Bacharach & Berlin

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Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination and that was true for the next stage of our trip. We left Bruges in Belgium and took a six hour train trip to Koblenz on the banks of the Rhine in Germany. There was nothing direct so we changed trains three times riding a total of four trains. These trains ranged from a two car commuter train that took us only 26 km in 25 minutes to a high speed 12 car train that reached 200 km/hr or 110 mi/hr.

The next stage of our journey was on a boat up the picturesque Rhine River. The section of the river south of Koblenz is known for having castles every few kilometers so we sat on the back deck and watched the castles sail by. We saw at least 15 castles during our 4.5 hour ride and many of them were set above quaint towns surrounded by vineyards just about ready for harvest. Winning the award for best name of a castle was Schloss Maus (Castle Mouse) so named because it was just a mile down river from Schloss Katzenberg (Castle Cat Mountain). Winning the award for best architectural feature was the castle right in the river with a small room hanging out over the river…it was the outhouse.

Every few kilometers the boat would stop at a dock to pick up or drop off two or three passengers. The boat would pull up to the dock (tricky with the swift current), two crew members jumped out and one hooked a rope around a pylon. They both grabbed a gangway sitting on the dock and put one end on the boat then the passengers came aboard or disembarked. They put the gangway back, unhooked the rope and jumped back aboard. The entire elapsed time was less than a minute.

Bacharach

The end of our boat ride drew near and the town of Bacharach hove into view. Wisps of clouds backlit by the afternoon sun shone down on the medieval town complete with a full-fledged castle on the hill and town walls running from watch tower to watch tower.

Bacharach is named after Bacchus and is fittingly known for its wines. I am uncertain exactly how old it is but we saw one well-preserved building dated 1368. Bacharach was a major city back in its heyday but, like most quaint places, it quickly declined and so was preserved as a rustic backwater until it was discovered by travelers.

We reached Bacharach right on schedule and were one of those groups that hopped off in a minute long stop. Before we were even off the dock, the boat was pulling away. After dropping our bags at the hotel, we went in search of dinner. A flower-covered building called Café Restaurant Rusticana stood out and the menu sounded very authentic so we settled in for a dinner.

Next on the gastronomic itinerary was a visit to a weinstube. Wine tasting in France is the same as tasting in the US but the Germans do it very differently. For about $25 we received a carousel (picture a lazy susan (sorry sis)) of 15 different Riesling wines, all from Bacharach. Each glass was numbered and a recommended tasting order was provided along with a small basket of bread to “cleanse the palate” between wines. With each wine in turn, we would each take a sip (yes we all shared a glass) to taste the wine then we would discuss what we thought of the wine. It was a very social way to taste wine and it was great fun to hear what the others thought. We agreed in general which were good and which were not quite as good (there were no bad ones) but we each had a different favorite. After tasting, we all got a glass of our favorite and enjoyed more good wine and fun conversation. On the way out of the tasting room we bought a bottle for a future picnic.

The next day dawned overcast with rain predicted but we were not about to let a little water dampen our enthusiasm. We borrowed bikes from the hotel and rumbled off over cobblestone streets until we reached the bike path along the river. The path ran right along the Rhine providing lovely views of quaint towns and steeply-sloped vineyards on the other side.

After about 8 kilometers of pleasant pedaling, we reached Castle Rheinstein which was originally built in the 900’s. It passed through several hands, fell into ruins twice and was finally bought in the 1970’s by an opera singer whose family still runs it today. They have done a fantastic job restoring it and we were grateful for the opportunity to wander its courtyards, towers and inner chambers. It has a garden with a 500 year old grapevine, spectacular views, suits of armor, tapestries, painted and stained glass windows 400 years old and a chapel with a creepy crypt; everything one expects in a castle though I think an American girl would be disappointed with the austerity of the princesses’’ chambers.

On the way back, we stopped in one of the tiny towns to get bread for lunch. After returning to the trail, we found a nice picnic spot right next to the water so we had bread and wine along the banks of the Rhine. We finished the ride with an ice cream cone of Reisling Wine sherbert.

Our visit to the castle on the hill above Bacharach was traumatically cut short when we discovered the place was being overrun by wild-eyed barbarians in the guise of fourth graders on a school trip. In order to overcome the shock we needed another wine carrousel at a wienstube. This one had only six glasses but they were full glasses and we each found something we liked, although we did have to negotiate who got the rest of glass #5 (the favorite of the group) through a game of rock/paper/scissors.

Berlin

The next day we traveled to Berlin on a series of excruciating train rides. It was Friday afternoon and it felt like everyone in Germany was headed for the same place we were. We climbed aboard one car to find the tables and aisles strewn with beer bottles and watched a middle-aged matron distribute even more beer to the twenty-somethings having a rousing good time. That train was so full we ended up sitting on the floor at the end of the car for over 2 hours until it was time to change trains. Our run of bad luck continued as our next train was running an hour late. German trains are always on time and delays of even five minutes are rare. We did find another train but it was as crowded as the prior train. So after five hours of dense crowds and the smell of beer we finally arrived in Berlin.

We had two days to sight-see and made the most of it. First up was the Brandenburg Gate. It is one of the original gates from when Berlin had a city wall and is the only one still standing. It is about 50 feet tall, 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep and on top a sits a majestic gold statue of a goddess furiously driving a chariot. The Berlin Wall famously ran right in front of the gate closing it in East Berlin for almost 40 years.

From there we went to see the Memorial to the Jews of Europe killed by the Nazis. It consists of 2711 rectangular slabs of varying heights. The number of slabs has no significance; it is just what could fit on the sight. The slabs themselves are vaguely coffin-like but vary in height up to 15 feet and don’t really represent anything. It is like modern art in that finding a message in the work is left as an exercise for the viewer. It irritates me when the artist is too lazy to put meaning into their work; a memorial as important as this one should make a statement. (Okay, I will get off my soapbox now.)

Continuing our stroll, we saw two types of group bikes. Both held up to nine people and all people pedaled but only the driver was facing forward. One was circular and the other rectangular with a bar and a beer keg in the middle. Perhaps if we bring such an innovative design to our country, people can drink, socialize, and lose weight all at the same time. And I bet with a solar panel or a few more peddlers a TV could be added.

On a side note, there are an amazing number of Dunkin’ Donuts in this city; I have not seen them elsewhere in Germany but they are certainly in Berlin, sometimes two within a single block. They taste just like home but are very expensive.

The next day Theresa and Paul flew home and John and I returned to Frankfurt to catch our flight to China. When we arrived in Frankfurt we needed a place to stay and ended up booking a hotel only two blocks away from the train station…in the heart of the Red Light District.

It may have been in the RLD but other than unusual sights it was not dangerous. Across the street from our window sat the Sex Inn also called the Eros Hotel. According to the guide book, prostitution is legal and prostitutes rent rooms in the Sex Inn to basically run a small business. It appeared to have four floors of rooms (window blocked but red lights shining) and as I watched from our window, there was a steady stream of men going in and out. All along the street were strip clubs and brothels alternating with two- and three star hotels. But on the next block there were a series of restaurants and stores; the RLD was in a nice part of town.

On our way back from dinner that night, none of the bouncers (actually recruiters) for the strip clubs talked to John (because we were obviously together) but there was a single man behind us and every recruiter was aggressively trying to attract him. Later, as I watched from our window I saw two older men pause in front of a club to talk to the female recruiter then proceed to get a hard sell from the male recruiter. They eventually went in and the female recruiter went with them…was it a strip club or a brothel? Does it matter? We finally turned out the lights about 11:30 but the RLD and the noise kept going all night.

The next day we flew to China but that is another blog entry. Stay tuned.

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Photos

Bacharach
A lovely town named after Bacchus with near complte town walls

Castle Rheinstein
The basket hanging off the wall was for the heads of criminals or knights that displeased the king.

Brandanburg Gate
The only remaining gate in Berlin.

Walk Signal
This is the Walk signal from former East Germany. I think he has more character than ours.

Berlin Wall
This is the primary reminder of the Berlin Wall.

Stumbling Stones
These brass placques are embedded in the pavement in front of homes where people were taken by the Nazis and mudered. These two commorate a mother and her 6 year old daughter who were killed in Auschwitz.

Theresa
Theresa taking a picture of John taking a picture of her.

Comments

[Betty Blakney]

Good descriptions
Dear Beth and John, Your blogs are so interesting and descriptive. Looking forward eagerly to your China ones. Love,Betty