Friday, 30 September 2011
waiting with a coffee
How civilized, this Maritime hotel in downtown Copenhagen. I managed to negotiate the train into the central station -- headed to the tourist info, only to find it closed, and then just took a cab. Anyway, no problems checking in and was informed that coffee and tea were like family -- available 24 hours. How nice! So, Richard and Jennie, I will be here relaxing when you arrive.
All my bags are packed.....
and ready to go. This is quite an achievement as it meant juggling weight between my carry-on (max 8 kg) and my suitcase (max 20 kg). I discarded any unnecessary paper, am wearing about twice as many clothes as I will need, deposited the CD and booklet instructions for the new camera in the garbage (bless you internet if I need help), left out the extra plastic bags that I usually carry, and, thanks to the scales borrowed from the fitness room, have a suitcase (19.7) and carry on (6.8) that are now legal.
I'm not sure about blogging the next few days as I suspect they will be packed with activity with Richard and Jennie -- dinner in Copenhagen tonight is already booked, so I have some time here in Cologne to reflect.
I love visiting Germany. Of course it would be different if I lived here and then all the obligations of life would be upon me as they are at home, but for now, this is still the freedom fairyland that I experienced the first time I visited in 1984. (I remember nothing from living here till I was 2.5 yr. and emigrating in the spring of 1954, so that doesn't count.) Don't misunderstand, I am VERY happy with my life, but I realized early on, that the major criteria for 'vacation', was getting away from the daily responsibilities of house and family life, not long journeys to exotic locales (though I like those as well). So a weekend at the condo is a wonderful break, because, as nice as home really is, it is the lifting of the mantle of responsibility that lightens the spirit. (I try to keep that mantle as light as possible at home, but it is a mantle nonetheless.)
And so for freedom, unity, and joy, I need to be very selective about what I take on. Given a week of being alone with my thoughts, I am contented with the choices of family, friends, hobbies and volunteering that fill my life. These choices, together with the gift of good health, certainly make this a blessed life. I could not ask for more.
So, gather up the luggage and figure out the transit system -- a number 16 or 18 tram to get me to the HBF and then an S 13 to the airport. Already found out that you can get your ticket on the tram, so that is convenient. Just have to make sure to have coins as the machines don't like bills. I can do that!
Denmark, here I come.
I'm not sure about blogging the next few days as I suspect they will be packed with activity with Richard and Jennie -- dinner in Copenhagen tonight is already booked, so I have some time here in Cologne to reflect.
I love visiting Germany. Of course it would be different if I lived here and then all the obligations of life would be upon me as they are at home, but for now, this is still the freedom fairyland that I experienced the first time I visited in 1984. (I remember nothing from living here till I was 2.5 yr. and emigrating in the spring of 1954, so that doesn't count.) Don't misunderstand, I am VERY happy with my life, but I realized early on, that the major criteria for 'vacation', was getting away from the daily responsibilities of house and family life, not long journeys to exotic locales (though I like those as well). So a weekend at the condo is a wonderful break, because, as nice as home really is, it is the lifting of the mantle of responsibility that lightens the spirit. (I try to keep that mantle as light as possible at home, but it is a mantle nonetheless.)
And so for freedom, unity, and joy, I need to be very selective about what I take on. Given a week of being alone with my thoughts, I am contented with the choices of family, friends, hobbies and volunteering that fill my life. These choices, together with the gift of good health, certainly make this a blessed life. I could not ask for more.
So, gather up the luggage and figure out the transit system -- a number 16 or 18 tram to get me to the HBF and then an S 13 to the airport. Already found out that you can get your ticket on the tram, so that is convenient. Just have to make sure to have coins as the machines don't like bills. I can do that!
Denmark, here I come.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Freiheit, Einheit, Freude
The translation of the title is "Freedom, Unity, Joy" and it is the slogan of the celebrations in Bonn from Oct. 1 to 3 for the German Reunification. But the unification date is also my birthday and so I can celebrate the theme personally. Looking at my life was one of the objects of this trip and the freedom I have had to visit and explore has certainly brought me joy. But for the 'unity' part -- I loved being with Rhonda, look forward to spending the weekend with Richard and Jennie and miss the family at home. The relationships are the essence of the unity. More on that later.
Bonn was only 5 km from Bad Godesberg, so I arrived too early for the Beethoven Haus and had to kill time cycling around -- will have to look up the Bonner Bogen. The little spot in the centre of town is where Ludwig was born and has quite a good collection of manuscripts, pictures, letters and musical instruments. But the overwhelming feeling I got was one of sorrow.
And then it was on through the now wide valley of the Rhine. It was such a nice day that there were sunbathers and even some swimmers in the river just south of Cologne. The main place I wanted to visit in the city was the Dom. What a juxtaposition of the ancient Gothic cathedral and the modern train station right next to it! As it was Pilgimage day, there were no regular tours, but a service at 3 pm. "You are the salt of the earth". Our purpose is to be the spice of life -- interesting!
My hotel is in the southwestern part of the city so I just poked around here after checkin. The bicycle and panier have been returned, and now the trick is to get my luggage down to 20kg for the flight tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Bonn was only 5 km from Bad Godesberg, so I arrived too early for the Beethoven Haus and had to kill time cycling around -- will have to look up the Bonner Bogen. The little spot in the centre of town is where Ludwig was born and has quite a good collection of manuscripts, pictures, letters and musical instruments. But the overwhelming feeling I got was one of sorrow.
And then it was on through the now wide valley of the Rhine. It was such a nice day that there were sunbathers and even some swimmers in the river just south of Cologne. The main place I wanted to visit in the city was the Dom. What a juxtaposition of the ancient Gothic cathedral and the modern train station right next to it! As it was Pilgimage day, there were no regular tours, but a service at 3 pm. "You are the salt of the earth". Our purpose is to be the spice of life -- interesting!
My hotel is in the southwestern part of the city so I just poked around here after checkin. The bicycle and panier have been returned, and now the trick is to get my luggage down to 20kg for the flight tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
In and out of the fog
Der Naebel ist auf kleinen Katzen Pfoten herein gekrochen. But it probably more like the army of Siamese who besieged Growltiger, because the fog was so thick in Koblenz, it was not possible to see the mid-Rhine islands, let alone the opposite shore. Couple that with the detour thanks to the construction happening on the cycle path, and I was very thankful for good signage, again, to get me on the right road.
Today's distance was the longest -- 58 km and since there was little to see for the first few hours, I just kept going, reaching Remagen about noon when the sun had finally burned off the fog. But then it was into the philosophic fog of right and wrong about the bridge, and its role in history from both the German and Allied views. There is a Peace Museum in the towers on the west side which was a worthwhile stop and consideration. Walking outside again it was such a shock to think of the awful reality of war in that serene setting.
Bad Godesberg was not much further and it really is just a southern suburb of Bonn. The hotel was another one of those which does not staff their reception during the whole day, and if it hadn't been for a gentleman who showed me where they left the keys, I might still be outside on the step waiting and trying to make phone calls -- just kept getting the german equivalent of "the number you have called is not listed, please call information". But, I found a nice room -- they gave me a choice of two, and my luggage, and the page that tells how to access the T Mobile Hot Spot, so the confusion again diffused into clarity.
I wandered around a bit downtown, found a liter of Federweiss and a grocery store, so now I have my stinky German cheese, a nasty dark seeded bun, some red cabbage, a little potato salad, and my delightful drink. Life is good.
Today's distance was the longest -- 58 km and since there was little to see for the first few hours, I just kept going, reaching Remagen about noon when the sun had finally burned off the fog. But then it was into the philosophic fog of right and wrong about the bridge, and its role in history from both the German and Allied views. There is a Peace Museum in the towers on the west side which was a worthwhile stop and consideration. Walking outside again it was such a shock to think of the awful reality of war in that serene setting.
Bad Godesberg was not much further and it really is just a southern suburb of Bonn. The hotel was another one of those which does not staff their reception during the whole day, and if it hadn't been for a gentleman who showed me where they left the keys, I might still be outside on the step waiting and trying to make phone calls -- just kept getting the german equivalent of "the number you have called is not listed, please call information". But, I found a nice room -- they gave me a choice of two, and my luggage, and the page that tells how to access the T Mobile Hot Spot, so the confusion again diffused into clarity.
I wandered around a bit downtown, found a liter of Federweiss and a grocery store, so now I have my stinky German cheese, a nasty dark seeded bun, some red cabbage, a little potato salad, and my delightful drink. Life is good.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
KO is OK
Without a camera, it was a fast trip to Koblenz today, watching the traffic (12 ships and 11 trains in a 40 minute period), and the fog lifting over the castles and the mountains on either side of the Rhine. There was only one stop at a mineral spring -- a bit too much of the minerals for me.
KO stands for Koblenz on licence plates and street signs. I like this city--
1- easy to reach -- 36 km in 1.5 hours;
2- has great signage for bike paths even when there is a detour for construction;
3- easy to find hotel with a helpful receptionist even at 10:30 am, which is long before I could check in;
4- great tourist info centre right across from the HBF with a detailed bike map of the city;
5- big shopping center (Lohr Center) with helpful staff in Saturn even when I chose a cheap camera instead of the expensive recharger (about the same price in the end, but the camera was usable right away and the recharger wouldn't make the other camera work till this evening);
6- nice central grocery store with a fabulous local blue cheese (Montagolo), and a tasty laugen stangen (pretzel in stick form);
7- access to a whole other set of bike paths on the Mosel River which I followed along the river to Gondorf and then came back through the vineyards(plus 36 km);
8- hotel on St. Josef Strasse with the suitcases already in the room;
9- heated towel racks for drying the cycling clothes after being rinsed out;
10- sudoku puzzles in the TV guide;
11- Lidl just around the corner with both the red and white versions of the partly fermented grape juice - yum!;
12- restaurant on the Rhine that substituted potato salad for french fries;
13- free computer in the lobby when wi-fi in the room would be expensive.
Who wouldn't want to spend more time here, but it's off again tomorrow!
KO stands for Koblenz on licence plates and street signs. I like this city--
1- easy to reach -- 36 km in 1.5 hours;
2- has great signage for bike paths even when there is a detour for construction;
3- easy to find hotel with a helpful receptionist even at 10:30 am, which is long before I could check in;
4- great tourist info centre right across from the HBF with a detailed bike map of the city;
5- big shopping center (Lohr Center) with helpful staff in Saturn even when I chose a cheap camera instead of the expensive recharger (about the same price in the end, but the camera was usable right away and the recharger wouldn't make the other camera work till this evening);
6- nice central grocery store with a fabulous local blue cheese (Montagolo), and a tasty laugen stangen (pretzel in stick form);
7- access to a whole other set of bike paths on the Mosel River which I followed along the river to Gondorf and then came back through the vineyards(plus 36 km);
8- hotel on St. Josef Strasse with the suitcases already in the room;
9- heated towel racks for drying the cycling clothes after being rinsed out;
10- sudoku puzzles in the TV guide;
11- Lidl just around the corner with both the red and white versions of the partly fermented grape juice - yum!;
12- restaurant on the Rhine that substituted potato salad for french fries;
13- free computer in the lobby when wi-fi in the room would be expensive.
Who wouldn't want to spend more time here, but it's off again tomorrow!
Monday, 26 September 2011
More WOWs than UHOHs
Today's cycling was about 34 km from Rudesheim to St. Goar summarized as follows:
WOW every time I turned a corner in the snaking river, there was another castle ruin on the side of a mountain;
WOW along the cycle path, in the shade, some of the blackberries were still just at the ripe stage, rather than past;
WOW the ferry across the river is cool as it navigates the current, actually turning 180 to dock;
UHOH the Loreley actually had 409 steps rather than the advertised 400, but
WOW the views up and down the river were spectacular;
WOW I got someone to take my picture with the Loreley lady;
UHOH the castle Rheinfels has a 17% grade in the road access, so I left the bike at the end of a footpath and took the 184 stairs;
WOW the castle is perched on a rock and has battlements and arrow slots looking down but
UHOH the camera battery ran out and
UHOH I forgot the charger at home and
UHOH there was no place in St. Goar where I could get another charger;
WOW the castle had towers and underground battlements that were accessible;
UHOH I had skipped lunch to make sure I got to the castle and had to have a Cliff shot;
WOW I found a bakery with "end of the day" specials on a lovely apple cake with marzipan and a piece of nut torte;
UHOH the hotel is the poorest one yet, closed so I had to get a key from the lady in the casino next door, no lift, shower doesn't work properly and no internet;
WOW found a hotel at the other end of town with an internet cafe that even had wireless for 5 euro an hour;
UHOH couldn't find the restaurant recommended but
WOW lucked into cheese spatzle that were fantastic, especially along with another federweiss;
UHOH federweiss, available in bottles, only lasts about 4 days so none will be travelling to Canada;
WOW walking along the river at dusk was great with lights in the castles and mansions up the hills.
And the WOWs take the day!
WOW every time I turned a corner in the snaking river, there was another castle ruin on the side of a mountain;
WOW along the cycle path, in the shade, some of the blackberries were still just at the ripe stage, rather than past;
WOW the ferry across the river is cool as it navigates the current, actually turning 180 to dock;
UHOH the Loreley actually had 409 steps rather than the advertised 400, but
WOW the views up and down the river were spectacular;
WOW I got someone to take my picture with the Loreley lady;
UHOH the castle Rheinfels has a 17% grade in the road access, so I left the bike at the end of a footpath and took the 184 stairs;
WOW the castle is perched on a rock and has battlements and arrow slots looking down but
UHOH the camera battery ran out and
UHOH I forgot the charger at home and
UHOH there was no place in St. Goar where I could get another charger;
WOW the castle had towers and underground battlements that were accessible;
UHOH I had skipped lunch to make sure I got to the castle and had to have a Cliff shot;
WOW I found a bakery with "end of the day" specials on a lovely apple cake with marzipan and a piece of nut torte;
UHOH the hotel is the poorest one yet, closed so I had to get a key from the lady in the casino next door, no lift, shower doesn't work properly and no internet;
WOW found a hotel at the other end of town with an internet cafe that even had wireless for 5 euro an hour;
UHOH couldn't find the restaurant recommended but
WOW lucked into cheese spatzle that were fantastic, especially along with another federweiss;
UHOH federweiss, available in bottles, only lasts about 4 days so none will be travelling to Canada;
WOW walking along the river at dusk was great with lights in the castles and mansions up the hills.
And the WOWs take the day!
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Smell the Traubenmost
The first event was getting over the bridge and then onto the Rhineweg on the east side of the river, taking me through Wiesbaden, and along the shore to Eltville. Took the recommended stop for coffee and cake (mmmm... Sacher torte with a layer of marzipan under the top ganche) and then decided to chance the hilly route rather than the flat in order to climb up through the vineyards. Even though the bike is way too big -- huge distance from the seat to the handlebars as compared to my lovely at home, I managed quite well on the climbs. The highest point was at the Kloster Eberbach -- site of the 1985 movie, "The Name of the Rose". It is no longer a sacred monastery and this weekend was hosting a very popular, wine sale from the local vineyards.
From there it was gradually downhill, just staying above the shore towns, and sliding underneath the Johannisberg (of the J. Riesling fame!) and into Rudesheim. Great views and fabulous smells of some of the unpicked grapes starting to ferment on the vines.
This is a quaint (most of them are) little touristy town where wine is number 1. I took the Seilbahn (rope train -- gondola ride) up the side of the mountain to where there is a huge monument to the unification of Germany in the late 1800s. Too bad it is being restored and therefore encased in scaffolding and plastic tarps. The streets were full of visitors sampling the local concoction which is called Federweiss (featherwhite) and is partially fermented traubenmost (the pressed juices of the grapes). Wow -- sweet grapes with a buzz! I had it with the traditional zwiebelkuchen (onion pie) for a lovely light supper.
My bike is safely locked in a back room, the luggage was here when I arrived at 3:45. It was a fabulous day -- can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings!
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