Days 9 to 12 - The Rhine, the Mosel and the Grand Duchy... then back to the Rhine


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Europe » Germany » North Rhine-Westphalia » Cologne
August 1st 2008
Published: August 1st 2008
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The route so far

Days 1 to 12 of my journey.

Ok, so it seems that Köln has the same computer terminals as Bonn, but never mind!

Day 9 - To Koblenz


After getting to Frankfurt station about an hour before my train was due to go, I happily boarded.

At 11.23, a 20 minute delay was announced, so i waited, and 10 minutes later the driver told us that unfortunately the train wasn't going and we had to get off - some problem with the pulling carriage/engine or whatever it's called. The choice of food whilst waiting in the station was limited, so I went for good old Maccy D's.

Another (better train turned up on the departureboard, and once I was on, we were away. The train up the Rhine to Koblenz was lovely, but I sat on the wrong side, so i didn't get any pictures

In Koblenz I found my hotel and watched a bit of CNN on the TV, before heading out for a walk. Still feeling a bit delicate, I found a bench on the riverside and called mum for stomach ache advice. Her suggestion was something plain, something like bread, and possibly pizza, so I took a walk round Deutche Ecke and walked into town to find a nice little pizza place by the name of Pizza Hut. I returned to my room in the Hotel National for a good night's sleep.

Day 10 - The Mosel and Luxembourg


Next morning I decided to, once again, give breakfast a miss, instead choosing to have a shower and get to the station for the 11.22 train to Trier. This was simple, although I was a bit confused as the platform said "Saarbrücken" while the train said "Kaiserslauten". In Trier I was able to immediately board my next train to Luxembourg.

The first thing I noticed upon getting out of the air conditioned train at Luxembourg "Gare Centrale", was that the weather hadn't changed, and if it had, then it was hotter (the forcast said 31 degrees!!)!! !!! !

The second thing I noticed was that I couldn't read any of the French/Luxembourgish signs. Getting the bus was easy enough, and the youth hostel is in the most lovely place. The room I was in looked up to one of Luxembourg city's large viaducts.

Dropping my stuff off at the Youth Hostel, I walked back into the centre of town nd had a walk round, buying a few things and finding a place to eat with an english menu. I decided to play it with the typical English Naivety that most English tourists seem to have, and not worry about the fact that everyone was speaking French. I had a salad and some fanta and caught the bus back through the packed streets to the YH by 7pm.

Here I met a guy staying in my room from Brazil. I discovered that the reason the steets were so packed was that the Tour de France was coming to Luxembourg, and sitting in my rom at 8.55, I could here the loudspeakers on the other side of the valley.

Day 11 - Onn to Bonn


After a good night's sleep I awoke on Thursday bright and early for breakfast in the hostel, and caught the train back to Trier, and then a leisurely train up the Mosel to Koblenz. From there I caught a regional train to Bonn. With the heat not giving in, and my deoderant can empty, I dropped my bag in a locker at the station and found a shop to buy deoderant, suncreme (for my feet, as I don't tend to get burnt much!) and some fruit juice.

I changed the rest of my travellers cheques and found that once again the choice of food was too wide, and so i settled for fast food to counterbalance the salad of the previous day and, of course, to save money.

I then spent 15 minutes queuing in the heat at the bus ticket office to buy tickets, but the lady was very helpful and spoke nice clear German. I caught bus 621 out to the Youth Hostel, in a picturesque location surrounded by woodland. i was given room 01, bed 1, because I'm special. Plugging my phone in to force it to find a signal again (something I hadn't had since Koblenz), I found that mum had been worrying about me. I go a phonecall from Nan and then one from Mum, then went and sat drinking a Cola in the empty bar, before spending 80 minutes on the internet (3 Euros per hour) typing up the previous blog entry. Going back to my room, I just listened to music on my iPod until after midnight, when the German guy staying in the bed next to mine came in. I spoke a couple of words to him and then went to sleep.

Day 12 - Köln, here I come


And so to today!
Waking up in Bonn, I had the latest breakfast I could (8.30ish) and chatted to a Dutch lady whilst I ate. She had studied Geography and said she was now finding it tough to get a job in Brussels without specific European knowledge, and that she'd just had to do an EU course in order to be qualified. I then caught the bus back to central Bonn, thanfully now with a few clouds in the sky, and the 11.01 train to Cologne (Köln).

The temperature here was still too hight, but the clouds began to roll in fast as I made my way to the youth hostel in Köln-Deutz (pronounced something like "Kerln Doyts") on the east bank of the Rhine (Rhein). 12.00 was too early to go to my room, but I checked in and left my bag at reception. I wasn't sure whether to make the most of the clouds or the internet, but eventually decided on the internet. After about an hour typing up the start of this blog, I ran out of change (4 Euros an hour!!) and decided to go for a walk.

I got the train from Köln-D. back to the Hauptbahnhof, and walked past the rather amazing Cathedral (Dom) and down a street, getting lost as usual. Eventually I started bumping into cannabis/bung shops, and sex shops, and then reached an area with several bars; this was the Belgian Quarter (Belgisches Viertel). Finding it on my map, I walked straight back to the Hauptbahnhof and got the train back across the river, and went and found my room in the Hostel.

After a little nap, I woke up at 4pm to meet Victor, a Spanish chap staying in my room, and his girlfriend/partner. I also met a German kid. By now, the sun was mostly hidden by clouds, so I decided to stroll back over the bridge (reminding myself why I don't like heights!) and found a Maredo restaurant. I had a fuego chicken breast with chips and then a banana split (altogether 17 Euros) and then returned over the bridge to the Hostel.

I met two Irish lads who had just come from Amsterdam and were in Cologne on holiday, and then went downstairs to the Hostel foyer to type up the rest of this entry, and that's where I am now!!


Thanks to more expensive food, and expensive internet in these parts, the last two days have sent me 16 euros over my two-day budget, but I'm still up 45 Euros overall! Unfortunately the sun seems to have come out again, but at least the blog is now up to date. I would put photos on here, but the computer terminal doesn't even have a mouse let alone a USB port!

Linden.

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3rd August 2008

From Auntie Moyra!!
At Wood Green for a barbecue and have just read your blog. Sounds like you are having a great time. Must buy shares in Maccy D's because you sound like you are eating lots of them (Stuart told me to write that bit!) Enjoy the rest of your time and see you when you get back. Best wishes from Nan. Take care. x

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