Rick Steves' Best of Europe in 21 Days - Spring 2024
Postcards from Mike & Jen
Day 4 - Bacharach & the Rhine
Guten Morgen from Germany!
Bacharach Guided Walk
Today's adventures began with a walking tour with local guide Thomas. His tales of World War II and the impact of the Nazi era on the town were very informative and moving.
St. Goar and Rheinfels Castle
After the Bacharach tour, we hopped on the bus and headed to St. Goar. The group stopped at Montag Steins & Clock Shop for a beer stein demonstration. Mike and Gordy couldn't resist, and each bought one and split the cost to have them shipped home. The group then had lunch together with a large spread of traditional sausages. Then came the most strenuous hike of the tour. Climbing up to Rheinfels Castle ruins! It doesn't look that far or high and is completely paved, but we were very thankful to have remembered our trekking poles. We were rewarded for our effort with a tour of the castle by local guide Alwin and he even treated our group to a musical interlude. The poles came in handy on the way down too, far less difficult in the cardio department, but challenging for creaky old knees. When we made it down, we stopped for some dessert before catching the boat back to Bacharach.
The Rhine and the Loreley
We sat by the docks on the Rhine for a bit where Matti found us sitting on a bench. He took the picture on the first page of this scrapbook. We then took a riverboat past the Loreley and numerous castles back to Bacharach. While most of the group was sensible and stayed downstairs out of the wind and mist, Jen stubbornly stuck it out on the upper deck and she believes these photos were worth a little bit of windburn. Before splitting up for dinner on our own, the whole group formed a circle on the grass (in roughly alphabetical order) and we played Matti's version of the name game. It was a silly and spirited way to become more acquainted with our traveling companions. The 4 of us then met up with 4 more for dinner at a local restaurant where many shenanigans and much conviviality ensued.
