Malm girls don't cry

Joe and I were so excited to welcome our first family member from the States, my little sister!

We saw so many sights in Germany, Switzerland, and France! Only a portion of which are included here!

First stop: the Reinfalls in Neuhausen, Switzerland. Also known as the “Niagara Falls of Europe” it is the largest waterfall in Europe. From the top of the falls to the bottom of the pool is 534 feet and over 158,000 gallons flow over the break each second! On the way home we discovered the tiny town of Stein-am-Rhein.

The Reinfalls

The next day had yet another waterfall in store for us, although not purposely! We headed into the Black Forest to the town of Todtnau, with the intention of riding the Rodelbahn (a rollercoaster with individual cars, and very popular pastime in southern Germany). Sadly, it wasn’t open. However, the hairpin roads of the Forest lead us right to the Todtnauer Wasserfall!

Todtnauer Rainbow

The Todtnauer Waterfall claims to be the highest natural waterfall in Germany, at 318 feet. It was a beautiful day and the waterfall is surrounded by great hiking trails.

We stopped by the winery in Freiburg, where one letter seemed to make all the difference in the world! Germans love to drink Schnapps and bottles can be purchased in all sizes and flavors, however, the bottles are often labeled as “Kirschwasser”. My sister and I are the only ones in the humble tasting room, but have been joined by the winery owner and his friend, who apparently stops by every afternoon around 5pm for a drink.

Needless to say, things were a bit awkward as the winery owner watched us and waited for our next selection. Running out of things to say, I point out how weird the name “Kirschwasser” is for Schnapps. He gives me a sideways look, so I try to clarify. You see, to me “Kirschwasser” means “church water”. I explain that, in my opinion, it is ironic that such strong alcohol be called “church water”. He still doesn’t seem to quite get what I am saying.

As he stepped away to refill our glasses, I got out my phone and typed in “church” to try and determine what the problem was. Oh….I see!  “Church” is Kirch in German. Kirsch in English is “cherry”. When he came back I had to eat my foot, auf Deutsch. “Cherry water” makes so much more sense! The words sound almost identical, by the way, especially after some wine has made the tongue muscles slightly (or greatly) apathetic. It would be like trying to walk an English-language-learner through the correct pronunciation of “desert” and “dessert”. I think they forgave my errors, as we went home with several bottles of wine and promises of returning!

We toured the forest oasis of Villingen, which has a fountain on the Münsterplatz retelling the history of the town and a gorgeous organ inside the Münster.

During our last day in Freiburg together, we decided to climb the “Roßkopf”. One serious hike and over 150 stairs later we made it to Freiburg’s highest point and best scenic outlook.

In France, we caught a glimpse of the Stork that lives on top of the Colmar Münster. I wonder what poor sap has to climb up there and clean up after this feathered mascot!

Finally, we headed to Frankfurt and enjoyed local fare of Apfelwein (apple wein) and Handkäs mit Müsik (hand cheese with music). I know we have been on the theme of “highest things” here, but Handkäs definitely wins the “most disgusting cheese” award!

Great visit little sis! Way to knock out those superlatives!