Today’s post is 1100 words, 34 photos, 1 video, a 6 minute read. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

This week I’ll take you to the cities of Bernkastel-Kues and Trier. We’ll end the day in Trassem with dinner at Wayne’s third cousin, Stephan. The next morning we would leave the Mosel River Valley and head north to Bonn.

If you missed the previous posts in this series, click here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Bernkastel-Kues

After a good sleep, a shower, and breakfast, we were ready to head out for the day. Our first destination was the twin towns of Bernkastel-Kues in the heart of Middle Mosel. It’s known for the half-timbered houses along narrow lanes and the relaxed riverside atmosphere. Wine, specially Rieslings, are a big deal around here. The city center is said to be historic and picturesque.

On our drive north we made several stops for photos of the inviting scenery.

Along the way, we stopped at a riverside park to watch the machines conducting the grape harvest. It appears the harvester shakes the vines to release the ripe grapes. When the harvester was full, it dumps the grapes into a wagon. I can’t imagine the army of people that would be needed to handpick all these grapes. Although, later in our time in Germany, we did see some crews handpicking the vines.

In one of our guidebooks, we read that BernKastel-Kues had a museum of wine-making. Upon arrival at the address, we discovered it was a place for selling local wines. Sure there were a few displays but nothing resembling a museum, at least in our minds.

Disappointed, we encountered lots of traffic through the center of town and found a parking spot along the riverfront. This was as advertised. We ate our lunch on a picnic table along the Mosel River then walked along the path to a stairway into the city.

One of my favorite photos from Germany.

We were in need of a restroom and found a public facility near the grocery store and parking lot. The charge was 1 € or about $1.20 USD. After every use, it automatically cleans itself.

We walked around the city for a bit, it was very crowded with tourists. We did make a stop at the St. Nikolaus Hospital founded in 1458 by scholar and philosopher, Cardinal Nikolaus of Cusa. It operated primarily as a retirement home and hospice. Today, residents are primarily needy men. We took a peek at the historic chapel before heading out for Trier.

Trier

We drove south along the Mosel River to the city of Trier, a city of over 110,000 people. Trier is considered Germany’s oldest, founded by the Romans in the 1st Century BC. This long history has shaped the city in many ways. Places like the Porta Nigra (black gate), the city gate the Romans built in 170 AD. It is now designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The day of our visit, there was a food festival underway. We stopped for something to drink and an ice cream when a couple of musicians began playing from one of the balconies of the Porta Nigra. Apparently, this is a regular occurrence.

 

Nearby was the Trier Cathedral, St. Peter’s, the oldest cathedral in Germany. Parts of this magnificent church date to the 4th century. It’s a mix of Roman, Romanesque’s, Gothic, and Baroque styles. It is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I think this is St. Peter guarding one of the entrances to the cathedral.

Inside the thick walls are quiet chapels, and religious relics.

I found this display of the names of the Bishops quite interesting. The first name engraved was in 250, the current one in 2009. Almost 2000 years.

After gawking at the cathedral, we heard some folk/rock music playing nearby. Beyond the food festival was a stage in a large courtyard. The lone musician was singing some of the standards from the 1960s and ’70s, some in German, some in English.

Karl Marx

Karl Marx, one of the most influential political thinkers in history, was bornin Trier in 1818. The city was critical in the development of the ideas that would shape his idea of modern socialism and communism. After leaving Trier to study law, first in Bonn and later Berlin, he worked as a journalist, political editor, and studied political economy. He later lived and worked in Paris, Brussels, and London where he wrote his book, Das Kapital, the first systematic critique of capitalism grounded in economics. He died in 1883 in London where he lived in relative poverty. In Trier,  he’s honored with a statute and his boyhood home is a historic site and museum.

We headed back to the car, walking through the well regarded outdoor market known as the Hauptmarkt.

I saw this tent with people standing around. I think it’s a political party but not sure which one. The words on the tent are translated as “I don’t want anything to do with Nazis.” Good thing, I guess. I was wondering as there is a rise in fascism in some parts of Germany.

Trassem

Soon we were on the way to Trassem for dinner with Wayne’s cousin, Stephan. We’d seen him the day before when we drove into his yard.

Stephan went all out. He prepared rolled beef, dumplings, gravy, and a delicious red cabbage. The table was set to perfection. It was the best meal I had in Germany. Stephan said he likes to cook for guests but doesn’t get the opportunity to do it very often.

After dinner, Stephan took us on a walk to the main road in Trassem. There he pointed out the house where the maternal side of Wayne’s family originated. They purchased this house in 1692. It’s still in the family. Stephan told us that it was damaged by British bombs during World War II but rebuilt after the war. Stephan’s ex-wife and two of his daughters and their families live there now. In the photo below, the white house to the right is the original, the portion on the left was added on.

After more talk about family and relatives, it was time to depart. Stephan and Wayne hadn’t seen each other for years. Hard telling if they would see each other again.

Whenever something being discussed turned to fate, Stephan would point up. Thus implying it was in God’s hands. That’s funny because he was not very religious. In this photo they were discussing whether they would see each other again.

It was a good three days in the Mosel River Valley. I would definitely return. The scenery was gorgeous, I think the best in Germany. I liked being in the countryside. The wine was excellent if you like Riesling. I do. A very memorable time.

Next week, I’ll take you on a cruise on the Rhine River and on to the former capital of Germany, Bonn

But first….

THE FIVE SENSES PLUS ONE

Saw – beautiful scenery, vineyards, Mosel River, Cathedral, lots of people

Heard – ducks quacking, people talking mostly in German, kids playing, music in Trier in both English and German

Touch – old Roman walls, railings, shook hands with Stephan

Smell – clean fresh air, food cooking at festival, air spray/freshener

Taste – delicious beef, dumplings, red cabbage, water with gas, three sweet wines at winery

Learned – importance of family connections, it was fun to watch

Until next week, happy travels!

Tom

PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM