Gargureviches in Germany

This is a long overdue post about my parents' time in Germany. Yes, we actually spent some time in Germany when they were here, though not very much time at all.

My parents landed from the States on the afternoon of August 1st. We immediately whisked them up the Rhein for our standard tour. The standard tour includes a stop in Rudesheim, at stop in Bacharach, and much oooing and ahhing at the castles on either side of the river. All those who have come to visit can attest to the standardness of this tour.

We decided to end the day with a non-standard dinner. We took them to Waldgeist, home of the huge schnitzels. Jay and Linda joined us for the gluttonous feast. Though we waited forever for a table, the wait was worth it. Jay, my mom, and my dad, all ordered schnitzels, Linda ordered some kind of steak, I ordered a monster salad, and Justin ordered a hamburger even he could not finish. The food was good, and excessive. It was good to have a family dinner, even though I kept thinking my mom was falling asleep. The next day, we were off to Greece.

After our time in Greece, we came back to Germany for maybe 16 hours. Just long enough to fit in some more tourism.

During those 16 hours, I managed to show my parents a bit of Wiesbaden. We first went up to Neroberg to enjoy the view of the city, and a short, forested stroll. We then went down to the city for a quick tour. Here, we found the wine-fest underway. We decided to extend our time in Wiesbaden and partake in the wine fest. Rieslings and brats were sampled by all, including Pecos who was vying for a bratwurst of his own, or least a fish sandwich.

After this tasty lunch, the four of us loaded into the car for the drive down to Stuttgart (where we were catching our flight to Dubrovnik). On the way, we stopped in Darmstadt for a bit of city tourism. This city is small and pretty, with new and old blending together nicely (we didn't take any pictures, so I can't show you what I mean).

After leaving Darmstadt, we head about 15 minutes outside of the city to Frankenstein castle. Yes, THE Frankenstein castle. There is a legend surrounding this castle that a past resident tried to assemble a new person out of parts of dead people (fun stuff, eh?). Mary Shelley heard this legend and visited the castle before writing her story. It is said to be the inspiration for her Frankenstein. For us, the castle just inspired us to take a bunch of goofy pictures.

*Note to future visitors: Frankenstein castle will be included in the standard-tour package.*

After getting out fill, we loaded back into the Ka for the drive down to Stuttgart. The next morning, we were off to Dubrovnik.

All in all, my parents visit was jam-packed but wonderful. We really saw a lot in a short period of time. It was great to have both of them here and to be able to show my dad where I live. Hopefully, we'll plan another trip for next summer, but perhaps with more down-time.