Southern Bavaria Travelogue-Germany, France, Austria (part 1)
Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Heidelberg
2017.8.12
Taipei>Hong Kong>Frankfurt
Sitting by my bedside lamp at the hotel in the first day after the trip, I realize how precious this trip is for the whole family. It has been an extremely busy year for all of us, me finishing freshman year and gone through my first internship in Hong Kong, Danny finishing his high school entrance exam, Mom and Dad both maintaining busy lifestyles of balancing work, family, and leisure. In the past few summers we always had ample time to talk about our summer trips way beforehand, but this year as I spent more time in Hong Kong than in Taiwan, the channel of communication has been quite fragmented, clamped in between precious family meals or my brief holiday visits in between. Being able to enjoy a home-cooked family meal, eating out, traveling by car to Grandma’s and spending quality time together are cherished. So this 14 day trip is extremely precious, as dedicating 2 weeks of travel with family embarking on our self-planned trip to Germany, France, and Austria is a once in a year escape, and I am extremely grateful.
The flight to Frankfurt was a pleasant one, as it’s our first journey with 漢莎airlines and the service was attentive and pleasant. As we landed in Frankfurt and passed through the immigration checks, Danny went alone to answer the questions raised by immigration officers. One of the questions the officer asked “Where is your destination?”, in which he replied straightly, “here.” Mom and Dad and I through it was very funny, officer might think he was making a hoax, haha.
In our first day of arrival we had a laid-back schedule to relax and deal with the jet lag, even though I’m wild awake at the moment. We had a 3-hour cruise along the Rhine, in which valleys of green grape vineyards rolled along the riverbanks, and fortresses from the middle ages stood defensively by the side. It was the first time that I was in such close contact with these giant fortresses, and in the next few days I’m sure I’ll get to see more of them-impressive and well-built domes that protected generations of owners throughout the dark ages.
Had our first Bavarian meal today, had to say that it was huge portion of fine meat, and very little veggies. But I guess this is the highlight of Bavarian astronomy, will explore more of the cuisine in the next few days. We ordered three dishes today, pork fillet for me, steak and pork for Danny, and pork again for Dad, all coming with huge servings of fries, and the four of us finished it all. As for European hard bread we did have a delightful and first taste, as we bought simple Bretzels and buns from a local bakery serving a wide selection of freshly baked warm goods. It was simple gastronomy, but the warm and heavenly smell melted our hearts in the chilly August weather of Frankfurt.

2017.8.13
Heidelberg>Strasbourg
One of the biggest challenges and excitements of a self-planned trip in exotic unknown territory is the brand-new frontiers you navigate. Renting a car in Mainz and starting our journey in the German highways was certainly the start of our comical stumbles along the way, as it is our first ever road trip experience in Europe, in the past it was mostly by train in Switzerland, by bus and train in the Great Britain, by MTR in France, and sticking with the tour group in Italy. Jumping out of the comfort zone has its ups and downs of course, and the day began with a bumpy start.
After fumbling with the unfamiliar buttons and keys of our new vehicle (a black Audi), we headed towards Heidelberg via the German highway, famous for no speed limits and we got a taste of how civilized and rule obeying the Germans were, even in uncharted ground like their highways. The highways were divided into several lanes, and the left side was for speeding past the right lane, as drivers sped past at around 160–200 miles per hour. I guess driving this fast is also a first experience for Dad, and he sped to 220 miles per hour (max), a speed that Mom on the other seat dare not to glance at with the nervousness. Danny and I smiled at each other mischievously from time to time as the wind rumbled and the tires grumbled, until we couldn’t hear each other in our normal voices. Parking is yet another pain, as spaces are limited in the city of Strasbourg, and rules were totally different in which lanes to turn and which not to. At one point Dad ran our car onto the sidewalk, accidently pressing the rain-shield button, and got stuck on the sidewalk. Passer-bys glanced nervously in our direction, as Danny quoted it “looked at us like terrorists”, and we tried our best not to laugh in the back seat.
Had a dip of Heidelberg in the morning, we were in a rush to get from Heidelberg to Strasbourg in the same day. Heidelberg is a touristy town famous for the Heidelberg palace and the Philosopher’s walk, leading you uphill to overlook the Heidelberg old town. The castle sits loftily in the deep green forests up the hill, and dominates the attention of visitors immediately as we lift our gaze towards the Heidelberg city center, an architectural masterpiece of the Renaissance.
In the afternoon we drove from Germany to France, to the picturesque little town of Strasbourg, admiring the colorful wooden Bavarian houses structured beautifully by carved wood, colorful windowpanes, and a beautiful palette of vibrant flowers. Walking down the cobbled sidewalks of Strasbourg, and setting your eyes on particular angles of the sidewalk, beautiful snapshots of fairy tales are created, as the vibrant and lively ambience of the town presses into your memory. We had one authentic and huge portion Bavarian meal for dinner, and tasted the traditional sauerkraut (a dish of marinated meat, sausages, and baked potatoes), huge pork knuckles, and chicken cooked with cheese and ham, all featuring huge portions of cheese, bread, potatoes, and meat. It was delicious, as the meat was all finely presented, yet I can’t help but imagine how Germans eat potatoes and cheese as their staple and dine so heavily on wine and meat. Taking turns cutting off the meat and sharing the meal in a cozy little restaurant creates a warm and happy little ambience, and I cherish that.


