Cochem on the Moselle River was touted as being a charming, picturesque town of 5700 people - a favored attraction for tourists. The scorching heat did not seem to detract the throngs of people. Tour buses and visitors of an assortment of nationalities were represented. I found the heat oppressive which took away from the overall experience. Even on the river it was close to 100 degrees F. We hiked up to the castle which brought into question our sanity. We persisted however and were rewarded with a marvelous view of the valley. The tour of the castle was in German with an English script for us to follow. We had been through enough castles to know what we were likely to see, so we opted just to enjoy the sites from this spectacular vantage point.
We are now at the half way point of our stay in Germany and beginning to bear witness of the principle of diminishing returns.
There are fewer and fewer things we haven't seen before or even heard before. There are the often fascinating stories inevitably attached to the places we visit, but now I find myself often seeking out the hidden gems of information, about the people who inhabited these places. Their life stories, their contributions, their deeds and exploits add to the contextual richness and diversity of this great country.
In 1688, King Louis XIV of France, during his invasion of the Rhine and the Moselle, swept in and captured Cochem Castle. His forces occupied the area and on May 19, 1689, they destroyed Cochem Castle by setting it afire, undermining it and blowing it apart. The town of Cochem was almost destroyed as well. The castle we see today was purchased and rebuilt in the 19th century.
During World War II, the operations staff of the underground subcamp Zeisig of the Natzweiler concentration camp between the villages Bruttig and Treis was located here. At its height, 13,000 people were imprisoned and provided slave labor for Bosch, which made spark plugs, ignition systems and glow plugs under brutal conditions.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part was the trip through the German countryside. Well kept little villages, each with their centuries old churches at the center provided a memorable image of these idyllic settings. This is the image of Germany that will likely remain with me. Part of the cultural heritage is linked to their rural roots and the simple life it exemplified.
A little extra ice cream seemed like a good idea.
The Taylors are our regular companions on these trips.
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