Monday, Sept 7, 1:22 pm:
I'm on the train to Koblenz, with a connection to this cute little town of Cochem . So far, everything has been smooth. Let's back up...
By the time I was toward the end of my second flight last night, heading toward Cologne, I wasn't feeling the best. It was warm on the plane, or maybe it was something I ate at dinner. Whatever it was, I was ready to be done flying. I needed fresh air. Customs was kind of a weird line without much structure, so I just did what everyone else did and purged ahead in line as best I could. Maybe that's the German way ? The customs agent barely gave me two glances before stamping my passport and letting me in. Hey, welcome to Germany!  
After that, I waited a solid 30 minutes for my bag. So yeah, I can see the value in carrying on your bag. It would've put me at my hotel earlier. Eventually, I saw my flaming red bag make its way down the belt and headed outside to grab a taxi to my hotel. It was cool and misty outside, and my hotel was only about 5 minutes from the airport. I merely wanted a cheap place to shower and sleep. I rang the bell, and luckily the Asian owner woke up and got me to my room . I slept ok and got up at 7:30 for breakfast.  It was typical European fare of bread, cheeses, some meats I didn't recognize, yogurt and strong coffee. It worked fine. I asked my new Asian friend what time check-out was, and he motioned with 10 fingers. Really, 10? Who does that? I would not be surprised if he was thinking, 'typically it's 11 am, but for a$$holes who wake me up at 1:30 am, it's 10.' Fiiiiiiiine. 
I showered and discovered I was locked out of the lobby so i left out the back door after giving my key to the housekeeper. I figured I had already paid, so I could just leave. Alrighty then !
I walked a solid half mile down the road, which looked like a country road in Wisconsin, to the Rosrath station. Station is a nice word. It was one of those outdoor huts with one platform and a ticket machine. Luckily the ticket machines are easy enough for a baby to use, so I grabbed a train to Cologne's Hopbahnof, or main station, for 3,80 euro. (Commas here are like our periods when it comes to money). I had walking directions to my hotel I would be at for the next three nights, and found it pretty easily . And, my room was ready ! 
I had read about Cochem before leaving on this trip. It's supposed to be an adorable town along the Mosel River, in the Mosel Valley.  I will probably walk around and take some pics before taking the train back to Cologne. The scenery right now is great. Green and very hilly. I guess it better be worth it, as I paid 63 euro for a round trip ticket. I was thinking how expensive that was until I realized we pay $50 for a round trip between Milwaukee and Chicago on Amtrak, so I should probably stop whining. And, I really wanted to see this town. 

 9:08 pm: Cochem was lovely. It had everything an 'adorable' town needed. A river running through it? Check.  In a green valley? Check. Tiny, colorful buildings? Check. Cobblestone streets? Also check. And, as a cherry on top, a castle.  I strolled over the bridge and walked in the narrow streets. Wine and wine making is big in this region, especially whites. I stopped at a store and sampled two different whites . I ended up buying one that was not as sweet. For 8,50 euro, I thought it was a nice bottle of wine. And it just so happens my room has a wine opener and some glasses. I sat at Cafe Germania and had a glass of Riesling and a baguette. To be honest, that was the only thing I could really decipher on the menu. And that's fine with me. It adds a little more adventure to it, only this time I went with the safe bet. 
Germans look and sound angry quite a bit. I'm sure they are pleasant people, and it doesn't help that every other word has an 'ein' in it. So, I can't really fault them. Even my yogurt container this morning looked angry. 
The train rides were pleasant and comfortable. My ticket also was a bit higher because I rode the ICE, and it was worth it. I bought some postcards at a tourist shop and wrote them out on the train. I didn't make my way up to the castle. I thought, I can hike my way up there, get sweaty and probably crabby, or, I can view it from afar and go have some wine at an outdoor cafe. Can you blame me for choosing the wine? :) 
Thanks for reading.