Rüdesheim and Eisenach

On our first day in Germany, after picking us up at the Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, AC took us to the town of Rüdesheim, a popular tourist destination and UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Rhine River. (On the map below, point A is the airport, point B is Rüdesheim, and point C is AC's house.)


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Famous "narrow" street in Rüdesheim (which doesn't really compare to the narrow, winding streets of the Fez medina!)

We didn't spend much time in Rüdesheim, but it was a good introduction to Germany, as we just walked leisurely around the town and then sat in a café with a view of the river and the sunset, drinking the biggest lattes I'd ever seen in my life.


On January 2, AC took us to the town of Eisenach, in East Germany. There I happily ate a delicious lunch at a vegan/vegetarian-friendly restaurant in the main town square.

Statue of St. George and the Dragon in Eisenach

Our real destination on that day, however, was Wartburg, one of Germany's many, many castles. This castle is particularly famous for two things: it was the home of St. Elizabeth, and it is the place where Martin Luther "hid out" for a while and translated the Bible.

This is the room in which Martin Luther worked. Apparently, the whale vertebra (which you can barely see in the lower right-hand corner) served as his chair and is the only item remaining from his time, as the room was ransacked by Luther fans over the centuries.

It was a beautifully gloomy day, one that somehow suited the castle perfectly.

View of the castle from outside

Model of the castle structure as a whole

T reluctantly posing for a picture

The view of the surrounding woods and countryside from the castle was spectacular. It was easy to understand why this spot was chosen to build a castle.

Up next: the futile search for feral parrots in Heidelberg!