July 29, 2015

Berg Rheinfells in Sankt Goar and Bacharach

July 29, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

We disembarked the Vater Rhein riverboat in Sankt Goar. First stop for this preggo lady was lunch. We walked past a restaurant when we noticed it was air conditioned (remember, it was about 106°F this day). I didn't even care what was on the menu. I would have probably eaten blutwurst (blood sausage) smothered in Limburger cheese if that's all they had (ok, probably not), but it was air conditioned. It would give us a chance to sit in cooler air and eat after sweltering on the boat, and before we began the trek up the mountain to Berg Rheinfels. For those that have been to Germany before, or even live here, you know what a rare and precious luxury air conditioning is. No one has it. But in my experience, the weather is never too hot for the Germans.

July 24, 2015

Rhein River Cruise

July 24, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

A couple of weeks ago, we headed out with some friends for Rhein River cruise. This part of Germany is pretty stunning. The Rhein is, and has been, a major transportation route for hundreds of years. It flows from the Alps in Switzerland north to the North Sea, meaning that it is a cheap, efficient way to move goods between the interior of Europe and the coast. It also has a climate perfect for wine! The middle Rhein (roughly between the Frankfurt area and Cologne) is lined with vineyards, castle ruins, small towns, and stunning scenery.

July 17, 2015

Big News!

July 17, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

I feel like I've been slacking on the blog a bit the last couple of weeks. And with our traveling. We have spent most weekends in June and July at home. It feels like I just haven't had the energy to plan weekend trips. At first, we were recovering from our crazy busy April and May, but then July came, and all I wanted to do was sit at home, go to the Saturday markets in Mannheim, binge watch X-Files all day on Sundays, try to stay as cool as possible (we have had incredible heat waves here lately), and do some hobbies around the apartment.

July 14, 2015

City Visit: Trier, Germany - Part 2

July 14, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

During our visit to Trier, we made some additional stops. Again, Trier is a great little city to visit and definitely worth a stop if you're in western Germany. It doesn't warrant much more than a day, but it's a day well spent for sure!

For part 1 of our visit to Trier, click here!

July 08, 2015

City Visit: Trier, Germany - Part 1

July 08, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

On one of the last weekends in June, we realized we needed to head out of Mannheim for a bit. Last minute planning, and sky high travel prices in Europe during the summer meant that we were looking to go somewhere within driving distance. We ended up choosing Trier on the Moselle River, a small city very close to the German border with Luxembourg. For only a two hour drive from Mannheim, it was a nice city escape.

July 03, 2015

Barefooted Adventures

July 03, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

June was a pretty low key month for us. After our crazy busy schedule in April and May, a few quiet weekends at home were definitely in order. On one of these quiet weekends at home, we had a pretty interesting experience at one of the most unique parks I think I have ever been to. But let's back up for a bit, give a little bit of background. One of the ways we have tried to make friends here has been by going to different Meet Up events. There are quite a few expat groups between Heidelberg and Frankfurt, so finding them isn't the problem, but finding the time to go is! There is a hiking group in Frankfurt and they were headed to a park about 20 minutes west of there called Barfusspfad, a reflexology park in which people are barefoot and walk over things. Interested yet? We were too and decided to check it out!

June 30, 2015

Cologne Cathedral and the Chocolate Museum

June 30, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Sounds kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But not quite. On one of Katlyn and Chelsea's last days here, we got on an early morning train from Mannheim and headed up to Cologne. We were on a regional train, which followed the Rhein, a route I always enjoy taking. Along the way you can see vineyards, beautiful views of the river and small towns, and lots of castle ruins. One day, I want to visit some of these ruins in person.