We have a free day from driving today and will spend the day in Rudesheim.
Breakfast is very pleasant and a lot quieter than last night. The Americans were only here for dinner and the other English group (Shearings) have left this morning. There is a nice buffet spread and everything is very relaxed.
We have arranged a ride on the little tourist train and a wine tasting for the group and we all meet in the courtyard at 10:00.
Before we leave I finalise the menu choices for tonight’s dinner and hand the list to reception.
It is a short walk to where we shall catch the train and we arrive in plenty of time for our 10:15 departure.
Time for a group photo!
Our little tractor pulled train arrives and we all pile on. There is only our group on board so all of the commentary will be in English, which is the cause of some hilarity!
The train takes us up high above Rudesheim amongst the barren looking vineyards with magnificent views over the Rhine and the town.
It is very cold and windy with the threat of rain not far away as we are given our guided tour. The funniest moment was the commentary describing people being a little drunk as being concentrated!
We have a photo stop on the way down before skirting the town and back to where we started. Normally we would be taken through the town but that is not possible with all of the market stalls in the town.
We are back by 11:00 and will reconvene at midday for our wine tasting.
Time to enjoy a Rudesheimer coffee.
We choose one of the nearby cafes along with half of the coach! Brian and I are sat with Nicola and Dot, with Primrose and Anna next to us and Anita and Olive close to them. Sue and Toni come in but have to sit in the main building as there are no seats left where we are. Everybody has this well known and delicious coffee.
The waiter comes to your table with a tray full of a pot of coffee, small Asbach brandy bottles, sugar cubes, cream and a Rudesheimer mug which has no handles.
The brandy is put into the mug and then set fire to followed by three sugar cubes and the coffee all topped off with a big dollop of cream with chocolate flakes on.
It is very similar to an Irish coffee and just as tasty. It is also very warming on a cold day. A cold day that is now a very wet day.
I take a few snaps of satisfied passengers before meeting them all at the wine tasting at Adolf Storzal Wines.
The last time I came here we were given our tasting by Adolf who opened his spiel with the immortal words – “My name is Adolf, you may have heard that name before!”
Today Adolf is not there and we are entertained by Hans who is just as funny and every inch the thespian I think he must be. Some of his jokes go over people’s heads but the for the most time he is very funny and informative.
We are trying four wines ranging from dry to sweet and by the time we have finished there are a couple of tipsy passengers! Great fun and all within a minutes’ walk of the hotel.
At the end we have the opportunity to buy the wine and a few do including myself. Any wine bought today will be brought to the hotel by Hans (in his little tank!!) before we leave on Friday.
The rain has stopped for a short while as Brian goes mushroom hunting! He wants to have a plate of cooked mushrooms that are common fare at German Christmas Markets. Sadly the mushroom man has moved to pastures new and we have a dilemma for lunch! In the end the rain comes down so hard that we dive into the nearest place with a Bitburger sign! Well when we are not driving we must take advantage of these things!
We are once again joined by Dot and Nicola and enjoy a couple of beers with our lunch. I had a delicious turkey and chips! Well it is nearly Christmas!
As we come out of the restaurant the rain has been replaced with lovely blue sky but not for too long I think.
We stop at the Asbach stall for Dot to buy a bottle of this famous German brandy and squeeze in another coffee! Olive and Anita are here with a coffee that is made from passion fruit instead of coffee. She offers me a straw to taste it and it is lovely.
I leave the three of them shopping and head back to the hotel for a siesta! I wonder why I feel a little sleepy?!
Dinner is at 19;00 tonight and we are the only group in and have been moved to a much better position at the top of the restaurant.
After dinner I retire to my room only to find I am out of water so walk back to the restaurant and ask Tanja (waitress) for a large bottle. She obliges without charging me and as I walk back through the bar I stop for a nightcap with Frank, Val, Allan and Sue.
Am ready for bed tonight.
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