WEEKENDS IN PARIS.......A Scenic Road Trip

Two more installments to go and we'll be flying home after a whirlwind summer.....
Welcome to the second to last Weekends in Paris...
A Scenic Road Trip!!
We love France but one of our all time favorite vacation destinations is
Germany
So it was in the cards to convince the daughter to take a road trip for some stunning scenery and great shopping....
Oh....and let's not forget eating....Our trip took us up the Rhine and talk about a photo op.....
Alot of our driving was on the autobahn and we did manage to make that all important stop at the German Ikea where I scored a wooden Lazy Susan for my table and 3 rolls of yellow striped wallpaper.....because nothing says a German Souvenir like wallpaper.......
Don't even ask about us going through customs on the way home....
Looking through this window into a whole different world......Where France has it's fancy statues and Frilly French stuff.....and Italy has it's ancient ruins and pasta....Germany has castles....
not to mention great shopping and wonderful food...

Almost 40 years ago me and the Boss and our friend Eddie took off for the grand tour of Holland and Germany....Eddie was from Munich and worked at the airlines with the Boss. He offered to be our tour guide and we took him up on it....
Big Mistake as we wanted to soak up the local scenery and Eddie just wanted to see how fast we could get to Munich....
Driving along the Rhine we noticed a huge castle perched up on the top of a mountain and sheepishly asked if we could drive up to see it.....
Eddie reluctantly agreed and that was our first time visiting
Marksburg Castle....
Back then it was barely open to the public and had only tours in German....it also had a tiny gift shop...
we love our gift shops......so Eddie came in handy and translated for us as just the three of us were shown the castle top to bottom....
So...ofcourse I had to take the daughter back for her to see it....Oh...how times had changed....
It was now a major tourist attraction with admission charged and a really big gift shop...
The picture above is me trying to climb the staircase to the top....



Almost in my reach......Along with that big gift shop....an elevator would have been a good idea. Almost there......isn't it cool...
It was just as I remembered only with alot more people....
a French couple even brought their poodle along for the tour....

Inside looking out.....spectacular...
Back down the Rhine we stayed overnight in Heidelberg.....
The Heidelberg castle was impressive but not as interesting as Marksburg

But the town of Heidelberg is very colorful.....and did I mention the good food....
We ate at a little tavern where there was communal seating....They gave you food that could choke a pig....Schnitzel...potatoes....saurkraut....fabulous!!
back down the Rhine....lots of little towns with all kinds of good shopping....
Did I mention that along with eating we love to shop...
The Boss was jealous that he couldn't be with us....He loves Germany...eats Schnitzel for every meal and loves those damn German Yodeler hats.....ofcourse he does.
cobblestone streets....
it's like Disneyland....
We drove through the Black Forest which was the highlight of the trip....
We even stopped by the town that we had visited 40 years earlier......There was a beautiful huge hand carved cuckoo clock I wanted to buy but Eddie told us we could get it cheaper in Munich so I passed on buying it....It was beautiful....It had a deers head and carved pine cones.....
No such luck in Munich just your standard clocks that you can find back home at the local
Ace Hardware....
I was hoping to maybe find it all these years later but no such luck.....so I had to be content with my wallpaper.
It was an enjoyable end to a wonderful stay abroad....on the way back into France we stopped in Strasbourg then back to Paris......
When we got back into town and unloaded our luggage this is what we found smuggled in our trunk....
The Boss always finds a way to join in on the fun.....
See you next week for our final......"HOORAY".....
post...when we show you in a city with the most spectacular views out every window....we found the only apartment that would have been better if the windows were boarded up....
Have a great weekend!!

Comments

Stephanie said…
Germany looks so scenic and lush with the forestry and castles. It looks like a lovely place to visit. Thank you for sharing.
May 8, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Cathy said…
Another great travel post, Sue. I love Germany and I could eat schnitzel every day too. But right now I love Paris. I thought of you when we strolled down rue Mouffetard.
May 8, 2009 at 1:52 PM
KBeau said…
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. A couple of years ago we took a Rhine River cruise. Didn't get to go into any of the castles except the one in Heidelberg, but we enjoyed seeing all of them from the River.
May 8, 2009 at 4:24 PM
La Table De Nana said…
I have German friends..They love Germany:) I would love to visit one day.My first REAL employer was German..and I loved her.. Taught me about gardening and classical music..:) She's gone now.. but was a mentor..Loved the Black Forest..
I must go.
Great pics!
May 8, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Salmagundi said…
Germany is on my list to visit - just hope the stock market rebounds completely before I get too old to travel!!! My paternal grandmother and family were from Germany. Looking forward to next week's Paris post. Thanks again for my special Mother's Day present - I look at it everytime I pass the dining room table. Take care, Sally
May 8, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Anonymous said…
What a lovely blog. Thanks for introducing yourself to me. I went to Germany in the 80's at Christmas. A very memorable trip. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
May 8, 2009 at 6:42 PM
Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said…
Sue,
I have just loved your tours! The pictures have been fabulous and I feel like I'm going along with you. Germany would be wonderful and since I'm part German it would be another reason to see it. Thanks again, Cindy
May 9, 2009 at 3:13 AM
Jojo said…
What a wonderful tour and Germany is one EU country that I haven't visited so the sights and narration were even more fun! Thank you and Happy Mother's Day!!!
May 9, 2009 at 5:37 AM
Confessions of a Plate Addict said…
Hi Sue! Germany looks gorgeous! I loved your pics...it's like Helen...only real!! lol Have you been there? When I lived in France, we visited Luxembourg and were right next to the German border. My friends drove me around the block in Germany. Woah! All of a sudden I couldn't read anything! So I can say I have been...only technically! Have a great weekend! Happy Mothers Day!...Debbie
May 9, 2009 at 5:56 AM
Lisa Pogue said…
These pictures just take my breath away. I never had a desire to go to Germany until a friend of mine went. I was absolutely amazed by the pictures and stories she had. If I ever get the opportunity to go I sure will!!
May 9, 2009 at 7:27 PM
Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said…
Such gorgeous photos Sue! Both my husband and son have visited Germany at different times in their lives. Hopefully someday I'll get to see it too.
May 11, 2009 at 5:55 PM
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