Day Four: July 3, 2019
Exploring the Rhine Valley The day began with Thomas taking us on a walking tour of Bacharach. He did a great job of bringing history to life as he walked us through his town. After our morning walk we boarded the bus and headed to St. Goar for a traditional German family-style lunch and a tour of the stein shop. After lunch, we went to tour the Rheinfels ruined castle with a private guide. We climbed through tunnels, narrow stair cases, and near the beautiful Rhine river. The final treat of the day was getting to enjoy the lovely Rhine boat cruise. Castles and churches around every bend as we drifted from St. Goar to Bacharach. |
Day Five: July 4th, 2019
Medieval Rothenburg
We arrived in Rothenburg around lunch time. I found a local sandwich shop and had a picnic on a nice bench in the shade at the park. It was lovely to get away from the tourist bustle of the town center. A picture perfect day of 75 degree weather and sunshine. I went to visit the cathedral to see the wood carving. I ran into a fellow Rick Steves fan who was consulting his guidebook in line to enter the church. We had a nice chat about our love of Rick Steves. He read the altar section aloud from Rick's book as we studied the wood carved altar. I joined the Flom family for an outdoor dinner before our tour attended the Night Watchmen's Tour for an entertaining history of Rothenberg.
Medieval Rothenburg
We arrived in Rothenburg around lunch time. I found a local sandwich shop and had a picnic on a nice bench in the shade at the park. It was lovely to get away from the tourist bustle of the town center. A picture perfect day of 75 degree weather and sunshine. I went to visit the cathedral to see the wood carving. I ran into a fellow Rick Steves fan who was consulting his guidebook in line to enter the church. We had a nice chat about our love of Rick Steves. He read the altar section aloud from Rick's book as we studied the wood carved altar. I joined the Flom family for an outdoor dinner before our tour attended the Night Watchmen's Tour for an entertaining history of Rothenberg.
Day Six: July 5th, 2019
Dachau Concentration Camp Today was an extremely powerful experience. We had an incredible guide lead us through Dachau who brought the experience to life. Standing on the same stones in the courtyard where thousands of innocents were tortured and killed had a strong impact. Touring the museum brought me to tears several times after touring the grounds. After leaving Dachau, Colleen had us go to and local German beer garden to celebrate the spirit of life after being in such a dark emotional place. On the way to our inn we stopped to see Wieskirche - a lovely rococo style church in the foothills of the Alps. We ended the night with a lovely group dinner at our inn in Austria. |
Day Seven: July 6th, 2019
Neuschwanstein Castle and Splendor This was easily my favorite day of the tour so far! The castle was absolutely breathtaking. Stunning vistas from the Marienbrucke bridge of the castle, mountains, and waterfalls below. There were no pictures allowed during the tour of the castle, but it is worth going in person to see. :) After the castle tour we had a picnic lunch on our own out by the lake so we could enjoy the beautiful weather and amazing nature all around us. It was a soothing balm for a weary traveler's soul. After lunch, we went to the Tegelberg summer luge track where we had a fun afternoon of going down the luge track and relaxing in the beautiful sunshine. We made it back to the hotel around 4:00 so I could have some downtime. I also had a little deck that overlooked the mountains and got to watch a thunderstorm blow in which was an awe-inspiring sight. We had dinner at the inn and a really fun night of having a tour group sing along as well as shooting pool and playing table tennis. :) |