We explored the walled city, purchased some Christmas ornaments at an awesome Christmas shop, and were introduced to schneeballs (yummy). We got some great photos and just had a great time experiencing old Bavaria.
Lastly, and a stop that Aunt Danielle didn't think we would be up for after such an early start, was Würzburg. We ate traditional German fare at the Alte Mainmühle Restaurant on the river. After dinner, we strolled across the river while the kids chased moths. It was a happening place. We got home late and went right to bed.
Day Eight: We breakfasted on some delicious pastries from Mike's neighborhood bakery and then took advantage of the U.S. Military presence in Germany for the commissary for groceries. After a quick vehicle tour through Wiesbaden, we made our way to Rüdesheim, a fun little town on the Rhein river. We got some ice cream and wound our way through the narrow streets. Oh yeah, and lots of laundry.
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