Princess for a Day (or Two)

The first time I went to Germany was in 2001 with my parents and sisters. We were obsessed with seeing castles and that trip did not disappoint! In my opinion, the best castles are in the Mosel and Rhine River Valleys, so when we went to Germany in April, we spent two days exploring the area. My favorite is Burg Eltz, a medieval castle that’s been in the same family for over eight centuries. It's situated in a forest by a small river and you have to walk down a steep hill to get to the castle gates. Burg Eltz is furnished as it would have been 500 years ago and during the guided tour you see where the nobles slept, where they relaxed, where they dined and where their servants cooked. During our two-day castle bonanza, we also saw Rheinfels Castle and took a cruise on the Rhine River. I definitely recommend visiting this region of Germany!

Burg Eltz

Contender for the Christmas card.

Our princess!

Rheinfels Castle was built in 1245.

It's still standing...barely!

Views from the Rhine River

We Made It!

We survived Isabelle's first trip to Europe! Not only was it our first big family vacation, but it was also the first time Isabelle flew. I think Tom and I were mentally prepared for the worst, so we were pleasantly surprised when she was in a good mood and slept most of the time. I'll write more soon, but here was our trip in a nutshell:

Thursday, April 26 – Travel Day

Friday, April 27 – Zurich and Luzern, Switzerland

Saturday, April 28 – Luzern and Appenzell, Switzerland

Sunday, April 29 – Appenzell, Switzerland

Monday, April 30 – Black Forest and Staufen, Germany

Tuesday, May 1 – Triberg and Rothenburg, Germany

Wednesday, May 2 – Rothenburg and Rhine River Valley, Germany

Thursday, May 3 – Rhine River Valley and Mosel River Valley, Germany and Belgium

Friday, May 4 – Brugge, Belgium and “The Farm” outside of Lille, France

Saturday, May 5 – Bray-Dunes and “The Farm” in France

Sunday, May 6 – “The Farm”

Saturday, May 7 – Travel Day

At the top of Mt. Pilatus in Luzern, Switzerland. 7000 feet!