Bacharach

At our Inn, we start the day by gorging on a full breakfast of cereal, juice, eggs, cold meats, bread and rolls, coffee and tea. Our eating habits have been consistent but our exercise routine has been sporadic. Today, however, we are up for a run along a well-used trail through Bacharach and along the Rhine.

At a café house we take the time to write a few postcards. The Post Office stations throughout Europe are distinctively marked with the symbol of a horn. The horn is a throwback to the days when the mail was delivered by horse and carriage and the postman would blow the horn to clear the path. The mail must get through. In the little town of Bacharach we bring our postcards to the local post office, the same post office residents have been using since 1724.

Beside our inn, there are 100 steps that lead to the ruins of the Chapel of Werner, built in honor of a young German lad. The legend goes that the boy, Werner, was sexually abused and murdered by Jews. Historians later disproved the story. The sobering inscription at the memorial site reads, “Here in the ruins of the Werner Chapel we commemorate the grave and dark heritage of hatred towards the Jewish Community in Germany. A faked legend of a Jewish ritual killing had been staged here that was misused as a pretext for religious riots during several centuries. Today this site serves as a memorial site for brotherly relationship between different religions.”

The south side hills are brimming with vineyards. Mostly the grapes are Riesling or Gewürztraminer, although there are a few red varietals as well. Vignerons or wine growers are now busy with the harvest. Bacharach was named for the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. Each year in a festive spirit an appointed citizen is crowned Bacchus von Bacharach.

Monica and I visit one of a number of wine tasting houses in town. We are presented with a basket of bread, charcuterie and cheese products and a carousel of wines representing various varietals and vintages. Suffice to say, when we were finished the Rieslings and the rosés seemed to blend together.