A Day Trip to Beilstein, Germany

 

I discovered this morning why my suitcase seemed to add pounds and inches while my waistline has remained the same. This is only part of what came out of the suitcase that Linda wants to ship back to the US before we leave Germany. That might mean she has finally taken pity on me, or it could mean that she wants me to have room to carry what she might buy in France.

Regarding the above comment about my non-increasing waistline. While that is definitely the case in my esteemed estimation, I must warn visitors to Europe to be aware that the weather conditions here cause a strange phenomenon to occur. It seems that whatever fabric they use to make the  waistband of American pants shrinks when exposed to European air. I still have some room left, but if the waistband on my pants keeps shrinking at the rate it has been since we arrived, I will not be able to button the button before we leave. Just another example of the unexpected problems we travelers face.

Our day trip to Beilstein begins as we settle in on the top deck of the boat.

What’s not to like about Germany?

Too many things to take photos of, though Linda did her best to take a photo of every one of them.

Cochem Castle sits high above the town.

The grapes are in abundance climbing the slopes up from the river in the valley.

We passed through a lock on the way up river. Linda made sure we had photos, numerous photos of the passage.

Our arrival in Beilstein. Not a big place but definitely a beautiful place.

High water marks on a building in town. The highest marker is dated Dec. 23, 1993 and is above the railing of the second floor balcony. We saw even higher marks dating from the 1700’s, but for some reason she who takes photos of everything took no photos. As for me, I actually had an excuse since part of my tour guide duties include securing the best table in the best restaurant, and I was busy doing just that. I have really enjoyed heading up Germany by Bob Tours, but I also admit to looking forward to the upcoming break from my tour guide duties.

Lunch on a shady second story terrace overlooking the Mosel. Besides a great lunch we also had some wonderful local wines. Life just doesn’t get much better than this.

This is the way you take a photo of locks. In my book those locks of Linda’s hair are awesome. For any nautical types, yes that is the wall of one of the locks on the Mosel in the background. Let’s just say that I know who controls the keys to my kingdom.

 

A little window shopping for traditional German clothing. While nothing was bought, it reminded me of just how much we love Germany, and why we come back time and again. May your day have been a wonderful as ours.