What a ride, both literaly and figuratively. We took a van twice from and to a place called Park & Fly in Dublin (I can confidently say: never again!). And on Sunday afternoon we were driving through Rhineland-Palatinate using a GPS (we really should know better). Despite that hiccup (there was also some awful lunch in Cochem involved), our experience in Germany was generally positive. We stayed for two nights in a charming little hotel called Hotel-Café-Burg Stahleck. The owner was agreeable, and served us some delicious breakfasts.
On the first day, Friday evening, I met Raphael in person, he turned out to be taller than I thought, and an interesting character. And Bacharach am Rhein was wonderfully quiet, as it's still just before the main season. That's exactly what we were hoping for. Two evening strolls am Rhein (and a morning one on Sunday) were fab. The weather was much like ours in Ireland, a bit cold, fresh, but luckily we had a lot more sunshine.
On Friday there was not much time for anything other than dinner and a walk along the river, but the next day we explored Bacharach, took a walk towards Stahleck Castle and the vineyard slopes, and later journeyed to Bingen and Mainz. On Sunday, after checking out from the hotel, we went to see the Lorelei, than head off to Cochem by the Moselle. The latter gave us a taste of a more tourist-oriented spot – more people, more noise, more opportunities for regrettable food choices.
Most of the folks we talked to knew at least a little English, so I didn't have to strain my rather limited German. The culinary experience of the first two days was also grand. I'd highly recommend Stübers Restaurant in Bacharach and Augustinerkeller in Mainz, the second of the two spoilt us with traditional German fare.
Below, our morning view from the hotel window (the romantic ruins of Wernerkapelle), my amazing plate at Stübers, our hotel in the dark, the view over Bacharach, Augustinerkeller in Mainz, moi as Loreley.
