Weddingbee Blog

This is the story of our engagement and the trip that went with it. Given time and travel constraints, we thought of it as a pre-honeymoon (the honeymoon we can’t take right after the wedding). I began thinking of it as a before-honeymoon, or bunnymoon—a term that makes Mr. Macarons cringe a little. I like it. Mr. Mac will live.

Recently I wrote about arriving in Paris and getting ready for our journey. We spent the first five hours driving out of Paris and toward Heppenheim and Heidelberg. Once in Germany, we stopped to stretch our legs and grab some fuel for the rest of our drive. Apparently some surfers were hungry, too.

While stopped, I picked up one of the greatest inventions ever:

As well as some healthier options before heading out.

Heppenheim is a romantic town in Southern Germany with it’s very own medieval castle overlooking vineyards.

After touring the castle and wandering up and down the narrow cobblestone roads, we were quite hungry. After all the mister’s talk about real Knödel, I was hoping to try it but knew my chances were limited as we were only in Germany for a day and a half.

We sat down in front of an adorable B&B in the town square, and our waitress said we could find the day’s menu posted on the chalkboard. She stepped aside and that’s where I read: “III: Hausgemachte Specksemmel Knödel mit Pfifferlingen a la Creme.” That’s bacon-rolled dumplings with a mushroom cream sauce. WIN.

It was absolutely delicious and the best the mister has ever had. (Don’t tell his mother that.) We finished with apfelstrudel and then made our way over to Heidelberg, which is where we’d spend our evening.

Heidelberg is much larger than Heppenheim but doesn’t lose any of its charm. Our hotel was part of a former brewery dating back to 1907 and was within walking distance of the historic town center. We checked in and were ready for more exploring.

The streets were crowded; I’m talking shoulder to shoulder as we made our way toward Heidelberg Castle. Slightly confused and aggravated, Mr. Mac asked a passerby what was going on. Turns out we were in town for the illumination of the castle and firework display, which you can read more about here. We snuggled close as we watched the show and then began our steep walk up the mountain for the best view of the city. I was hesitant given how dark it was, but man was it worth it.

{Photo by Mat Bedz via Flickr}

The walk down was even scarier than going up, but I was rewarded with a pint and Bierkäse.

And with that, our first day drew to a close.

Next on the itinerary was Luxembourg. We left Germany a lot later than expected, so I don’t have any photos of the drive to Luxembourg, as it was dark. It’s probably a good thing, as there were so many narrow twists and turns I’d rather not think about what was (more like wasn’t) on either side of the road. I’m so glad we had John Cleese to give us directions.

Our hotel/B&B was so pretty and included a wonderful breakfast of fresh fruit, meats, cheeses, and some of the tastiest bread I’ve ever had.

After breakfast we walked around Vianden and toured the Chateau.

Sorry. I have a soft spot for old tourism posters. We also managed to have a little fun while learning about the town and its history.

{My interpretation of Borat’s King in the Castle}

And for you civil engineers and environmental scientists, Vianden is home to Europe’s biggest hydroelectric pumping station.

After a bit of driving, we made our way back into France.

Mr. Mac is a big fan of Jules Verne, so we toured his house in Amiens. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside. After an early dinner we visited Notre Dame Amiens, the largest cathedral in France. You can fit two of Paris’s Notre Dames inside…with room to spare. The detail work is amazing: there are three portals on the front of the cathedral with carvings of biblical figures and saints.

In the evenings it’s illuminated to suggest what it would have looked like during the 14th Century.

Stay tuned for the next installment: Normandy & Mont St. Michel!