the blue blog archives: roman(tic) holiday

For the last five days we've been stuck in the no-internet-connection-land of German wine country bed & breakfasts for hubby's best friend's wedding.

The wine is grown on steep hills and mountains along the river Mosel. Down river is Trier, Germany's oldest city - dating back to 16 B.C. - and one-time seat of the Western Roman Empire.

Trier is also home to a beautiful marketplace dating to the middle ages (which contains only one H&M - weak.).

But we were here for a wedding, so enough with the Romans and on to the romance! The happy (and apparently slightly sadistic) couple decided to get married in the Felsenkirche in Idar-Oberstien built into the side of a mountain and reachable only by climbing over 100 steps up from the town square.

Built in the 15th century, legend has it that a man threw his brother over the side of the mountain here because both were in love with the same woman. He built the church where the body fell as pennance for his sin and then collapsed and died inside it when it was finished. Romantic, huh?

Na ja, put a bride in a long gown in front of it and it works. There was applause from the cafes down in the town square as the wedding party started up the steps to the church. They weren't climbing 80 meters up in formal wedding attire though.

After the ceremony, the übersporty couple led us over to a restaurant on another mountain for the party and a group climb up a tower with beautiful views of the countryside.

posted by alison at 5:21 am | in vacation 2006

Comments

Nice use of 'Na ja' there! And what a beautiful backdrop!

Posted by: Sharon at July 24, 2006 7:07 AM

I think I'd be able to cope with being 'stuck' there. It looks like a beautiful place - and I'm glad to see that you have pics again!

Posted by: Amelia at July 24, 2006 7:59 AM

But fantastic! who wants the boring old church/hotel routine when you can have that gorgeous setting!

The real question is did you have to carry either boy up the stairs when they got tired? you would need a massage after that!

Posted by: suzanne at July 24, 2006 8:00 AM

What a beautiful setting!

Posted by: Stacie at July 24, 2006 8:13 AM

*sigh*

Posted by: beverly at July 24, 2006 8:22 AM

Wow, that looks amazingly beautiful! And that dress...I'm loving it!

Posted by: Carrie at July 24, 2006 8:38 AM

Your pictures are so lovely! I'm heading to the Romantic Road for vacation in about a month, and I can't wait! It looks like the perfect place for a wedding.

Posted by: abby at July 24, 2006 9:09 AM

What a gorgeous spot! And I really appreciate a good Riesling, so I'd probably love it there.

Posted by: Beth S. at July 24, 2006 9:59 AM

I love the picture of the little girl looking at the bride -- so sweet! Sounds like you are having a great time, and the boys are no doubt being wildly spoiled by Oma and Opa. Good times!

Posted by: shannon at July 24, 2006 10:16 AM

That was not a wedding for the high-heeled shoes.

Posted by: claudia at July 24, 2006 10:21 AM

Beautiful photos - beautiful wedding couple! Thanks for sharing!!

Posted by: Laura at July 24, 2006 11:00 AM

It sounds like you had a wonderful time! I'm laughing to myself, though--I spent my 21st birthday in Trier, all by myself. I'd gone to meet a long-time penpal who didn't show up, and I spent my birthday wandering around Trier, in the rain. My camera broke. The batteries in my walkman died. I finished the one book I had and couldn't find anything else in English. I ate dinner at McDonalds, for heaven's sake, because I couldn't read the German menus. The highlight of the day (if you can call it that) was seeing the house Karl Marx was born in . . . really, it was quite a day! I'm glad you had such a great time! It's good to see some pictures from Trier that are actually, you know, pleasant memories. (I did get one blurry photo of a monkey grinder before my camera died.)

Posted by: --Deb at July 24, 2006 12:19 PM

Lovely spot for a wedding, but that's truly cruel to require that climb of wedding guests! Sweating all over the formalwear! And what about any elderly folks? I guess there weren't many (any?) invited. Looks like you had a lovely time - thanks for sharing.

Posted by: Mary at July 24, 2006 12:23 PM

Gorgeous.
What's H&M?

Posted by: Carrie at July 24, 2006 12:32 PM

ah, I went to that part of Germany last September, and you have brought back lovely memories! The Mosel is so beautiful.

Have a glass of white wine to recover!

Posted by: jess at July 24, 2006 12:48 PM

So shall we start measuring the coolness of each German city by how many H&M's there are crammed into the town centre? *LOL*

Posted by: Elemmaciltur at July 24, 2006 1:02 PM

That looks amazing! I spent a few days in the touristy, but still lovely-to-me town of Rothenburg aub der Tauber (I think I got that right) a few years back and Trier brought some of those memories back. Sigh. Lovely!

Posted by: Aura at July 24, 2006 1:35 PM

Germany looks beautiful! I'm officially adding it to my travel list.

Posted by: elizabeth at July 24, 2006 2:20 PM

I love Trier! It's so pretty.
We used to go there often when i was still living in Luxembourg. It was just hopping across the border after school. Good old days...*sigh*

Posted by: Myriam at July 24, 2006 5:49 PM

We visited Trier several times while stationed in Baumholder in the early 80s. We also ate several times in Idar Oberstein, which has lovely shops and wonderful restaurants, especially those featuring spiessbraten, a kind of barbequed beef (for want of a better term) that is absolutely nothing like barbeque in North America. Its cooked on a suspended rack over an open fire, and the cook just sort of pushes the rack occasionally so the meat sort of drifts through the flames. I'm not describing it well, but the result is indescribably delicious. Enjoy the Rheinland-Pfalz, its one of our very favorite places!

Posted by: Deb at July 24, 2006 6:51 PM

OMG I have pictures of a few of those places on my blog too LOL. I love the BÃ¼rgerkirche St. Gandolf, behind the Augenoptik and Kebap Haus. LOL

I didn't get to spend nearly enough time there, but I'd love to go back someday. And the hostel is quite nice, too.

Posted by: Anne at July 24, 2006 8:52 PM

Thanks for the pictures! It's like a virtual trip to Germany!

Posted by: Lazuli at July 24, 2006 9:25 PM

Hehe, we're headed to Trier tomorrow. Not on holiday though but to help out a dear friend. I hope you enjoy your stay in germany :-)

Posted by: desdemona at July 25, 2006 7:54 AM

Oh my you are so fortunate to be in Germany again. Thank you for sharing your most lovely photographs. All the best for the remainder of your vacation.

Posted by: gina L at July 25, 2006 12:36 PM

Those Germans will do anything for a good walk, won't they? Love the word ubersporty. Hope you and hub had fun on your mini-break.

Posted by: lorinda at July 25, 2006 9:15 PM

Oh, how exciting, you went to Trier! I lived there for 6 years before I moved to Hamburg 2 years ago, and I really miss Trier. Especially those Trier summers- getting drunk on inexpensive white wine at the river playing guitar.

Posted by: Julia at July 26, 2006 3:46 PM