Autumn Road Trip. . . . . . . .

Southwestern France 2008

Photo taken driving through the vineyards to the medieval bastide town of Mirepoix. 

Located in the Ariège department of the Midi-Pyrenees, near my family's home,

 this beautiful town invites you to sit outside at one of the many cafes in the evocative

 13th century market square, to enjoy a drink or a meal.

  

We are off this morning.

No quiet country roads edged with ancient plane trees.

No rolling hillsides carpeted with vines now dressed in brilliant 

Autumn colors. . . . . but hoping for an enjoyable drive, and then

a glass of fruity red wine this evening somewhere fun in our

 nation's Capital!  

Cheers!

Middle Rhine and the castles of Germany. . . . . . .

Germans affectionately call their cherished river, "Old Father Rhine".

Beginning as a trickle in the Swiss Alps, it flows 820 miles through several countries 

to the North Sea. The Upper Rhine carves out Germany's borders with Switzerland

and beautiful French Alsace, and the Middle Rhine creates a stunning canvas of 

picturesque forests, vineyards and castles before leveling into the Lower Rhine, the 

Netherlands and the scenic Rhine River Delta.

Castles and wines take center stage along the Middle Rhine. On the 

steepest riverbanks, grapes are still harvested by hand, a tradition dating 

back 2,000 years when Romans introduced viticulture here. Later, medieval 

noblemen built soaring castles to oversee trade, collect tolls, and defend kingdoms 

from marauders and power seekers, as storybook towns and villages rose along 

forested shores.

 First view of beautiful Marksburg Castle. Most Rhine castles have been heavily 

damaged or largely destroyed by everything from battles to lightning, but Marksburg 

is intact.

Our visit to the castle was part way by bus from the port, and then a somewhat strenuous, 

but worthwhile climb.
The evening was then spent in Koblenz. We sailed at night to Bonn for a tour 
of nearby Cologne's Old City and cathedral the next day.