Europe Backpacking Trip 2008

So, I hopped on the train to Koblenz bright and early. Turns out I had accidentally picked the scenic train - nice! I sat next to a German couple who were going to the Mosel Valley for a wine tasting tour. They taught me how to say "youth hostel" and a few other choice phrases in German. Arrived in Koblenz and tried to get directions to my hostel - it was located in a former fortress, high up on a hill overlooking the Rhine River. I had to use my new knowledge of German at the tourist office - the girl working there didn't understand "youth hostel", but fortunately I was able to say that I was looking for the "jugendherberge". Made it to the hostel (I had to take a chair lift up the hill - it was so cool!) and found out that it was a very good thing I had booked it in advance. Almost the entire hostel was booked for a Renaissance festival going on in the courtyard of the fortress! Also very cool.

I decided to hop over to Luxembourg City just to say that I've been to Luxembourg. My favorite part was actually the train ride along the Mosel River. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

The next day I took advantage of the benefits that come with my Eurail pass (if the pass covers Germany, you can ride the KD cruise line along the Rhine and Mosel for free!). I spent the day cruising the Rhine, checking out the castles and vineyards. Beautiful. And a great way to recover from jet lag. Today was just as lazy as yesterday. I went for a cruise along the Mosel, sampled some local wines, and listen to Wagner on my iPod. It was Gotterdammerung - I thought it was appropriate. Had doner kebab for dinner. Perfect.