Trip to Germany: Mainz and the Rhine

I just don't think I'm up for trips like this anymore, I told Josh in Edinburgh.

It was a hilly city.  Lots of walking everywhere.  Lots of sights to see.  I was exhausted a lot of the time.

Um... what are we going to do about Germany? he asked me.

We'd already booked plane tickets for a trip three weeks away.  Josh had a business trip to take in Mainz (outside of Frankfurt) and Caroline and I were planning to tag along/extend the time there as our last "hoorah" before baby #2.  Plus, Caroline's second birthday is in November, and at that point we will have to pay full price for her airfare.

So we did it all differently in Germany.  Praise Jesus.

First, we chose not to do a city vacation.  Instead of a hotel we chose to stay in a teeny little cottage in a teeny little village located on the Mosel river.  We explored the countryside in a rental car, stopping at will and exploring castles, vineyards, and old little towns as we chose.  We even took a side trip to France.  And each night we headed back to the rental house, put Caroline to bed in her own bedroom, and cozied up on the couch. 

(It was actually from there that we watched the Tigers sweep the Yankees and Michigan beat Michigan State.  A great sports weekend, and quite different from this past one, where both of our teams lost.)

And despite the fact that we were all a bit sick, we had an absolutely fabulous time.  It was the perfect speed for a 7-month-pregnant woman and a toddler because we could both nap in the car as necessary.

Okay.  Germany.  It wasn't high on my list of want-to-go places.  I didn't know very much about it, or what there was to see there.  But I fell in LOVE.  Get ready for way-too-many pictures of the countryside and way-too-much gushing about it from me.

It probably helps that it was around 60 degrees the entire time we were there, and that the fall colors were at their peak of brilliance at exactly the time we visited.  Score.

So Caroline and I boarded a plane for Frankfurt and met Josh in Germany.


Our first day was spent in Mainz, as Josh was working there.  Our hotel was a short walk away from downtown, so Caroline and I enjoyed the opportunity to wander about and buy some necessities.  Germany, like England, seems to be chock full of darling historic towns/cities, and Mainz was no exception.  Cobblestone downtown area.  Stands selling pretzels. Darling German architecture everywhere you look.


There was a large park located next to the hotel, so we enjoyed some time running around in the leaves as well.

By mid-afternoon Josh was done with job responsibilities and we all headed out on a riverside drive up the Rhine.

OH. MY. GOODNESS.


The landscape was simply stunning.  Praise God - He does amazing work in that corner of the world!  And to make it more fun, you drive past all of these castles, just perched up on the hills so quaint.


We stopped to do some exploring at Burg Rheinfels.  It was built back in the 13th century, and was partially destroyed by the French around 1800. 

We had to take turns because we had a sleeping toddler in the car.  Josh went in first and walked around for a bit, climbing higher and higher.


Then it was my turn.  Unbeknownst to me, they were closing the castle at that very time.  I somehow got in without anyone knowing, and heard a SLAM as the door shut behind me.

I totally panicked.  I had visions of me trying to find a warm spot in a corner while I camped there all night.

But someone heard my shouts for help and let me out.  Gratefully.


More gushing to come.  Stay tuned.