Castle Day

We had a grand day on Sunday touring two castles. We started our day in Cochem where I was pleasantly surprised to find so many shops open. I love going in and out of shops, looking for baby/kid items, and surveying the shelves of pastries at every cafe I pass by. I always feel like such a pig because I would honestly like to try every pastry I see. I never do. It's kind of like always wanting to order dessert at a restaurant but then never ordering it because I'm usually too full and don't need it. I need to find someone who shares my enthusiasm for these beautiful pastries and is willing to share a bite with me.

Here's a photo of Jace and Dad in the market square:

I never get the chance to shop for clothes and accessories for me. It's really my fault. I don't take the time to go and do it even though I really enjoy it. It appears that purple purses are in, and I've decided that I would love to have one...for the right price. Knowing me, I won't buy one. But it sounds nice. I did buy Jackson a yellow VW Bug. He picked it out. There were rows of cars and he kept choosing this one:

The yellow car has been a big hit. We now take it everywhere with us.

Here's a view of Cochem Castle, which was built in 11th century but rebuilt in the 1800's:

The climb to the castle is steep and we didn't think Dad would be able to make it on his knees. We took a bus part of the way, but then he did have to make somewhat of a climb. Mom, you would be so proud of him!

Here are some views of Cochem and the Mosel River from the castle:

And pics of the castle:

We took a tour of the castle but the tour was in German and not English. They had translations of the tour on paper, but I was primarily watching Jackson and didn't have time to read a thing. Here are pictures of the inside of the castle, but I really can't tell you anything about the rooms. I guess I should read the guide book!

In one of the rooms, they had a hidden treasure chest where the children could grab a piece of gold (chocolate). Jackson loves money, which sounds like maime out of his mouth, so I thought he'd be thrilled to reach inside and grab a coin.

I didn't think about the fact that he'd want to grab a handful! So I had to explain that he could only have one gold coin. He decided that none was better than one. I guess we'll have to work on that!

A few more pics at Cochem:

When I have a house, I want that all over it! I love it!

After Cochem, we shot over to Burg Eltz. My dad loved this castle. It was built in the 1100's and never destroyed. You get to see a lot more of this castle and the tour is in English, which my dad enjoyed. While we waited on our tour, we viewed the treasury. (Ryan, Dad thought about you when he was looking at guns from the 1600's!) It's so fun watching my dad see everything over here. He's very much into history and so impressed with some of the things he sees from earlier centuries. What a gift for me to witness this.

Here's a photo of my dad on our way down to the castle:

And one more photo while we waited on the shuttle to take us back up:

We had a fun-filled day and made it back just in time for kick-off. That's important in our home!

I have a message for my brother-in-law. It's in response to a comment made on the previous post: Ryan, Dad said that it appears you like the FILA sweatshirt as much as he does so he's already put it in his will to let you have the shirt. I hope you get as many years out of it as he has!