# my little trip on the Rhein



## Erich (Aug 10, 2008)

don't worry folks I am not going to broadcast the 1700 or so fotos we took on this site, it would be like looking through old folks slides of the old homestead........... 

just a few snaps for now till I can figure how to remove the dates from the bottom of the pics, etc...........this digital camera stuff is still pretty new to me, and it's an older camera besides

where is this located ??







and another view up the Rhein outside of the wine village of Rüdesheim


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

Two pics. Two lousy effing pics from your epic journey, Erich. Two pics. At this rate... let's see... two pics a day... 1700 pics... 850 days... 365 days a year...

This will be quite disappointing to me.

Machine gun us man!!!!!! Let's see 'em!!


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

Oh and by the way. The first two are beeeeeaaauuutiful.


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## Erich (Aug 10, 2008)

Matt I am working from a stinking disk and have to put this on another saved file account and ............. in any case I am a real *ick-head when it comes to photography and placing images. give me a day or two as I have some days off and will try and start in the beginning, the skies were mostly cloudy but when it did clear off it was grand.

top one by the way is the mighty fortress overlooking Heidelberg. man what a facility and too many people on the typical guided tours, you'll see when I post some frames soon.


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

Looking forward to it, Erich.


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## Erich (Aug 10, 2008)

tired as can be my bro on the right and yourss cracking everyone up with our jesting in Frankfurt airport after a flight from SAC in Cali to Chicago and then 9 hours to Germany, lucky the security didn't arrest us, we were in everything






then to a local restaurant burped on Weißwurst and Bier early in the morn and they brought us MausKuchen, dang that was yummie ~ great food






after the 3 hour layover and we are barely awake the 6 of us mounted on a sub-link craft via Lufthansa which was the quitest ride I have ever flown ~ up and over the Alpen to Basel Switzerland, a 2 hour waiting through security and it was humid and 86F we got bused to our ship that held 140 folks from all over the world. Think we may have been some of the first as I did not see many folks on the ship except crew so we went up on top deck and all but my bro and I snoozed............. Hey "Wachs Auf" babe ! she was pretty geeked


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## Becca (Aug 10, 2008)

Riight ON! keep em comin'! 

and Matt....quit yer bitchin'.


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## Erich (Aug 10, 2008)

what really sucked is coming onto ship trying to get 4 hours of rest and then off you went .......... we went downstairs for lunch - why we weren't hungry but we had to get on a Euro schedule. The ship was docked outsdie of Breisach, in the Schwarzwald, Germany and we sat with Kaffee mit Sahne and watched the river and a host of beautiful White Schwan's floating by. have had the experience with them in the past in Germany usually on lake shorlines and they can be quite protective of their surroundings. what was really neat only on certain portions of the Rhein when you were docked they would almost literally try and come in through the lower windows of the dining room to greet us or at least see if begging was worth it ~






we finished up watched the Schwans sail off then 2-3 of us got on shore and took a few snaps of some of the barges floating by and our ship for the enxt week ~ she was a beaut






we gathered our small belongings pronto and off to 3 buses across the bridge from Briesach and into south-east France and the Alsace, trying our best to take pics of some of the architecture and vineyards without the maddening glare of the beveled bus windows..............I need some lessons from Eric v G. on pic taking while traveling ~


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

Les'Bride said:


> Riight ON! keep em comin'!
> 
> and Matt....quit yer bitchin'.




I'm not bitchin' g'dammit!!


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## Erich (Aug 10, 2008)

you better not be caus the pics are gonna be coming real soon boy. hopeful my bro will help me edit as he took the real nice (close-ups) off the hills in the Alsace- Castles, real evident of what the German faction of medieval times under the Hapsburgs did to formulate the countryside. French Alsace but with a very heavy dominance of the German in the buildings and even the floral plantings. The countryside was fought over continually over the centuries. We traveled by Bus for most of the first day though it seemed like the second as we or most of the tour group was in la-la land. We roamed through the little villages and miles of vines, up steep medieval cobbled roads through tower gates until we came to the chief Wine centre in the Alsace which is Colmar. Geez that name does not sound very French does it ??


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## Njaco (Aug 10, 2008)

Fantastic shots, Eric! Really want to do a Rhein trip as well.


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## Erich (Aug 10, 2008)

well with the small little gal as our guide her intercom system didn't work for 3/4's of the time, we got a very long day tour of beautiful Colmar. I need to do some research but do not think much was damaged during the war as the medieval wood and plaster buildings were everywhere and very old monuments and fountains. the town is divided up strangely by waterways which was good for the locals to transport their many goods from cafe/restaurant and from vineyard and field .........






another view of some other bldg's some of these guys looked like they could fall over with just a touch of the hand






and of course you have to get into it fully by taking snaps of the old dated walls/doorways ------ yo, 1599 ?


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

What's this "boy" $hit, Erich. I could easily be the younger gentlemen that carried your bags. I'm offended.


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

Excellent pics... keep 'em coming!


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## Erich (Aug 10, 2008)

I wish you would of Matt - carried my pack that is, that got real old real quick, pull the camera out no put it back, no pull it out..........dang too much to see, stop guide stop ! you cretin kiss my rings, where the He** are we woman ?, ah but it gets better .........


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## seesul (Aug 11, 2008)

Erich, were you in Koblenz? A beautiful town...and did you visit Remagen?


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## Erich (Aug 11, 2008)

Roman yes we were there overnite then took an evening cruise.....we were on our way to Köln very early in the morning about 2 am., so missed Remagen sadly, the weather also started to degrade and cloud up and rain as we progressed further north ...........

fotos coming soon


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## ccheese (Aug 11, 2008)

Hey... Hoz come I can't see any of the pic's ?? How did you upload them ?
To a photo-bucket or something ???

Charles


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## Lucky13 (Aug 11, 2008)

Who's bitching!?







Oh...right....silly me....sorry! Wonderful pics Erich!


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 11, 2008)




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## Gnomey (Aug 11, 2008)

Nice stuff Erich!


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## wilbur1 (Aug 11, 2008)

Great pics erich looks like you had a great time


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## Erich (Aug 11, 2008)

Käthe now has camera in hand .......... some of the neat Germanic Alt Bier/Wein advertizements.







more of the Alt Stadt ~


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 11, 2008)

Great pics Erich!

I am really disappointed though! All you had to do was tell me a town or place and I would have driven to meet you.


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## Erich (Aug 11, 2008)

I wish I could have Chris I was so or should we say we all were so regulated with this tour group/Cruise that the only free time I later found out was at Speyer and in Köln almost on our way homeward.......... we will hook up in the future man ~

hey 3 more pics.

From the Bakers Haus in Colmar, the 3 pics will somewhat finish up this most pleasureable place before we continue onward on the Wine road






my wife found some flowers; I could tell she was drooling at some of the arrangements, this in the old former convent now a museums housing some very nice works of art, cameras surprisingly were allowed for foto shoots but were were a bit reluctant and only took a couple ~






the end of the hallway is Matthias Grünewalds Retable d' Issenheim ~






a bit fuzzy due to very dark conditions, the folks only allowed everyone so close to this rather large piece


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## v2 (Aug 11, 2008)

Cool pics Erich!


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## Heinz (Aug 12, 2008)

Great photos Erich.


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## Lucky13 (Aug 12, 2008)

Yeah...yeah....yeah....nice pics....whatever....blah...blah...yak...yak...*WHO IS BITCHING!?*









Nice pics Erich...LOVE those old houses...ever been to Gamla Stan in Stockholm?


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## Erich (Aug 12, 2008)

never been to Sweden Lucky.......... I wish !

some more of Colmar then into Riquewihr on the wine route ~











let the drinking begin !!


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## Erich (Aug 12, 2008)

clouding up as we drove through wine/villages to Obenai

town square, the chics were really strange looking almost homely


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## Lucky13 (Aug 12, 2008)

This is what architecture(?)..! Todays architects should take a leaf from this book and learn...


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## Erich (Aug 12, 2008)

got back on the ship spent overnite and then the canal cruise through Strassbourg. the windows were tall and curved back to cnter making photo taking a bit peeving, besides it was raining

heres a few snaps out of about 100 taken
















the Cathedral pf Notre Dame - windows and the front facade


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 12, 2008)

Great pics!

I feel so fortunate to get to live this every day!


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## Erich (Aug 12, 2008)

Chris you need to fire up your Ansbach/Nürnburg thread again and show us some more of the scenes, plus your fav Bier Stube. we got back on the cruise ship a bit wasted even after having a French pressed coffee, and then we sailed north to Speyer..............need to go through that lot and get it sorted out.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 12, 2008)

Yeah I was just thinking about bringing back my Bavarian thread...


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## Erich (Aug 12, 2008)

please do Chris ........... !

got about anather 100 fotos of Speyer I am going through and then into Heidelberg, then to simplify


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## Erich (Aug 12, 2008)

a little background once we left Strasbourg in theafternoon we passed flat ground covered in fields and Cottonwood/maple trees, the villages were well in the background, camping facilities were everywhere almost on waters edge with tents parked right on top of each other, this was the case right into Holland even close to rather large industrial centres. when we got to Speyer early eve the crew took about 3 or more hours to tie the boat off and really had troubles doing so due to heavy river currents. My Familie took off right after a huge dinner into the old square ............






passing the Kaiserdom to the old square where the locals were relaxing and a beautiful but quite humid evening with a good Bier






evening came real quick a memorial to the fallen in the first war






next morn with guide around 8.30 am we retraced our steps and viewed beautiful park like trees that at one time were buried in the Rhine as it was much wider during pre 1700 times






one of two standing gates of the Medievel period

closer view of the scroll work on the Dom, we took tons of pics and since the interior was dark and blank........well you know the story they came out so-so.






a dedicated fountain filled with wine when the new archbishop is elected, hey I'm checking it out ...........dang nothing






the Trinity church from the Baroque era. during the late 1600's during the 30 ? years war with France, France really did much damage to the major German cities along the Rhine. Koblenz, Heidelberg, etc.











after losing my tour group and trying to find something very special for my gal I ran through town covered in sweat and then back to the bus where we were to view the city of Heidleberg...........


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## Lucky13 (Aug 12, 2008)

Aye....come on Chris!


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## Wurger (Aug 12, 2008)

Excellent pics Erich.Keep them comming.


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## syscom3 (Aug 12, 2008)

Nice pics Erich


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Aug 12, 2008)

Great pics Erich. Please, keep posting.


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## Karl Sitts (Aug 12, 2008)

Erich said:


> Matt I am working from a stinking disk and have to put this on another saved file account and ............. in any case I am a real *ick-head when it comes to photography and placing images. give me a day or two as I have some days off and will try and start in the beginning, the skies were mostly cloudy but when it did clear off it was grand.
> 
> top one by the way is the mighty fortress overlooking Heidelberg. man what a facility and too many people on the typical guided tours, you'll see when I post some frames soon.


Erich, Eile!Ausgezeichnet!


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## Njaco (Aug 13, 2008)

Notre Dame is amazing!!! I could look at that all day!


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## seesul (Aug 13, 2008)

Hi Erich,

any pics from Koblenz? Especially from the spot where Rhein and Mosel rivers get connected?
I was there 10 years ago and it really is a beautiful town...


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## Erich (Aug 13, 2008)

be patient my friend Koblenz will come on the site soon .......next week


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## seesul (Aug 13, 2008)

jawohl!


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## Wayne Little (Aug 13, 2008)

damn fine set of pics so far Erich keep 'em coming, only way I'm gonna see any of that part of the world!


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## seesul (Aug 13, 2008)

Wayne Little said:


> damn fine set of pics so far Erich keep 'em coming, only way I'm gonna see any of that part of the world!


never say never Wayne...


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## Erich (Aug 13, 2008)

ok wing-nutz here ya go the ride up to the Heidelberg Schloss on a stinking narrow round surrounded with the very well to-do's in their villas. It was outrageously hot at about 100F plus in the morn and way to many foreigners for my tastes, the orientals and Spainards were especially rude this day crowding in front of everyone for pics and mixing up in the tour groups of ~~which there were at least 30 trying to shove their way through the many gates of the Shloss.

the end result was always standing posing in the photos - oh well. it was a beautiful place undergoing some very serious restoration as the towers were covered in scaffolds and plastic besides be built up and around as evident in some of the photos. it will look familiar to some and truly the views from the large protective walls are quite impressive over the Neckar 






















Baroque amidst the Medievel ~











a short story the enxt pic is in memeory of the two little bro's that got up high on the restoration and fell to their deaths so the mother had her husband resurrect if you will the stone commemoration to the two ......sad






across the courtyard to the high wall, the Fortress was pounced upon by the French under Louis the XIV in the last 1600's and burned, some of the walls are gone forever, the turreted towers for the most part are history though talk of being restored and some of the roof lines are also missing ........






~~~~~~~~~~~~~ more of the Schloss later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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## Erich (Aug 13, 2008)

a few more of the Schloss grounds :
















looking for more wine barrels # 1 and 2 of the world to post soon ........... then the protectors of the Gate


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## Kruska (Aug 13, 2008)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Yeah I was just thinking about bringing back my Bavarian thread...



 *What??*  Ansbach, Nuernberg = *BAVARIA??*

Regards
Kruska


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## Erich (Aug 13, 2008)

check yesterdays posts, Chris has posted some of his collection, it's not on this thread obviously


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 13, 2008)

Kruska said:


> *What??*  Ansbach, Nuernberg = *BAVARIA??*
> 
> Regards
> Kruska



Yes contrary to waht Frankisch people believe, they are in Bavaria!!!! They need to get over it and deal with it.  That is what I tell all my Frankische friends and what I will tell them until I die. They talk **** about the good old Schwabians and I will talk **** about them. 

Besides my thread is not about on the area that I live in, but also about Bavaria as a whole....


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## Erich (Aug 13, 2008)

I'll take a good ol Swabian steak with onions and a gut Frankenwein bitte

ooooooooooooooops


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 13, 2008)

Erich said:


> I'll take a good ol Swabian steak with onions and a gut Frankenwein bitte
> 
> ooooooooooooooops



Speaking of good Schwabian food, I just ate some good home made Maultaschen tonight. mmmmmm


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## Kruska (Aug 13, 2008)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Yes contrary to waht Frankisch people believe, they are in Bavaria!!!! They need to get over it and deal with it.



Bavaria declares independence from Germany. Franken declares itself independent from Bavaria and Germany issues passports to them. Bavarian troops enter Franken and in response German troops enter Franken and attack Bavaria.

Will the US support Bavaria? Or Germany?

Sorry, I know it is the wrong thread, but I just had to do it  

Regards
Kruska


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## Erich (Aug 15, 2008)

zum Wohl ! largest wine barrel in the world buried in the lower portions of the Schloss






some images of Heidelberg











munchies at the Ritterhof
















yes Bier ......again











down a quieter sector and views across the Neckar


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## Gnomey (Aug 15, 2008)

Excellent pictures Erich!


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## timshatz (Aug 15, 2008)

Kruska said:


> Bavaria declares independence from Germany. Franken declares itself independent from Bavaria and Germany issues passports to them. Bavarian troops enter Franken and in response German troops enter Franken and attack Bavaria.
> 
> Will the US support Bavaria? Or Germany?
> 
> ...



Only question the US has..."Will this affect Oktoberfest?"


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## timshatz (Aug 15, 2008)

Eric, you're killing me over here! Those picks of beer and lunch (whatever it was, it looked good...is that spatzel?) were kickers. I'm 25 minutes from lunch and I'm looking at a good ole' tuna salad sandwich and a diet coke. 

Great, just wonderful...


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## Erich (Aug 15, 2008)

you need to head over to your German restaurant Tim. yes correct Spatzle and Rot Kohl along with Beef Rolladen. I actually had a nice white Table wein but of course had to try the Bier as well.............yum yum. It is a historical restaurant of note, the Ritterhof is one of the few buildings during world war 2 that was not creamed. when I took the pic we were standing right in front of one of the Katholische churches that during the war was just a pile of rubble with 1-2 support walls left. the locals have done a masterful job of reconstruction in this beautiful city


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## timshatz (Aug 15, 2008)

Nice shots, all of them. Great little vaca trip. 

No German Restuaunts around here. I've looked in the past. One up in Bucks county (about 40 miles away) with a so-so rep. Buckets of Italian, some Thai and tons of burger, hoagie, pizza and cheesesteak places. 

Matter of fact, there are probably very few German food resturaunts on the East Coast. First time I had spatzel was about 5 years ago. 

Pretty sad really. Oughta be more stuff like that, given all the German history in Pa. Especially out where the Amish and Mennonite are.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 15, 2008)

Erich said:


> yes correct Spatzle and Rot Kohl along with Beef Rolladen.



Ah yes a wonderful meal! My mother has a killer Roladen recipe that she makes every once in a while when we visit. I will have to get the recipe and send it to you.


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## Erich (Aug 15, 2008)

Chris we would enjoy that............alot ! My wife has not cooked up Rolladen but has made a tasty Sauerbraten for Christmas one year, as I detest Turkey I'd luv to have her do that one up again. She is also not a wild fan of Spatzle but does enjoy a good dumplings


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## Ramirezzz (Aug 15, 2008)

Heidelberg is one of the most beautiful towns in Germany, I visited a good friend of mine who is studying there and the town was simply breathetaking!


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## Erich (Aug 15, 2008)

agreed wish we would of had a week to really seek out the attractions .......... ah alas we could not as it was a river cruise. 

editing the many castle photos now along the stretch from Main/Wißbaden - used to have relatives living here for 10 years - up the northern sphere to Rüdesheim and into the Deutsche Eck at Koblenz


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 15, 2008)

Erich said:


> Chris we would enjoy that............alot ! My wife has not cooked up Rolladen but has made a tasty Sauerbraten for Christmas one year, as I detest Turkey I'd luv to have her do that one up again. She is also not a wild fan of Spatzle but does enjoy a good dumplings



I will get the recipe from my mom this weekend when we go to visit her.

My wife is Schwabian so Spaetzle is an all the time thing for us. She makes it homemade. Sometimes as a meal in itself with cheese or with meat and gravy.

I can give you a good Semmelknödel recipe. My mother in law tought me out to make them because I love them so much. Several times a year we meet up at the in laws house and my mother in law makes either Goose with Semmelknödel or Wild Boar with Semmelknödel.

Gotta love my German words mixed in with english huh!


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## timshatz (Aug 15, 2008)

Beef Rolladen, Goose with Semmelknödel or Wild Boar with Semmelknödel, Sauerbraten, you guys are just killing me over here, absolutely killing me...


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## Erich (Aug 15, 2008)

Ja, bitte Chris !

Wild Boar was my Aunts fav while she lived outside of Wißbaden at Bad Schwalbach

E `


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 15, 2008)

Erich said:


> Ja, bitte Chris !
> 
> Wild Boar was my Aunts fav while she lived outside of Wißbaden at Bad Schwalbach
> 
> E `



When my mother in law makes it, she make its with red wine and serves it with Semmelknödel and rotk hohl.


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## Erich (Aug 15, 2008)

man this is making me too hungry and yes Rot Kohl is made many different ways - numerous spices, apples, cinnomon, etc........... but always very good

some more scenes

on the right bank a building from Wißbaden







approaching the Hall Tower at Eltville






interesting facade almost to Ostrich


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## Henk (Aug 15, 2008)

Very nice pics mate and oh yes is the German food and Bier nice. My aunt's friends dad is from Germany and I loved it when we use to visit them and eat the German food. My mom has not made a good old cooking session in a while since everything has been getting more expensive.


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## Kruska (Aug 16, 2008)

timshatz said:


> Only question the US has..."Will this affect Oktoberfest?"



  

Regards
Kruska


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## Lucky13 (Aug 16, 2008)

I'm getting hungry here!


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## Wayne Little (Aug 16, 2008)

Excellent Erich!8)


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## Erich (Aug 21, 2008)

a few more ~~











Rüdesheimer Kaffe - with a hit











statue Germania in the upper left


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## Wayne Little (Aug 21, 2008)

Top shots Erich!


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## timshatz (Aug 22, 2008)

Great shots! Once again, between you and Adler, I'm dying over here. I get a trip to the Jersey beaches in about 8 hours. Yeah, let's hear it for heavy traffic and fat chicks in bikinis!

Might as well start drinking on the way down...


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 22, 2008)

Great pics Erich.


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## timshatz (Aug 22, 2008)

Is it true or just local folklore that Germania faces France as a direct "Upyours" to the French?


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## Erich (Sep 5, 2008)

depends on the direction I suppose Tim...........

you guys still interested in pics ????

just a teaser


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## Wurger (Sep 5, 2008)




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## parsifal (Sep 5, 2008)

Fantastic pics.....really pretty countryside.

I have a question though from the last photo....Is that a genuine castle, or is it just a later building made to look like a castle. I ask the question because it looks like a castle, but it has windows....


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## Marcel (Sep 5, 2008)

Usually they are built as fortified towers. In later centuries, when the thick walls were not protective against Gunpowder and became useless, they were often changed into houses for the noblety, making extra structures and hacking windows into the walls. There are hardly any real original castles in state of the middle ages anymore. On this one, the original tower is very well visible.


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## Erich (Sep 5, 2008)

Parsifal the castle has been refurbished inside, the exterior is original although it went into disrepair in the 17th century, the Prinz Wilhelm of Prussia took control and revised it into a summer residence and it's now owned by a former German Opera singer.. old furniture, armor and stained glas windows from times past and it is open to the public and in a protective alcove is a nice little restaurant so I have heard.

overlooking Rüdesheim











inside the city/village











the Drosselgasse, insanity to the extreme






my squeeze telling me to hurry the F up on the pic as we are both tired , hot and hungry


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## Erich (Sep 5, 2008)

Schloss Vollrads, the wine was excellent !


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## comiso90 (Sep 5, 2008)

Beautiful country.

.


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## Wurger (Sep 5, 2008)

Wonderful Erich. How much was a bottle of the wine ?


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## Erich (Sep 5, 2008)

only 18 Euros out of the village of Rüdesheim both for the 3 bottles we received each from the Schloss as well as in town which was a Trapp und Sohn 07 Spätlese which was nice and fruity "Rüdesheimer Bischofsberg". We drank that with good friends


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## Wurger (Sep 5, 2008)

18 Euros really not much.I wish here in Poland could be such areas like those.


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## Wayne Little (Sep 6, 2008)

Excellent shots Erich, some fine looking structures...and scenery...


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## Heinz (Sep 6, 2008)

With Wayne here.


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## Gnomey (Sep 6, 2008)

Excellent stuff Erich!


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