Cochem

While we were having the breakfast part of our B&B in Bacharach we ran into an older couple from California that we met in Rothenburg. We traded some stories about our travels and our woes about the train strike and our hopes that we would get to our destinations without too much interruption.

Our morning train yesterday to Cochem was still running and not affected (other than being crowded) by the strike as it is operated by a different company. We had some time after breakfast and before departure so we strolled around this little town.  Tara, not to be outdone by her little sister also picked up a little sword/dagger. When we arrived in Cochem they discovered the bath robes and into full hobbit mode they went.

Cochem was going to be our last visit in castle country and we were beginning to slow it down a bit.  When we arrived we found a huge apartment with a full kitchen, dining room, living room, and two large bedrooms. Most importantly this flat had a clothes washer. We had been stocking up laundry in two categories 'really dirty' and 'just a little dirty'. The 'just a little dirty' clothes would be reused if we ran in to a clothes shortage and the 'really dirty' would be reused only in dire straits. We have done laundry almost everyday but had relaxed as of late in anticipation of this machine.  However, when we picked up the key, the good Frau informed us that it went "kaput" yesterday. Bummer, we may be getting into the 'just a little' bag shortly. 

Frau Schmidt spoke not a word of English. It was really funny trying to communicate the few things we needed to with her. A lot can be said with non-verbals, as we know a picture is worth a thousand words, and a thousand words is what we got. It was actually really funny. She just kept talking more and more and Patti and I could not help but to smile. The only word we really understood was in regards to the washing machine. Kaput!

We hit the supermarket and picked up some lunch and dinner supplies. It was the standard fare, fruit, bread, cheese, salami and a some sort of mystery meat that Patti always hopes is actually some kind of fowl. While Patiis meat selection is to some degree unknown we have had good fortune with the cheese selection. In fact, we have picked some great cheese in taste and texture.  Today was not to be one of those days. The cheese was a Havarti, which we have had success with, but this one was completely rank. It was the most awful smelling cheese we have ever met. I committed to not wasting it and on the two occasions that I was the consumer the kids would not get anywhere near me afterwards. While walking through the packaged food section there seems to be some warnings the packaging. 

After lunch we took a single track walk up to the Castle Reichsburg. We have been using the Rick Steves resources on our trip and he always seems to have an alternate and more isolated, if longer, hike up to the castles. We snapped a few pics but decided not to take the tour as we would be touring a castle the next day. We chatted with a couple from Ireland and they said that we made the right choice. 

After our castle walk the girls, who were very excited to have a full kitchen and dining room, closed off the adjoining doors and went to work. When it was all over they had set us up with another great dinner. 

Today we visited Castle Eltz outside of the city of Moselkern.  With a great hour and a half hiking approach, we turned a corner and there it was towering over us. It is one of the best preserved castles as it was continuously occupied and never overtaken and pillaged. The current owners are the 32nd generation of one of the families that owned it. There were three families that had residence in the castle at the same time for most of its history. 

As we were hiking in from the river I was wondering why one would build a castle all the way out here. That question was answered during the tour. Castle Eltz sits over what was an important trade route to bring goods down to the Mosel. The castle power would offer 'protection' for a compulsory fee. Not to many pictures here as the castle is a camera free zone. 

Images in 2015 Cochem