May 8, 2013 - Germany

From Amsterdam we headed into Germany, after some long discussions we decided to head off the beaten track as Berlin was too far away in the wrong direction and places like Munich weren't places we wanted to go to. So we decided that we would try and see the real Germany. We drove south east and ended up in a city called Koblenz, it's where the Mosel River meets the mighty Rhine, a very picturesque place built around the rivers. Our hotel was right in the middle of the city so we walked out the door and were right in the thick of things,...

Apr 3, 2013 - Koblenz, Germany

Up early for breakfast and took tour bus ride the the Marksburg Castle. More climbing. We had a very interesting 2-hour tour, ending with the torture chamber. I've got more pictures of the inside of the castle but need to figure out how to get them off my camera. Back to the ship for traditional German food lunch. I'm learning to love this german beer, too! We cruised all afternoon through the winding castle area of the river. Amazing! Took a nap and back to the lounge, then dinner. After dinner, they brought a german glass-blowing expert...

Dec 23, 2012 - Hamburg return

as ever think was closed for winter in koblenz i got a day pass 5.30 euros a day for 2 days well worth it the city only has 110000 people but has a very good bus service and went ever where they either had a few old 202s. the trip back to hamburg was far better was in a 6 seat compartment with no dogs and the sun was out and saw the Germany like you see in the books i had a window seat but was facing backwards so didn't get to take photos. the weather in hamburg is cold and snowing and the room i have this time is cold but the bathroom is...

Dec 16, 2012 - Koblenz

The fast train to Koblenz was bit of a insight to the German mide when i book the ticket it was highly recommended to pay the 4 euros to reserve a seat which i did as it was a 6 hour trip. Just as well i did their was 640 seats 620 of these where reserved but they sold 700 tickets so people get on and off and the people sitting in what was a free seat now find then self having to give it up as it is now become a reserved seat what a mess. My 2nd person next to me was a bitch with a dog which keep tying to bite me i graped hold of the bog...

Sep 15, 2012 - Rhine Cruise

We woke from a very relaxed sleep early enough to go on a cruise along the Rhine. There was one cruise liner which would take you from Koblenz all the way down to Rudesheim, where you could spend an hour and then catch a boat back. This would however have us gone for about 13hrs, departing Koblenz at 9am and returning at 10pm. So, we decided that we'd go as far as Bacharach, as this would take us just past the Lorelay Rock. We had to take the car over the river as we'd run a bit short of time to walk there. We found a park and walked around...

Sep 14, 2012 - To Koblenz

Unfortunately I was wrong about the way to Koblenz from Burg Eltz. We didn't come back along the Mosel at all. As a matter of fact we went inland for quite a while, then drove into Koblenz from the North. I was completely surprised and disappointed, as I thought it was a let down from the beautiful views we'd had in the morning. What we did get though, which we hadn't in the morning, was several sightings of birds of prey. We noticed several times that they were flying overhead, and Ali spend a great deal of time trying to catch them with...

Aug 15, 2012 - Castles on the Rhine

Ivan and many others went on the shore excursion to hike UP to the Marksburg Castle, the best preserved on the Rhine, above the town of Braubach. Our program manager Marianne described it as a steep and rugged walk so I opted out. Instead I walked around Koblenz for the 35 min. we had before the boat was to sail on and meet the hikers further downriver. Viking had a German Foods lunch on the top deck about 12:30 so I had some potato salad, meat balls, roast pork, sauerkraut, pickle, beer and Black Forest cake, soft pretzel and fresh fruit...

Jun 14, 2012 - Koblenz

This morning we reluctantly pack up all our gear as it is time to move on. Our time with Gertrud and Thomas has been wonderful and we wish we could stay longer. So after some emotional farewells, we are back in our little car and heading North. We are going to spend some time in the area where my ancestors came from, so should be very interesting. Today we are staying just outside Koblenz, right on the River Mosele. We just had a walk around the area and along the river - very relaxing.

May 5, 2012 - Koblenz

Today is unfortunately our last day in Koblenz. Today I didn't really do that much, but I am really looking forward to later tonight. I am going to a jazz concert at the Theater Koblenz as part of the Internationale Musiktage Koblenz or the Koblenz International Music Festival. We spent the day at the Militär Museum and just walking around the town. The Militär Museum is a big military museum. Here we learnt about the military history of Koblenz and the important part that it played in various wars. In particular we learn about the history...

May 4, 2012 - Koblenz

Today we visited Fortress Ehrenbreitstein, built from 1817 to 1832, along the banks of the Rhine. It was built as a military base to defend Koblenz after the defeat of Napoleon. It has now been converted into many things including a youth hostel, restaurant and museum. We visited the museum where we learnt about technology and Germany's economic history. After we had finished looking around the museum we ate lunch and went on a ferry ride down the Rhine. Our destination was Lorelei. Lorelei is the narrowest part of Rhine River, and also the...

May 3, 2012 - Our first caravan begins!

May 3 – Our first caravan begins! After a hotel breakfast with a fabulous spread, we 6 caravaners and our luggage were taken by taxi to the RV rental location where we got our rigs, filled out the paperwork, paid our 1200 Euro deposit and started unpacking some of our belongings. Our rig is a 2012 Class C (mini-motorhome) on a Fiat chassis with a cab over bed. Light wood inside w/brown accents; small but adequate bathroom and kitchen; long bench across from a dinette of 2 benches and a table. It has standard transmission with 6 gears. (I've...

May 3, 2012 - Koblenz

Today we arrived in Koblenz, a town more than 2000 years old, located on the Rhine river. Our first stop was the Deutschherrenhaus. It has been a museum of French art for 20 years now, know as the Ludwig Museum because it was established by Peter and Irene Ludwig who were collectors. We went to their current exhibition "Peinture2020Malerei." On display were the works of both professors and senior students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Mainz and the Académie des Beaux Arts in Toulouse. Our next stop was the Schängel fountain in the...