Bacharach the beautiful, and brandy brandy brandy!!

It was very rainy on our walking tour of Bacharach this morning, but our 81 year old native tour guide, Herr Jung, more than made up for the weather. I fell in love with him. His stories of living through the war brought me to tears several times, but his quick wit and dry sense of humor had us in stitches too.  It was an emotional roller coaster...all before 10:00 a.m.!  At one point during the tour he asked us to sing a song with him...guess who won a dime for singing the loudest....ME!!!  He then took me to a wishing well to make good use of my earnings.  (I'll never tell what I wished for, but it's guaranteed by a little old German man to come true!)


After our tour of Bacharach, we got on the bus and headed to a neighboring town, St. Goar.  Ally and I immediately set off in search of adventure.  We walked down to a store called "Stefan's Wine and Christmas Paradise"... I saw Nutcrackers in the window and wanted to pop in to get a picture for Keely.  The second we stepped through the door, however, Stefan himself waited on us hand and foot. He offered us taste test upon taste test of wine and brandy, all hand bottled and manufactured in Germany.  Needless to say...I'm taking home several "souvenirs" from this little gem of a store!  Stefan ended up giving Ally and I a FREE bottle of his special Blackberry Brandy (because we're so cute and sweet...just like blackberries...).


We then toured the ruins of Rheinfels Castle.  We saw dungeons and crawled through mine shafts...I thought at one point I was going to die alone and forgotten in those dark, tiny corridors...I was following a group of eighteen year old boys, who you'll meet later, and I thought to myself "Oh Lord! I'm stuck in here with these idiots and my life is in their hands...help me!"  But, then they figured the map out amongst themselves and I followed them like a lost sheep out of the desert/mines straight in to redemptive light and air...I didn't know I was claustrophobic until today.


We took a lovely cruise back up the Rhine River to get back to Bacharach.  Then, I had a hearty dinner with several of my new friends...whom you'll soon meet.  There are lots of families on this tour, which makes me miss mine all the more.  I've been "adopted" by several wonderful people and am growing to love my surrogate families.  I get a little homesick at night, but I know that when I get home I'll be able to share this once in a lifetime experience with all the people I love most....Oh, Herr Jung!!  You're sentimentality is making me a sodden mess!!  What have you done to me!?  I'm a sappy, emotional mess.  Looks like a good sleep is in order...good thing I have a 700 year old tower to retire to!!


                                                                                 Peace, Love, and Travel,
                                                                                 Reba

This is the Hotel Kranenturm!  Ally and I sleep in the very top window!

Free little concert during our walking tour of the village Bacharach.

I could live here.

This is our tour guide Herr Jung...he made us all cross under his legs during the course of the day.

I love this man.

Make a wish!

Now...Throw!

See the castle in the distance?  Me, Ally and a group of awesome kids climbed to that thing tonight!  It's a youth hostel.

The awesome kids: Kiaya, Alexi and Derrick.

We learned how to set our self timers...stupid plant life!

Here's the castle (youth hostel) up close.  There were kids EVERYWHERE, but they were all camera shy...

Bread, cheese and olives.

My new friend Lawrence.  He's trying the bread and cheese.  He's a true ten year old sceptic, but we have a deal where I get to pinch him every time he rolls his eyes at me...so...he's trying it anyway...

My new friend David with Lawrence, eating some post dinner gelato!!

Tee hee!  When you open up the flap to see the peep show...there's only a mirror!

Herr Jung, making me cry as he recites stories from his childhood...

Me and Herr Jung.

Ally, Stefan, and me.  This guy was a true host.

These are for you Keely.

But...this one especially.  He's a bee keeper, he's adorable, and I wish I could have brought him home for you...but as you can see, he's almost 149 euro...whoa,,,

Stone spiral staircase down to the creepy, dark, claustrophobia inducing mine shafts of castle Rhienfels.

River cruise!!

Fun on the river...check out the girls bright red hair in the background!!