August 16th – Ahrweiler
It was mandatory that we took Marlin to Germany’s Eifel area as well. We checked in in our favorite apartment complex in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler and walked around in the historic center. Nico was tired and wanted to take a nap and Marlin and I walked to the Roman Villa to see the excavations in the museum they built around it. Just like in Heerlen, but this one is a lot bigger (there is not only a bathhouse, but a whole villa) and more accessible (more pathways between the excavations and lighter), so way nicer 🙂 We didn’t do much else that day besides going out to eat.
August 17th – Ahrweiler, Altenahr
First thing Marlin wanted to do after breakfast was taking pictures of the town, so we spent some time in the center again. After that we drove through the nice valley of the Ahr to Altenahr, where we went up the hill to Burg Are, a.k.a. “Sandy’s Castle” and we even put up signs saying so, ha! The weather was great, pretty hot even, but we didn’t stay as long as we did with Sandy 😉 Then we went to the other side of town, went up with the chairlift and had a drink at the viewpoint. Back in Ahrweiler we went to take a closer look at the abby and Marlin went to steal a few grapes, hehe. They are for wine, but they tasted pretty good.
August 18th – Ahrweiler, Satzvey, Heerlen
This day was castle day. On our way back from Ahrweiler we drove by the Satzvey castle (also in the Eifel). It wasn’t open, but you could go in the yard so we could take plenty of pictures. Someday we really should visit the Knight Games they occasionally organize! On the way back we drove through some rural parts with several small villages to our left and right. They are all built around an old church, which is about the most normal thing for us. But Marlin kept pointing them out, hey there is another church! Look, there is another church! Haha.. I guess it’s not common world wide 😉
When we were back in Heerlen, I started to prepare a BBQ and Nico took Marlin to the Hoensbroek castle here in Heerlen, just for some pics from around it (it is possible to visit it, it’s one of the best renovated castles in Holland). They also went to the other side of the city, or actually a few metres across the city limit, to the ruins of the Schaesberg castle, that Sandy named Nico’s Castle, since he used to play there as a kid 😉 That was a really quick tour, but time was running out unfortunately. The weather was still great and we enjoyed a good BBQ and drinks outside underneath the pergola for the rest of the evening.
August 19th – Heerlen
It was time to bring Marlin to the train station, he wanted to visit Sail Amsterdam and would be flying back from Amsterdam airport the next day. We had a wonderful time with him, and like when Sandy and Danny were here, it was a mini vacation for ourselves as well! Marlin, see you in 2006 on your turf again! So… when’s the next visitor from Regina coming?? 😛