Day 5 Cochem, Germany

 Sunday, Sept 22, 2024 - Cochem , Germany

Cochem Germany is a charming picturesque town of 2,500 in the city proper and 5,000 for the outlying areas. Cochem was first settled by Celts and then later by Romans.  Riesling grapes are harvested by hand on steep slopes and while WW2 saw the loss of thousands of lives in the town, and all but 4 houses, Cochem has rebuilt itself and welcomed tourism to support its local businesses and allowing people to work in town rather than traveling 50KM to the next major city.  From May-Oct it closes its roads from 11AM-6PM from vehicular traffic allowing tourists to flood the villages, eat in the cafes, enjoy the street music and buy from the local shops.  The lively market square boasts fountains, timber framed houses, and a bay-windowed city hall.

 Perched on top of a hilltop above the city the imperial castle is a signature landmark. In 1689 the troops of Louis XIV razed the castle to the ground.  Later restored in 1866 by a private family, local folklore states it was purchased for 4,000 euros after a wine tasting only to cost millions to restore.  The family later sold it to the town during WW2. The details are amazing and the views just as stunning as the town itself.

Day 1 Cities of Light Paris

 September 18, 2024

After a 2 hour delay in Dallas we finally arrived in Paris.  We did have a lovely view of the full harvest moon eclipse. After luggage, transfers, etc. we didn't have enough time to show Mom and Mark what I wanted of Notre Dame and historic Paris, but we made - just barely made, our pre-reserved ticket time for the Louvre.

Mark and Mom haven't been to Paris, so there were a few highlights from my memories 20+ years ago I wanted to show them.  We only had today, and we knew it would be packed and tough after sleeping overnight on the plane, nonetheless, my expectations and plans were fully laid out.  And then Murphy's law hit. 

Even then, short as time was, Mark was game to try to find the local Metro station. It was 2 right turns and 2 blocks from the hotel.  It was a straight shot - no changing metro lines.  It was only half a dozen stations away. What could possibly go wrong on the day after that beautiful full harvest moon eclipse?

Neither one of us heard the same information of which hotel exit we should start the right turns from to begin our journey.  Still we stumbled upon the fully efficient Paris transportation system - bus, light rail, subway - and which to choose.  Several questions, turns, and lots of speculation we found the station, purchased the tickets via kiosk (with minimal chaos), and made it to the Louvre.

The Musée du Louvre contains approximately 500,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments with more than 652,000 sq ft dedicated to the permanent collection.

Originally a Palace, the frescos, flooring, windows, and sculptures on inside and outside of the
 museum are as stunning as the works of art it holds. While I was disappointed not to show them everything, it still was an amazing day that cannot be easily duplicated for the memories it creates.