dgassa

A NEW ADVENTURE BEGINS

This trip report was first written in my blog. I am cutting a pasting it here for those interested. A link to my blog is provided.

Here we go again, only this time we’re traveling a little further. With fond memories of our 2006 trip to Europe, we’re heading across the pond for 6 weeks of exploring France, Germany and Austria. The last several days have been worrisome with the volcano closing down all flights to Europe, but it looks like we’re going to make it.

We leave on April 28th for Geneva, where we will walk out of the airport into France. We have leased a new Peugeot which should be waiting for us upon our arrival.

On our last trip to Europe, we stayed exclusively in Bed and Breakfasts and we are doing so again.

For me part of the fun of travel is the planning. I’ve been planned this trip for two years now, having cancelled last year due to a terrible exchange rate. It’s somewhat better now and I’m hoping it will stay that way. Our trip looks something like this:

Four nights, south of Geneva near Annecy, France in a small village at the foot of the Alps. When I contacted the owner this B&B, she e-mailed me that it was very rare to have Americans stay in her home. Sounded like my kind of place, so it will be our first stop.

From there it’s south to Provence for six nights at a B&B in a small hilltop village. Here the owner in the last part of her driving directions said, “turn right on the dirt track”. Again my kind of place.

Then it’s southwest to Carcassonne, France, an old walled city, for a couple of days. Turning north, we will stay five nights in the Dordogne Region of France at a B&B owned by an English couple.

That’s the last place with reservations, so after that the road may take us just about anywhere. We will spend some time on the Rhine River in Germany, then onto Bavaria and Austria. When heading back across Germany we intend on stopping in Munich for a few days before ending up in the Black Forest to stay a few days with Hans and Silke, our new found German friends.

Last year friends asked us for our advice for their upcoming trip to Europe. When asked if they should take a laptop with them, I told them not to bother. Who wants to carry around the extra weight? Upon their return, they told me it was the worst advice I could give, as a computer would have been beneficial for making reservations and researching the area one is visiting. With that in mind, I went out and purchased a Net Book, or mini-computer, which only weights about 2 pounds. With any luck, I’ll have internet access on occasion and will be updating the blog on this our latest adventure.

You can also read the entire trip report with photos on our blog at:

http://tinyurl.com/2cohly7

http://www.peugeot-openeurope.com/ht...home/home.aspx

http://annecy.lescolombines.free.fr/

http://www.masdukairos.com/site%20gb/index.htm

http://www.lerelaisdupech.com/index.html

dgassa

After a long boring plane ride from San Diego to Geneva via Washington DC We arrived in France the next day about 8 am. Because the Airport is on the border with France, we exited onto French territory. We gathered our luggage which arrived in tact and on the same plane and headed for the ATM for Some euros. The machine kept refusing to give me money, so we decided to get some later. We then met with the representative from Peugeot who had me sign a couple of documents for the registration and insurance for our new car. He made sure I understood the car ran on diesel and handed me the keys. In about 5 minutes the formalities were over and we were off.

The cheapest place in France to buy gas is at the supermarket. All are self serve and many have no attendants. You pay at the pump with a credit card. European card have a chip rather than a strip which the computer reads. Some card readers read both, some can not. Of course my card did not work. First no money, and now no diesel. We finally found a regular gas station with an employee and filled her up. It was then that I discovered I had been using my credit card instead of the debt card at the ATM card and the dept card at the gas pump, which just does not work here. So much for no sleep in 24 hours. We stopped at a nearby bank and filled up with euros and headed out again.
We drove around the end of Switzerland not wanting to pay 40 euros or about $53 for a pass which allows you to drive on their freeway system. It did not seem like a good deal for a 15 mile short cut. We remained in France and we drove to the area around Annecy before stopping for lunch. Since we could not arrive at our B & B until mid afternoon, we drove around Lake Annecy enjoying the sights. After a stop at a grocery store for supplies, wine, cheese and bread, we arrived at Les Columbines, in the little village of Cons-Sainte-Colombe our home for the next 4 nights.
We were greeted by our hostess, Coralie Marlier, who showed us to our simple but comfortable room. Having been up for 30 hours, we were hardly able to function. Cathie took a nap while I explored the village on foot. The village is situated on a hillside overlooking the valley with the snowcapped Alps towering overhead. The village is just about all residential, with the exception of the church, town hall, a butcher and cheese maker. The latter two operate out of their homes.
After a picnic dinner on our terrace, with a view of the high peaks above, we headed off to bed about 8 pm, not being able to keep our eyes open any longer.

CarolJean

This brings back memories of picking up a peugeot in Geneva and driving to Annecy. Am enjoying your report and look forward to more. CJ

dgassa

BREAKFAST ON THE TERRACE

The morning greeted us with bright sunshine and clear skies. We were served our breakfast on the terrace with the view of the Alps that surround us. One usually thinks of a French breakfast as small, but at most B&B's this is not the case. Although there are no eggs and bacon, there is plenty to eat. Orange juice, milk, coffee drank the French way from a bowl, assorted cereals and granolas, cheese, yogurt, fresh French bread with thick crust and soft hot interior, butter, honey, and four kinds of jams.

With Caralies's husband Laurent off to work and her three daughters off to school, she tells us about things to do and see in the area. She says that rain is expected tomorrow, so she suggest we go to Chamonix Mont-Blanc, the winter resort at the foot of Mont-Blanc, the Alps tallest mountain, while the weather was still good. We take her advice and drive the 60 km to the resort. A portion of the main road is closed for some reason unknown to us, so we must take the signed detour. This puts us on narrow mountain roads which greatly enhanced the scenery and the danger. Very large semi-trucks must use the detour also and on many hairpin turns they use the entire road. Now that I'm writing this and we are alive, I can say it was great fun.

After the 2 hours drive, we arrive in Chamonix Mont-Blanc. There are several options for cable cars and trams up the mountain. There is no way to ride to the summit, but you can get close on a tramway. The tourist office tells us the highest tramway is open, but the top is covered with clouds, so we opt for a cog wheel tram to Mer de Glace, one of the glaciers on the mountain. We buy our tickets and climb aboard. After a 25 minute ride, we arrive at a station overlooking the glacier in the valley below.

Next we board a cable tramway for a ride halfway down to the glacier. The rest of the way you walk down a series of catwalks and stairs to the glacier. Once there, you can walk through the Grotte de Glace, a manmade ice cave into the glacier. Because the glacier is slowing moving, each winter a new Grotte de Glace is carved out of the ice for the season. After a cold walk through the glacier, we warm back up by climbing the catwalks and 350 steps, yes count them, 350, to the tramway. We have a leisurely late lunch in Chamonix before returning to our B&B via the same detour as before. We Survived!

A note about driving in France. As a tourist, we tend to drive slow and make sudden turns. The French, whom most seem to drive above the speed limit and who secretly want to be race car drivers, especially on twisty mountain roads, consider my ability to drive with distain. It goes something like this. I am going along at my tourist pace when a car approaches from behind. When they arrive at my bumper, they use my vehicle to "draft" for a while and to see if I'm going to speed up or get out of the way. They are so close I can see the driver in my rearview mirror mouthing the words, idiot and stupide, two French words I learned on our last trip. Once they know I'm not getting out of their way by driving off the cliff, they pass. It doesn't seem to matter to them that there is a curve or cars coming in the opposite direction, as one must arrive first. It was great fun.

The next day May 1st and a holiday in France. We went to Annecy and walked the promenade beside the lake and into the old part of the city which was crowded with locals enjoying the holiday with their families. Restaurants were doing a booming business, so we picked a busy crowded one thinking the food would be good. We were right. We each had the plat du jour, which consisted of salad, lasagna, and dessert. Cathie had beer and I had too much wine. Cathie did the driving after that. Museums and the tourist sites are closed because of the holiday, which was fine. We just walked around the old town for a couple of hours

The next day we awake to rain. After a slow breakfast, we headed out about 1 pm for the ATM and bakery. We stock up on cash and bread and then it's off to Chateau de Menthon Saint-Bernard. By the name of the Chateau, you might guess it has something to do with the Saint Bernard dog and it does. The Chateau has been inhabited since the 12th century and is the birthplace of Saint Bernard the patron saint of mountaineers. Saint Bernard de Menthon (1008-1081) was the founder of the hospices which bear his name and are widely known for his famous rescue dogs. The Menthon family still owns the Chateau and lives on the grounds in a modern house. More recently, Francois de Menthon (1900-1984), father of the current owner, was one of the founders of the French Resistance during WW-II and was a minister and prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trails at the end of the war.


For our last night at Les Columbines, we had dinner with our hosts. Coralie prepared dishes from the region which included leak soup, la tartiflette, a main dish made with potatoes, herbs, cheese and a cream sauce, thinly sliced ham, salad and cake. All of it was delicious and came with French wine. For all you wine snobs out there, the French also buy, "wine in a box". We had an enjoyable evening with our hosts and couldn't have asked for more.

joannyc

Thanks! Very much enjoying your report!

dgassa

ON TO PROVENCE

We leave Cons-Sainte Columbine and head south towards Provence. We have 330 km (200 miles) to travel and we stick to the secondary roads. The freeways here in France are excellent, but expensive to use. We don't mind traveling slow and it allows us to see more of the country. It's slow going navigating the towns and villages the route takes us through. To assist us in finding our way, Alice is with us. Over here she has an English accent and has the assistance of a young French woman who tells us the names of the roads and streets to follow. Alice says, "take the second exit at the roundabout" and then this French woman tells us the name of the road in French. Since I figure together they know more about the roads here than I do, I argue with them less. Anyway I would loose any argument because I am out numbered 2 to 1.

After about 7 hours we arrive at Venasque, a small hilltop village in the Vaucluse region of Provence, our home for the next six nights.

You climb the narrow road as it twists and turns up into the village. The road is two way with only enough room for one car at a time. We enter the village. We are used to signs telling us the height, but here they also tell us the width. So we must do a quick conversion. The height is 9'10", for us not a concern, but the width is 9'2". This would be OK if the streets were one way, but there are not.

we arrive at our B&B, Le Mas Du Kairos which is run by Josy and Charles Saulnier. This was recommended by Semi-mike here on Fodors. There are other guests here also. Each morning we have breakfast with Marc and his family. He is a businessman from Paris and appears to be in his late 50's. With him is his young wife from Thailand and their two small boys. He is here to oversee the renovation of a vacation home he recently purchased. He has been here for about a month and he tells me that he has no idea when they go home. He says tradesmen the south of France tell you they can do the job at hand, but then you have to stay on top of them to get them to finish the job. He has been a wealth of information for us, providing ideas on places to go and things to do in the area. He warns us not to leave anything, and he means anything in the car when we are out. He tells us the Arabs have taken over the south and crime is on the rise.

It's been cold and raining for most of our stay in Provence. Just like we tell visitors in San Diego when it's cloudy in May, we are told we should have been here last week. The weather is unusual for here and has made the news. It hasn't stopped us from exploring though.

Everyone who visits this area as least drives by the Seneaque Abbey. You may have seen photos of this abbey with the lavender fields around it. Of course we pick a time when the lavender is not in bloom so it looks somewhat plain. We did how ever on the urging of Marc, attend a mass in the chapel. The mass is conducted by the monks and is attended by whomever wants to go. The impressive part of the mass is when the monks sing or chant. The acoustics in the chapel are amazing. There were only 7 monks singing at the mass, but it sounded like 50. It was really something to hear.

Both Gordes and Roussillon are hilltop, or perched villages close to where we are staying. They are very touristy but still worth a visit. We went to Gordes in the morning for the town market but in the pouring rain it wasn't a very pleasant experience. It is really a sight to behold from a distance, and when not raining, a great village to explore with it's narrow winding streets. Roussillon nearby is again on a hilltop, but quite different because its buildings are tinted with ochre, a mineral in the soil on which the village sits.

PONT DU GARD

A well preserved Roman aqueduct built in 50 AD. Quite impressive as it spans the river. The site was crowded with school children. We also paid a visit to a Roman Coliseum in Nimes. We were told this arena is the best preserved in the world. They use the arena today for bullfights and concerts. Stevie Wonder will perform next month.

Each day takes us to different locations in this area of Provence, where we explore towns and villages. We also explore menus of the local restaurants. Sometimes it is a guessing game as to what's on the menu. We eat our main meal at midday and it is always adventure trying to figure out what is being offered. We are trying to be adventurous in our selection but at times you stick to what you know. Cathie as an example ordered red and green bell pepper salad with olives and tomatoes. Everything was going according to plan until she discovered, too late I might add, that the salad also contained anchovies. She can’t stand anchovies.

http://www.pontdugard.fr/index.php?langue=GB

http://www.arenes-nimes.com/en/nimes/

http://www.masdukairos.com/site%20gb/index.htm

www.senanque.fr

dgassa

CARCASSONNE AND THE DORDOGNE

Our last day in Provence was May 8th a national holiday in France. They celebrate the end of WWII and every village, town and city, no matter what size honor their fallen with a ceremony. It usually involves a band with the local officials making a speech and laying flowers at the war memorial that each community has. We were in small villages with less that 100 people and each had a memorial statute honoring the dead from both WWI and II.

While driving along we came upon a celebration in a small town, which the name I do not remember. Each organization would lay flowers at the monument and then the children would lay their flowers, after which the French National Anthem was played. All this in the pouring rain.

We next headed to Carcassonne, primarily to seen the walled city there. On our way to our B&B we crossed the Canal Du Midi and observed an American Flagged canal boat plying it’s way along. It is a popular vacation in these parts to rent a boat and cruise the canal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki.canal_du_midi

While visiting Carcassonne we stayed at L’Olivette a very nice B&B in Cabrespine, a very small village in the local mountains. We were greeted by Elizabeth, who speaks very little English. With our hand jesters and the use of a French/English dictionary we were able to communicate enough to learn about her home. The house, which is three stories, has been in her husband’s family since 1850. In more recent times it was used as their vacation home, but 5 years ago Elizabeth and her husband moved into the 3 floor and converted the 2nd floor into individual rooms for the B&B. Breakfast was on the 1st floor where there was a very nice living room to relax in. The rooms were filled with antiques and old photos of the family. It was interesting to see a family photo taken in the late 1800's in front of the house, which looked the same today as it did then.

http://www.olivette-cabrespine.com/

We visited Carcassonne which is a walled medieval city on a hill overlooking the new city below. The wall is 3 km around and encircles the chateau and the city. The site of the city on the hilltop is very impressive with its guard towers and high walls. The city part of the interior is less impressive as it is full of shops selling basically junk and restaurants with over priced food. Plastic swords, miniature knights, and the same kind of crap you see at just about any tourist site in the states. OK for the kids, but boring for us. The tour of the chateau was OK, but the interior was devoid of furniture of the era. Afterwards we went to the new city down below (old by our standard) and wandered the narrow streets. Much more interesting,

We next moved on to the Dordogne, a region in France filled with hilltop chateaus overlooking the Dordogne River Valley. The area is a lush green and famous for it's caverns, both geological and prehistoric, the latter with cave painting dating back thousands of years. We are staying at Le Relais du Pech a B&B owned by Ken and Linda, who after retiring in their native England, relocated here in the village of Carlux. It's nice to speak to someone who has a good grasp of the English language, but they do sound funny with that accent and all. It turns out Ken retired at about the same time I did and from the same profession. They are both a wealth of information about the area and very friendly. They can accommodate 7 people in three rooms and have plans to expand their business with a Gite, an apartment for longer term rentals. I keep forgetting to ask for the translation of the name of their establishment, but when I find out, I'll let you know. We’re still having problems with the weather, but as with everyone we meet, Ken and Linda also tell us we should have been here yesterday.

http://www.lerelaisdupech.com/index.html

There area is ripe with chateaus with one on just about every hillside. We had planned to rent a canoe and paddle down the Dordogne River, but it continues to rain. We visited most of the villages and towns within a 50 km radius including the famous Sarlat. While in Sarlat, there was a festival of sorts going on, with the local farmers selling their products. Not the typical farmers market, but mostly products from farm animals with some cheese and wine thrown in for good measure. I bought some foie gras and will have to wait and see if I can get it through customs.

We would have liked to get out more, but the weather has been terrible, with rain on 5 of our six days in the area.

pja1

Hi,

Great report and great photo's! I can't believe you stayed at the Gaesthuas Bergland in Finkenberg (Zillertal)! We stayed there in Sept. '09. That's a place we definitley plan a return trip to.

We love Radler beer ourselves!

Paul

dgassa

Paul,

Yes, it was a great place to stay. It may have been you that mentioned it in a previous post because I found it after reading something here or on another site. Also someone wrote a review on Trip Advisor that sold me on the place. We rented an apartment for 3 nights and were the only guests during our stay. (off season). We We were given a much lower rate than was posted on their web site.

dgassa

EATING OUR WAY ACROSS FRANCE

Eating here in France is necessary to survive, but it is also an adventure. The downside, if there is one, is that we eat too much.

BREAKFAST

At our B&B's an ample breakfast is served with an over abundant amount of bread, which is usually fresh and many times hot out of the oven. It tastes so good, you tend to overeat. Then comes coffee, juice, jams, honey, different types of cereal, fruit, yogurt, cheese and at times some kind of cold cuts. Now if your disciplined you eat a little of one thing or another, but we haven't been disciplined yet. You just gotta try everything. So after a long and slow breakfast, we push back from the table and head out for the day.

LUNCH

We usually eat lunch around 1:30 in the afternoon. This is partly because most restaurants in France close around 2 pm and don't open again until dinner time, which here is around 7 pm. But the main reason we eat lunch when we do is because we're too full from breakfast to eat any sooner. On most days we try to make lunch our main meal of the day. So with our French menu decoder in hand we start looking at menus for something we can understand. All French restaurants post their "carte" outside along with the "plat du jour" or the dish of the day. The daily offering is usually the best option for the price. Normally comes with a starter, like a salad or soup, a main dish, and desert or cheese plate. Drinks are usually extra. Food here is expensive, but the wine is cheap. A 1/4 liter of wine, about two glasses, goes for 3 to 4 dollars. Soft drinks are expensive, around $5, so in an effort to watch the budget, we drink wine.
Making a selection from the carte is the fun part. Sometimes you just don't know what you're getting, like the anchovies Cathie got in a salad once. We look around to see what others are eating and sometimes just point and order what looks good. With the exception of the anchovies, we really haven't had a bad experience and most times the food is excellent and delicious.

Meals here last a long time. No one is in a hurry to get you to pay the bill and move on. If you get a table for a meal, it is yours the rest of the meal time and usually no one will present you with a bill until you ask for it. You go slow and enjoy both the food and the company. We had a five course dinner the other night and the meal lasted 2-1/2 hours.

DINNER

If we do go out to dinner, we just have a snack for lunch, like a cheese plate with some wine. Our normal routine is to buy items from the grocery store and have a picnic in our room. Some B&B's have a small kitchen for our use, and we might have a bowl of instant soup and of course, wine. If we do go out to dinner it's normally another large slow meal.
Ok, you ask, so what have we been eating, besides drinking the wine? Here are some examples with photos:

http://tinyurl.com/2btee77

dgassa

We spent 6 days in the Dordogne and I still can't pronounce it the way the French do. When someone asks me where we've been and I give them my pronunciation of Dordogne, they haven't a clue where it its. I have to show them on a map or write it out for them. Then they get a good laugh at the way this crazy American attempts to speak French.

We said goodbye to Ken and Linda, who I might add were superb hosts and started a two day 700 km drive to Verdun. On the first day of the drive we made a detour to see Oradour sur Glane, a village that was destroyed by the Germans in WWII. The village has been left as it was after the Germans killed all but a few of the residents and burned the village.

On June 10, 1944 a column German solders entered the village and began rounding up all the residents. They were told it was for an identification check and to search the village for weapons. Up until this time, the residents had not had any real problems with the German Army, so there was no resistance. Once all the villagers were assembled, the men were separated into six groups and taken to different barns in town. The women and children we taken to the church.

After about 1 hour, the Germans began machine gunning the men and setting the barns on fire. A fire bomb was place in the church and ignited. 642 men, women and children perished. The only survivors were 5 men who escaped from one of the barns and one women who climbed out a window behind the alter in the church. The entire village was burned, destroying every building. All that is left are the remains of walls and things that were made of metal. The French government has left the village as it was then as a reminder.

A new village was built next to it. As you walk through the destruction, you can see everyday items that would be in any home and business. I was surprised to see so many sewing machines, but I suppose every household had one back then. There are bicycles, frames of baby carriages, farm equipment and cars and trucks still in their garages. It was a very moving experience. There are small plaques on most of the buildings identifying who lived there or the name of the business that occupied the site.

http://www.oradour.info/

dgassa

Our B&B near Verdun is one of the nicest places we've stayed so far. Very large room with lots of antiques. This is a beautiful home owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Wurtz, a retired couple who grew up in the village. Very nice people and we opted to have dinner with them one night. Five courses with wine, topped off with a home made plum liquor that Mr. Wurtz said was 50% alcohol. After one sip, I didn't doubt him for a minute.

http://www.lametairiedeverges.com/

We came to Verdun for the WWI sites. On our last trip to France we went to Normandy and went to lots of sites we had learned about over time. We hear less about WWI, but had heard of Verdun on many occasions. Cathie's grandfather fought somewhere in the area, although his exact history is unknown. When one thinks of America's overseas military cemeteries, you usually think of Omaha Beach. Near Verdun is the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. It encompasses 130 acres captured by the 32nd Infantry Division. Free use of the land, as a permanent burial ground, was granted by the French government in perpetuity, without charge or taxation, as an expression of Frances gratitude to the United States.

There are 14,246 American war dead interred in the cemetery, most of whom fell during the operations of the First U.S. Army, between September 26 and November 11, 1918. The graves include 486 "unknowns". This is the largest U.S. military cemetery in a foreign county. In the memorial at the site are inscribed the names of the 954 missing, who remains were never recovered.

It is interesting to note that the grounds are overseen by American employees of the American Battle Monuments Commission, some of who live on the site. The cemetery is immaculate. Much better cared for than any monument in Washington DC. Perhaps that's because the man in charge is a U.S. Army General. While we were there, we noticed that some of the crossed were being dug up. We learned that some had become misaligned and they were being realigned so that the rows were straight at all angles.

The area was devoid of trees during the battle of Verdun. The trees have since grown, but you can still see the results of 300 days of bombing, shelling and trench warfare. The land is pot marked with shell craters.

The Ossuary at Douaumont, the final resting place of the remains of around 130,000 French and German solders collected from the chaotic battlefield. The remains were initially placed in coffins bearing the names of the sectors where they had been found, in a provisional Ossuary. The current building we erected in 1920 and the remains were entombed beneath the building. These are all unidentified remains. There are windows where one can looked into the burial chambers and see the bones of the fallen. In front of the monument are the graves of 15,000 French solders that were killed in battle. You can read more about the monument here:

http://www.verdun-douaumont.com/

On the same battlefield are the ruins of several forts built by the French as a defense against invasion. These forts were constructed in the 1880's and were improved upon over time. As the Germans advanced in WWI they captured many of the forts and occupied them until the French took them back later in the war. We toured Fort Douaumont which was a complex of underground tunnels and spaces where the solders lived and worked. The fortifications consisted of machine gun emplacements and large cannon. Quite impressive. There were over 3 kilometers of tunnel and passages in the fort. Spaces included kitchens, barracks, chapel, and administrative offices, not to mention the armament.

klondike

Reading your very interesting report with great pleasure.

We (a group of educators and families) visited the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery and area this spring. It was pouring rain for the entire day, including during a treck through Sgt. York's battle area where we pulled out cognac and toasted to honor all fallen soldiers. The cold, the mud...it wasn't too hard to imagine the horrors of WWI.

Looking forward to the rest. Thanks for posting!

dgassa

Klondike,

Glad you're enjoying the report. Visiting Verdun gives you a sobering perspective on the damage war causes, not only the vast numbers of fallen solders but the lasting damage to the land. There are numerous villages in the Verdun area that no longer exist due to the battles that raged there.

dgassa

dgassa

GERMANY AND THE RHINE

Next up was Germany and our first stop was Bacharach one of the many small towns along the middle section of the upper Rhine River. Beautiful little towns with timbered buildings and narrow streets. It also stopped raining and we're beside our selves with happiness. Actually some warm weather for a change. We are staying Pension Im Malerwinkel a really nice small family run hotel. Its a couple of blocks from the center of town, close enough to stroll down the street for refreshment, but far enough away that we don't hear any noise. We don't even hear anyone else in the hall, no doors slamming no nothing. We think we're the only ones here until breakfast where the other guests show up. The owners assign tables by room number and manage to seat table mates with you that you can converse with, mainly other Americans. Our room has a balcony and overlooks the garden. There is a small stream running by so we leave our window open at night, falling asleep to its sound.

There is a castle on the hill above the town, but there is a castle on the hill above just about every town along this section of the Rhine River. That's a big reason why people come here. You can stay in Stahech Castle above the town if you're willing to stay in a youth hostel. Could be noisy. I hiked up the hill for a look, and their outdoor cafe with picnic tables has a terrific view of the river below.

One thing people do around here, besides drink beer, the local wine, or eat the vast amounts of food, is to take one of the boats that cruise the river. You head either up or down river, stopping to get off at one of the other little towns along the river. Because of the current, what takes 1 hour to go down river requires 1-3/4 hours to come back up. Very relaxing with some of the greatest scenery anywhere. The boats are large and comfortable and serve, you guessed it, beer, the local wine and vast amounts of food. Oh, I almost forgot, it started raining again. We did have some sunny days, but I think the rain gods were just teasing us.

A lot of freight is transported on the river by the ever present barge. They carry everything from shipping containers to gravel. Families live on the barges in many instances. You see children's playground equipment on the roof of the living cabin and of course the family car.

After four nights on the Rhine we headed for Regensburg in Bavaria, one of the few cities whose old center was spared damage in WW II. The other reason for visiting Regensburg is, we've got a reservation to tour the BMW factory there.


http://www.im-malerwinkel.de/

dgassa

SHOPPING

Shopping in Europe is an adventure all by its self. In France there are several large supermarket chains to choose from and they are somewhat different from those we have in the States. Carrefour and Intermarche are common as is, E.Leclerc, pronounced, la clair. They are pretty much the same and most have a department store section selling everything from clothes, to garden supplies. Most sell gas and diesel and have the cheapest price in France. Some other differences include checkers who sit at the registers, bring your own shopping bag or buy one at the store, and bag your own groceries. Most will have extensive and separate departments for meat, cheese and fish. There is a wide selection, which at times for us was daunting just trying to figure out what was in some of the different packaging.

When you arrive in the parking lot, pick up your cart by putting a .50 coin in the slot which releases it from the next cart. When you return it, you get your .50 back. You never see abandoned shopping carts in the neighborhoods or all over the parking lot as you do at home.

Some of the larger markets include other stores, restaurants and bars. In Germany, Wal Mart has a beer garden. We encountered several with large cafeterias. I was seated next to a large display of salads and desserts at one such cafeteria. I took a picture during a lull of customers. While taking the photo I noticed one women customer giving me the evil eye. Several minutes later, I had been reported to the management and was contacted by one of the employees who wanted to know what I was doing photographing the food. The employee, a cook, perhaps thought I was stealing trade secrets for the competition. I tried to explain my purpose and thinking I was making headway I asked if I could photograph him cooking. At this point he must have thought I was completely crazy and told me "It is not permitted". He left at this point, but kept a wary eye on the strange American, while I finished my coffee.

When you buy fruit and vegetables at the grocery store, you bag them, place them on the scale in the produce department, push the appropriate button with a picture of your purchase on it and a sticker with the price and bar code is printed. This gets scanned at the cash register. At the cheese counter, the cheese is not only sold pre cut a packages, buy you can select an amount to be sliced from a large round of cheese.

Most every town and small village in France has a weekly market, and in some larger towns these markets take place twice a week. Food is locally produced and of a wide variety. For the most part, the supermarket is cheaper.

There's another kind of shopping. It's the kind one does while on a trip because she realizes she doesn't have enough clothes. Without any consideration on how more items will fit in the carry on, one must shop. You manage to get a great selection in the tourist shops along side the plastic swords, miniature figurines, Christmas ornaments, T-shirts that say "all grandma got me was this lousily T-shirt", and Harley Davidson memorabilia. (The latter is quite popular here in Germany).On a recent such outing, I was at my usual post outside of the store enjoying the scenery, and I made this observation. Of the four stores of similar type, one each corner, all four had a gentleman about my age, standing outside enjoying the scenery. Goes to show you things are pretty much the same everywhere.

321sister

dgassa, Please tell me where is the wal mart in germany. thanks jayvee

dgassa

321 sister,

I sort of cheated with that statement. On our last trip in 06, there were Wal Marts, but since then they have been sold to a German company and Wal Mart pulled out. At the time, some had beer gardens. Sorry if I got your hopes up.

CarolJean

Very enjoyable. I'm travelling vicariously with you CJ

dgassa

Carol Jean,

Thanks for the kind comment.