May 26, 2010 - Bonn

The birds were chirping like I was missing something at 6:00 a.m. this morning. I tried to ignore them. What on earth could I be missing that would be worth getting out of bed so early? But they were insistent, so I crawled out of bed and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day in Germany. And how many times do those of us who are not German experience that? Not often enough, I should think. The Internet was not as reliable as the birds, so I left the hotel not really knowing when I would be leaving. My reservation is up at 10:00...

Apr 21, 2007 - ***Saturday afternoon - drive to Altenahr

I decided to not drive in the Mosel or Rhine Valley - both known for their beauty and wines but to take a lesser known valley called the Ahr. It was a 2 lane country road - windy through woods. Lots of motorcycles - I think there must have been some rally nearby because at one point I passed 3 ambulances. I stayed in a little town called Altenahr. It was a beautiful little city that went on and on because it was built amidst rugged cliffs and hills. So the houses were usually only one deep on the road. And the beautiful babbling Ahr river...