Amazing Mosel: in short

Six years ago I became friends with a Spanish girl in New Zealand and last week I met her in Germany to travel together France.

It still boggles my mind.

I spent two absolutely amazing weeks visiting the Loco Amiga in Brauneberg, a small town in the wine region of the Mittel Mosel. On the way to the airport she asked me if my visit was what I had hoped, and I only evaluated my expectations then.

I left just wanting to get away. I wanted to sleep late, switch off, enjoy wine with lunch and sit in the late afternoon sun with nowhere to go. I wanted to escape the daily humdrum and be caught up in the unfamiliar. So yes, my holiday was all that I could have wished for.

10 things in short:

Random windows in Brauneberg

1. Germany is much more beautiful than I expected. The smaller towns reminded me of the fables my father use to read me.
2. I was overwhelmed by hospitality: there was always time for a glass of wine or a detour.
3. The real evidence of German engineering should not be their luxury cars, but the vineyards planted on the steep slopes of the Mosel.
4. My favourite German word was funf (five). It’s the combination of "fun" and "oomph" that had me smiling every time.
5. The German wine classification system is very confusing. The more wine I had, the better I understood. Not.
6. You can never have too much Riesling.
7. They cater extensively for the wine tourist. We tasted 40 wines (out of 201!) from the surrounding area in a self-serve vinoteque for €15.
8. Festivals: they do it better. The neighbouring town hosted a regional wine festival for 5 days that saw 200 000 visitors tasting from 35 wine stalls.
9. Riding a bike: it’s like riding a bike.
10. The miracle cold cure: fresh crushed garlic, one teaspoon butter, one teaspoon honey (or to taste) in a cup of warm milk and then straight to bed. Just don’t plan any tastings for the next day!