C O C H E M castle

I love castles. My boys might not be as enthusiastic as their mama when it comes to castles, but I think I might have to get them to a few more.

Anyone and everyone who comes to visit, I have no problem taking you to a few of our favorites!

With our last couple days with Neal and Cheryl, we made a day trip to Cochem Castle and another to Trier.

Unfortunately, Jim was back at work, so we waited until the kids left for school and headed out on our day trip.

While we have been to Trier, I had not been to Cochem. It did not disappoint- we loved it.

The drive was supposed to be an hour or so. With the crazy GPS leading us, it ended up being closer to two hours.

A downpour on the way home made it that much more exciting.
Cochem is an astounding little city on the Moselle River.

The 1,000-year old castle is amazing. The view and city were even more impressive to me. In the heart of wine country, the vines were full and grapes were beautiful.

Walking around, it all felt postcard-perfect for pictures. The thought continually ran through my head of how absolutely beautiful it was in this region.  

We took the castle tour with a cute lady armed with a great sense of humor. It was one of the best tours I've taken in the few castles we have been to. Delightful!

On our walk back down to the car, we ducked out of the rain in a little cafe for a bowl of German goulasch soup.

I'm not a soup lover, but it was absolutely delicious. Don't forget the bread. Yum.

I'm ready to go back!

C A R C A S S O N E

I have my baby home sick from school today. I feel pretty fortunate to be able to swipe my schedule and stay home when my littles need me.

I might be super productive.

Then again, I might just have to snuggle and pamper him all day.

We might just have to stay in pajamas, too.

I now know first hand how fast college comes.

Just around the corner.

I copied this picture straight from Wikipedia. It's so huge, it's really hard to get a picture of the entire structure.

This might be the last post {finally} on what we saw in Southern France this summer.

Listed as the second most popular destination in France after the Eiffel Tower is Carcassone.

We planned the day to hit Carcassone in the morning with a stop at a lake on the way home for some swimming.

What an amazing place. Every time we visit a castle or cathedral or any other place built so long ago, we can't help but wonder how they did it.

Every stone in place- it's really breathtaking.

I didn't read much about it before going but did know that portions of the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves were shot in and around Carcassonne.

I also discovered that concerts are still held there today. The week we were there Duran Duran was performing.

Duran Duran?

Tickets were over 40 Euro each. I found that crazy expensive especially considering they were popular when I was in sixth grade. We passed on the concert, but loved walking around the fortress.

Founded in the fifth century, though the Romans had fortified the settlement earlier.

It's a huge walled city with thoroughly restored in 1853. Walking around the insides is just like walking through an old village with shops, restaurants, museums and a beautiful cathedral.

It was amazing. The view was just as amazing from inside the walls.
It took a little bit, but we did find the lake we set out to see.

The boys all jumped in.

Jim was the good dad and got in as well.

It was a little too chilly for me- I got my toes wet then enjoyed some sun on the shore.

day T R I P P I N G

My aunt and uncle are visiting us from San Diego this week.

They think it's their vacation.
I like to think it's my vacation as well.

I'm so happy for fun day trips this week.

I'm so happy to have my husband home.

I'm so happy having family here.

Today, we're going to go up the Rhine River.

We invited the boys. They all said they'd much rather go to school than see castles.

Caden couldn't believe that Jim was taking off just to see castles. Spoiled.

The weather is beautiful.

I can't wait.

I'll be taking pictures.
Lots of pictures.

L I N D E R H O F palace

En route to Garmisch, we put together a quick itinerary to hit a few new spots in the region on Sunday. First up was Linderhof Palace- another new favorite spot a little off the popular path.

I have a friend who raved about this castle, but I hadn't yet researched it so I didn't know what to expect. Super close to Garmisch, it was first our first stop and definitely did not disappoint.
We decided to take the tour and were thrilled not only that the tour was in English, but that kids up to age 18 were free: a huge bonus. What a deal!

The walk up to most castles can take a while. They're up high. As I bought tickets for the tour, the lady told me it started in 20 minutes.
I looked at her {with big eyes, I'm sure} and asked if that was enough time to get there. She just laughed as she told me it was only a five-minute walk.

This is definitely one of the easiest to get to. We were even early and had to wait for the cue line to open and take our ticket.

The smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, it was his favorite and the only one which he lived to see completed. He spent most of his time here. He also built Neuschwanstein- the most popular of the three.

Our tour guide was wonderful as we walked through and she pointed out simple facts and gave us a huge look into the personality and reign of Ludwig II. Both the interior {we were asked not to take pictures inside} and the exterior were beautiful.

The gardens and the fountains around the outside made for a beautiful view.

He was appointed King in 1864 at the age of 18. Of course, we laughed thinking that he was Justin's age.

He lived most of his solitary life here with very few guests invited to his house.

We've said more than once how nice it is to be past the baby-stage of our lives as we see these amazing places.

Coleman and Caden listened to every word of the tour as we walked from room to room through the palace.

It's nice not only that we can take them just about anywhere, but also that they're old enough to hopefully remember our travels as they grow older.
The dining room was very intersting as he had a magic table.


nice self portrait.... think he's watched his mama?

With his dining room table on a lift- he {or his servants} would lower it to the lower level where the servants would set it with his meal, then raise it back up to the second level where he would eat in peace.

He wouldn't even be bothered with servants setting his table or serving him as he chose to eat in complete isolation.

In a living space covered from top to bottom in gold {there is one silver room, the rest in gold}, he was so wealthy as all kings are, but at the same time so I can't image how lonley he was.

Near the end of his life, he was declared insane then shortly after died. I think this is a prime example of the simple truth that money can't buy happiness.