Since I don’t want this blog to just be my perspective, I asked Jacob if he had anything he wanted to contribute today – he said, “Probably not.”
We started our day in Frankfurt and I was thankful 1) for my first full night of sleep since we’ve arrived and 2) for not having to wake up to an alarm!
We gathered our things then headed down to breakfast. After breakfast we took a short walk over to Hertz to pick up our rental car. This time we were given a black Ford C-Max. It is a zippy little car. We agreed that this car will probably be better for squeezing through the small streets of Europe.
We returned to the hotel and loaded up our car before heading off to a grocery store to load up on food! We bought gummies, apple crackers and beverages for the road. It felt so good to be back in a car and on our own schedule.
It was about a two-hour drive to Trier (the second city on Jacob’s list that is also from his computer game). We were lucky and found parking near the city center.
Trier, formerly known as Treves, may be the oldest city in Germany. Some of the main sights include the Porta Nigra, which is a Roman city gate and the best preserved north of the Alps. The Constantine Basilica and Trier Cathedral. The cathedral is home to the Holy Tunic, which is said to be the shroud that Jesus wore when he died, but the public doesn’t get to see that. A few photos below…
On our way back to the car we stopped and purchased little personal pizzas that come in a handy pouch so you can eat while you walk. Only 5 euros altogether! Yum!
Then we were back on the road headed for Luxembourg. My cousin, Eli, recommended the Vianden Castle so we decided to go! Vianden Castle is one of the largest fortified castles west of the Rhine River and dates back to the 10th century. Since the 10th century the castle fell into ruins, but was restored starting in the 1970s.
Before getting to the castle, we had to find parking which was bit of a challenge! Jacob had to weave through windy roads and into little narrow parking lots looking for a spot. Eventually we stumbled upon a public lot that was free and had lots of empty spaces. Jacob had seen a cable car and said we needed to do that to get to the castle or we’d have to walk a long distance. I wasn’t totally convinced…
When we got to the cable car station – it was much less cable car like and much more like a ski lift! Jacob was nervous about going on them, but I was persistent after he had said it was going to take us a long time otherwise. After watching a few couples board the lifts, we bought round-trip tickets for $11 euros.
Once we were on the lifts – it wasn’t Jacob having a hard time, it was me! Ugh! I hate those things. At some point during the long trek up the mountain on these rickety death traps Jacob turned to me and said, “And it was me you were worried about!?”
Once at the top – we made the short trek over to the castle, paid our admission and were through the door! We love doing self-guided tours. We were given a map that guided us to each section of the castle. This castle has been fully restored so you can see what life would have been like here in the 1700s and they have a section inside that shows the original castle wall and the different layers in the stone that date back to the 10th century. We compared this castle to the Rheinfels Castle we visited last time we were traveling in Europe. That castle was a basic shell and not fully restored like the Vianden Castle. Photos below…
After the castle we had to take the ski lift back down – I suggested that I walk to the car and Jacob take the ski lift and we see who wins. However, I went along with him and got to take photos of the town below so that was nice.
After Vianden, we drove the rest of the way through Luxembourg and then into France. Not too much to report about driving in France other than the highway fees are annoying.
We are back in Strasbourg, France staying at the same hotel we stayed in back in Sept. 2016. Tomorrow we are off to see the sights of Strasbourg and then on our way to Stuttgart. Until then…