Day 2...German wine country

We're about 1/2 way thru jetlag. I'm gaining on my German by leaps and bounds. I spent from 3:00am to 6:00 am when I couldn't sleep speaking German to myself! Such a weird feeling...words I couldn't think of yesterday came pouring into my conciousness! Today I already speak much more comfortably! Elke even comments on my German! 

So, today we  (Elke, Thorstn, George and I) went to the Rheingau wine region, to a town called Rudesheim. I can hardly believe the amont of vinyard acreage here. It's a beautiful area!  

We took a tram up through the vinyards 

to the top, where there is a quite large monument of 'Germania' in memory of the Franco-German war and the resulting German Empire. 
Scrat was very impressed that it was built in 1880! No nuts up there.😫

Afterwards we of course had to refresh ourselves with some local halb-trocken reisling.

We're discovering Scrat's propensity for trouble...and have to work hard to keep him on the straight and narrow! Kristie...we'll do our best with him! I ordered a caprese salad, wine, and a Frankfurter Kranze...my favorite cake! 

Now we're on our way home via one of Germany's famed on time trains....the first one that has actually been on time! :-/

We're going to meet for dinner with those of my family who can get together at my cousin Rika's home. I'm SO looking forward to seeing them!!