The Middle Rhine

Our train takes us west from Vienna through rolling hills of farmland into Germany and the middle Rhine Valley. This section of the Rhine is frothing with lore and legend. Here you’ll find the Marksburg Castle, the only surviving medieval castle on the Rhine and the remnants of the mighty Rheinfels Castle. The 43-mile middle Rhine Valley was given World Cultural Heritage status by the United Nations in 2002. The official citation states “the valley’s singularly beautiful landscape has been fashioned by the river and human activities”.

At Mainz, we have 12 minutes to change trains. We whip the luggage off, and run down steps and escalators. We’re on board to Bacharach with 2 minutes to spare. Finally, we arrive at our accommodations in Bacharach, gingerbread-like Inn – Im Malerwinkel, meaning ‘painter’s corner’. The area of quaint gardens and timber frame homes was an inspiration to 19th Century painters.

Relieved to reach our destination after a full day of travel, we go for a celebratory dinner. We manage to order a beer but our German vocabulary is non-existent. We haven’t gotten past ‘bite and danke’ (please and thank-you). I try to get the waiter’s attention by using our new word ‘entshuldigung’ meaning ‘excuse me’. Like two kids, we are both amazed that it actually worked.

Monica attempts to communicate to our young waiter that she’d like to have green beans with pan-fried trout and potatoes. He acknowledges her wishes. However, the plate comes to the table with the green beans, minus the potatoes. We roll with it, knowing full well all lapses in communication are our fault. The trout was fresh and perfectly cooked.

The evening air is cool as we walk back to Im Malerwinkel, content and tired. It’s not long before we both fall into a deep coma.