Living in Eisenach!

It was a physical challenge to hike up the mountain on which Wartburg Castle is. I think I walked at like a 45 degree angle (an exaggeration much?) uphill for about 35 minutes. Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump--ok, heart rate....

But the view was beautiful. Look!

The castle was interesting--same castle where Luther hid out in the Reformation for a bit and the same castle that is featured in Wagner's Tannhauser. And apparently they give out some Wagner prize here.

On the way down.....

...I found my next house. No?

Ok, I would settle for this sweet little house in the center of town, cat is optional.

I've arrived!

After a slightly postponed-yet-got-here-on-time flight while sitting next to a polite Teenager McSquirrely-Pants, I managed to get euros, get on a bus, jump on a train, and walk to the Schlosshotel in Eisenach.

I'm traveling by first class railpass while here, and one of the benefits of traveling like that on these beautifully quiet and smooth trains is in-car food service. That way my little bit of German is only inflicted on the one service person in my car. I think it's pretty romantic to eat a lunch while the pretty German countryside speeds by...And look! My first German lunch was ordered in German and in honor of my husband it's salad and LOX! He was pretty sure I wouldn't eat a vegetable while I was here....

Of course, later that night, we had very typical German fare at the hotel. Thuringen sausage (Thuringen is region that I'm in right now) and, uh, pork neck? And a smattering of vegetables. Delicious.

It's a small, pretty town, Bach's birthplace of Eisenach is. Here's a view of the town taken while I was on my after-dinner stroll at 9 pm (oh, the LIGHT!)

and a view from my window. Can you make out the castle-like structure out on the mountain?

Leavin' on a jet plane....

"My bags are packed, I'm ready to go. The taxi's (ok, the subway) waitin', he's blowing his horn."


I leave in an hour, I am SERIOUSLY packed. Look! That's about 100 items that I need for this five-week trip in a carry-on and a tote bag purse. And it weighs like 40 lbs altogether. I can do this, right?


Anyway--come see what I'm doing, seeing, and eating as you wish! And whoever you are, I bet I miss you already....