When the 2009 Rick Steves Tour brochure came last year, we were really excited, because we knew that in 2009 we would be taking another tour. We had taken Rick Steves' Best of Europe Family Tour in 2006 and had a superb time. When it came time to plan our next big trip, we didn't even look at other tour companies—we knew we wanted to go with Rick Steves! We eagerly looked through the brochure, imagining all of the different places and sites, people and food. Hmmm... British Isles? Turkey? They all sounded wonderful. But Chris had been taking German lessons for the last couple of years, and it seemed like a great opportunity to put it to practical use. After all, we didn't want all of those Monday nights spent rushing to get his homework done for Tuesday class to be in vain!! There was a Family Departure tour that left just a few days after our daughters, Anna and Jill, got out of school. And I, Laura, had always wanted to take pictures of old castles. Perfect!
Day 1: Welcome to the Rhine Valley. We'll meet around 5 p.m. at our hotel for a "Welcome to Germany" get together. Then we'll take an evening walk through charming St. Goar and enjoy dinner together.
We arrived in St. Goar the day before the official tour started and had most of the next day to explore the town before meeting with our tour group at 5 pm. The kids groaned when I declared it "St. Goar-geous." Sunny and warm, not too hot, not too cold—Goldilocks would have loved this place! Gelato in hand, we walked along the busy Rhine, watching the ferries zipping diagonally across the current, then at the last minute doing quick u-turns to arrive cleanly at the dock. Next, a leisurely ride on rented bikes along the Rhine towards Bacharach, with castles peeking into and out of view as we made our down the river. What a delightful start to a vacation!
We made it back in time to freshen up and find our way to the meeting room. We had been looking at the names on our tour members list for weeks and it was great to finally put faces to them. The tour guide, Margaret, and Keith, the assistant guide, gave us the tour orientation and then Margaret and Keith took us into St. Goar. I think when the word "quaint" was coined, it must have been to find the perfect word to describe St. Goar. Cute shops selling beer steins, street side cafes, cobblestone streets, with the massive Rheinfels castle leaning over the town... and tomorrow, we'll hike up to the castle!
As we settled in for the night, we heard the faint sound of rolling thunder...
Day 2: Castles and Cruising the Rhine. We'll begin our day exploring cliff-top Rheinfels Castle, before making our way to the half-timbered village of Bacharach. After a walking tour with a local guide, we'll cruise the Rhine River, passing picturesque castles and vineyards, and return to St. Goar for the evening.
The breakfast provided by the hotel was hearty! We were treated to delicious coffee, rolls, cheese, and cured meats —which, as it turned out, kicked off 20 consecutive meals of pork for Chris. Fortified, we started up the route towards the castle, the clouds hanging low. As soon as we entered the castle grounds, it started to sprinkle, but this didn't dampen the excitement of being in a real castle. The tour guide took us through the courtyard and defensive galleries and gave us the option of going through the mine tunnels. In the 1600s, these tunnels, which run out beyond the walls, were packed with explosives, with the intention of being exploded underneath soldiers attacking the castle walls. Taking flashlights, we duck-walked through the 600 foot tunnel, excited to be in the middle of an adventure, but very glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
When we emerged from the tunnels, the heavens opened. We took refuge in the castle museum, waiting for the rain to let up. When it became clear this was no brief shower, we decided to venture down, coats and hoods up. Our first stop back on the St. Goar main street was a shop selling umbrellas! We had a couple of hours to dry off and then took the train downstream to Bacharach.
In Bacharach, we were met by the most delightful gentleman, Herr Jung. Herr Jung is in his 70s and passionate about German history, telling captivating stories about his life as a boy in Nazi Germany and his fondness for the American soldiers.
Herr Jung was a master of finding us covered alcoves, hallways, and even a church in which to give us the history of the area, while keeping us out of the rain. We unexpectedly had the delightful experience of ducking into a small shop and having the shopkeeper play us some wonderful music on his piano. Our tour guide, Margaret, conferred with the pianist and then sang a beautiful song or two, accompanied by the shopkeeper, as the rain splashed on the cobblestones outside. It was truly a magical moment.
By this time, we were all outfitted with umbrellas, so when Herr Jung suggested a hike up through the vineyards to a tower over Bacharach, we all readily agreed. The view of the Rhine and the half-timbered buildings in the village were stunning, and the rain had polished the surrounding greenery to a gleam. We returned to town along a stream that tumbled past the backyard gardens of Bacharach homes.
After our tour, we were free to wander a bit around the village. We then all met up at the ferry dock for a cruise back up the Rhine to St. Goar. We sipped rich hot cocoa as we watched, through rain-splashed windows, the silhouettes of castles standing along the river.
Now on to Burg Eltz!
