EXPATS AGAIN

EXPATS AGAIN! Experiencing other cultures while enriching our global view.

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Munich, Germany
I am married to the love of my life and am finally able to shower him with all of the attention he deserves. I am now retired and living the life here in Europe. I am an American, he is an Australian, and this is our second overseas address. The first was Shanghai, China and now Munich, Germany. Come along and live the life with us as we continue our adventure of discovering all Europe has to offer.

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Sunday, May 23, 2010

MOSELLE VALLEY



The Moselle River Valley is a region in north-eastern France, south-western Germany, and eastern Luxembourg, centered on the river valley formed by the Moselle. The Moselle is a quality white wine-producing region and has been so since the nineteenth century. It is also becoming a strong tourist destination due to its' reputation as a ruryl idyll with quaint, cobbled towns and storybook castles. I think some of the photos I took will show you why people travel to the Moselle Valley. We were fortunate to go there last week and avoid the large crowds during the summer when the area reaches its' peak season. But should you arrive in summer, you will be treated to oom-pah bands, dancing, festivals, and lots of colorful costumes. Oh, and plenty of delicious wine anytime of year!





There are no large towns in the part of the Moselle that we travelled to which is on the Luxembourg and German border. The castle above was taken in the small town of Cochem. You can't tell from my shot, but it sits on the top of a steep hill right on the edge of the Moselle River.



     Tiny villages tucked between steep vineyards dot the shores of the picturesque Moselle



      Medieval streets provide delightful scenes enjoyed from riverfront promenades.





We took our time driving along the river and whenever the scenery demanded we stopped, pulled off to the side or stopped at one of the many cafes along the way. To tell the truth, I recall stopping for a few glasses of white wine as well!
Castle upon a hill overlooking the village.



                  Promenades suitable for resting, biking, strolling, or photography.


                                          Bicyclist out for an afernoon ride


 
                              Small chapel along a bridge on the Moselle River



                                          Another castle along the valley.










This trip was a surprise from my husband over the past holiday week here in Germany. An added bonus was that we were able to escape the rainy weather back home in Munich. This is a part of Germany I never expected to see and after having been there, I can tell you that it is worth a return trip. My guess is during the grape harvest in the fall when all of the trees are turning golden yellow, orange and red. This time we plan to stay overnight at one of the small towns, preferrably Beilstein, the quaintest of Moselle towns, nicknamed the "Sleeping Beauty of the Moselle" because up until 1900 it was only accessable by boat. Today it is grape vines, charming inns, small alleys, and the beautiful reislings and chardonnays. In my opinion--heaven on earth

10 comments:

Formerly known as Frau said...

Gorgeous pictures...sad to never make it to that part of Germany. Looks amazing.

Unknown said...

How beautiful, great pics and story to go along with the trip. Love the photos! I can tell you that if I ever went there, I'd be in heaven with all of those biking trails. Not sure if I stopped in that city in 2002, but it sounds very familiar to me.

swenglishexpat said...

Great photos! They remind me of trips we have made in the past to Cochem and Trier a few years ago as well. I blogged about it then, but my photos were taken with my old compact camera. Maybe I should go back after the inspiration your post gave me.

honeypiehorse said...

All this vacation talk is killing me!

Expats Again said...

Frau, but there are many places you've visited that I am sure I have yet to experience.

Expat Traveler, Biking is in the German DNA, I'm sure of it. For every road they lay, they put in a bike path. It's amazing to see whole families out bicycling for the day. We love it.

Swenglish Expat, you know, I doubt much has changed in decades there. It looks like time stands still. I would love to go back and stay for a weekend in one of the small villages to get a feel of what it would be like to live there amongst such beauty.

Honeypiehorse, the last three blog posts are the same trip. I just divided them up by towns/cities. My husband still has to work so we're not free to travel whenever we like yet. Still, Germans get much more vacation time that the U.S. as you know. So when we can--we GO!

irmie said...

You take the most amazing pics. I love each one as they bring memories of what I have seen in Germany. Thank you for sharing your travel experiences; I am making a list for our next trip. :-)

Expats Again said...

irmie, My pleasure and thank you so much for your kind words regarding my photos. It is a work in process, but with every photo I believe I'm improving. One day, I'll get everything right....I hope! We're headed for the Alsace Lorraine region this weekend. If you haven't been there, you might want to click on my "Follow" button and watch for the posts I'm sure to write regarding this region.

No Longer 25 said...

I visited this area on a school trip years ago. Unfortunately I was unable to sample the local wine at the time! I'll need to make it back some day now I can try it out.

I love visiting Germany and spent a few months in Potsdam in 2002. I've mostly visited the South since then. German is the only other language I can almost speak, other than English.

Your photos make the area look lovely.
Jade

Expats Again said...

Hi JadeLD, welcome to my blog. You are so fortunate, you can "almost speak" German. I'm hopeless. Whenever I try, the Germans immediately start talking in English. I guess it's frustrating for them to listen to me struggle. The South is so beautiful. I hope to visit it more often. Please visit my blog regularly. It's mostly about "All Things German." You would relate.

Killara girl said...

oh so many memories...europe is so picturesque...i nearly always loved taking trains for work....the 4ams wake up were the only spoiler.