Monday, June 27, 2011 Wuppertal to Bavaria Area of Germany

Beautiful flowers at the Bentlage’s home in Hiddenhausen.

We are driving (well riding, Horst is driving)  to the area where Ortrun grew up in Bavaria – SW or Frankfurt.  Ortrun’s brother now lives in Frankfurt am Main, Germany but a few years ago purchased a farm. As a boy his dream was to some day own a farm.  We will be visiting there a few days.

On the way we stop at the Benedictine Abby of Maria Laach founded in 1093.  Located in NW Germany on the shores of a crater lake, Laacher See, (German See is Lake) about 1 hr and 20 minutes from Wuppertal.  We saw a 20 minute movie about the life of a Monk. 

We toured the grounds and had some lunch with a view of the Lake and all the beautiful flower gardens.

After leaving the Abby we saw some more beautiful scenery.  Castles and vineyards on the hillsides along the Mosel River.

It is so interesting on the autobahns in Germany.  Traffic moves well even with lots of traffic of small cars, large cars, FAST cars, trucks, motorcycles and travel trailers, semi trucks, etc.  they are all going at any speed they wish to drive – fast or slow.  The inside lane is for fast speed so if a car is getting closer when in that lane, you better move to the right and get out of the way. 

We arrive at Rosshof about 7 pm.  What a place!  We get to the top of a very high hill/mountain and see this.

then this

Rosshof , Grossheubach Germany, arriving at house.

this is view of the apple trees, cherry trees, etc.

Picture of the original farm house.

Well, the word "farm" does not at all describe where we were. We expected maybe 40 acres with a cozy farmhouse, perhaps along a stream. The "farm" turned out to be 2,000 acres of land. The "house" is a 300 year old German Chateau that has been lovingly restored with no expense spared to the condition that would most resemble what it looked like when it was 300 years ago. The main building is over 8,000 sq ft of floor area, plus guest apartments, stables, barns, a full time care taker and full time cook. Such a life. The farm has horses, an apple grove from which they make their own apple juice and apple brandy, cherry trees, walnut trees, bee colonies from which they produce their own honey, etc., etc.

That evening we went to a wonderful Bavarian Beer Garden “Blindengarten” in Miltenberg.  It is a beer garden, country inn, sensory garden with plants for touching and smelling (a garden for the blind).  Of course, at the restaurant the waiter insisted we get the large beers, and we did..  What were we thinking!