Collage of pictures Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia PA Covered bridge in St. Johann Austria Jeepney in jeepney factory in the Phillipines Brussels Belgium Angra, Portugal (Azores Islands) Windmill west of Amsterdam Vianden Luxembourg Pompeii, Italy with Mt Vesuvius Neuschwanstein (King Ludwig's Castle)
Cochem, Germany
Cochem is a small wine village along the Mosel River. The Reichsburg Castle (known as Cochem Castle) seen above, sits above the town with a commanding view of the Mosel river at one of its many bends. This castle is supposed to be the inspiration Walt Disney had for the sleeping beauty castle . The two pictures above show the castle from a distance and the entrance way to the castle. Eric & Margaret can be seen standing under the archway.
 
The Castle can be seen from just about everywhere in the city. The Castle dates back to the year 1027. It suffered severe damage in 1689 by Louis XIV and was rebuilt during the 19th century.
 
Here are two views of the Mosel river from the castle. The picture on the left is to the north and the picture on the right is to the south. Interestingly both the Mosel and the Rhine rivers flow from south to north. The two rivers join not far from here at a city called Koblenz.
 
We have been to Cochem many times and really enjoy the sites. On this trip we went bike riding along the river up to a town called Beilstein and back. Many cities in Europe have large outdoor chess boards. The one in Cochem is set right next to the river and has nicely carved pieces. Here you can see Angie making her opening move.
 
The statue and now plant holder pay tribute to the history of wine making in the area. The Mosel valley is known particularly for the quality of white wines. They have a fairly low alcohol content (9%) but have a great flavor.