Christian took us out for the day so see one of the castles. Rietburg castle on the outskirts of the Palatinate Forest above the village of Rhodt in the Südliche Weinstrasse district in Rhineland-Palatinate
From the top of the chairlift looking down into the valley
Christian heading back down
Access to the castle is by a chair lift rising 500 meters; the view from the top on a clear day is exceptional. We were fortunate to be able to see from Mannheim all the way round to where ED702 had crashed near Offenbach an der Queich.
Views from the top of Rietburg Castle, from Mannheim round to Offenbach
Herr Freund
While there Christian overheard a gentleman talking to his grandchildren explaining what he had done during the war, Herr Freund it turns out, was one of the flak operators in the valley during 1944-45. Aged just 16 he was told he was now in the army and had to leave school.
He and his family joined us for a coffee where we chatted about the area, Cyril and the crew and what Herr Freund did during his time in the area. We exchanged emails with his son, as his father has kept diaries from the time and wish to exchange information with us. It was a pleasure meeting him and his family.
Views from the bottom of Rietburg Castle
