The Most Beautiful Place I've Seen
As you may be able to guess by the mass-posting, I have found an internet cafe. This post is current, so the date stamp is correct.
I left Cologne this morning, bound to catch a boat down the Rhine. The trip is glorious. The old towns and bluffs, the castles and, of course, the wine. It was four hours of photos and beauty (and really cold winds). But, as I was on the boat, dutifully following Rick Steves guide to the Rhine river towns, I noticed a small section about a town called Bacharach. It describes a hostel in a 12th century castle, which is about 4 kilometers up a hill, but affords breathtaking views of the Rhine and the surrounding towns. What the hell, I think. I don't have anywhere to be until Sunday! Why not spend the night in a castle?
As I ascended the steps, I was first greeted by red ruins of a very old castle. I haven't done the research yet to figure out what they are. They stand like a maze of red sandstone with long slotted windows so that, when you look through them, you see a huge pile of interlocking red stone. It's humbling and makes you feel so small. I need to spend more time exploring them.
To get to the hostel, you come around the back. So, after about 3.9km, I began to wonder if I was ever going to get to witness this great sight promised in the guidebook. I found the door to the hostel, check in, make my bed, drop off my bags, and head out the true front door. As I stepped out onto the stoop balcony, I burst into tears. You can see for miles! The Rhine valley towns are a mosaic of color amid great swaths of green trees and vinyards, with the blue Rhine shimmering all the way to eternity. I stood stuck on the stoop for a hour just trying to take it all in.
I realize that it is difficult to get a sense of what I am seeing from the blog (I'm still a little overwhelmed, so my descriptive skills are probably lacking), but I promise pictures a-plenty when I get back. I think I may need to stay here for a little while longer. It is all just too beautiful.
I left Cologne this morning, bound to catch a boat down the Rhine. The trip is glorious. The old towns and bluffs, the castles and, of course, the wine. It was four hours of photos and beauty (and really cold winds). But, as I was on the boat, dutifully following Rick Steves guide to the Rhine river towns, I noticed a small section about a town called Bacharach. It describes a hostel in a 12th century castle, which is about 4 kilometers up a hill, but affords breathtaking views of the Rhine and the surrounding towns. What the hell, I think. I don't have anywhere to be until Sunday! Why not spend the night in a castle?
As I ascended the steps, I was first greeted by red ruins of a very old castle. I haven't done the research yet to figure out what they are. They stand like a maze of red sandstone with long slotted windows so that, when you look through them, you see a huge pile of interlocking red stone. It's humbling and makes you feel so small. I need to spend more time exploring them.
To get to the hostel, you come around the back. So, after about 3.9km, I began to wonder if I was ever going to get to witness this great sight promised in the guidebook. I found the door to the hostel, check in, make my bed, drop off my bags, and head out the true front door. As I stepped out onto the stoop balcony, I burst into tears. You can see for miles! The Rhine valley towns are a mosaic of color amid great swaths of green trees and vinyards, with the blue Rhine shimmering all the way to eternity. I stood stuck on the stoop for a hour just trying to take it all in.
I realize that it is difficult to get a sense of what I am seeing from the blog (I'm still a little overwhelmed, so my descriptive skills are probably lacking), but I promise pictures a-plenty when I get back. I think I may need to stay here for a little while longer. It is all just too beautiful.
posted by Ethan at 9:17 AM
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