It’s hard to believe we’ve been living here in Oberursel, Germany, for nearly two months now! In some ways, it feels like we just got here; in others, it feels like this is home and has been for a while. For instance, I am now known to eat salami, cheese, and butter sandwiches on a pretzel roll for breakfast. Our kids say, ‘Ja, bitte’ and ‘Nein, danke’ in response to questions when we’re eating out – without being prompted. And Cara wore this to school today:
OK, so it was Oktoberfest at school today…but still, it’s a real dirndl! And in case you’re wondering, Rowan did not opt to wear lederhosen…which I get. 5th grade can be brutal – and this really doesn’t seem like him to be honest:
Anyway, we realized about a week ago that we’d been in Germany for quite few weeks and had yet to visit a castle. Wha??? Seemed like a bit of a miss, seeing as how they’re a big draw here. So, we decided to create a vacation day on the Rhine last Sunday and had a blast taking a river cruise packed with castles and folklore, exploring the town of St. Goar, and visiting one of the larger castles on the Rhine – Burg Rheinfels.
One of the best parts about the Rhine is that it’s a vacation for everyone – has Matt ever looked happier at the prospect of Sunday happy hour?
Our shovelboard of German meets, cheeses, fruit, butter – complete with a chaser!
Burg Rheinfels was super fun for the kids (and us) to explore – lots of hidden passages and views to discover, ramparts to run on, and ways to imagine life back in castle days:
I love a good bathroom…check out the feature in the men’s room at the castle:
All in all, a great day on the Rhine. The kids are already asking to go back and see all the castles we cruised by – and the playgrounds and tiny sandy beaches – and Matt is quickly turning into a white wine enthusiast. Prost!!
Newmans in a New Land 