Wertheim

Overcast and Cool


Spent all night moving up the river.  Must of slowed down, stopped and proceeded with caution thru a dozen locks.  Of course, knowing that we moved thru a dozen locks only tells you that I did not get much sleep.

Best Apple Strudel in the open café

This morning we arrived in Wertheim around 10:30 am, nearly an hour late due to all of the locks we encountered.  Beautiful little German town known for its glass blowing industry.  At one time it was inhabited by a large group of Jews.  After spending a short time in the village we stopped at an open air café for what we soon discovered to be the best Strudel ever.  All I could say was "Mmmm..."

After lunch, yes more food, we embarked in groups of ten to actually visit with a German family who agreed to host us for an afternoon "tea".  Our host was Kristine, her brother, Tobias, and his girlfriend Claudia. Kristine lives in a small village with her husband and their children.  She has two older children and a foster boy who is now 14.  Kristine is a social worker, who quite often is asked to take in foster children until the state can place them. They may spend several months with her family.  Today, her husband is working in a tire factory and their son was allowed to go and see where Joe works.  Her daughter is studying to become an elementary teacher with the hope of pursuing a career in the medical field but waiting out the waiting list otherwise.  Her son, approximately 21 is also in school, I believe. They live behind the home of where her husband was born and showed us the wonderful garden and flowers of their "garden".  We would say yard.

Our Host Family - Kristin, Claudia, Tibas

I had a good discussion with Tobias, who has a jewelry shop in Heidelberg.  He has one employee and struggles with his store due to the well known brand names that people purchase.  He also has a friend who has an excavating business and so his knowledge of construction and the bidding process was good.


After a Rhubarb Strudel and Hazelnut bread we found that our 1 1/2 hours had expired. We gained a deep respect for our host family and the challenges they face everyday. Similar to what we face and yet different in many ways, also.  Returning to the town we caught a beautiful view of the Wertheim Castle with a rainbow in the sky.

Cheryl and I caught a small choo-choo train once we returned and rode it up the hillside to the castle.  We only had a few minutes to capture the essence and magnitude of this castle.  I believe either the second largest or third in the country.  The steepness of the hills surrounding the castle and the difficult access to the gate gave the visitor a sense of defense provided by nature. Then once inside, the vast number of trails and towers to explore gave a real appreciation of how they protected themselves from enemy invaders.

After our castle visit, it was to the ship for dinner. Later we played a game of guessing what dance/song will have the most people jump up and dance and then off to bed.