July 2020 – Page 3 – WANDERLUST FAMILY ADVENTURE

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle and Other Castles in the Rhine River Valley – Germany

July 29, 2020 Joseph Candora Architecture, Castle, Cruise, Europe, Germany, Historic Sites, Mountain, Museums, Rivers, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is the signature castle in the Rhine River of Germany. The keep of this island castle, a pentagonal tower with its point upstream, was erected 1326 to 1327 by King Ludwig the Bavarian. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was built between 1338 to 1340. Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun bastion pointing upstream, and the characteristic baroque tower cap. The castle would string chains across the Rhine blocking passage of shipping until a toll was paid.

New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos

This portion of the Rhine River Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing castles about every mile of the river. The best way to see the castles is to take a cruise up the river. There are also roads paralleling the river that can be driven on both sides.

Get off the road and up into some of the castles. Some of them have been converted into hotels or inns, some are ruins and some are museums. The views down into the river are also spectacular.

Even in the winter you can visit many of the castles with the added bonus that you might find yourself completely alone as we did on a subsequent trip. Well worth the trudge up the ice path.

Southwest Newfoundland – Canada

July 29, 2020 Joseph Candora Beaches, Camping, Canada, Hiking, Mountain, Newfoundland, North America, Rivers

Thirty years ago My father, my nephew and I packed up my brand new Isuzu Trooper and headed for Newfoundland for a camping and fishing trip.

Leaving my parents retirement home in Pembroke, Maine we took the long drive to the northern most tip of Nova Scotia to grab the ferry to Newfoundland.

We arrived at the terminal in early evening for a night time crossing. The crossing took about seven hours and was actually very rough. While my father took a nap my nephew Roger and I sat towards the front of the boat watching huge waves crash over the bow. Our arrival in southwest Newfoundland brought us to what seemed like a different world. The scenery was stark and the vistas expansive. We drove up along the coast looking for a prime fishing spot,

passing lighthouses and churches along the way.

We found a campground and river system to fish.

Unfortunately for the fishing a very dry spring kept the water level very low in the rivers keeping the salmon out to sea. We still caught dozens of fish but most of them were very small. Even without good fishing the trip was a spectacular success.

Pilgrim Monument – Provincetown, Massachusetts

July 29, 2020 Joseph Candora Architecture, Historic Sites, Massachusetts, Memorials, Museums, New England, North America, United States

The Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the signing of the Mayflower Compact in Provincetown Harbor. In 1620, the Pilgrims spent five weeks exploring Cape Cod before they sailed to Plymouth, Massachusetts. After spending weeks at sea, the Pilgrims resolved not to set foot on land until the Mayflower Compact was written and signed. Tourists visit Provincetown to climb the monument and view the Provincetown Museum at its base. The monument commemorates the Pilgrims, and the museum pays tribute to Provincetown’s historic maritime past.

Taste Test – Pistachio Butter

July 29, 2020 Joseph Candora Taste Test

We purchased some pistachio butter from the Pistachio Factory. Alex and I both like pistachio nuts very much so were interested to see what this butter tasted like. The appearance was green in color and a lot more runny than your typical peanut butter.

The oil did not separate like it does in some fresh unpreserved peanut butters do. The pistachio flavor does come trough but is not overpowering.

Alex, a fan of peanut butter and pistachios, was not impressed. I thought it was an interesting snack and I will finish the jar with crackers but doubt I will repurchase.

Taste Test – Pistachio Factory Flavored Pistachios

July 29, 2020 Joseph Candora Taste Test

We purchased four different flavored pistachios from the Pistachio Factory. We all like pistachio nuts very much so were looking forward to these varieties.
The first one is their Roasted and Salted standard pistachio.

A good pistachio no different then what you would get in the supermarket, same size and flavor.
Next up was the Garlic and Onion.

I found these to be not to different then the standard nut but Alex found them very off putting. The garlic and onion flavor for me was very subtle.
The Chili Lemon I expected to be the most unique of the flavors.

These were not very spicy despite their reddish appearance. I liked them but Alex again did not enjoy the mild spiciness.
The last one we sampled was the Salt and Pepper.

I thought these had the strongest flavor with a very peppery aftertaste. Alex though quite enjoyed them. Overall the nuts were not different enough or tasty enough to buy these over the store variety.

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