Hiking to St. Hildegard's

We set out this afternoon on a hike to St. Hildegard's Church (Hildegard of Bingen). I had no idea the cool bird watching that existed right behind Genie's house! I wish we had discovered this hike sooner. We walked through the Bingen cemetery. German cemeteries are much different than American ones-they're filled with ornate, unique tombstones and landscaped gardens done by the family on each grave. As we proceeded up the hill, we came across a neglected Jewish cemetery. It was a moving sight, obviously a consequence of the war.

We finally made it to fire tower and looked out at Bingen. It was cool to see the confluence of the Nahe and Rhein Rivers. We proceeded to hike through the grapesvines to St. Hildegard's, visiting a sweet horse along the way. St. Hildegard's had an outdoor, amphitheatre-style altar with lots of seating for mass. I'd like to see an outdoor mass here sometime.

That evening, Mrs. G arranged for us to visit the well that is believed to be the starting point of a horrible plague in the Middle Ages. It was located in a basement in downtown Bingen. The original cobblestone street was still intact within the building. Afterwards, we went out for a delicious schnitzel dinner, joined by the lady that owns the building we visited! It was a perfect last evening in Bingen.