Xanten
We woke up for one more day at Camping Kurskenshof and watched our firefighter friends pack up and leave. After saying goodbye, we got on the bikes and rode back into Xanten for the LVR Archaeological Park.
The park had Roman ruins, an amphitheater, a temple, old bath houses, and a lot of very cool Roman gear. Nolan was completely in his element. His recap included “seeing the Romans fight,” seeing where they fought, and seeing “the bear who roars,” so clearly the park delivered. The kids also had an awesome playground with a jump pad, water area, wooden equipment, and a few balance beams that required some legitimate bravery. Both of them did a great job crossing everything and generally acting like fearless little gladiators.
Inside the museum, Nolan and Nina got to dress up like gladiators while we looked at weapons and armor.
We ate lunch there and then entered the gift shop, where each kid chose something that matched their personality perfectly. Nolan selected a sword with a sheath and belt holder. Nina chose a small warthog stuffie and keychain. One child left ready for battle; the other left ready for snuggles.
We biked into town, stopped at an ATM, and visited Saint Victor’s church.
The kids were very well behaved inside. Nothing makes ancient architecture more enjoyable than spending the entire time pleasantly surprised that your five- and three-year-old are not touching everything.
It sprinkled a little on the ride back, but we made it to camp, cooked dinner, and went to feed the goats. One goat stole an entire box of food out of Nina’s hand, which felt a little aggressive after we had so kindly brought and paid for its dinner. We recovered with some time on the swings and headed back to Lightning McQueen for bed. Nolan’s new sword was his clear winner for the day, while Nina’s review wandered through being a tiger—“raaaaaaah”—before landing on ice cream. Three-year-old storytelling remains our favorite genre.
Düren
The next morning we packed up and moved into our Airbnb in Düren. The journal from this day is short, which usually means the logistics of moving four people and all of their belongings out of Lightning McQueen did not leave much energy for literary reflection.
Still, the important points were covered. Dad’s favorite part was a sushi poke bowl, Mom’s was talking to Yaya, and Nina was thrilled about going to the apartment. Nolan chose feeding the goats, apparently proving that the campground goats—food theft and all—had made a lasting impression.
Family-Camping Mesenich
We packed up the Airbnb the following morning and managed to get Lightning McQueen out of a very tight alley. After a grocery stop, we drove through a beautiful river gorge and across the river into wine country, eventually arriving at Family-Camping Mesenich.
We snagged the very last campsite, although “snagged” makes it sound easier than squeezing Lightning McQueen into a tight spot and getting everything situated with leveling blocks. We made it work, which is basically the official van-life motto.
The kids immediately changed for the pool and met a one-and-a-half-year-old German toddler. The water was cold, but the sun was out, the pool was shallow, and the three kids had a blast together. Mom and Dad supported this international friendship by drinking a fresh, chilled local Riesling nearby.
Mom started laundry, Dad cooked, and then Teacher Mommy officially opened school for the year.
Nolan and Nina were so excited for their first lesson, which made starting school at a campground in German wine country feel almost normal. We had salmon for dinner, Dad worked, and then we discovered that the campground dryer was essentially just a machine for keeping wet clothes warm. Nothing was dry, so we hung a weeks’ worth of laundry all around the campsite before bed. Lightning McQueen looked like it had grown a damp clothing garden overnight.
Cochem
The next morning started with bread from the baker cart and preparations for a big family bike ride. Unfortunately, Nolan’s seat clamp appeared to be broken. Coons responded with the sort of careful mechanical repair you would expect from an experienced father traveling Europe: he attached it with bungee cords.
With Nolan’s seat now technically connected to the bike, we set off for a bike shop in Cochem. It was about a 40-minute, 10-mile ride along the river valley, and it was one of the most beautiful bike rides we have taken. The bike shop was very busy and had never worked with that seat before, so they could not help us. The bungees would ride another day!
We tried biking up toward the castle, quickly learned that was not going to happen, and took a bus instead. We walked the rest of the way and had lunch at the restaurant with a view.
Ultimately, we decided against going inside the castle because it required a 40-minute guided tour. A 40-minute tour with Nolan and Nina can either be delightful or feel like several years, and we chose not to test it.
After walking back down and collecting the bikes, we went to the Sesselbahn and took the chairlift up for more great views.
We got ice cream at the top, rode the chairlift back down, and biked all the way to the campground. Twenty miles with two little kids and one bungee-supported seat—not bad!
Back at camp, Teacher Mommy held school while Dad cooked. The German toddler and his mom came over, so we included him in the lesson. Our campground classroom was already accepting international students on day two. After dinner, Dad worked while Mom took Nolan and Nina to the playground. We finally finished the laundry and dishes and went to bed, with the bungee cords still somehow holding strong.
Neef
For our last full day at Family-Camping Mesenich, we got more bread from the campground service and let the kids play before gearing up for another ride. Nolan’s bungee seat was still holding, so this time we headed south toward Neef.
Our first stop was Wajos Lounge, where we ordered a bottle of wine and some delicious pizza. More importantly, there was a sandbox and play area for the kids. This is our current version of fine dining: local wine, good food, and somewhere nearby for Nolan and Nina to dig holes and serve us sand food.
We continued toward Neef hoping to find a winery or tasting room, but it was closed. We pivoted to Gaststätte Zur Blauen Traube, which was run by Nino. He loved the kids, the kids got ice cream, and we got another Riesling. Everybody won.
We eventually biked back to the campground, where Mom taught school before we went to the campground restaurant for dinner. Nolan and Nina were extremely brave and tried all sorts of seafood, including calamari and octopus. This is the same pair that can occasionally treat a normal meal they asked for like a personal betrayal, so watching them willingly sample tentacled sea creatures was most impressive.
Dad’s favorite part was biking, drinking delicious Riesling, and watching the kids do such a great job hanging out at the different restaurants and bars. Mom also loved the leisurely ride and wine stops. Nolan picked both the restaurant and the bike ride, while Nina chose going to bed with her sweet mommy. After two days of big rides, playgrounds, school, wine stops, and bungee-based engineering, we were all ready for sleep.
The Rhine
On Friday we left Mesenich and headed to our new campsite on the Rhine. The campsite was along the river and had views of a brilliant, yet privately owned, castle! Nolan was feeling a little under the weather, so this became a quieter family day. He got some snuggles from Mom and took a nap in the sun, which we assumed was the best part of his day since he was not up for giving an official report.
Mom went to the pharmacy and met a guy from Boston—or at least someone who knew where Boston was—which apparently felt exciting enough to make the daily favorites. She also talked to Auntie Kristian on FaceTime. And she got Nolan snuggles, so she really won the day! Nina, meanwhile, remained focused on the essentials: playgrounds and biking.
Dad’s favorite part was simply arriving at the new campground and relaxing together. After a packed few days on the Moselle, letting Nolan rest and spending time around Lightning McQueen was exactly what we needed.
River Day
By Saturday, we were ready for a little more exploring along the river. The day included biking, a boat ride, and a new beach where Dad, Nolan, and Nina skipped rocks. They also found mussels and glass in the water (we’re still learning the difference between sea glass and just glass), which Nolan considered important enough to include in his full report.
Mom got some one-on-one time with Nolan by the river and had a picnic with him. It was her favorite part of the day, while Dad chose skipping rocks with both kids at the new beach. Nolan listed the boat ride, the beach with Daddy, the mussels and glass, and his picnic with Mommy. Nina kept her answer admirably concise: biking.
It was a simple end to the week—rocks, a river, a picnic, and a little individual time with our five-year-old after he had not been feeling well. Sometimes Roman ruins, castles, chairlifts, and Riesling country win the week. Sometimes it is just finding the right beach and throwing rocks into the water together.
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