June 20, 2002 I had the luck of the draw, I was selected for a 90 
day air force deployment to Germany with a cadre of 45 members. I was more than ready to make the deployment because I had been to Germany several times, but only to Ramstein Air Base in transit or AT (awaiting transportation), AD (Authorized Delay), or AO (awaiting orders). If I had time I would go out to the city or town of Kaiserslautern. Therefore I was looking to make day trips into Munich, Berlin, and Frankfurt. As I said, when I was informed that I would be deploying to Germany for 90 days, I was more than ready to do up the Rhineland and do it right this time, you know, but my joy soon turned to dismay when I was informed that I would be going to Spangdahlem AB (air base), near Bitburg. My reply “was Spanddah, what, where in the blues blaze it that?” I had never heard of this place and I was very tempted to ask for another assignment, but my friend Steve said that I would love the area, and in the end, he was very right. Right up front I would say there it the Rhineland, then there is Germany on the Moselle, the ancient Capital of Rome in Europe so to speak. Because I love history, this would be just the place for me. After we arrived at Spangdahlem mid-week, I think a Thursday and checked into our rooms or quarters, had lunch, went to a meeting to meet our base civilian engineering work associates or counter parts, things were good to go. I was assigned to work with civilian base engineer, Dieter and our job would entail going off base for supplies, and checking on fuel lines, and other structures that were essential to the base operations, and that meant spending a lot of time in Dudeldorf, Manderscheid in de Eifel, and especially the bar or tavern side of 
the Landgasthof Stein- Reiter Gasthaus in Metterich in der Eifel, all mind you in the line of duty, but how much duty would be a question, with a big question mark. I got to know one of the owners very personally, and not in the carnal sense mind you. She had me eating and drinking stuff that I dared not try to pronounce. There were dishes like zigeuner schnitzel, sauerbraten, wiener schnitzel, rouladen, frikadellen, and kasseler. As a seldom or light to non drinker, but too well raised to refuse the good hospitality of a very gracious hostess I found myself drinking Metteric snappes, such as Schonauer apple liqueur and the drink of legends, Killepitsch. Of course I had to try 
Sempe Armagnac VSOP and the original Goldwasser. I must add that I soon found myself back stroking, trying not to drown in a sea of some of the best beer in Germany, especially Bitburger, Kostritzer, and Erdinger. To top it all off, there was the ever-present glass of some the best wine of the Moselle, especially the Riesling. Because my good friend Steve drew the short straw for some civil engineering projects for the first weekend, I was on my own, so with advice from Dieter and against my better judgment I took an escorted MWR (Moral Welfare and recreation) trip to Paris. The bus ride there was very scenic. I saw some of the sights of Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, the Seine River, and the Louvre Museum, and of course the Avenue Champs Elysees, but things were so rushed, and we were marshaled like little duckies to the pond so Paris was just a flash to me. There are far too many sights and things to do in Paris, that rushing through it on a hot seat tour is a very bad thing to do. Then came Monday, Me and Steve were on our own to do what we do best, we had our customary bread, cheese and a glass of wine at the club on base. We then rented one of those itty bitty match box cars with 5 in the floor, manual shift. We took the front seat out so we could have leg room. I will say that it sort of looked strange driving from the back seat, then we were off to make our 
present known, our mark on the Rhineland and the Moselle, paint it red if you will. Within minutes we had a crash course of driving on the autobahn. Steve was just tooling along in the far left lane, and a fancy high-priced car pulled up behind us at breakneck speed, the driver flashed the head lights, and Steve did not get the message to move over, so the driver came around us and gave us the middle finger and called us stupid Yanks. Driving with no particular place to go, rubber necking, and not in a hurry to get any place fast, Steve decided to pull off and get a cup of coffee, and since we had passed several signs that said Ausfahrt, he said, “the next Ausfahrt sign we see we will exit and get some refreshment”, so that is what we did and we drove forever looking for Ausfhart, so we stopped at a Gasthaus near a farm and asked the waitress how far was the village or town of Ausfahrt, she laughed, and said with a smile, “Sweetie, Ausfahrt mean exit.” The next question was, “where are we?” We were a few miles west of Saarbrucklin, and very close to Strasbourg, France. So, with my map reading and Steve driving we went on to Metz, France and made the turn around through Strasbourg and back to Spangdalhelm. The next weekend we went to Lyons la Foret, and Niece. Almost every weekend we would go to Metz and work our way back to Spangdahlem or Trier. Now, I am not in the habit of recommending places to eat or sleep, However I will make an exception, I will say that if by chance you find yourself in the Trier-Moselle region I would suggest the Landgasthof Stein-Reiter Gasthaus in 
Metterich, the food is to die for, the hospitality is awesome. The village of Metterich is small, very small, rustic and a good location to visit the ancient Roman ruins of the Moselle, especially those in Trier. Also, the old medieval castles such as castle Vianden in Luxembourg, Castle Dudeldorf near Erdorf and Dudeldorf’s old town, and Burg Eltz near Cochem, of the Moselle are a must to visit. Metterich a very good base for day or weekend trips to France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France. However Trier and Bitburg are more cosmopolitan with up scale bread and breakfast inns, and these cities are only a few miles from Metterich. Now, a historical or tour guide look at the Moselle region that me and Steve had ample time to see and paint a vivid red.
The Moselle, located near Germany’s western 
border,is the Rhine’s peaceful little sister. Its valley is what some visitors hoped the bustling, industrious Rhine would be: peaceful, sleepy, romantic villages slipped between steep vineyards and the river; fine wine; a sprinkling of castles; and lots of friendly B&Bs called Zimmer. On summer weekends and during the fall harvest time, the region comes alive with wine festivals with oompah bands, dancing, and colorful costumes. The most scenic piece of the valley lies between the towns of Bernkastel-Kues and Cochem.
Cochem, The main tourist town is tucked between steep vineyards and the river, boasts picturesque medieval 
streets. Stroll the delightful riverfront promenade, play life-size chess, or just grab a bench and watch Germany at play. To join in the fun, take the Sesselbahn chairlift up to a hilltop (and restaurant), enjoy the views, hike down, and end up at a wine-tasting at Weingut Rademacher. Wine-tasting is a popular activity here. Sample local white wines or Roter-Weinbergs-Pfirsich Likör — a cordial made from the small, tart “red peaches” unique to the Mosel Valley. Throughout the region on summer weekends and during the fall harvest, towns host wine festivals with oompah bands, colorful costumes, and dancing, powered by the good food and wine. Like most Mosel towns, Cochem grew up below its castle. Though it looks majestic — rising from a hill above town — Cochem’s castle is better admired from afar. This 19th-century reconstruction is more fanciful than authentic.
Burg Eltz, on the other hand, is the real deal. 
Lurking in a mysterious forest about 30 minutes by car from Cochem, this is my favorite castle in all of Europe. Thanks to smart diplomacy and clever marriages, Burg Eltz avoided wars and was never destroyed, remaining in the Eltz family for eight centuries. The castle is furnished throughout basically as it was 500 years ago. That’s rare in castles. It was a comfortable castle for its day: 80 rooms made cozy by 40 fireplaces and wall-hanging tapestries. The Grand Gallery was where nobles met. A carved jester and a rose look down on the big table, reminding those who gathered that they were free to discuss anything (“fool’s freedom” — jesters could say anything to the king), but nothing discussed could leave the room (the “rose of silence”). The finely decorated master bedroom contains all the comforts of the time, including a toilet — one of 20 in the castle, each flushed (occasionally) by rainwater.
Beilstein is Just upstream from Cochem is the quaintest of all Mosel towns. If you’re looking for convalescence, this is the place to go. Beilstein has zero food shops, zero ATMs, one bus stop, one mailbox, and 180 residents who run about 30 guest houses and eateries. It’s nicknamed the “Sleeping Beauty of the Mosel” because until about 1900, it was inaccessible except by boat. Today it’s still just grape vines, cobbles, fancy door knockers, the smell of dank back alleys, and Mosel River views. Midday in peak season, its charm is trampled by tourists. But early and late, it’s a dream.
Koblenz just 57 miles southeast of Cologne by 
rail celebrated its 2000 anniversary in 1992. It is situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck, German Corner and its monument, Emperor William I on horseback are situated. As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC. The name Koblenz originates from Latin confluentes, confluence or “at the merging of rivers”. Subsequently it was Covelenz and Cobelenz. In the local dialect the name is Kowelenz. After Mainz and Ludwigshafen am Rhein, it is the third largest city in Rhineland-Palatinate, with a population of 106,000 accordint to the 2006 census. Around 1000 BC, early fortifications were erected on the Festung Ehrenbreitstein hill on the opposite side of the Moselle. In 55 BC, Roman troops commanded by Julius Caesar reached the Rhine and built a bridge between Koblenz and Andernach. About 9 BC, the “Castellum apud Confluentes”, was one of the military posts established by Drusus. Remains of a large bridge built in 49 AD by the Romans are still visible. The Romans built two castles as protection for the bridge, one in 9 AD and another in the 2nd century, the latter being destroyed by the Franks in 259. North of Koblenz was a temple of Mercury and Rosmerta a Gallo-Roman deity, which remained in use up to the 5th century.
Trier, historically called in English Treve is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city 
in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC. Trier lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of ruddy sandstone in the west of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, near the border with Luxembourg and within the important Moselle wine region. The city is the oldest seat of a Christian bishop north of the Alps. In the middle Ages, the Archbishop of Trier was an important prince of the church, as the Archbishopric of Trier controlled land from the French border to the Rhine. The Archbishop also had great significance as one of the seven electors of the Holy Roman Empire. With an approximate population of 100,000 Trier was, until 2005, ranked fourth alongside 
Kaiserslautern among the state’s largest cities; after Mainz, Ludwigshafen, and Koblenz. The nearest large cities in Germany are Saarbrucken, some 49 miles southeast, and Koblenz, about 62 miles northeast. The closest city to Trier is the capital of Luxembourg, some 31 miles to the southwest. According to the 
Gesta Treverorum, the city was founded by Trebeta, an Assyrian prince, and centuries before ancient Rome. He was the son of Ninus, King of Assyria, by a wife prior to his marriage to Queen Semiramis. His stepmother, Semiramis, despised him and when she took over the kingdom after the death of his father, Ninus, Trebeta left Assyria and went to Europe. After wandering for a time, he led a group of colonizers to settle at Trier around 2000 BC in what is now Germany. Trebeta is also reputed to have been at Strasbourg, France. Upon his death, his body was cremated on Petrisberg by the people of Trier.The Roman Empire subdued the Treveri in the 1st century BC and established Augusta Treverorum (Lit: August (Regal, noble) [City] of the Treveri) in 30 BC. The name is likely to be taken from the title Augustus held by the Princeps or head of state at the time, 
Augustus Caesar. The city later became the capital of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica, as well as the
Roman prefecture of Gaul. It covered 700 acres within its walls and may have had as many as 70,000 inhabitants. The Porta Nigra is counted among the Roman architecture of the city. A residence of the Western Roman Emperor, Roman Trier was the birthplace of Saint Ambrose. Sometime between 395 and 418 the Roman administration moved the staff of Pretorian Prefecture from the city to Arles. The city continued to be inhabited, but was not as prosperous as before, because of the absence of 2,000 staff 
members of the Prefecture and military. However, the city remained the seat of a governor and had state factories for the production of ballistae and armor, and a wool mill for uniforms for the troops, clothing for the civil service and high-quality garments for the Court. Northern Gaul was held by the Romans along a line from north of Cologne to the coast at Boulogne through what is today southern Belgium until 460. South of this line Roman control was firm as evidenced by the continuing operation of the imperial arms factory at Amiens. The Franks seized Trier from Roman administration in 459 AD. In 870 it became part of Eastern Francia, which developed into the Holy Roman Empire. Relics of Saint Matthias brought to the city initiated widespread pilgrimages. The bishops of the city grew increasingly powerful, and the Archbishopric of Trier was recognized as an electorate of the empire, one of the most powerful states of Germany. The University of Trier was founded in the city in 1473.
The Moselle valley is a region in north-eastern 
France, south-western Germany, and eastern Luxembourg, centered on the river valley formed by the Moselle. The Moselle runs through, and along the borders of, the three different countries, and drains a fourth, Belgium. The Moselle has been promoted as a quality white wine-producing region since the nineteenth century and “Moselle wine” is produced in three countries; it is the heart of the Luxembourg wine industry, and is also of the German Moselle region, and there are some vineyards in France. The Moselle has developed a strong tourism industry around its reputation as a rural idyll. The tourism sector is most prominent in the Luxembourgian and German parts of the Moselle. Luxembourg’s part of the valley roughly corresponds with the central and eastern parts of the cantons of Grevenmacher and Remich. Almost all of the lowest-lying communes in Luxembourg lie along the Moselle. There are no large towns in Luxembourg’s part of the Moselle valley, but the main settlements are Grevenmacher, Mondorf-les-Bains, Remich, and Wasserbillig, all of which have populations in excess of 2,000 people.
METZ (pronounced “Mess”), the capital of Lorraine, 
lies on the east bank of the River Moselle, close to the Autoroute de l’Est, linking Paris and Strasbourg, and the main Strasbourg– Brussels train line. Its origins go back at least to Roman times, when, as now, it stood astride major trade routes. On the death of Charlemagne it became the capital of Lothar’s portion of his empire. By the Middle Ages it had sufficient wealth and strength to proclaim itself an independent republic, which it remained until its absorption into France in 1552. Caught between warring influences, Metz has endured more than its share of historical hand-changing; reluctantly ceded to Germany in 1870, it recovered its liberty at the end of World War I, only to be re-annexed by Hitler until the Liberation. Metz in effect is two towns: the original French 
quarters, gathered round the cathedral, and the ville allemande, undertaken as part of a once-and-for-all process of Germanification after the Prussian occupation in 1870. To the south the latter, unmistakably Teutonic in style, has considerable elegance and grandeur. Although the only really important sight is the magnificent cathedral, beautifully lit at night, Metz deserves its self-styled title of Ville jardin or Garden City; impeccable flowerbeds, the warm hues of mustard-yellow stone buildings and the waters of the Moselle all make for a seductive cityscape. The surprising city of Metz is well worth a visit on its own. A vibrant and beguiling modern city, Metz wears its many layers of history gracefully. Its original site, on a hill at the confluence of the Moselle and Seille rivers in what is now Lorraine, was already fortified in 110 BC, by a Celtic tribe called the Mediomatrici. Today some of the city’s loveliest walks and viewpoints surround that spot, where a gorgeous Gothic cathedral built of golden stone overlooks the bridges and islands of the many-branched Moselle, whose peaceful waters are ruffled only by a flock of well-fed swans.The Romans called the city Dividorum, but it eventually took the name of the Mediomatrici, shortened first to Mettis and then to Metz. (Although the French pronounce its name as “mess”, the city is anything but.) From the beginning it was an important trade center, at the juncture of two great Roman roads, the north-south route 
linking Trier to Lyon and the east-west road from Strasbourg to Soissons. By the 2nd century AD Metz was flourishing, with a population of 40,000, an amphitheater, a forum and several public baths, with water brought from some 14 miles away by aqueduct—train travelers will pass some impressive remaining arches just outside of town. After the fall of Rome Metz was repeatedly sacked by Vandals and Huns before coming under the rule of the Merovingian Franks; on the death of King Clovis in 511, his territory was divided among his sons, and Metz became part of Austrasie, the “eastern territories” extending from Champagne to Bavaria, including parts of today’s Belgium and Luxembourg. In 561 King Sigisbert chose Metz as his capital, launching a brilliant era that extended though the 9th-century reign of Charlemagne, who also favored the city. Already converted to Christianity in the 3rd century, the city was eventually taken over by its bishops. Virtual princes with the right to raise taxes, make laws and execute justice, the bishops ruled from the 9th to the 13th century, when a rising class of wealthy patrician families called the Paraiges seized power. Metz thrived for some 300 years as a republic, a free city within the Holy Roman Empire 
headed by a maître-échevin chosen from among the leading families. So wealthy that they lent large sums to the dukes of Lorraine, the kings of France and even the Holy Roman emperor, the Paraiges contributed to the city’s fame as a banking center, earning its medieval nickname, Metz la Riche. A 16th-century siege by Henri II brought Metz under French control, and it remained French until the Germans took the city, along with the rest of Lorraine and Alsace, in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. German until 1918, Metz was redeveloped and fortified with a ring of sturdy forts. Reverting to France after World War I, the city was again occupied by the Germans from 1940 to November 1944, when they finally surrendered after a long and fiercely fought battle. Despite its kaleidoscopic and war-ravaged history, today’s Metz is a lively, upbeat city. “People think of Metz as a gray city, but that’s not true,” says Philippe Brutto, a restaurateur whose tiny bistrot, Le Strapontin, lies in the shadow of the cathedral. “C’est pas du tout ça!” In fact, the city is enlivened both by a youthful population, thanks to its university, 
and a sunny appearance, thanks to its golden color—most of the city center is built in a local honey-hued limestone called pierre de Jaumont. The Old Town is a compact, largely pedestrian area centered on the Place d’Armes, an 18th-century square flanked by the Hôtel de Ville and the former guardhouse that now houses the Office de Tourisme, and dominated by the Cathedral of Saint Etienne. Visitors enter the cathedral through the ornate Portal of the Virgin. Among its scores of statues stands Saint Clément, the city’s first bishop, whom legend credits with ridding the city of a monster called the Graoully (pronounced growly) by capturing the beast with his priestly stole and drowning it in the Seille. The saint is depicted holding a chain attached to an unhappy looking little dragon. A large, colorful effigy of the Graoully, housed in the cathedral’s crypt, was once carried through the city in annual processions, an event described by 16th-century writer and temporary Metz resident François Rabelais in his comic masterpiece Gargantua et Pantagruel. The cathedral is nicknamed God’s Lantern, 
and you’ll know why the moment you step inside. With the second-highest nave in France, the soaring interior is flooded with jewel-colored light from an astonishing expanse of stained glass, and the effect, especially on a sunny day, is dazzling. The earliest windows, dating from the 13th century, display the unforgettable, intense blue called bleu de Chartres along with vivid touches of red and gold; others windows date from the 14th to the 20th centuries, including several designed by Marc Chagall. On the adjoining Place de Chambre, Metz’s covered market is housed in an imposing U-shaped building. Begun in 1785 as the bishop’s palace, it was left unfinished after the 
Revolution and converted to a covered market in the early 19th century. Filled with vegetable stands, butchers, fishmongers, cheese stands, stalls overflowing with regional and exotic specialties, and a popular soup restaurant, it’s a magnet for Messins, as the city’s inhabitants are called. Behind the cathedral are the Musées de la Cour d’Or, a group of museums housed in an integrated complex of buildings—a 17th-century convent, a 15th-century granary and vestiges of the northern Roman baths. It’s a must for its renowned archeological collection, with an astonishing wealth of Gallo-Roman treasures unearthed in the region, from fragile glassware to monumental statuary. The medieval and Renaissance periods are also well represented, with mostly 
religious painting and sculpture, but also a series of 13th-century painted wooden ceilings adorned with an entire bestiary of fantastic and fabulous creatures. Upstairs, the Beaux-Arts section includes paintings by Delacroix, Corot, Moreau and Dufy. Several short bridges, including a quaint wooden footbridge, link the Old Town to the island called Petit Saulcy, a name derived from the willow trees (saules) that once lined its marshy banks. The island’s classically austere Place de la Comédie boasts one of France’s oldest theaters, and beside it looms the massive gray stone Temple Neuf, a 1901 neo-Romanesque German Protestant church. The riverbanks are lined with pleasant walks; one leads to the Esplanade, a terraced garden with fountains, gardens, and lovely views across the river. Nearby is 
Saint Pierre aux Nonnains, which claims to be France’s oldest church—built as the palestra or gymnasium of the southern Roman baths, it became a chapel in the 7th century, and today is used for exhibits and concerts, along with the neighboring 13th-century Chapelle des Templiers. The Esplanade is just one of Metz’s many gardens—the city has won both national and European competitions for its flower gardens. Another pocket of greenery surrounds the Porte Serpenoise, a reconstruction of one of the oldest city gates. Its inscriptions provide one of the few visible references to Metz’s strife-filled history—one side reads: “On October 13, 1870 Metz, betrayed, was delivered by [General] Bazaine to the Germans, who entered the city through this gate.” The other side gives the followup: “On November 18, 1918, French troops freed Metz from the German yoke and after 48 years of cruel separation re-entered the city.”The rue Serpenoise, the main Roman north-south road or decumanus, is now a bustling pedestrian shopping street leading to the Place Saint Jacques, the site of the Roman forum and still a meeting place abuzz with sidewalk cafés and restaurants. Just north of it lies the former cardo, or east-west road, with the strange name En Fournirue. Several street names in the Old Town reflect the trades once practiced there—En Fournirue is named for 
the fours, or forges, of goldsmiths and blacksmiths; En Chaplerue was for hatters. The unusual form of the names reflects their translation into German, then back into French. Many of the Old Town’s streets are narrow and cobbled, with medieval houses and massive arched carriage doors. The Place Saint Louis is another relic of the Middle Ages, with some houses built on 14th- to 16th century arcades that once housed moneychangers. The Porte des Allemands is a powerful vestige of medieval military architecture; named for a German religious and military order, the Porte was a small fortress that guarded Metz’s eastern frontier. Straddling -
the Seille River, it was both a city gate and a fortified bridge, with a double set of twin towers dating from the 13th and 15th centuries. Seriously damaged during the fighting in 1944, it was restored in 1946. If you arrive by train your first sight of Metz will be the German district’s most flamboyant landmark, the 1908 train station. A neo-Romanesque extravaganza covered with sculpted ornamentation, it was part of the extensive development of a whole new district. Called the Quartier Imperial, the area is characterized by broad avenues, step-gabled and half-timbered houses, red sandstone public buildings, and touches of Art Nouveau and its German variant, Jugendstil. Metz’s gastronomy shows a similar German influence; portions are enormous, and regional dishes include, besides the creamy quiche Lorraine, heavily smoked charcuterie and hearty servings of well-seasoned sauteed potatoes. The mirabelle, a small yellow plum, is the most famous of Lorraine specialties pâtissiers bake them into tarts.Then Some time the confiseurs make 
candies and jams with them, liquoristes distill them into eau de vie, and the city holds a Mirabelle Festival every summer. While the Moselle region is known for its white and rosé wines, the brewers of Lorraine also offer a whole range of artisanal beers including Loup Blond, Noiraude, and Duchesse de Lorraine. As with the food, servings are generous, and one brasserie serves beer in glasses so large that they come propped up in a wooden holder. If you can lift it, it’s just the thing with which to toast the enchanting, generous city of Metz.
I must say that I enjoyed every every drinking monent, er,er, I mean sober, awake, out and about minute 
spent in Germany, also I consumed so much wine from the wine tasting or wine probes that when I got on the plane for home my liver gave me a big thank you. In fact the military C130 cargo plane was so over loaded with wine and beer that the cardre had purchased that it had problems getting off the ground. As a final note, I have included a mileage chart to give you an idea of the drive time and distant to some of the great locations that are close to Trier or Metterich in the Moselle Region.
Spangdahlem to Bitburg 10 miles, 20 minutes
Trier 31 miles, 38 minutes
Metterich 5 miles, 11 minutes
Metterich to Trier 22 miles, 42 minutes
Luxembourg 35 miles, 1 hour, 3 minutes
Brussel, Belgium 140 miles 2 hours 20
Saarbrucklin, Germany 82, 1hour 20 minutes
Strasbourg 153 miles 2 hours 48 minutes
Metz 82 miles 1hour 22 minutes
Metz, France to Paris 574 miles 9 hours 34 minutes
Niece 574 miles 9 hours 34 minutes
Lyons la Foret 285 miles 4 hours 50 minutes
