By
Dolan and Lena Brown
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| Our home in Horbach Germany |
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| Our village down below us we lived on a hill |
1. Sunday June 30, 1996
Cochem Castle Tour, Mosel River Cruise and Wine Tasting
We departed the Vogelweh USO parking lot at 7:40 AM on a German bus with Christina, the USO guide. Our first stop was the town of Cochem where we walked up a steep cobble stone narrow street through the town on our way up to the Reichsburg Cochem Castle. This castle was a fortress in the Middle Ages that was rebuilt in the late 1800's. A castle guide took our group through several rooms in the castle, including the dining room, room where the inhabitants would go to drink wine from very large tankards, a room Americans would call the living room or den, a ladies sitting room and a game room. We stepped out onto a balcony where we could view the Mosel River and the town of Cochem below us. The view was outstanding. It was interesting to see how the inside of a castle really looked.
We were free for a couple of hours to explore the town and eat lunch when the castle tour ended. We visited several little shops that were open, which is not always the case on Sunday in Germany. We found a nice small German restaurant down a narrow alley and decided it would be a good place to eat lunch. We ordered our meals and a small salad. The meal was delivered in about 10-15 minutes. We were surprised since, normally it takes much longer to get a full meal. The meal was one of the best we have experienced since arriving in Germany. By the time we finished the restaurant was full and some people not able to get a table. We noticed one couple sitting down at a table for four. Two other people came in and asked could they join them. It is quit normal in Germany for someone to join you at a table if there are seats available and all other tables are occupied.
After lunch and more shop looking we boarded a boat for a cruise down the Mosel River that lasted about an hour. The view was nice from the river. We could see the vineyards that ran up the side of the rocky hills. It appeared that working the vineyards could be very tiresome since the rows of vines ran right up the side of the hills. We did not see many small pleasure boats on the river like we are accustomed to in America on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We decided with the price of gasoline, it is too expensive to operate a pleasure boat. The price of gasoline on the German economy is about 1.57 DM a liter which is over $5.00 a gallon.
After the river cruise we boarded the bus again for out last stop. We went to a small village and stopped at a family owned/operated Weingut. There we set at long narrow tables that had been set up in their winery. The family that owns and operates the business consist of the husband, his 76 year old mother and his wife. They do all the work themselves except they hire another couple during the harvest season. Their vineyard also was up very steep hills and the mother has an artificial hip, but still she works the vineyard every day. The wife spoke good English, so she explained all the steps and work processes in the wine making business. Her husband is a Master Wine Maker. She also said that there was only seven young men in the Mosel River area that is learning the trade. They provided bread and cheese to eat with the wine samples. Seven different wines were sampled. A small glass was provided for the wine tasting that we got to keep. She said if each person drank a full glass of each sample that would be equal to one bottle of wine. There was about 40 people on the tour, so they probably gave about 30 bottles of wine away during the tasting. Each sample was a little sweeter than the last. She said normally Americans prefer a sweeter wine than most Germans.
Since this was out last stop we boarded the bus and headed back to Vogelweh. We arrived about 8PM after a very pleasurable day. The tour cost $98.00 for both of us plus any purchases.
2. Sunday July 7, 1996
Cuckoo Clock Shopping In the Black Forest
We left the Vogelweh USO parking lot at 7:40 AM on a German bus with Bob Mederios the USO guide. I met Bob in June on my trip back to the USA. He was my seat mate on the flight from Frankfurt Germany to Atlanta, Georgia. He is in the Air Force and is also a USO guide.
Our first stop was at an open air museum in Gutach. This is a village of authentic restored houses, barns, lumber mills, and shops depicting life in this part of Germany many years ago. Some of the house had thatched (straw) roofs. The eves of the roofs came about 5-6 feet from the ground. The houses also had the livestock stables right inside the same building. You could walk from the living quarters of the house right into the livestock stables (There are still many houses all over Germany where the livestock were kept in the same structure as the people. Most of the ones that we have seen aren't used to house livestock any more. Some are used for storage or have been converted to living space or garages). One of the houses was three stories. The top level was what we would call a barn for storing hay, farm equipment, etc. The house was built on the side of a hill in such a way that the people could ride the farm equipment right into the top level of the house. There was inside stairs down to the other levels of the house. The kitchen in some of the house were built such that they hung the meat to be smoked from the ceiling in the kitchen. Then when the cooking was done the smoke from the open hearth stove would smoke the meat. I can just imagine what it did to the people doing the cooking. One house was built with an exterior wall and a complete interior wall such that you could walk completely around the house between the two sets of walls. This type structure was used in very cold climate areas to provide a buffer from the cold outside. Our time was limited here so we had to board the bus for out next stop, a cuckoo clock factory outlet.
On the way to the outlet we passed what is supposed to be the biggest cuckoo clock in the world. It was as big as the side of a house. The figurines on the clock were human size. The factory outlet, House of 1000 Clocks, had a cuckoo clock of almost any description you can imagine. Our next stop was Triberg, home of the highest waterfall in Germany. We walked about two thirds of the way to the top. It was very beautiful. We visited the Black Forest Museum. This was a very interesting museum. It had many displays of the clock industry and everything else about the Black Forest area. Several rooms were setup to look just like the rooms in houses so you could see how people lived several years ago. The beds sure didn't look as comfortable as our waterbed.
After leaving the museum, Lena and I went to a cafe that Bob had recommended to get some Black Forest Cherry cake. By the way a cafe in Germany is not the same as a cafe in America. Their cafe does not serve full meals, usually just coffee, deserts, ice cream, etc. We ordered the cherry cake and coffee. The slices were huge, probably three inches across, four inches high and about six inches long to tip of the slice. It was delicious and not sweet. The German deserts are not sweet like the American deserts usually are. This was out last stop so we boarded the bus for home. On the way Bob decided we had time to stop at a wicker shop for a few minutes. We didn't see anything we wanted to buy so we went to an Imbiss (sandwich shop) in the parking lot and got a bratwurst (sausage on a roll). We boarded the bus and headed home. Bob pointed out several areas of interest along the way while we were on the way to the Black Forest and on the way back home. We plan to go back to this area again and probably spend a couple of days.
We arrived about 8PM after a very pleasurable day. Even though it drizzled rained about half of the day. But you soon learn in Germany that the sun shines one minute and it is raining the next. The tour cost $78.00 for both of us plus any purchases .
3. Wednesday August 7, 1996
Paris, France
We left the Vogelweh Bowling alley parking lot at 1:15 AM on a German bus for the ENJOY Tours guided trip. This trip included an overnight stay in Paris.
Our bus was a double decker bus. We had seats on the top deck. We tried to sleep some since we left so early in the morning. We arrived in Paris about 7 AM and stopped at a restaurant for breakfast which was a croissant and some very strong coffee. The breakfast cost about 80 francs ($16). We decided that the next time we would bring our own breakfast, as some of the other people on the bus did.
The bus took us through the city where we could see many of the city's landmarks, including Concorde Square, the Eiffel Tower, the Opera House, Sacre Coeur, and Painter's Square. There were too many to remember. We stopped for a few minutes and walked through Notre Dame and stopped where we could take pictures of the Eiffel Tower.
After taking a riding tour of the city we boarded a boat for a cruise down the Seine River. A guide on the boat provided information about the areas that we passed. She did this in three languages, French, German, and English.
We toured a French Perfume Factory. We learned about the person that is called the "nose". This person only works about three hours a day but makes lots of money. He can detect several hundred different fragrances.
After touring the perfume factory we had a few minutes to get something to eat. There were several stands set up in the area that sold different kinds of snacks. This is similar to the hot dogs stands that you might see in larger cities in the United States. We got a sandwich and a chocolate crepe. It's interesting to watch the vendors make the crepes.
The guide took us to our hotel so we could check in and relax for awhile before we went to dinner. Most of the group was going to a French restaurant with the guide. The hotel we stayed at was rated as a four star hotel, but it was not as nice as I thought it should be for a four star rating. After we relaxed for awhile we boarded the bus again to go to the restaurant for dinner. The room where our group was seated was in a room underground below the main part of the restaurant. It looked like a tunnel because the walls were rounded up the sides. The meal was excellent but expensive as was all food in Paris. The meal was approximately 190 francs ($38 each). While we were eating two entertainers sang and played the guitar and accordion. The lead singer was quite a "ham". He enjoyed "smooching" up to the ladies in the group while he sang. I took photographs of him and Lena while he was singing to her. He would also take request for songs. They made the meal quite enjoyable.
We left the restaurant around 11:30 PM to go on an illumination tour of Paris. They only light the Eiffel Tower and one or two other buildings at night now. The Eiffel Tower is beautiful at night. We were planning to go to the Moulin Rouge, a Paris nightclub after the illumination tour but it was getting late and everyone was getting tired so we went back to the hotel to sleep.
The next day we went to the Palace of Versailles which was the residence of the Kings of France until 1789. It was a very ornate building inside and out. The interior of the building had murals painted on the walls and ceilings in many of the rooms that we could go into. We were not allowed to see all the building. I guess if we could it would have taken at least two days. There were thousands of people touring the Palace. We sure were glad that we didn't have to stand in line to get our tickets.
After we left the Palace we went to the Louvre Museum where the famous painting Mona Lisa is kept. It took us a long time to find the painting. We are not into art so we didn't enjoy the Louvre as much as some people. This was our last stop so we boarded the bus for the return trip home. We stopped on the way for dinner. The restaurant was built across the roadway so people could stop on either side of the autobahn and go into the restaurant without crossing the road. We have seen several like this in France and Belgium.
We arrived at Vogelweh at approximately 11 PM very tired.
The trip cost $199 each plus meals and souvenirs.
4. Saturday August 10, 1996
Strasbourg, France City Orientation and Boat Tour
We left the Vogelweh USO parking lot at 7:20 AM on a German bus with the USO guide, Christine. Christine had lived in Strasbourg for several years and knew a lot about the area. Strasbourg is the capital of the French Alsace region.
When we stepped off the bus there were several street vendors trying to sell us leather belts. They were men that looked like some of the homeless people that you see in Washington, DC. They were overdressed for the temperature and most wore strange hats with their hair in braids. Christine took us to a very large old Gothic cathedral. She explained some of the history of the cathedral then we went inside where she pointed out some of the unique figures on the walls. The front of the building had what looked like several hundred figures around the entrances. She explained the meaning of some of them but there was too much to remember, but they all were about religious beliefs.
The cathedral yard was like the center of the area, which seems to be very common. On Saturdays people gather in these common areas and enjoy the weather, play music and provide entertainment for donations. There was a mime performing on this day that was very good. She was dressed up in a very colorful doll outfit and was standing on a small wooden box. Her movements were very animated and precise. She had everyone's attention that was in the area. We could have watched her much longer but our tour group was moving on. Our guide took us on a walking tour of the area called "Little Paris". This area was along the ILL River and had many very old half-timbered houses, little shops, and restaurants. She left us in this area for a couple hours of free time so that we could get something to eat and shop.
Lena and I found a nice looking restaurant that had outside tables. Dining outside is very common in Europe when the weather is nice. After we ate we walked around the shops and purchased a nice painting of the "Little Paris" area.
We had to meet the tour group at the boat dock for a cruise down the Ill River so we headed back to the meeting place. On the way we stopped for a crepe (Lena really likes crepes) and ice cream. While I was waiting for her to get the crepe I sat down at a nearby table but the waiter made me get up because I was not his customer. There was probably 20 tables empty but since I didn't purchase anything from his business I was not allowed to sit in his chairs. He didn't even ask if I want anything before telling me to leave. We went to the boat dock area which is used as a Farmers Market on Saturday morning. After the Farmers Market is cleared a sandwich and drink shop sets up tables in the afternoon. I was thirsty after eating the ice cream so I went up to the window of the sandwich shop to get a Coke while they were setting up the tables. After the tables were set up we went over and set down at one. Well you would have thought I had committed an unpardonable sin. One of the waiters came over and got very irate with me for sitting at the table. I tried to explain to him in English, he spoke French, that I had purchased the Coke from his business. That did not satisfy him. We continued to set there for awhile. I thought the waiter would "exploded" he was so mad. Finally we got up from his precious table. I talked to our guide and she said that the waiter charges more for the sandwiches and drinks when they bring them to the table for you and that's how they make their money. Again he didn't ask us if we wanted to order anything before he demanded that we leave. So much for French hospitality.
We boarded the boat for the cruise up the ILL River. The boat had to go through a set of locks on the way up the river. The boat just did fit in the locks. After returning from the boat ride we headed back to the bus. Again the street vendors were trying to sell their leather belts, etc. Even with the rude waiters we had a good time. We returned about 8 PM. The trip cost $39 each plus meals and souvenirs.
5. Saturday August 24, 1996
Belgium Caves and Dinant, Belgium
We departed the Landstuhl Bus stop parking lot at 6:40 AM on a German bus with USO guide Bob Medeiros. This would be our second trip with Bob. The first stop on the tour was at the world famous Grottoe of Han-Sur-Lesse caves in Belgium. Bob got our tickets and we boarded a small gauge open-air train for the ride to the caves. During the ride there were young people that had a canary they would sit on your shoulder and then take your picture. I sure am glad the we didn't have to ride the train very far as it was a rough ride. The train cars jerked as the train made its way along the track.
A guide met us at the mouth of the caves. The route through the caves was 3 kilometers(about 3/5 of a mile). Some of the "rooms" in the cave were named "Mosque", "Trophy", Mystery", and "Dome". Some of the stalagmites were 7 meters (22 feet) high and 20 meters (65 feet) round. The height of the "Dome" room was 145 meters (471 feet). A sound and light show was presented in the weapons room. We exited the caves on a barge on the subterranean river that runs into the caves from outside.
The young people that were taking the photographs of the canary on people's shoulders were waiting as we exited the caves to sell the photos. We walked back to the village for a snack before boarding the bus for Dinant. Bob recommended a good place to get crepes (again Lena's favorite). We each order one with chocolate and bananas. You should try this if you get a chance. After we ate we walked around the village before boarding the bus. The houses in Belgium are a little more like American style houses than those in Germany.
When we arrived in Dinant we walked across a bridge over the Meuse River. There was a cathedral that we photographed that had a steeple shaped like a onion at the top. Behind the cathedral up on top of a rock formation was the Citadel of Dinant. Most of the group wanted to tour it so Bob bought our tickets. We had a choice of riding a cable car or walking up several hundred very steep steps. Needless to say we took the cable car. While we were waiting for the Citadel guide to give us a tour of the fortress a quick storm came up. It started raining and the wind whipped up and was blowing heavy wooden tables and chairs around like they were balsa wood. We all crowded into two little gift shops. The storm lasted only a few minutes. The guide took us through several rooms and explained the history of the Citadel. He had a very heavy accent when he spoke English so we didn't understand all he said but the film that was shown and the props that were displayed throughout the area helped depict the history of the fortress. There had been some blooded battles inside the walls during its history. The walls looked to be about 3-4 feet thick with opening for windows that were about two feet wide inside the rooms but only a few inches on the outside of the walls. This allowed a view and ventilation but did not allow someone to scale the walls and enter through a window.
One of the areas was setup to depict a battlefield during World War II. It was very realistic. There was a museum room with all kinds of weapons from many centuries. Bob had told us to look for a particular weapon as we made our way through the museum. Each one was numbered. It turned out to be a modern day water sprayer that you attach to the end of a garden hose. I guess this was a little humor on the part of the staff.
We took the cable car back down to the village and went to a restaurant to get something to eat. I had more trouble ordering food in this place than in any other since we have been in Europe. The language in Belgium is French and we have more trouble "guessing" at French words than German words. I finally was able to get us something to eat and it was good. We visited several shops and was purchasing Lena something in one shop, trying to explain to the clerk what she wanted, when the clerk started talking to us in perfect English. We have been told and found it to be true that if you try to communicate in their language and not demand that they speak English they are very helpful and will speak English if they know it, except for the French. By this time it was time to board the bus for the trip home, so I bought a piece of French bread and headed for the bus. The bakeries sell bread in Germany, France, and Belgium and hand it to you in a little skinny bag or with just a piece of paper wrapped around the area where you will hold onto it while you carry it on your way. I had ate most of it by the time we got home. If you don't eat the brot(bread) and brotchens(rolls) the day you get them they will be hard the next day.
We arrived home about 10 PM after a very enjoyable day. The cost of the trip was $54 each plus meals, etc.
6. Saturday August 31, 1996
Trier City Tour DB Train Orientation
We drove to the Kaiserslautern Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station) to join our tour group. We were told to arrive a little early and the USO guide would explain about purchasing tickets and reading the train schedules. When we arrived we were pleased to see Bob Medeiros would be our guide. He is a very good guide. He knows a great deal about the areas that he takes tours to and appears to enjoy guiding tours and sharing his knowledge.
Bob took us out to the tracks to meet our train which was to depart at 8:30 AM. German trains have a reputation of arriving and departing on time. They are so prompt that on the train that we took to Trier they didn't even announce the stops to the passengers. You are expected to look at the schedule and know the time it arrives at the stop where you get off because it arrives on schedule. The stops also have a name on the side of the station so you can verify that you are at the correct stop.
When we arrived in Trier we walked from the bahnhof (train station) to the Porta Nigra an entrance to the old historic part of the city. Trier is the oldest city in Germany. It was founded by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 15BC. Trier had the largest fortified gateway in the Roman Empire, the Porta Nigra. The Porta Nigra is nearly twenty centuries old and is still intact. It is three and a half tiers high and stands nearly a hundred feet high.
We had some "free time" before the walking tour of the city so Lena and I found something to eat while we watched the street entertainers. There were several people doing some type of entertainment on the street. They really weren't in the street because the area was closed to automobiles, it was more like an open air mall. There are shops and businesses on both sides with the area between open for people to stroll through. One man was playing a guitar and had a puppet that he operated with his foot. The puppet was playing the drums. Another had two different string puppets that he would use. He had taped music that the puppets danced to. The children especially like this act. Another man, appeared to be Oriental, was playing an instrument that only had a couple of strings. His music was very interesting but mournful sounding. They all had some kind of collection hat or box that you could put money into. After eating we joined our group for the walking tour.
Bob pointed out several unique buildings as we walked and told us some short history of each one. One of the building was a half-timbered house that the first floor was set back about 2-3 feet more than the second story. This was due to the narrow streets in town. By setting the first floor back and having the other stories come out 2-3 feet the house didn't interfere with the traffic on the street and they could get more space on the other floors. Bob pointed out the DOM (cathedral) where the "Shroud of Turin" is kept. Constaintine Bastellia was having a wedding in it so we could not go in. I went in it in March while in Germany for a few days on a trip for the Government. It is a very large building with one hugh room that served as a church. We walked on down to the remains of the Roman Baths. We did not go into the ruins or the Amphitheater where the Roman gladiators did there thing. Lena and I decided to leave the group and return to the cathedral where the "Shroud of Turin" is kept. I had been in this cathedral in March and I wanted to show it to Lena. It is very pretty inside and we wanted to see the "Shroud of Turin". This is supposed to be the shroud that has the image of Christ on it. It is kept behind glass and you have to look through mirrors to see it. There appears to be a image of something on it, but it is not very clear. We walked around the historic area and then had to go to the train station to meet our group for the return trip. We had a good day and really enjoyed the train trip. I'm not sure that we are ready to try a train trip on our own or not.
We returned to Kaiserslautern about 6:30 PM. The cost of the trip was $29 each plus meals, etc.
7. Saturday September 14, 1996
Bad Durkheim Wine Fest
We departed the Vogelweh USO parking lot at 1:40 PM on a German bus with USO guide Paula. This fest is also called the Wurstmarket (sausage market) because of the immense sausage consumption. This is the greatest of all German wine fest and has a history that dates back to the 15th century. Local wines are served in traditional pint glasses called Schoppen. You can relate this fest to the North Carolina State Fair only the winefest is much more festive. You can eat all kinds of different local German foods. Just because it is a wine fest doesn't mean that is all that is served. You can get about any kind of German wurst (sausage), brotchen (bread roll), sauteed champignons (mushrooms), chicken, hahnchen (ham hocks), several local wines, and beer. The wine tents have tables where you can sit down and eat and drink what they are serving. Each tent has a sign that identifies their winery. Most wineries are family owned businesses that have been in the family for several generations.
There were several large tents with German bands. Each one played a different type of music. We went to one to listen to the music, eat, and watch the people. We bought the hahnchen (ham hocks) mit (with) brotchen. Believe me they know how to cook ham hocks in Germany. The band was very good and could play and sing many different styles of music, German, Beatles, Roy Orbison, etc. The Germans love to have a good time at these fests. When the music was rocking, the Germans would get up on the benches to the table and dance. I'm not talking about the younger Germans. I'm talking about men and women that appeared to be anywhere from 40-65 years old.
Each time that we would buy something to drink or eat where they served it in glasses or on plates the price was always more than what the menu listed. We didn't argue since we thought maybe we were not interpreting the menu correctly, since our German is limited. So I began to watch the Germans. When they finished with their glasses and/or plates they would take them to a table and the person at the table would give them money. They are very environmental conscious here, so they don't use very many throw away products. They charge a deposit for the glasses and plates and you get your money back if you take them back to be washed and reused. What an idea!
(Sidenote: When you go to their stores like our Walmarts or Lowes and get a shopping cart you have to use a one mark coin to get the cart. They have a chain that attaches the carts together in the parking lot under a shelter. You put your coin in and the chain releases. When you finish with the cart, you return the cart, hook the chain back and your coin is released. The shopping carts are not scattered all over the parking lot sitting in your way when you try to park. And they don't need their employees to go out and round them up every hour or so which save labor. (Wow! What a concept!)
There were groups of people that made their way around the wine tents singing and playing traditional German music. The fest also had carnival rides and games very similar to those you would find at our state fair. Some of the Germans were dressed in the traditional German clothes. The men wore coats and short pants that came just below the knees and were made from leather. The ladies dresses were long and very fancy.
We had a very good time. We returned to Vogelweh at 10:30 PM The trip cost $29 each plus what we purchased at the fest.
8. Saturday October 12, 1996
Mosel Dinner and Wine Probe Bernkastel-Kues and Boat Cruise
We left the Landstuhl Bus stop parking lot at 8AM on a German bus with the USO guide. We had a ride of about 1 1/2 hours before we got to Kues. Bernkastel-Kues is two towns divided by the Mosel river. The town was very old and had many half-timbered houses. The streets were very narrow, which is very common, especially in the old villages and towns. The houses sit very close to the street. Some are no more than a foot or two off the street. The bus driver had to be very careful as he made his way through town. (Sidenote: The German bus drivers are very good. We have seen them take buses in places that I might not even try to drive a car through.) We left town and made our way down to the Mosel river where we were to get on a boat for a cruise down the Mosel river. The boat had tables on an open deck or tables inside. The air was a little too cool so we decided to sit inside and enjoy the view. Waitresses would serve you light snacks, beer and wine if desired. We had brought our own snacks so we just sat back and enjoyed the cruise. The hills on both sides of the river were covered in vineyards. The entire Mosel river area appears to have vineyards. About 75% are white grapes and 25% red grapes. As we made our way up the river we had to go through a river lock. Our boat and one other was inside the lock when they raised us up to the upper level of the river. When we got to Bernkastel we had some free time before we were to get back on the bus. We walked around the town and bought some souvenirs. There was an organ grinder on the street with the most unusual looking monkey. The monkey looked like he had a flat-top hair cut. We thought the town was very interesting and plan to go back so we can spend more time exploring. Not to mention that Lena saw some old hay carts that she wanted to buy.
We boarded the bus to go to the family-owned Weingut am Rosenberg. We were served a traditional German meal and wine. After the meal the vintner, Herr (Mr.) Arnold Brosch introduced his wife, which had prepared the meals for the 40 or so people on the tour, and his son which will someday take over the business. Herr Brosch explained the wine production as his assistant and son served us samples. After several different wines were sampled he took us out into the vineyard to explain how the vines are cared for and how the harvest takes place. He explained that some families take time off from their jobs in the city and come and help with the harvest. They do this to bring the family together and share time together. He said some Americans come out to help harvest just for the experience. I would like to try this sometime just for the experience as long as I could work on some of the flat areas. Some of the vineyards are very steep. It appears to me that only a mountain goat could walk up them.
We went back inside and completed the other samples of wine. They served us 13 different types of wine. The last one was an Eiswein. This was a very sweet wine and the most expensive. Only a small amount of this wine is made. The temperature has got to get to a certain temperature outside (about 7 degrees Centigrade) in order to condition the grapes for this wine. The vines must be protected with a special cover to keep the birds from eating the grapes while the vintner is waiting for the correct weather.
After the tasting was finished he took us down into the wine cellar where there were several old wooden barrels and the newer modern metal type where the juice is stored while it is waiting to become wine. He explained that everything is recycled, even the water that is used during the process. The remains of the grape is used as fertilizer to put back on the fields. He said his son had just purchased a bottling machine that could bottle 2,000 bottles a day. His son went to other vineyards to bottle their wine also. This way he could make money to pay for the machine. I believe he said the machine cost $250,000.
We had a great time but it was time to board the bus for home. We arrived at Landsthul bus stop about 7:30 PM. The cost of the trip was $54 each which included the meal and wine tasting.
9. Saturday December 7, 1996
Nurnberg Christmas Market City Tour & Lebkuchen Factory
We left Vogelweh USO parking lot at 6:10 AM on a German bus with the USO guides. Three USO guides were on this trip. Paula from the Bad Durkheim trip and two others. We had been told if we could only go on one Christmas Market trip this was the one to take. The weather was very cold and it got colder the nearer we got to Nurnberg. We passed some areas where the trees were covered in ice. Sure was pretty but very cold looking.
Our first stop was a Lebkurchen factory. Lebkurchen (gingerbread) is a famous treat in Germany. We had trouble finding a place to park the bus as there were several other buses already there and a small area to park. We thought we were going to get a tour of the factory but all we got to see was a film and an older gentleman making up some of the dough and rolling it out before baking it. We purchased some of the treats he was making. We didn't eat all of it until the next day and it was so hard we disposed of it. The guide gave us a coupon provided by the factory to go into the snack area and get two free cookies and a glass of Gluhwein. Gluhwein is a mixture of wine and spices that is heated like we heat apple cider to drink in the winter time. It helps to warm you up from the inside, which was nice because it was cold on the "outside" today. We left the factory for our stop at the Christmas Market.
The bus stopped in a large parking area, where we boarded a shuttle bus for the subway station into town. We boarded the S-Bahn train (subway) for the trip into the center of Nurnberg. When we arrived we had about 30 minutes free time before we were to meet our local guide for a walking tour of the city. I was very cold by this time since I had forgot to put on my "long johns". I had four layers of clothing on my upper body and only one on my lower body (kind of dumb, right). I headed for the nearest department store to purchase a pair of longjohns. I found a pair that fit with the help of a German sales clerk and went into the toiletten (restroom) to put them on. The tour group meet the local guide and she took us through some of the historic parts of the city and explained several things about the city. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II but has been restored. Every King of Germany from 1050 to 1571 lived in the Kaiserburg Castle in Nurnberg. The guide finished the tour at the edge of the Christmas Market area. At this point we were on our own until time to meet the tour group at the S-Bahn station.
Lena and I both wanted some hot coffee so we could warm up. We went looking for a Cafe (coffee shop) before we started walking through the market area. We didn't find a Cafe but we found a nice warm restaurant that was very crowded. We finally located a table. The waiter took our order of coffee and Nurnburg Wurst with Kartoffel salad (potato salad). The wurst in Nurnberg are much smaller than what we had been getting in other areas of Germany. We were sitting at a table for 6. In Germany it is common for strangers to join you at your table if the restaurant is crowded and no other tables are available. After our meal came two German couples came over and asked could they join us. They asked us what we had ordered and some of them ordered the same thing. It was very good. After we finished our meal we went back out into the cold again to wander through the Christmas Market.
We were told this is the biggest and most popular Christmas Market in Germany. We believe them because you could barely walk for people. You kind of got in the flow of people and they pushed you along. This made it difficult to even see what was available in the different booths. There were about 150 booths set up with different kinds of Germany crafts, food, Gluhwein, German toys, etc. After we had made our way through almost all of the booth area we came upon a group of young Germans that appeared to have drank too much beer and/or Gluhwein. They started to fight right in front of us. This was the only violence that we have seen since coming to Germany. Germany has a very low crime rate. We purchased two cups of Gluhwein to try and get warm. The cups were souvenir cups, so we kept them.
We meet our tour group at the S-Bahn station and headed back to the bus. We were both a little disappointed with this trip. I guess the cold weather and the large crowd of people caused the disappointment.
We arrived at Vogelweh USO office at 9PM. The cost of the trip was $59 each.
The above information is about trips that Lena and I have taken together with the USO or other tour providers.
My job has taken me to Luxembourg; Chievres, Belgium; Stuttgart, Baumholder, Idar-Oberstein, Neubruecke, and Worms Germany. My job will take me to other cities and countries in 1997. I will be going to Cairo, Egypt in late February for several days. Lena's job doesn't give her much chance for job related travel except for two trips a month to Germersheim, Germany. We are enjoying our stay in Germany very much. It is something we didn't ever think we would get an opportunity to experience.
We hope everyone had a nice Christmas. Lena and I did, even though this was the first time we had not been with our families at Christmas time. Our first German Christmas was a white Christmas.
Mr. Tate , the European Region Director, and his wife Maria invited the personnel from the office to their house Christmas Eve. We went along with about 25 others from the office. We had a nice time.
Our German landlord invited us for dinner Christmas evening. We were not sure what to expect, but we were looking forward to the experience. They served two types of fish that was prepared unbreaded, a vegetable, and brot (bread). Egan (landlord) said this was only the appetizer. I thought he was joking but he wasn't. We ate that and they cleared the plates and we started the second course. They served three types of salad. Two were different types of lettuce and the third had whole kernel corn, small pieces of lettuce, small pieces of ham, and so on and so on, covered with grated cheese (yummy). The main dish was a oblong piece of pork meat about two inches thick surrounded by about two inches of some type of sausage meat covered with a cheese that was white(I think it is spelled Quarke) before it was baked. The baking turned it golden brown and made it look like a bread covering. Lena had prepared a sweet potato casserole. Are you getting hungry yet? It all was very good. We had wine with the meal. We brought over a bottle (tradition here when invited for dinner, also bringing flowers, except Red Roses). We tried three types, one French and one California red wine that we didn't like very much and a white wine that was very good. I didn't get the brand, but it was a Spatlese wine.
We really enjoyed the evening and the experience with a German family. Our landlords are very nice people. We don't think we could have found better landlords. They are a few months younger that we are. They have a 23 year old son and a 18 year old daughter. The son speaks very good English. The daughter speaks some. The mother doesn't seem to speak any and the father (Egon) speaks a few words. Egon and I are able to communicate with the few words we know of each others language and gestures with our hands. We have worked together on several little jobs around the house and have very little problem. They have made our transition to German living very easy. They have went out of their way to make sure we are satisfied with everything in the house. Our house is not attached to another house. Several attached houses are very common here. It is two story plus a full basement. It has three bedrooms, two and 1/2 baths, kitchen, dining room, living room with a terrace and a terrace from two of the bedrooms.
As I finish up these notes on our 1996 travels I am looking out over tree covered rolling hills (mini-mountains) that are covered in snow. It looks like a postcard of the Bavarian area of Germany in the winter time. We have had approximately 24 inches of snow so far this season and it is only the 5th of January. It started sleeting here on Sunday the 21st of December. After we had about 3/4" of ice on everything it started snowing. It snowed about two inches Sunday night. The temperature has not been above 0 degrees centigrade for several days so it is not melting. What a mess when you don't have a garage or carport. It took over an hour to clear the windows enough that I could drive the car Tuesday. Our cars have ice on them that have been there for two weeks today. The local people say it is the worst winter they have had here in about 30 years.
Hope you didn't get to bored reading all this.
Love,
Dolan & Lena
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