Week 61: Where did that Castle come from?

We were looking for a bit of a day trip on a Saturday a few weeks ago and decided it would be interesting to check out Gerolstein, home of Gerolsteiner Bunnen, a very commonly seen brand of bubbly mineral water and related drinks in Germany. The town of Garolstein is located in the Vulkan-Eifel and the bubbliness is due to the same type of activity that we have seen more explosively on a couple of occasions.

As we were walking around, we found a public tap for the water. You can drink from it and the water is bubbly straight from the tap. It is a little disorienting. While we were in the park where the tap is located, at least two sets of  people came by to fill up their own bottles at the tap. It is a pretty neat idea, like the spring off in the woods of Maine where we would fill up for our stay at my aunt's camp, but with far more bubbles.

Jason with the Public Garolstein Tap

While walking around Gerolstein, we saw a sign: zum Burg (to the castle). We both said: "Castle?" and proceeded to follow the sign. What we found at the top of a hill over looking the city was the ruins of Loewenburg (Lion Castle). There wasn't too much left--mostly a few walls. The really neat part was that one of the houses we walked past to get to the castle, had the castle's outer-ring-wall as part of it. The only thing cooler than living in a castle would be to have part of a castle built into your house--you get the castle without the *outrageous* heating bills for the great hall.

Looking down from Loewenburg

Me on a wall at Loewenburg

For the second year in a row, Jason ran in a German/American road race in the town of Herforst. The race had a number of people from the base running, including the new head of the base and the new Chief NCO. In addition, there was a 94 year old man who had participated in the walking portion of the race--they had a separate Nordic Walking grouping--with, I believe, his son, who was in his 70s...man I hope I am that active when I am that age. Anyway, Jason had a good run. As each person crossed the finish line, their name was announced. Jason was identified (in German) as "the Runner with the hat".  

"Der Laufer mit dem Hut"

As with any activity that brings more than a few people together in Germany, there was a beer truck present.  I had some Kaffee und Kuechen (coffee and cake) while Jason was running, and listened to the German conversations going on around me. My German is slowly improving, despite the fact I work all day in English and rarely work with Germans in German and I am able to follow some of the incidental conversations going on around me.

After run drink? Don't mind if I do!

Later in the day, we went for dinner in Berkastel-Kues. There is an Indian restaurant there that was recommended by a few people on base and actually had something I would consider spicy, which, frankly, is amazing here in Germany. I am not a big fan of spicy, but, man, is the food here bland. After eating, we walked across the river to a bar that was showing the final EuroCup game between Italy and Spain. We watched the first half and it was a very exciting game--much more so than the game we watched between Germany and Portugal. Spain ended up winning the game 4 to 0. Jason and I joked that the winner of the match would get the bailout money...

Hooked on "the Karlsberg Beer Feeling"