Winding through the Kinderdijk Windmills

Finally! I was going to get to see actual windmills. Growing up in Texas I’d

Several of the windmills

seen windmills all of my life; those wimpy little things with tiny blades that pumped water into the cattle tanks, or even for household use. However, the day I heard the story of the boy with his finger in the dike and saw the pictures that went with it, I wanted to see a ‘real’ windmill. Later in high school I read Don Quixote, and again, there were ‘real’ windmills. I’d been to the Netherlands previously, but never visited any windmills – this was my chance!

Brühl Byways and Palaces

Pig in a kilt

So my burning question is what’s the difference between a palace and a castle? In my mind, a castle has to have turrets, lots of different levels, parapets, balconies, bridges, terraces and even a moat! A palace is nothing more than a really big mansion. And I’m sort of right. It’s a castle if it has fortifications; otherwise it’s only a palace. Since we had a chance to see some palaces, off we went. The Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces are in North Rhine-Westphalia rather than right down on the river. It was a nice drive and the weather sort of cooperated – it didn’t rain, sleet or hail.

Curious about Cologne, Germany

Cologne is a pretty city with architecture influenced by the Dutch as well

Restaurant area in Cologne

as the Italians and the French. But what I loved most about the city was the cathedral. It’s nearly over the top Gothic architecture is jaw-dropping. So I was stunned when one of our party absolutely refused to go inside – and was nasty about it. All I could think was ‘ugly American’. Our tour guide was gracious, recommending a nice place for a cup of coffee while this person and a companion waited for the tour to continue. Better manners would have been to inquire as to a café location and quietly state that they would wait for us there; it doesn’t cost anything to be polite.

Marking Time in Marksburg Castle

Working in the Vineyard

After seeing all of the castles and the near vertical vineyards from the river, it was fitting that we got to go exploring. The Marksburg Castle sits above the town of Braubach and is one of the principal sites of the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although it was never used as a royal residence, it served as a fortress protecting this portion of the Rhine River. Its butter-churn shaped tower makes it stand out from all of the other castles along the river. It is also the only castle along the valley between Bingen am Rhein and Koblenz that was never destroyed.

The More than Middling Middle Rhine

Loreley

This was our second trip down this stretch of river and this time we were prepared for what we were going to see. In short there are an oodle of castles along this part of the river simply because it was a great place for trade and thus a great place to conquer. Of course our day was nippy, so the crew came around with hot chocolate that could be fortified with a liqueur from the region. It would have been rude to turn down their offer, so I didn’t…twice.

Rocking around Rudesheim am Rhein, Germany

Eagle Tower, a fortification

A bit further down the river from Heidelberg was our next stop. This is the gateway to the prettiest stretch of the Rhine River and the center of the winemaking area; the streets of the town are literally lined with taverns! There are also oodles of half-timbered houses along cobblestone streets. We opted to wander on our own rather than taking an organized tour. The weather was a bit warmer making strolling along window shopping a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Hiding out in Heidelberg, Germany

For some reason Heidelberg always makes me think of Hummel

Forested area near Heidelberg

figurines. But rather than ceramics, this is the seat of Germany’s oldest university and the cradle of the German Romantic movement. Which leads me to another misconception: I never think of romanticism in connection with Germany. However, the city has been a center for the arts throughout the centuries causing UNESCO Creative Cities Network to designate it a ‘City of Literature’. What I do correctly associate with Heidelberg, and particularly its university, is scientific research and especially the Max Planck Institutes of Biology and Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Technology, and Human Science.