Alarms went off promptly at 3:50 in the morning when Amanda and I began our final packing, car-loading, and kid-dressing in order to depart for the airport and make our way to Germany. While the rental car return and overall airport experience was a complete 180 from our arrival, we did have to deal with one final bout of cool rain. Ultimately we made it through security quickly, leaving us with two full hours before departure from the Keflavik airport.
Noah mailed postcards at the Iceland airport.
Given the extra time, we secured a table in one of the airport’s several dining areas. Noah picked out a bowl of frosted flakes, while Emmie and I each took advantage of our final opportunity for Icelandic skyr. Amanda splurged with “Breakfast Special #2,” which consisted of scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, potatoes and a giant pile of bacon, though she admittedly shared much of the meal with the still-hungry kids. I couldn’t convince her for a final hot dog, even though the price was competitive for an airport and we witnessed other diners starting their morning with potentially Iceland’s best food offering.
Emmie’s last bite of Icelandic skyr, at least for a while.
Amanda and I traded time watching and walking each child around the airport. I had the good fortune of sitting with Noah on the plane, who fell asleep before we even went into the air. Meanwhile, Amanda was given only a brief respite from Emmie’s energy while our little angel took a very short nap. However, when she woke up she was bouncing off the plane walls. To my chagrin, Amanda finally gave up, handed her a pen, and let her draw ‘tattoos’ all over her legs. At least her pants should cover them up.
No “Little Explorer” packs but both kids got a meal on our flight to Germany.
We maneuvered the kids, bags, and car seat through the Frankfurt airport with relative efficiency. Emmie’s attempts to escape and her screaming fits when we insisted that she hold our hands were definite highlights of our time there. Add Noah’s self-entertaining game of making weird noises and talking like a baby, and we probably looked like we were really having a party. But, our rental car line refreshingly just totaled one person and our rental car was quite nice. It has a built-in GPS and a nice set of sensors to help with backing up and parking.
The differences between Iceland and Germany were immediately noticed. The temperature had jumped more than 20 degrees and wind was nonexistent in comparison. We saw the most sun we had seen since being in Toronto. The craggy and desolate Iceland countryside was replaced with rolling hills and half-timbered architecture viewable in the distance from the busy freeways.
We hadn’t planned a specific lunch stop but were keeping an eye out for a convenient place along our route to our bed and breakfast in Bacharach. That stop turned out to be a Burger King located in a gas station, immediately off the interstate, similar to the oasis concept from United States toll roads. While certainly not local, we knew what to expect and were able to eat quickly to get back on the road.
Noah and I pose with our meals (including piles of french fries) at Burger King.
Amanda wrangled the kids to a table near the restaurant windows, while I was responsible for placing the order. I successfully ordered the “Long Chicken” sandwich for Amanda and a Whopper for me, but was unsuccessful in communicating the need for two kids meals. We ended up with a single kids meal, which, from a food perspective turned out fine as we were given an enormous amount of fries and the kids each were happy with their quota of chicken nuggets. Emmie was also perfectly happy to share my Coke in lieu of the bottle of strawberry-apple juice, which we designated to Noah.
Emmie holds her Coca-Cola close while eating a french fry.
We resumed our trip to Bacharach, finding our cute bed and breakfast on the first try. Amanda, Noah, and Emmie, stayed in the car while I was shown our rooms and given keys. As expected, we took a significant cut in space from our previous rooms so far on the trip; on the plus-side, our tidy two-room setup features a fabulous deck overlooking the city.
Our bed and breakfast in the painfully charming town of Bacharach.
After unpacking a few belongings, we made our way north to St. Goar, home of Rheinfels Castle, our only tourist destination for the day. We purposely planned both today and tomorrow light, knowing we had jam-packed days in Iceland and also an aggressive itinerary ahead. Rheinfels Castle, known for its sprawling size and “hands-on” opportunity, the castle proved to be a great deal of fun to visit.
Noah and Amanda shield their eyes while posing with the Rhine River in the background.
Highlights included the lovely view of the Rhine and neighboring cities from the castle’s tower and a hike by Noah and Amanda through the castle’s seemingly endless set of dark, compact tunnels. We spent all the time we could in the castle up until it’s closing at 18:00. We always had to keep one eye on Emmie, whose ambition doesn’t always match the environment. We opted to carry her up and down several steep stairways and when the rocky path was a bit too uneven for her little feet.
Emmie offers up a flower to Amanda.
Emmie picks flowers in front of an interior castle wall.
The sheer enormity of Rheinfels Castle is demonstrated in this photo.
Noah in the castle courtyard, with Amanda and Emmie in the background.
The iPhone flashlight was required to see within several of the castle’s tunnels.
After the castle, I experienced my second ordering snafu of the day, walking away from a local bratwurst stand with two glasses of soda water instead of two bottles of still water. Alas, the water at least somewhat satisfied our immediate thirst. We then returned to the hotel, where I gave Amanda some time to herself while walking Noah and Emmie to Bacharach’s cobblestone main street in search of some ice cream at Rick Steves’ recommended “Eis Cafe Italian.”
Emmie’s dish of stracciatella gelato in downtown Bacharach.
Noah and Emmie each had a scoop of strachiatella, or chocolate chip, which was a favorite of mine from our time in Italy. I opted for a scoop of the same, plus additional scoops of chocolate and cherry cream. We then walked down a few nearby streets, unsuccessful in our quest for a takeaway or picnic-style dinner.
Bacharach’s picturesque cobblestone streets lacked a grocery store (open in the evening.)
I then jumped in the car to drive to a grocery store a couple kilometers down river, where I picked up paprika/sesame turkey, salami, and more Tuc crackers in order to achieve a picnic lunch on the balcony. I was excited to find banana-cherry and chocolate milk for the kids plus a giant selection of Haribo gummy candies. The meats, cheeses, and other goods which looked appealing were quite numerous, and I suspect more picnic lunches are in the cards over the next several days in mainland Europe.
Our lovely room deck was perfect for an evening picnic.
After winding down, Noah was asleep nearly instantly and Emmie followed soon thereafter. We’re hoping for a solid night of sleep; tomorrow’s agenda is light with planned stops at Burg Eltz along the Mosel River and a chair-lift to the top of a hill in Cochem.