To Trier and Beyond

I'm beginning to appreciate the spontaneity of my German host family. We started today with the intention of making the scenic drive from Traben-Trabach to Trier and ended up stopping to see a castle and a darling little village along the way.

 

First, the Castle! Apparently it was more of a fortress (burg) than a castle (schloss) but it was still beautiful, and situated high on a hill overlooking the river. To get there you have to make a beautiful little 1.5 km hike from the car. And the hike itself was delectable, the air was crisp and enlivening, and wild flowers were everywhere!

Then came the castle, which though in ruins, maintains its charm. I must say humanity definitely took a turn for the worse when we stopped building castles! Not only do castles enhance landscapes but they also aid in capturing them. Check out these views from the tower!

Here is a picture of me with my Turkish-German host family.

We enjoyed coffee and ice cream inside the Castle and then we got back on the road, stopping once again in the little fairytale town of Bernkastel-Kues.

Though completely overrun by tourists, the place was beautiful. The streets were small, and music was everywhere. If I haven't mentioned it yet the region we've been in for the past three days is German wine country, and I think some kind of festival was going on. Anyway, it was in Bernkastel-Kues that I became acquainted with the German delicacy of flammkuchen. I'm pretty sure they're just regular flatbreads with a fancy name but I DON'T CARE! They were german and delicious!

Next was Trier, which is a beautiful Roman city. The influence of the Roman empire was everywhere! Most notably, in the massive stone structure that used to serve as the city's gate, the Porta Nigra (black gate). 

Here I am inside the gate with my host Dad.

We got to climb to the very top of the gate, from which you can look down the central street of the city. It was beautiful, and there was a man dressed as a gladiator inexplicably wandering the halls so the whole experience was very exciting. The city looked beautiful from above. Here are a few areal shots I took from the gate--amateurish I know, but bear with me. 

And we ended our day in the most delicious Italian restaurant EVER! Exhuasted from a long day of exploring, I was delighted to sit down to a traditional Italian meal at Pizzeria da Franco. It was warm and the food was the best I've had in Germany, and my only regret is not taking pictures! Sorry Elizabeth! So we ended a good day with some good food and good company! I am starting to really like Germany!