30 August 2008Zimmer in SimmerTime to leave Allmersbach and it seemed like we would never manage to clear everything. We were busy sorting glass, card, paper, plastics and washing up. The clothes were being stuffed away and toys stowed. Again the landlord was a bit miffed as we were hanging around for a long time. Sylvia was the first away with Dad ferrying her and the kids to Backnang station. It took so long for Dad to return that Richard's plan to catch an earlier train was scuppered and a neighbour had offered to do the transporting. Fortunately this was not required. It was a hot day which was a pity because we were going to spend it in the car. We went through endless vineyards and some wonderfully scenic countryside stopping only briefly for a picnic of Anita's cakes in a motorway rest area and at Zweibrücken for a Macdonalds. An old motor rail car had been converted into a play room. Note the topless fat guy.
The road got more scenic through passes and tunnels. Soon we were crossing the Mosel and it was full of pleasure boats. We followed the twists of the river until we got to Ehnen where we pulled off the road to locate our hotel. We didn't have to search long because across the road was a big building with a sign that said "Simmer".
Not a cooking instruction but the local name for "Sept Fontaines", the village which our hotel was named after. This was clearly where the rich liked to hang out judging by the fancy cars parked in front. A quick tour of Ehnen revealed a very pretty village with flower boxes and grapevines growing everywhere.
It was dominated by the steep hillsides covered in vineyards and on the other side the wide Mosel river. The whole village seemed to have a wine theme and there were many examples of old wine making equipment turned into street ornaments.
One building showed that the Mosel is a force that has not been tamed. It had markings and dates showing the high water marks over the last 50 years.
Only giraffes could have kept their feet on the ground and their head above water, assuming that they wouldn't have been swept away. Fortunately Google has no mention of giraffes having been swept away. Looking for food showed that the choice was limited. There was a Chinese restaurant, a fancy posh restaurant in Simmer, and an upmarket bistro. So the opinions of a house painter were sought. He directed us a couple of villages downstream and we found ourselves away from the touristy restaurants and along cobbled streets to find a cosy place called Beim Wuum rubbing shoulders with the locals. The food was very splendid and rather plentiful. Their recommendation for local wine turned out to be a truly sublime white. Even though the portions were generous, Tammy and I were still able to share a dessert.
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