Beverly, my wife of nearly 42 years and I had been on two previous Untours beginning in 1999 when we spent two weeks in the Swiss Heartland choosing Sachseln as our home base and again in 2001 when we shepherded a group of ten friends to Austria and Kuchl. Both were very enjoyable and we decided this was the way we wanted to enjoy European trips in the future. Total freedom to plan your days as you like which includes doing nothing if you so choose.

We both had enjoyed several previous trips to Germany and always looked forward to passing through the Rhine region although we had never actually spent much time there. A very scenic area enhanced by many castle ruins (some restored) on the hill tops above vineyards that follow the slopes down to the busy Rhine. We booked the Christmas Middle apartment in St. Goar for the term of May 8 through the 23rd primarily because we like to travel in May before the big tourist surge begins and also because we have experienced ideal weather during this time in the previous Untours. I think that we have been just darn lucky with the weather but when you are on a roll.........go for it! The pattern stayed true to form. The weather was so good that even some of the locals were amazed.

After several trips abroad we had accumulated enough one-pass miles on Continental Airlines to qualify for two free round trip tickets to Europe. I called Continental and gave them my dates and was told nothing was available. I then called their code share partner Air France, gave them my dates and the representative said fine and asked me where we wanted to sit on the plane. Within a few days we had our tickets and were set to go.

As this was our first flight after 9/11 we knew that there were certain things that we couldn't carry on board so we packed our scissors, tweezers, Swiss Army knife and other things that might be considered a possible weapon into the checked luggage. There was a minimal delay passing through security at Houston Intercontinental and after leaving the gate right on time we were soon on our way. We were flying non-stop to Paris CDG and then taking a connecting AF flight to Frankfurt. We would then travel by train to St. Goar.

The flight was not full and as usual in such a case, people were able to change seats if they desired. Two people in the row ahead moved to the back of the plane and I moved forward to the window seat. The man on the aisle offered to switch with Beverly so we would be on the same row, which left the center seat vacant and gave us plenty of room to spread out or lay down.

The flight, which takes about nine hours, was uneventful and generally smooth and we landed at Paris CDG on time. The temperature was about 30 degrees cooler than that in Houston but with the plane unloading at a gate rather than a bus on the tarmac we were able to stay indoors.

We had nearly a four-hour wait for the connection to Frankfurt but we were in pretty good shape physically primarily because we had taken some little pills called No Jet Lag on the way over. We weren't ready to run a marathon but we weren't in a jet lag state either.

The flight to Frankfurt was a little over an hour and we gathered our luggage, took the Sky Train to another terminal where the DB station was located, validated our German Railpasses provided by Idyll and were soon on our way on a train to Mainz and then St. Goar. As a matter of information, the locals pronounce the town as Saant Gwar. Now you know and can speak like a real native when you mention the town. After leaving Mainz we ran into a little problem which at the time seemed like a called third strike. After all the travel and having been up for nearly 24 hours fatigue was beginning to set into our minds and bodies.

There was a section of rail line between Oberwesel and St. Goar where a normal dual rail stretch was now down to a single track due to repairs. The repairs are scheduled to be completed in July. Therefore, not all the trains on this regional line from Mainz to Koblenz travel the whole distance. Unfortunately, we were on one of those trains. Our train stopped at Oberwesel where everybody got up and proceeded to leave the train. An announcement was made in German but that didn't do us much good. We followed the group of mostly high school age kids off the train and to a bus stop on the main street. I found a lady who spoke some English and figured out what was happening. A bus was to appear and take the train passengers to Boppard which was beyond St.Goar where another train would carry them to Koblenz or where ever they wanted to go.

With our luggage it was a real struggle to get aboard the bus when it finally arrived after about 20 minutes standing on the street in a warm sun. The young people all piled on first and we had to run the gauntlet with our luggage to get down the aisle to a seat. We assumed the driver would stop at the next town which was St. Goar. When we passed the Loreley we knew we were close but as we entered the small town the driver showed no indication of slowing down. I sprinted through the gauntlet of young knees and feet hanging over the seats into the aisle to the front of the bus and finally at the last moment managed to convince the driver that we wanted off the bus at St. Goar. As all of our luggage and Beverly was at the back of the bus we assumed he would open the nice wide double door back door. But no, he insisted we exit through the front door. Totally frustrated by this time we fought through the dangling legs and feet to the front door but I must say not being too careful to avoid banging a few knees with our luggage here and there.

Finally off the bus we tried to get our bearings. No one in sight to greet us and by that time of day (6 PM) many of the shops were closed or closing. As luck would have it, we were standing in front of the Christmas Store building where the Idyll apartments are located. Stephan, the manager of the Christmas store was just locking up for the night and recognized that we were Idyll travelers. He greeted us in a very friendly manner and called our landlord Herr Huppertz on his cellular telephone to let him know we had arrived. Beverly was pretty well exhausted by this time so she crossed the street to a little souvenir kiosk along the river and ordered a beer and found a inviting bench where she watched the river traffic pass by. The kiosk owner, a very pleasant man, crossed over and said he had the key to our apartment, evidently left with him by Herr Huppertz. He helped me carry our luggage up the 31 steps to our apartment and we were soon inside our new home on the Rhine. The landlord finally appeared and we received the standard orientation about the apartment and it's furnishings. Most of the information rolled off our brains like water on the duck as we were pretty tired by now. We pulled ourselves together after a little rest and had dinner at a outdoor restaurant on the main pedestrian street in St. Goar. Nice pleasant weather and no smoke from the smokers. We always had our meals outdoors whenever possible to avoid the billows of smoke from the chain smokers inside the restaurants. After dinner we managed to unpack before collapsing into our bed, which was actually pretty comfortable. Dream time

The Idyll orientation wasn't until 10 o'clock the next morning so we got to sleep a little bit longer than usual. It was held in an upstairs room of the Loreley Hotel/Restaurant overlooking the main pedestrian street in St.Goar. We were greeted by Ute Beckmann the local Idyll staff person and also the three other couples who were joining us for this Untour. These were Costi and Margaret Audeh of Sun City West, AZ,John and Margaret Nikelly of Swarthmore, PA and George and Mimi Lezenby of Ambler, PA. The Audehs were staying in Christmas Lower, we were in Christmas Middle and the Nikellys in the Christmas Upper. The Lezenbys were staying in St. Goarshausen directly across the Rhine from St. Goar. They had to cross by ferry. Each couple was asked to introduce themselves and tell a little about their family and travel experiences and their previous Untours. Three of the couples had done a few Untours but the Lezenbys had done thirteen. I think they must enjoy Untours.

Maureen Moore from Idyll was also present and it was nice to meet her in person after several conversations with her on the telephone when planning our previous Untours. In the meeting, Ute led us through the Idyll Rhine Untour book pointing out interesting places we might want to visit and a handout that listed all the special activities that would be happening in St. Goar and the other Rhine towns while we were there.

Little time was spent on the train schedule tables as we were all Untour veterans and felt pretty proficient in reading them. The main thing to remember is that the regional train from Koblenz to Mainz is the one we would be taking for the Rhine villages and towns and also for connections in Koblenz or Mainz to more distant places. The intercity trains do not stop in St. Goar. In fact, there is no agent in the station to answer questions or sell tickets if some one needed to buy one. The place looks deserted except for people boarding or arriving. There is however a DB representative in a stationary store in the center of town where you can ask questions and get timetable printouts if you want to make a journey beyond the local area. We did this when we traveled to Friedrichshafen on the Bodensee a week later. There is a DB sign outside the store and it is easy to find.

After the meeting the group had lunch together outside at the street tables of the Loreley restaurant and it was a good time to become acquainted with our new neighbors. The four couples became close friends during the two weeks and traveled to many places together. We later exchanged e-mail addresses and home addresses so that we could keep in touch after we returned to our homes. We might want to take another Untour together.

Today was the religious holiday of Pentecost and most of the stores were closed. Having arrived late the previous day we were in need of supplies and luckily we found a store that opened after noon. We were able to buy eggs, fruit and Sprite so along with the bread and marmalade in the apartment we would be able to fix breakfast the next morning.

As it was our first full day in St. Goar we decided to take it easy but later that afternoon we took the tram up to the Rheinfels castle that over looks the town and Rhine. A lot of people walk up the quarter mile to the castle but it is a pretty steep climb. We weren't ready for that just now.

We paid the admission charge and began the self guided tour of the castle which while not well preserved is interesting to walk through and there are several places where you can stand on the ramparts and have a wonderful view of the Rhine, St. Goar and St. Goarshausen. There are a lot of flags flying above the castle that add to the aura.

It was about this time that we noticed our camera wasn't working. We carried a 35mm Kodak Advantix and have used this type for years as it is simple to use and produces good prints. We put in new batteries with no success. Back in St. Goar we found that the Christmas store was open so we bought new batteries but no luck. Needless to say there are no camera repair shops in St. Goar so we decided to buy a disposable camera until we could see about getting our Advantix repaired.

We met John and Margaret Nikelly and decided to have dinner together. John is originally from Greece and is a college professor in the science department at a Philadelphia university and as I worked as a chemist for many years we had a lot in common. Margaret is retired. Before retirement she worked as a fund raiser for Swarthmore College, plays the viola and enjoys singing.

After a pleasant outdoor dinner we took a stroll along the Rhine. A very busy river with tour boats and a lot of commercial barges being pushed both upstream and downstream. With modern navigational aids there is no longer a need for river pilots which used to steer the boats and barges through the ever changing channels to avoid the rocks and sand bars. I guess the Loreley is no longer a danger either as I didn't see any maidens sitting up on it's side, singing their song of enchantment to lure the boat men onto the rocky shore.

There is a tacky sign at it's base that just says Loreley. Too commercial for my taste and it kind of destroys the legendary feeling of the place. At least it's not a neon sign that flashes.The walk was very peaceful and beautiful.

The river however is not always so peaceful. We learned that it floods to some degree just about every year and ever so often the towns along the river get a real bath. You will see pictures in most of the river towns taken during flood conditions and on many buildings there are high water marks with the year indicated. But, the local people have learned to live with it and take whatever precautions they can to minimize the damage. A lot of those towns have been there since the middle ages and before so life goes on and towns remain.

The next day we were up early and after breakfast we went to the supermarket (it's not a Kroger but it has most everything you might want or need) to stock up on food and supplies.

I should mention that we brought euros from home so we had the proper currency. There are two banks in St. Goar and they both have ATM machines if you need more cash. The euro has bills for 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and up. There are coins for 2, 1, 0.5, 0.2, 0.1 small coins for 0.05 and 0.01(the old pfennigs). One of the bank ATMs wouldn't accept my pin number but the other did. I don't know why. I used my card in another town's ATM and it worked fine there too.

We caught the 09:35 train to Koblenz and then another to Remagen which is just south of Bonn. I like WW II stuff and wanted to go to the Remagen Bridge Museum which is about a quarter mile upriver from the town. The town is quaint with a nice shopping center. There was a slight drizzle but we had our umbrellas (never go anywhere in Europe without an umbrella) and the walk to the museum along the river was pleasant. Only the stone twin towers from the bridge remain on both sides of the Rhine and they are black from age and pollution. The museum is on the town side (West) and occupies several levels in the twin towers. There are a lot of photographs taken by both the Germans and the Americans before and after the bridge was captured still standing. Most of the information was in German but some in English, which enabled you to have a little more insight into what took places in those last critical days. The sad part, other than those killed in the battle for the bridge, was that Hitler ordered the officers in charge of the bridge's defense shot as traitors because they failed to bring it down.

From Remagen we traveled on to Cologne. First order of business was to see if we could get the camera repaired. We tried a souvenir shop but all they wanted to do was sell us a new expensive camera. We then went to the Tourist Information Office across the plaza from the cathedral and asked if there was a camera repair shop nearby. A very helpful young man said that there was and gave us directions how to get there by the city's U-bahn system. After two stops we climbed the stairs to a large outdoor market and across the street we found the camera store.

And was this a camera store! Not too big in size but the place was jammed with people and they must have had every kind of camera and camera equipment and accessories in the world. To my surprise we soon got one of the salesmen's attention and he was very helpful. He took a lot of time to try and find out what was wrong with our camera but in the end, he too had no success. The only thing left was to buy another camera and I was not looking forward to that. But to my delight he reached under the counter and pulled out a box with the latest version of the Kodak Advantix complete with carrying pouch and an extra roll of film all for the wonderful price of 36 euros. We couldn't have bought one at home for that price. In about two seconds I said "We'll take it!". Beverly was happy, I was happy and we were soon ready to snap some more pictures.

Back at the cathedral plaza we visited the cathedral which was packed as usual and then on to the Fruh, our favorite place to eat and enjoy the best beer in the world. It wasn't quite lunch time so we savored a couple of beers and headed back to the bahnhof. The Cologne bahnhof has a very large shopping area where you can buy just about any kind of food you desire. We were already tired of eating in restaurants so we purchased a roasted chicken, salad and dessert. Also a can of cream of broccoli soup for future use.

By the time we returned to St.Goar the sun was shining brightly. It was good to be back "home"!

We had our dinner which tasted especially good. A good day too!

We were up early the next morning and after a breakfast of ham and eggs, toast, strawberries and tea in our kitchen we caught the train to visit Bingen and Rudesheim. At Bingen there are actually two train stations. There is Bingen Hauptbahnhof where we got off the train and Bingen Stadt where we should have gotten off. I always thought the Hauptbahnhof was in the center of villages, towns and cities but in this case it was not. So, we had a nice little quarter mile walk into the town.

It was a Saturday morning and there were a lot of people shopping and tourist doing their thing.

Bingen is a very old town. The Romans built a settlement there 2000 years ago. The Nahe river flows into the Rhine just north of the town which at that time was the intersection of two trade routes. Burg Klopp situated on a hill in the center of the town is the town's landmark. The castle has a long history of wars, destruction and rebuilding and is now the town hall and folk museum.

The town is also the home of a very interesting museum. Standing beside the Rhine in an old power station the Hildegard of Bingen Museum is certainly worth a visit. Hildegard (1098 - 1179) was a nun in the Benedictine Order most of her life and proved to be not only a sovereign theologian, but also a dramatist, poet and composer. She taught healing of the mind, body and spirit and was well ahead of her time.

While waiting to catch the ferry across the Rhine to Rudesheim we found a vacant bench along the beautiful river promenade and did a little people watching. Always a lot of fun.

It was starting to drizzle as we landed in Rudesheim but with umbrellas in hand it was no problem. We soon located the famous Drosselgasse (over publicized in my opinion) and as the drizzle continued we decided it was a good time for lunch. We chose a restaurant along Drosselgasse and had a good meal and ever better wine to go with it.

Afterward, the drizzle had slowed considerably so we headed to the lift station at the end of the street and bought tickets on the Seilbahn which is a chair lift that carries you over vineyards up to the Neiderwald Monument overlooking the Rhine. It's about a 20 minute ride each way and on a nice day it would have been more pleasant. Between showers we snapped a few photographs and then headed back down.

We visited the Music Museum which has all kinds of mechanical devices to play musical instruments. It is very impressive with sounds produced from a single instrument to a full orchestra. Due to the arrival of a French tour group the tour was conducted in French but we were handed an English translation. I think there were a lot of extra comments by the tour guide that were not in our translation because the French tourist did a lot of laughing at some of his explanations.

Rudesheim is a very picturesque town and beautifully located but a little touristy for our taste.

We caught the KD Line ship back to St. Goar. It's a two hour trip but very nice as many castles are visible along the route and it is very relaxing. A couple of hundred Japanese also boarded (undoubtedly a tour group) at Rudesheim and took over most of the boat. We managed to find a vacant table and ordered a chocolate sundae which was delicious but had too many walnuts. They must have emptied the canI got some good close-up pictures of Burg Pfalz, the little castle in the middle of the Rhine near Kaub.

When we arrived in St. Goar all the Japanese were getting off too so we gave them the right-of -way so we wouldn't get trampled. They boarded their tour bus and sped on their way. I don't think the little town of St. Goar could have handled them all. Before returning to our apartment we decided to check our e-mail. The internet cafe in St. Goar is located in the Hotel Montag which is near the end of the pedestrian street. For 2 euros you get 16 minutes on-line and 8 minutes for 1 euro. There were four computers and three of them had keyboards that were different than those I was used to............some of the keys were in different places. But the biggest problem was getting to the "@" symbol to enter my mail address. Someone figured out that you had to press two unrelated keys and the "@" key to get it to appear. And the two were different on each of the three keyboards. I always used the computer with the "normal for me" keyboard even though I had to wait for someone to finish a few times.We had mail from one of our daughters Vanessa and a friend in the US Army who is stationed at Heidelberg. We hope to meet up with him sometimes during our stay to visit and have dinner together.Back to the apartment for cereal and fresh fruit for dinner. Those corn flakes tasted pretty good.

It was Sunday and we planned the night before to go to Cochem and Trier on the Mosel. We traveled to Koblenz and after connecting to another train we were soon in the beautiful little town of Cochem. The Reichsburg castle overlooks the town from a very steep hill that is covered with vineyards. We had packed a lunch at home before departing that consisted of chicken sandwiches and an apple and in Cochem we found a bakery and bought a beautiful pastry that was covered with fresh fruit for dessert.

We then walked through the old town to the Sesselbahn station which has a chair lift up to a point where there is a great view of the town, the castle, the vineyards and the Mosel valley. A bench was in a perfect spot so we had a most wonderful panorama as we dined on chicken, fruit and that delicious pastry. A five star restaurant could not have surpassed the view. It had been a little cloudy in Cochem but when we arrived in Trier it was mostly sunny and a clear blue sky.

From the station it was about a mile walk to the center of town and the Porta Nigra, the old well preserved Roman gate. Said to be Germany's oldest city (2000 years +) it has a lot to offer the sightseer. There are a lot of Roman ruins to see in Trier starting with the Imperial Roman Baths and the Amphitheater. We found the Tourist Information Office and took a 45 minute city tour in a little tram train. We then went back to visit the main market, cathedral, the basilica and the formal gardens of the Prince Electors Palace. The church is reported to house the seamless robe of Christ. Never made it to the Amphitheater but maybe on another visit some day. There were a lot of people in the town enjoying a beautiful day.

Due to some train delays we got back to St. Goar about 7:30 PM and it was 8:00 before we decided on a restaurant for dinner. There wasn't much open on Sunday night but we chose a small pizza place and ordered the special that had a little of everything on it. We asked for ripe olives to be added too. Caution: They don't remove the seeds. The waiter didn't seem to understand English very well (they were not German or Italian) and when we were served we received two large pizzas. I really don't think they were taking advantage of us and it was just a case of mis-understanding. We were both very hungry so we ordered another beer and dove in. We both consumed every bite and naturally were stuffed but content. By the way, if you are new to travelling in Europe, pizza is eaten with a knife and fork. Not by your hands. And also it is quiet different than in the USA. White asparagus was in season at the time and it was served with just about every meal. Even on pizzas and quite good. Forget Domino's and Pizza Hut. This is much better. Boy did we sleep good that night!

The next morning we headed for the grocery store for supplies and on the way back we met Costi and Margaret Audeh, the couple staying in the Christmas Lower apartment below us. Costi was born in Nazareth and Margaret in England. They had just received news that they had a new granddaughter so that was of course, exciting for them.

We unpacked the groceries in our apartment and then hurried to the station to catch the 0937 train to Koblenz and then on to Cologne and finally Aachen which was our destination for the day. We arrived about noon and walked to the Tourist Office where we picked up literature for a self guiding walking tour of the town's major attractions.

First, we found a little park behind the office where we ate our lunch that we had brought from St. Goar. That accomplished, we started on the tour. There are several unusual contemporary bronze statues throughout the town representing all kinds of things. One in the plaza in front of the bahnhof depicted a group of running horses and as we passed by each horse was mounted by a real teenager. It made a neat picture.

We moved on to the Rathaus square which has a lot of old but beautiful buildings surrounding the square and it was packed with people, mostly school age youngsters. School must have been out. A McDonalds on one corner commanded a lot of their attention. A note of importance here. McDonalds is good for us adults too. No, not because of the burgers and fries. What I'm referring to are the restrooms. They are free and usually clean. Of course, a burger and fries really does taste good after you get tired of schnitzel and wurst after a few days.

Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor from 800 until his death in 814 is the big name in Aachen. Following his rule Aachen was a Imperial City from 936 to 1531 and thirty princes were crowned King of Germania in the cathedral. It took a thousand years to complete and of course reflects many architectural styles. Charlemagne is buried in the church and the Treasury contains many historical items. These include Mary's robe, Christ's swaddling clothes and loincloth and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist, all brought to Aachen by Charlemagne. Most are on display only during pilgrimage periods. In this sense, the church is of equal status with Rome, Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostella in Spain.

There were train delays getting back to Cologne and before arriving we asked the conductor about the next train to Koblenz. He said one was scheduled to leave 5 minutes after we would arrive in Cologne. We made the mad dash down the stairs and up the stairs to the proper track (gleis in German) and made the connection with time to spare. It was a nice sleek and fast train and very crowded but we were able to find seats together in the no smoking section. We did the same in Koblenz for the train to St. Goar but this time the connection was just across the same platform. No stairs this time.

As we were leaving the station in St. Goar our ears perked up as we heard English being spoken. We soon were talking to four guys from Missouri who were traveling the continent so to speak. They planned to stay in St. Goar for four days to see the sights in the area and then move on. We directed them to their hotel. Four nice, friendly middle-age guys. Here's the kicker. They all had left their wives at home. I wonder how they pulled that off?

We had dinner at one of the restaurants near the Marktplatz with outside tables overlooking the street and had a nice surprise. This restaurant served Fruh beer which we thought could only be found at the restaurant in Cologne. The best beer in the world was available a short walk from our apartment. Check it out sometime when you are in St. Goar. There is an advertising sign at the restaurant so you'll know which one.

After dinner we checked our e-mail messages and on the way back to the apartment we passed the hotel where the four American guys were staying and found them having a drink on the outdoor veranda before their dinner. We had nice conversation and exchanged travel experiences. A nice day but we're ready for bed.

The first thing we did the next morning was to go downstairs to the Christmas store to shop for gifts for the four grandkids ranging from 2 to 8 years. We found gifts for three of them but still needed another.

We were scheduled to catch the 0937 train to Koblenz again with the other two couples who were staying in the Christmas apartment and travel to Winnigen on the Mosel for a Idyll sponsored wine tasting session and winery tour. We met the other couples on the platform in plenty of time but the train never showed up. After an hour another train arrived and after transferring in Koblenz we arrived in Winnigen an hour late. We were in the right town but had no idea where the winery was located. We talked to the station agent and he agreed to call the winery for us. Ute, the Idyll rep. answered and was worried about what had happened to us. Beverly talked to her and Ute said she would walk down to meet us at the station.

We followed her back to the winery and found George and Mimi Lezenby (Untourist staying in Goarshausen) already having their second glass of wine in the winery picturesque courtyard.

The owner Frau Hautt-Korber greeted us graciously and then told us some of the history of her winery (began by her grandfather) and about the work and process for producing the wines. We tasted five or six wines starting with the "table wine" which you normally get when you order house wine in a restaurant. From there Rosemarie proceeded to higher quality wines and the difference of each quality was very evident. It was very interesting. After the tasting we got to visit one of the wine cellars with the huge storage barrels. Afterward we had a very nice lunch in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The sad part of the visit was that Rosemarie's children have no interest in carrying on the business. Too much hard work and they can make more money in the big towns. She'll probably sell to a big conglomerate and her winery label will disappear. Apparently this is an off-repeated story among family owned vineyards. A sign of the times I suppose.

We did buy two bottles of her better wine which we both really liked. I think we will have to ration it and serve it on special occasions.It started to rain on the walk back to the station but by the time we arrived in St.Goar the sun was out. Those of us in the Christmas apartment building wanted to visit the other's apartments so everybody thought that they had to straighten up a bit before that could happen. The Christmas Lower is very nice with a nice sitting room while the Upper has a great view from the front of the building overlooking the Rhine. Ours, the Middle is very spacious with a large bathroom and can sleep as many as five persons. After dinner we washed and dried a load of clothes before bedtime. It was one of the nicest days we had enjoyed so far.

We slept late this morning and didn't get up until 9 AM. After a leisurely breakfast we walked down to the Deutsche Bahn office on the main street. We were going to Friedrichshafen tomorrow and then on to Mainau the day after and I wanted to get a print out of the train connections. This accomplished, we checked our e-mail and caught a mid-morning train for the short distance to Boppard.

The Rhine makes a big horse shoe bend at Boppard and it is an inspiring sight. There is a chair lift that you can take up to one of the most famous look-out points on the Rhine called the Vierseenblick. You can see for miles from up there on a clear day and that was exactly what we were blessed with that morning. There is a restaurant and chairs and the always present souvenir stand. The ride up is quite long and the lift doesn't travel very fast so you can enjoy the view of the Rhine on one side and a long green valley on the other. The Rhine seems always to be so busy with an almost constant procession of boats and barges traveling in both directions.

Back in Boppard we located a grocery store and bought a salad for Beverly and a sandwich for myself. From there we walked down to the river's edge, found a vacant bench (sometimes not an easy thing to do) and enjoyed our picnic with a beautiful view before us. You could sit there for hours and not get bored.

Moving on, we wandered around the town enjoying it's old world charm and beautiful buildings.

Back in St. Goar we bumped into some more Americans at the train station. One couple from Dallas were eventually headed to Denmark while another from South Carolina were travelling with no set itinerary. The man had been stationed at Fulda with the military in the 60's so they planned a visit there. It's always fun to talk to Americans and hear about their adventures and most of the time they greet you like long lost cousins.We had dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants with John and Margaret. They are such an interesting couple like all of our fellow Untourist on this trip.

The next day (Thursday) we began our three day trip to the Bodensee. We caught the 0936 to Mainz and then on to Mannheim, Stuttgart and finally to Ulm where we connected to a local (and slow) train to Friedrichshafen.

We could not get seat reservations in the non-smoking section of the train from Mainz to Ulm so we had to suffer. There didn't seem to be one vacant seat on the train in the non-smoking sections of the carriages. We would have gladly set apart from each other but no luck. There was lots of space in the smoking sections but it only takes one smoker to pollute the entire area. Where we were sitting it was about half full and no one was smoking most of the time. One thing that was really irritating was this lady from the non-smoking section at one end of the carriage would get up from her seat, walk back to the smoking section and light up.

I was very happy to see recently on the Idyllchat that Switzerland is gradually switching to smoke free trains. Maybe, Germany and the rest of Europe will do likewise. On our return I was able to get non-smoking seat reservations and it was a big plus.

We arrived in Friedrichshafen about 5 PM and went to the Tourist Office which is just outside the station to find a hotel. We didn't want to spend a lot of euros but we wanted something near the city center and the lake and Beverly wanted a bathtub. We chose the Hotel Schwanen on Friedrichstrasse about two blocks from the station and two blocks from the Bodensee (Lake Constance). It was a good deal. We had a suite with kitchen and full bath with tub for 120 euros per day and a good full breakfast included.

The town is located right on the lake shore and there is a beautiful promenade with lots of restaurants and shops. A municipal band was playing in one of the plazas and one of their selections was "The Stars and Stripes Forever". Very inspiring to traveling Americans like ourselves. Across the lake are the beautiful snowcapped Swiss and Austrian Alps and it is a picture perfect scene. Pizza was the choice for the evening and with a couple of cold beers to match the somewhat warm temperature of the evening it was a time and place to be fondly remembered.

The next morning we planned to go to the Zeppelin Museum and then catch one of the lake ferries over to Mainau island on the south shore. The museum didn't open until 10 AM so we walked through a very busy produce market in the old town on this Friday morning. All kinds of vegetables, fruit, fish, cheese, olives, sausages and other items for sale. Local people doing their shopping for the weekend.

We entered the Zeppelin Museum, which turned out to be very interesting. Friedrichshafen was one of the major terminals for Zeppelins in the 20's and 30's when they were considered the affluent way to travel among the well to do. Until the Hindenburg crash in New Jersey this was the modern and glamorous way to cross oceans and long distances in comfort. The museum has a lot of photographs and films of those times including a mock-up of the passenger area showing staterooms, lounge and dining room. Also an exhibit on how these giant air ships were put together and propelled. Definitely worth a visit.

With our German railpass we were able to get a 50% reduction on the ferry to Mainau and back. Our ferry was pretty full with people getting on and off at several stops along the way and with a cloudless sky the sun was beginning to feel a little warm. We had hats but most had no protection and I'm sure there were a lot of red bodies when the day was over.

Mainau is advertised as a tropical island in the Bodensee and when we first visited there in 1984 it was indeed that. At that time (in September) there were hundreds of dahlias, roses, begonias and countless other plants in full bloom in delicately manicured beds that reached in all directions.A real paradise.I don't know what happened to their plan or budget but the place was a big disappointment in 2002.

There were some beautiful rhododendrons and a few tulips but that was about it. I realize that it was early in the season and the begonias were just being planted and it was a little early for the roses but the whole place had a neglected feeling. I prefer to remember it as it was in 1984.

The full sun made it pretty warm as we walked along the paths and shade and benches were a welcome sight. A eis vendor was doing a very patronized business and a chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bar was might tasty. We had lunch at the island restaurant and later visited the chapel where was a beautiful display of flowers with wreaths, hearts and other displays of prominently roses. Lots of ideas for decorating with flowers.

Somewhat disappointed but still happy with the beautiful lake and mountain vistas we returned to the ferry for the journey back to Friedrichshafen. It was now mid-afternoon and the sun was really beaming down on the boat's passengers who were sitting outside. Some were using sun tan lotion or sun block but a lot were cooking. We moved to a shaded bench but had to keep changing location to stay in the shade as the boat kept changing directions as it made stops at several towns.

As we approached Friedrichshafen we got a great picture opportunity as one of the tour zeppelins was just leaving the town's airport for a lake tour and with town below, it made a great picture.

We had dinner at the hotel's outdoor dining tables to finish another good day. No complaints about the warm weather. I had much rather be hot than cold.

We left on the 0800 train the next morning for Ulm where we planned to spend a couple of hours before catching our train back to Mainz and home. We had been to Ulm a couple of times before and like the town. Located on the Danube and with a very large cathedral that has the world's highest steeple, there are a lot of things to see there. At the station we put our luggage and backpack in one of the station's lockers so we would be burden free.

We then walked down the main pedestrian street toward the cathedral we noticed a band getting ready to play and dancers in traditional costumes gathering. Before long we had our concert and dancing performance with a large crowd surrounding us. Very enjoyable and something you probably wouldn't see with a formal tour group and their rigid schedule.

This Saturday morning in Ulm there was another big market in the cathedral plaza and like the day before, it appeared everything in the line of food or flowers could be bought. Everyone seemed to be scurrying around buying this and that. A very colorful scene and good picture spot.

We had been to the cathedral twice before bur one never seems to get enough of places like this. Each visit you have forgotten just how big the place really is and how beautiful it is inside. We bought a book that told all about the wood and stone carvings in and on the outside and about the stained glass windows and of the church's construction history. Now I've got to find time to read that book.

On the way back to the station we bought sandwiches, pastry and some fries at McDonalds which we consumes on a bench along the track as we awaited our train. Ah! Reserved seats in the non-smoking section. Worth every euro! From Ulm to Mannheim we sat in a compartment with several other people including a young mother with her son who was about 5 years old. We soon found that the mother spoke English so naturally a conversation began. She had previously lived in California for two years with a boy friend and now worked for an architect.

The little boy had a backpack of children's books and before long he wanted me to read them to him. He didn't understand much English and the books were all in German but I made out by explaining the pictures of animals and other characters to him and he seemed happy.

We had to change trains in Mannheim and luckily it was a same platform transfer so we made it fine.With the quick change we had to walk through several carriages, around people and over bicycles to find our assigned seats. When we arrived in Mainz and another tight transfer we had trouble getting to the right track because of construction in the station and just missed our train. Very frustrating at the end of a busy and tiresome day.

Another came along in an hour and we were finally back in St. Goar. I took the luggage to the apartment while Beverly headed to the store for supplies. Only the bakery was open but we were able to get bread, milk and pastries. We checked our e-mail and were glad to find that we had received a three inch rain at our home in Texas which was much needed.We unloaded our supplies at our apartment and went down to visit Costi and Margaret. They were doing fine.

We went out for dinner and had a good meal of roasted chicken, vegetables and salad. Unfortunately there were a couple of chain smokers across the room so we used beer coasters for fans to try and divert the cloud.Good to be back in St. Goar.

The next day was Sunday May 19th and my birthday. Last year I was in Kuchl on this day and now St. Goar. These last two will be easy to remember. We boarded the mid-morning KD Line river boat heading south with Costi and Margaret and traveled the short distance to Oberwesel. We could have gone by train but as the weather was again beautiful we decided to take the slower pace mode. As usual, the river was busy with a lot of tour boats.

The town, with the Schonberg Castle keeping watch above, was celebrating a medieval weekend and there were a lot of people who had come to join in the activities. Many of the local inhabitants were dressed in period clothing and there were numerous areas along the streets where stalls were set up depicting life in that time. All sorts of craftsmen such as blacksmiths, leather workers, straw weavers and basket makers as well as cooks roasting a whole pig were in abundance. Wine was available as well as sausages and other foods. There were knights dressed in armor, jugglers and other characters. The streets were strewn with hay to add to the atmosphere.

Beverly had her picture taken with a knight and took one of me with my hands and head in a stockade.

After viewing all that tempting food our stomachs told us that It was time for lunch. We found a busy restaurant on another street outside the festival area and enjoyed a nice meal.

As we were leaving we heard trumpets and drums and were in the perfect place to witness the procession of costumed townspeople into the festival area. There must have been 300 marchers and it offered many photo opportunities. There were flags and banners, jesters and jugglers, musical groups, children and grandparents, lords and ladies and just about any other medieval character you could imagine. It was a fun place to be.

After riding the train back to St. Goar we did some preliminary packing for our trip home the following Wednesday. That done, as we were walking down to the internet cafe we decided to have some eis. A scrumptious chocolate sundae was soon placed before us and offered little resistance to our spoons. Costi and Margaret came along and joined us at our outside table. Costi, born in Nazareth, knows a lot about history. His father was a doctor and he has lived in Libya, England, Scotland and now in Arizona where he is retired with Margaret. Margaret was raised in India and her father spent four years in a Japanese concentration camp and did survive that ordeal. Very interesting people to talk with.

Checked our e-mail and then to the apartment. Before dinner we went back to the restaurant serving Fruh beer and while enjoying that we did some more people watching as well as river watching. The river seems always busy. For dinner we opened that can of cream of broccoli soup we had bought in Cologne earlier in the trip and it was a nice change in diet as we were getting tired of what seemed to be identical menus in all the restaurants. Tomorrow would be our last sightseeing day as our group was traveling to Bacharach for a private tour of the town.

Through Idyll we were offered a guided tour of Bacharach by Rolf Jung who has lived in the town for many years. John Nikelly made the initial contact and we scheduled the tour for 10 AM that morning. Bacharach dates back to 1356. The Romans planted the first vines and the town has been a wine-trading center since the middle ages. There are many old and attractive buildings there led by the Altes Haus in the market square. The Burg Stahleck towers on a hill above.

Rolf is a very personable fellow and was the head master of the school for over twenty years. He told us a lot of his personal history that included growing up in the town during and after WW II. He has also taken into his home children from other European countries and helped them obtain an education.

First, he took our group down to the Rhine where we sat on a bench as he told us about the town's beginnings. Then along part of the town walls and through the old streets where he pointed out many significant places and buildings. At one time the town was considered rich, drawing income from the wine trade and from timber that was cut from the nearby hills and floated down the Rhine to other towns.The town had even minted it's own coins and for two years was actually the capital of Germany when the King road off to the Crusades and left his brother in charge. The King was killed and the brother ruled from Bacharach.

The town was destroyed by fire on fifteen occasions with the last major fire in 1870 which left the town with only 1000 inhabitants. In 1348 half of the population was wiped out by the plague.

In 1858 the railroad reached the town and today three hundred trains pass through the town each day although less than thirty actually stop there.

We walked through many narrow streets and alleyways, over a stream and up into a vineyard overlooking the town. Nearby was one of the fifteen towers from the original town walls that encircled the town. Nearby was the graceful gothic ruins of the Wernerkapelle which formed a perfect picture spot. I had never actually been in a Rhine vineyard before and had a chance to observe the vines up close. A terrific tour and a great guide. Beverly and I decided that Bacharach would be the best place to stay for anyone taking the Rhine Untour because the town is so quaint and enjoyable. I understand that there is no large grocery like in St. Goar but there are plenty of trains between the two.

After the tour our group found a nice outdoor restaurant for lunch. It would be the last time we would be together so lots of pictures were taken and there were discussions about future Untours together. Again, ours was a very compatible group.

After lunch Beverly and I said our goodbyes and caught the train to Mainz where we wanted to see the cathedral and visit the Gutenburg Museum. We took a taxi from the Mainz station to the museum but it was closed. A disappointment for sure. We did visit the cathedral which impressed us with it's age, size and beauty. The entry was difficult to locate but we finally did after walking around the entire structure. The plaza in front of the church is also impressive.

We walked back to the station and located the platforms that we would be leaving from when we traveled to Frankfurt the next day. We would have a close connection to deal with.We returned to St. Goar and were pretty well exhausted after a long day. We put off final packing until the next morning.

After breakfast we finished packing and took a walk around the town. There are two castles across the Rhine from St. Goar with interesting names. The Burg Katz is high above St. Goarshausen and further downstream is the Burg Maus , so names because the Katz (cat) always seemed to be awaiting an opportunity to pounce on the Maus (mouse). At Burg Maus there are free-flight eagle and falcon displays. We walked past a school where children were out playing and a good picture spot for the Burg Rheinfels.

Then down to the path that follows the Rhine and back to the apartment. Another beautiful day that added to the long list of perfect days we had been blessed with while in Germany.After a light lunch we managed to get all the luggage to the station where we met Americans from New Hampshire. Another friendly discussion.

Our train was late as usual (due to the construction) It finally arrived and we were concerned about making our connection in Mainz. We sat in the bicycle section of one of the carriages where there was lots of room for our luggage and ease in getting it off the train. We knew the track number where we needed to be for the train to the Frankfurt Flughafen station but when we

arrived in Mainz we had to go up an elevator and walk over to another elevator to get down to the desired track. We did this in record time and boarded our final train with minutes to spare. Good planning!

Since we had an early flight from Frankfurt to Paris we had decided months earlier to find a hotel room near the airport for our last night in Germany. From the internet I booked a room at the Mercure Hotel Wings not knowing exactly where it was located in relation to the airport. The hotel had bus pick-up at the airport and after a long walk from one end of the terminal to the other we finally located the pick-up point. About a dozen people boarded the bus but the driver simply opened the baggage compartment doors underneath and stood back and watched as each passenger had to load his or her own luggage. Then we drove and drove and drove until I thought we were going to end up back in Mainz. Finally after about 25 minutes we reached the hotel that is in the Frankfurt suburb of Raunheim. The train from Mainz had stopped in the town and if we had known, we could have saved ourselves a lot of time and walking. The room was very nice and large with sink, microwave, refrigerator and freezer and a large bath tub which Beverly needed desperately.

After checking into our room we decided to look for a place for dinner and also a place to buy something for breakfast as we would be leaving the hotel at 5 AM the next morning. The desk clerk said there was such a place about 50 meters down the street and Beverly thought she said the words Wall-Mart but dismissed it from her mind. The sun was pretty warm as we walked well over 50 meters down the street. We stopped a lady who understood what we were looking for and pointed us straight ahead. We soon located a big store that was similar to a Wal-Mart in a shopping center and bought OJ, strawberries and muffins for breakfast. We also found boxes of Mecure candy that we had sampled in St. Goar and it was delicious. We bought several boxes for ourselves and for gifts. Only 1.89 euros for sixteen pieces per box.

We then found a small restaurant in an adjacent mall-like area and had a nice meal. Then we had a surprise. We exited a different door, took a few steps and there before us was a full sized Wal-Mart store, a carbon copy of those back home. Needless to say, we took a picture.

Back at the hotel I entered a 4 AM wake-up call into the telephone. Once in bed, sleep was not easy to access. The hotel was located directly below the main runway approach to the Frankfurt airport. From afternoon until about 11 PM there were planes passing directly over our bed at about thirty second intervals. I think I finally drifted off to sleep a little later.

About the time we arose at 4 AM the process began again. I had asked the desk clerk to have a taxi at the hotel at 5 AM since the hotel bus didn't begin service until 6:30. When we got down to the lobby the person on duty knew nothing about it. A cab was called and luckily it was only a few minutes away. We were back at the airport in fifteen minutes but it cost 22 euros.

We had to wait for the Air France check-in counter to open and then had over an hour wait until our plane left for Paris CDG. Beverly finally found the VAT office to get back the tax from some of our purchases but it was not open so she had to fill out a form and leave it there. I seriously doubt we will ever hear anything from them.

After a long walk to the gate we finally leave Frankfurt. On the flight, the captain told us that it is rainy and windy in Paris. We hoped the plane would park at a gate and not have to unload into one of those transport buses. We did park at a gate but had to get from terminal F to terminal C. This was accomplished by riding a bus but it wasn’t too bad.

By the time we got to our boarding gate for the flight to Houston they were starting to transfer people to the plane by transport bus. We were in the first group and when everybody boarded the plane it was not half full. The second busload arrived but the plane was still only a little over half full. This was great news. We knew we would be able to stretch out and possibly lie down. After take-off we did spread out and Beverly had three seats all to herself. We took our No Jet Lag Pills every couple of hours and made the 9 hour flight in good shape. Being able to walk around and stretch helped a lot. We used our cell phone to coordinate our pickup by our younger daughter once we reached Houston.

Great trip.

Great to be in our real home.