Day 3
We were a little nervous about the amount of bus time on the tour, and this was the first of a handful of bus rides. Because the bus fit more than the size of the group, many people were able to have their own rows. David and I sat in separate rows since we both wanted a window seat...and space.
We arrived in Bacharach in the late afternoon. We were also excited because our friends who had just moved to Wiesbaden were going to meet up with us for dinner and drinks! Dinner on the first night was one of the included meals, and our friends were able to join in and members of the group even learned their names during the name game! I know people are sometimes hesitant about name games, but it definitely helped us learn the names of the people with whom we would be spending the next three weeks.
We were a little nervous about the amount of bus time on the tour, and this was the first of a handful of bus rides. Because the bus fit more than the size of the group, many people were able to have their own rows. David and I sat in separate rows since we both wanted a window seat...and space.
We arrived in Bacharach in the late afternoon. We were also excited because our friends who had just moved to Wiesbaden were going to meet up with us for dinner and drinks! Dinner on the first night was one of the included meals, and our friends were able to join in and members of the group even learned their names during the name game! I know people are sometimes hesitant about name games, but it definitely helped us learn the names of the people with whom we would be spending the next three weeks.
Day 4
If you asked what local tour was my favorite, I would hands down say the tour by Herr Jung. In his mid-80s, Herr Jung (pictured to the right) shares his life story with an admirable vulnerability. As we walked through a town he has called home for his entire life, he shared his experience growing up, living through WWII, and even the passing of his wife. I cannot do justice the stories and raw emotion that he conveyed when sharing his experiences, particularly those during WWII, but I doubt that there was a heart that wasn't touched and very few dry eyes after he graciously shared his memories.
After our morning tour we went down the Rhine River to see our first castle of the tour. We walked up the hill to the Rheinfels Castle (oh, and what a hill it was) and had a guided tour, followed by free time until our Rhine River cruise.
We made our way back to Bacahrach via boat, where we sat on the top deck and took in the beauty of passing castles. We saw many more castles and vineyards and learned about the woman of the sea who would lure sailors and cause shipwrecks. Once we arrived back in Bacharach, we found a local restaurant and had a traditional cuisine of spaetzle and sausages.
If you asked what local tour was my favorite, I would hands down say the tour by Herr Jung. In his mid-80s, Herr Jung (pictured to the right) shares his life story with an admirable vulnerability. As we walked through a town he has called home for his entire life, he shared his experience growing up, living through WWII, and even the passing of his wife. I cannot do justice the stories and raw emotion that he conveyed when sharing his experiences, particularly those during WWII, but I doubt that there was a heart that wasn't touched and very few dry eyes after he graciously shared his memories.
After our morning tour we went down the Rhine River to see our first castle of the tour. We walked up the hill to the Rheinfels Castle (oh, and what a hill it was) and had a guided tour, followed by free time until our Rhine River cruise.
We made our way back to Bacahrach via boat, where we sat on the top deck and took in the beauty of passing castles. We saw many more castles and vineyards and learned about the woman of the sea who would lure sailors and cause shipwrecks. Once we arrived back in Bacharach, we found a local restaurant and had a traditional cuisine of spaetzle and sausages.