Our trip to Germany was a smashing success.  Honestly, it was better than expected.

It’s exciting going to a place we’ve never been before, but I think it’s even more enjoyable when it’s a place we don’t know that much about, because I don’t build up the grand expectations.

All we knew about the Black Forest is that it was rustic, restful, and should provide some good hiking and access to other interesting area.

We began our trip on a Saturday, with about a 3 hour drive to Bergen am

Rhein, Germany.  The first stop was Bergen am Rhein, a small town in one of the winemaking regions along the Rhein river.   We knew we wanted to drive along the north bank of the river where the vineyards slope from the river up to castles along the mountaintops, so we followed the road to what we thought was a bridge.  Following a line of cars down a narrow road, we soon realized we were queuing onto a ferry, that the gate went up and we were sailing across the Rhein.

After a lunch stop in Rheingau, we continued along the Rhine to the charming town of Wiesbaden.   Funny story about Wiesbaden.  When Jana and I were married (14 years ago next week,.. how time flies), we spent our honeymoon in Greece.  En route, we had an 8hr layover in Frankfurt, Germany.  Never having been to Germany, we had the grand idea to catch a train to Wiesbaden for the day, then train back to the airport in time for our flight to Greece.  After 2.5 hours just trying to figure out how to get out of the airport, then failing to figure out the train system, we bagged the idea and napped in the airport.  So now we can say that 14 years later, we’ve finally made it to Wiesbaden.

The drive from Wiesbaden to the south German town of Gengenbach went pretty quickly thanks to the Autobahn.   We covered much of it at about 220km/h (about 135mph).  Upon arriving at our destination, we quickly discovered that the Eisenmann family gasthaus was ideal for us.   Situated on a working farm tucked away in a Black Forest valley at the end of a country road, the property was lined with apple trees and backed up to the

hiking trails that traverse the forest.  At the farm they raise dairy cows and sheep, but they also had a few goats and pot-bellied pigs for good measure.   The kids enjoyed feeding the cows and helping out in the barn.   And yes,... we did all get a turn at milking cows.  The Eisenmann family makes and sells their own milk, butter, black forest ham, salami and other good stuff.  As you might imagine, our breakfasts were quite enjoyable.

Our first hike was a real treasure.  Not really having an agenda, we set out

along the trail, following the trail marker to a point 3km away that seemed to serve food.  Sure enough, seeming in the middle of nowhere we came upon the beautiful Martinsteinhiesil gasthaus traditional German country home  with window planter boxes and a huge patio serving traditional food and tall glasses of pilsner.   The patio held a dozen or so picnic

tables in the sunshine, all occupied by happy trekkers enjoying bratwurst, schnitzel and REALLY big beers.   When in Rome,.....    It was a really happy hike back to the house.  The gem was when we came out on a ridge that opened up to a hillside vineyard with a breathtaking view of the valley below.  Our timing was just right, because they were harvesting the Rieslings, Gewurztraminers, and Pinot Noir so we enjoyed some perfectly ripe fruit in addition to the fresh from the tree apples we enjoyed at the trailhead. 

We spent the week with a mix of sight seeing and hiking.   One of the days we spent at Europa Park in the nearby town of Rust.  Again, the timing was just right, as there were no crowds at Europa Park so we rode all the rides we wanted without any lines.   The kids were elated to ride their first roller coasters, and the little daredevils were hooked from the first one.  

The only day when we had bad weather unfortunately happened to be the day we

spent at some amazing castles.  The Burg Hohenzollern castle is situated on a solitary mountain top 850m up with a stunning view of the plateau of the Swabian Alb.  The Hohenzollern ruled much of Germany and the Prussian empire preceding WWI.  On a clear day, the approach to the castle is impressive as it can be seen from miles away, but unfortunately we had thick fog which only made for an ominous setting.  From Hohenzollern we traveled to Sigmaringen, which even today is used in part as a palace for the Hohenzollern family.  Both places were a fascinating look back in time, and well worth the drive.

The waterfalls at Triberg were another highlight.   As the tallest waterfalls in Germany, the setting was simply perfect.  The family enjoyed the hike to the top of the waterfalls while I kept working at capturing that PERFECT waterfall picture.  I think I got it,... tell me what you think.  Like many parts of our trip, the journey to Triberg was just as enjoyable as the destination.   We drove a twisty Black Forest road through logging towns clinging to the hillsides.  This is cuckoo clock country, so not only did these villages specialize in the craft, but many of them also had life-sized cuckoo clocks at the center of town. 

True to form, most of our plans were built around food.  Don’t believe everything you hear about German food.  You can (and will) find great food there.   We ate very local every chance we could, enjoyed the suspense of ordering unknown stuff on the menu just to see what comes out.  In retrospect, we most enjoyed the veal, schnitzel, the wines and the fresh beers.

As much as we enjoyed the foods in Germany, nothing tops eating in France.  France is a place we find ourselves completely drawn to, and fortunately the French border was only 20km away.  Surprisingly we only spent one day in Alsace, and much of that was spent at another castle, Chateau Haute Koeningsburg, near St. Hippolyte, France.  After the castle, we enjoyed the best food of the trip in a little Inn within the town of St. Hippoloyte.  We got there 15 minutes after they stopped serving lunch, but the chef was kind enough to serve us nevertheless.  That was fortunate, because the meal was exquisite, the service impeccable, and the wine perfect (a local Gewurztraminer, 2007).   The Alsace region of France is

indescribably beautiful.  I’ve always been a sucker for wine country, but Alsace is particularly special with quaint medeival towns like Riquewiihr, Colma, and Ribeauville nestled among the vines, surrounded by castle-topped mountains.   We only spent enough in Alsace to heighten our desire to come back for an extended stay, but we did manage to load up on local wine before rolling out,... some Hugel & Fils and more from Dopff et Irion. 

Our jaunt into France was such a delight, we decided to extend our trip by an extra night, routing ourselves back through the Champagne region of France.   After saying goodbye to our German base mid morning, we headed west arriving in the Lorraine area around lunchtime just in time for,... what else,... quiche lorraine.  In the afternoon we visited the beautiful town of Troyes, which is one of the more unique medieval towns I’ve seen. 

Troyes was a step back in time to the 1400’s, with narrow streets and half-timbered homes fanning out from the central cathedrals.   To the north you have the grand Champagne village of Reims, and to the south is Langres, Dijon and the legendary Burgundy region.  In Troyes several cafes spill out from sidewak to street, perfect for enjoying a champagne, espresso, or just watching the people go by.  We did all the above.   Our home for the last night was in the town of Langres, a hilltop walled city dating back to the Roman era.  Our inn was quaint, and (surprise here) had an excellent kitchen that we will remember for a long, long time. 

The following day, Sunday, meant the vacation was over and it was time to drive back to Holland. The drive took us from breakfast in France, to lunch in Luxembourg, to a fuel up in Belgium and finally home to the Netherlands in time for dinner.  In 6 hours we crossed four countries and vast cultures.  In Texas 6 hours only gets you from Dallas to Houston as long as you’re able to miss the traffic jams. 

These kind of trips are what makes this Europe experience such a rewarding, enriching adventure.   As we’ve said many times, living here is rarely easy.  But, we learn and experience so much during our travels here that it makes all the struggles worthwhile.  I find myself wishing I had paid more attention during world history.  I wish I had read more books on the kingdoms of the middle ages.  I wish I better understood the politics and history of the World Wars, where the battles were fought, and the treaties signed.  I wish I had listened better to WWII veterans who tell their stories about their campaigns in Europe, fighting an enemy they knew to be ancestors.   All the conversations I’ve missed, stories I’ve forgotten, history I’ve lost is living all around me, and we are so blessed that we are able to experience it.

This is what makes living in Europe special. 

For more photos, visit our album at www.flickr.com/5kuehlers