Rudesheim

Rudesheim

Saturday, October 17, 2015

This was our 2nd visit to Rudesheim (pronounced Rude-a-syme), the first one was our very first P-Day side trip way back in March. It was cold and windy that day and the whole town was pretty much closed (off season is January through March).  So we were wanting to see it again when the vineyards were growing and things were open. What a fun tourist town it is!

Vineyards are around the whole town so it has been a major part of life in this area for a long time! There were lots of wine tasting places around town. This Wine Museum was housed in a castle, which was pretty well preserved.  Seeing this museum helped us to better understand the culture over many years of history. 

Wine presses. 

Looks like they were in use until pretty recently!

This barrel held 6000 liters!

The courtyard.

Drinking vessels...then.

Drinking vessels...later.

The view through the window shows the vineyards and gondolier heading up to the Niederwald Monument, which we saw the first time we visited this area.

We had to hang on to a chain to maneuver the narrow, uneven stairs to get to the top.

A stone table.

Hmmm, even though these aren't real, there's something about ravens and castles.... 

It was a great view from the top! Vineyards on all sides! The sign in the background, "Rudesheimer Rottland" is the name of the area (33% slope) which has grown vineyards since 1031.

The Rhein River provided a means of transportation for goods, and now for many tour boats.

With Elder & Sister Smith (from Orem).

The Smiths are down there somewhere...

We found some bread cooked on a stick.

Yum, hot cinnamon bread!

An Eis (ice cream) Cafe 

Isn't food half the fun?

Apfelstrudel topped with puderzucker, eis or ice cream, cream and physalis (a fruit I'd never seen before coming here). The physalis is in the same family as tomatillos, growing in a pod. My pastry was a  nusstrudel or nut strudel.

Sister Smith talked the waitress into serving her hot chocolate in a Rudesheim coffee cup which is usually reserved for their signature coffee (flaming liquor...maybe wine, coffee and cream). 

Just for the record, we just watched it being prepared at the next table.

One of the cute streets in the Alstadt or old town...I hadn't noticed the Weinhaus or Winehouse.

Instead of the usual Biergartens (beer gardens) which appear in every village and city, Rudesheim has Weingartens (wine gardens).

Many of the decorations come from nature: strung chestnuts, snail shells, and balls of moss are adorning this tree.

Rudesheim is one place we just may visit again on another P-Day!