TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

The quaint Mosel River between Bullay and Zell villages.

Before this trip, I did not know much about Zell. I have been to the Mosel River before but didn't really pay any attention to the small (wine) villages. It's usually on our second and third visits that we would go farther out the beaten path and explore the less popular ones. The Boos von Waldeckhof is a popular historical landmark in Zell. It sits across the river where the church and the tourist office are located.

Around this time of the year (September), Dutchman and I went on an extended 3-day weekend getaway in the Mosel River area in Germany.

The first time I have step foot in lovely Cochem was many years ago. 12 years to be exact. Wow, that was a while back, huh. I was on my first solo European road trip =) The main square in the village of Cochem (Markt). Isn't this place just so pretty? Our very German dinner of schnitzels at the Beim Weinbauer Restaurant. We had a nice table on the terrace with the view to the Mosel River Valley. My first reaction when I saw Cochem was total awe. It is one of the beautiful wine villages in the Moselle River Valley. My lust for travel really started 12-13 years ago. I mean before this, I already like travelling, from time to time, but I never saw travel as a priority in my life. It was something nice to have and cool to do. Nothing less and nothing more. I remember being in between jobs for a year in 2005-2006 and discovering that I loved travelling. It was a personal awakening for me. Perhaps because suddenly I had time on my hands to spare, I was then able to foc...

The Mosel/Moselle Valley is one of the most beautiful places in Germany and in Western Europe. The evidence is this lovely village called Cochem. Dutchman and I were here last year in the fall (September) for a long weekend holiday. It was not my first time to in Cochem and in the Mosel Valley but it was for the Dutchman who was quite smitten about the place, mainly because it proved to be a great backdrop for a hiking activity through the terraced vineyards. I can perfectly understand because I too had the same reaction when I visited 12 years ago. Yup, it's been a long time ago! Yours truly with my big hair. My mom told me to cut my hair when she saw this picture, lol. So we stayed in a B&B in Bullay which is approximately half an hour drive from Cochem. It was our first day in the valley and our plan was to visit Cochem in the late afternoon and then have dinner there. Cochem's crown is its medieval castle. It is the symbol of the village and is often re...

We are in Riesling land! The village of Zell-Merl on the Moselle River. Ah, we had lovely weather! Test-driving the hybrid Audi. We are loving the virtual cockpit. GPS screen on the driver's dashboard! Really, really cool. I can even instruct by voice where to go and which person to call (my iPhone is connected). Just a long extended weekend in the Moselle River where the German Riesling grape grows. We are test-driving my brand new lease car from work so we picked a destination that is not too far away and not too close as well. It is beautiful here and it is my second time here in the Moselle River Valley. These are just a few pictures and I will be posting the villages and activities we did in separate posts soon. Here at the village called Bullay. We stayed here. The village is known for its old bridge, Doppelstockbrücke, connecting the villages of Alf and Bullay. We hiked a total of 16+ kilometers through the winding vineyards from Bullay to Ze...