A day in the Eifel

Monschau city center
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We started fairly early by auto to an area known as the Eifel. This region is adjacent to Belgium and is a hilly national park in the country about an hour by car from Cologne. The drive there was filled with picturesque hillsides and forests. Most people would recognize it as an area that saw heavy combat during WW2, including "The Battle of the Bulge".  We eventually arrived at a quaint little village named Monschau.  Its origins date to the Roman era, and it was known for its glass production; however, the "modern" town dates back a couple hundred years.  We watched a fisherman catch a trout in the river running through the middle of the town, and Lisbeth was eating it for lunch in a quaint little restaurant nearby about an hour later!

The town of Monschau is intersected by a beautiful little trout river
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On the way back, we stopped at a WW2 era cemetary.  German soliders buried in the surrounding battlefields were reinterred here after the war.  At that time, the entire area was completely devastated by the continual artillery bombing...the trees literally looked like toothpicks.  Interesting to note, all references to military rank or position are omitted on all the gravestones.

Food of the Day:  The restaurant we had lunch at served 30 different types of pancakes, each as big as the plate...apples with ham; cheese, garlic, and peppers; and also with a kind of syrup/molasses that is a regional specialty.  Kurt ordered schnitzel with mustard sauce, as this area is also known for its mustard.