Today, Sheryl and I found ourselves in the car, in the middle of the Rhine River.
Our stay in the Schoenburg castle waits temptingly before us, and we have half a day to fill with Rhine adventures.
Unfortunately the weather has been less than kind for two days, its cold, misty and drizzly (but we are NOT complaining). We agreed that the thing to do is a drive up and through Koblenz, then back down the north/east side of the Rhine to Wiebaden and then back to the castle.
Before hand, we have the opportunity to check the bags in at the castle, and Schoenburg is an amazing place. There's a porter with a tray-back golf buggy that barely can negotiate the winding path and narrow openings down through the castle walls, with my extra weight and the wet greasy cobblestones, this was like a ride at the Oktoberfest down the steep path to the car park. After the bags checked in, we're gone.
When we get the rental car to the river level, its a simple task from there. The sides of the hills are carved out in blocks of grape vines, with service roads criss-crossing. Sometimes the hillside has the wrong slope or aspect and is left to the forest, and there is almost always a castle or castle ruin perched high on the side of the hill to look at.
The little towns are usually 10-15 km's apart, with the traditional local style to the buildings and always a Church steeple in the middle.
The Rhine river is wide and fast flowing. The ships/barges push a solid bow wave as they go upstream, working hard against the current.
We cross the river on a motorway bridge at Koblenz, and start back down the other side.
A little way along we spot the picture perfect (except for the rain) Castle on the hill.
(At last, our quest is at an end!!)
We had seen it from the far side but it was mostly obscured.
We drive around the Loreley Rock. I remember that from school German lessons.
Rudesheim (yes we eventually found the right one) is a pretty spot, and offers the chance to take the car across the river to Bingen. Hence, today we found ourselves in the car, in the middle of the Rhine River, on a car ferry. Never done that before. To boot, the time it took was exactly as long as the nice piece of music we chose to play in the car.
Very pleasant.
We were keen to see our room at the castle, and it was just amazing. It has all wood panelling on every surface, views out the window over the Rhine, a brand new bathroom with gold plated fittings, carved furniture, and private access to the castle battlements so you can enjoy the an outside view over the river.
With the 5 star dinner in the restaurant, this night counts as one of our big holiday splurges. And it was absolutely worth it.
Sept 29th
Trucks, trucks and more trucks.
According to Tomtom, I have 601 KM to get to Hamburg today. In Australia, that's a cake walk.
In Germany, its about 25 highway changes and (I think) 6 major cities to traverse, and that doesn't include the roadworks that you are inevitably encountering all the time. Oh yeah, and the trucks. The Bahns are the blood vessels of this country's economy, and the trucks are the life-blood.
The autobahns are very good, and always seem to be in top condition, so we have to forgive the regular roadworks.
Hamburg Visit
Anyway, it took us all day to get to Hamburg, and Russell & his family.
We spoke and chatted with Russ and Silke about all manner of things, family and Germany, and work and such. Their kids really are a delight. Thank you Sebastian, Ellen and Tristan for making our short stay that much more pleasant.
Sept 30th
It was school day so Sheryl and I entertained ourselves in the City.
Getting there is easy, park and ride the train in from the station. The S-Bahn is efficient and clean. Looks like tourists are the only ones who pay for tickets, everywhere we go on the U-Bahn, there are no gates to check your ticket, unlike London or Perth.
Hamburg is a mature modern metropolis, that has cleverly kept sight of its older heritage, and not swamped the skyline with glass and steel, though there is a fair bit. It is sited near the harbour and the river, and is planned in a way not unlike Perth, in that they take advantage of the water in the city.
While waiting for a bus, I stood under a chestnut tree. Whack! One sconed me from far above, it felt like I had been hit by a cricket ball. Chestnut husks have spikes, and it left several deeply embedded in the skin over my skull. I am fairly sure there is still one there today. It's left me a changed man.
While looking for something else, we found ourselves in the sleazy red-light area. There's a Beatles Shop, -- OH yeah they came here once in 1962, and we won't let you forget it!
This part of the territory is pretty grotty and only midly interesting, but the train system is free and excellent so we are quickly out of there.
Having seen enough of Hamburg we head back to Russell and Silke's. The kids are waiting urgently to go to dinner and we all walk down to the local for a lash up German dinner. My steak, Brat Kartoffeln, and salad is enough to feed the six of us.
Brat Kartoffeln is sliced potatoes, bacon and onion, all fried up in butter and served on a hot bowl. After dinner I backed out another notch on the belt.
We had a really pleasant stay with Russell, listening to Sheryl and he catching up with the family stuff, it was kind of strange, having been removed from it for so long (5 weeks now). Russell also said later that it was different experience for him, having been removed from it for years now.
We had chosen to take the train from Hamburg to Amsterdam. That went by pleasantly and inexpensively, and we waited there in an airport hotel overnight ready to greet our kids.
October 2nd, Amsterdam
Our kids, an hour late because of plane delays and such, finally pop out of the chute at Schiphol Airport. Tired and wired would be the way to describe them. Sheryl was visibly relieved to see them as well.
After a break we head into Amsterdam for the big week.
The rental house is interesting. First thing to say is the first thing we did. I formed a bucket brigade with the boys to get the luggage up the ladder like steps from the front door.
The fridge is warm.
The hot water is hot, but has really low pressure.
The kettle doesn't have the right plug.
The oven door is broken, the oven seal falls off and the knobs on the stove won't turn on or won't turn off. The stove won't light.
The shower and bath taps only run together.
The drier wont start and the knobs fall off, the washing machine wont start.
The smallest room in the house, quick christened 'the torture chamber' is the smallest room in Amsterdam. Lock the door or you will accidentally open it with your arse when you stand up. I know because I did it. Not a good look for someone climbing the stairs.
But, the house is clean and the beds are OK, and the TV works, and we got some things seen to. And it's in a great position.
The maintenance people promise to fix everything, but we know they are not going to. We got a kettle we can plug in.
We are here for a week, so it's appropriate to post highlights undated.
The kids found all the interesting places to visit very quickly, well at least, they are interesting for them.
I found a supermarket close, where we can buy fresh bread, other food and and Belgian beer. It's just behind the Heineken Museum, which, although we fully intended to visit it while here, we didn't.
We did some wandering around, found that transport around the city is quite expensive. It is the bikes. Everyone has to ride bikes. I heard that there are 550,000 bikes in Amsterdam. The traffic pecking order goes like this. Trams, Cars, Bikes, Pedestrians, Tourists.
There are dedicated cycleways on all roads, unfortunately for the walkers, bike owners park their bikes on the footpath, so you have to walk in the cycleways, so as we walked around, Sheryl (and not a few cyclists) were constantly in my ear about getting off the cycleway.
I just felt like flipping the bird at them (not Sheryl), but I didn't. Cycleways can also be used by mopeds and other scooters, so pedestrians are a real hazard to them. Tough!
We wanted to experience some of the Canal Life, so we brought tickets on a Canal tour and wandered around the city via water. Amsterdam has a real buzz about it (and a ding-a-ling as well) it just doesn't stop. There weren't any places we didn't feel safe, even when wandering down the narrow footpaths lit only by the red lights behind the girls in the windows. Enlightening is a descriptive word.
My birthday was celebrated with such excellent company. Adie and Isolda, Eric's Uncle and Aunt, drove in from The Hague with Peter and Erica. They joined all of us at the Pasta E Basta restaurant, a particularly fine venue with excellent food and staff that sing for the whole audience. It was a very special time, and, I thought, fitting for a milestone birthday. Unfortunately it was over too quickly.
We visited the Amsterdam Dungeon, a sort of historically themed series of rooms, with live actors and slightly scary and humourous entertainment.
I wrapped up my Dutch experience with a visit to the Van Goch museum. I really liked it.
My takeaways from Amsterdam:
It's a bit like the 60's - lots of people won't remember their time there.
A busy city, too many bikes.
Very cosmopolitan.
It's an old city glitzed up, in a way, it's sort of Mutton Dressed up as Lamb, but i really did enjoy my time there especially because we were able to share it with the Kids.
9th October
We are off to Prague!!!
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