Dave the Nomad

Well, until the last couple of days, this was one of the only German phrases I know. “Please call an ambulance.” Thank you Damon for that one, and I do apologize the rest of you aren’t included in the inside joke. I took a bus from Amsterdam to Cologne, and stayed the night at a nearby campsite. There is one thing that stands above all else in Cologne, the largest cathedral in Germany. Sorry, Amiens, but these high gothic towers win. The cathedral was one of the only buildings left standing during the carpet bombing campaign of the allies in WWII for one major reason, they used it as a guiding beacon since radar was still a new technology. Ironic way for a church to be a guiding light, but this really is a masterpiece of architecture. The blackened stones from weather give this gothic building even more or an ubiquitous presence, and Cologne doesn’t hide it as your eyes are flooded with its presence right out of the train station. Besides this, Cologne and the surrounding area are known for several things, Kolsch style beer, white wines, and the Rhine Valley.

If you get the chance, take the extra couple of days and take a river cruise down the Rhine to Mainz. Its about twice as much as a train, and well worth the money as long as the weather holds. I however, was blessed with liquid sunshine (thats rain for those of you who don’t camp), and took the train. I was hoping the weather would hold out for the second (and better half) of the Rhine Valley from Koblenz – Mainz. It is more scenic and has a lot more castles. After checking out the city and resigning to getting back on the train I stopped in Bacharach for the night. What was the appeal to stopping in this small town? Well, I stayed in a castle.

This section of the Rhine is dotted with vineyards, and nearly every peak has a castle or the ruins of one with a small quaint town by the river straight from a model train landscape. The castle in Bacharach has been transformed into a youth hostel. Besides having amazing views, it also had the best breakfast I’ve had on this trip yet! Really cool to walk around the castle, and pretend your king of the world….err at least until the nearest castle. There is one downside to the whole experience, the children. The place was swarming with school children, and I have to say right now. Thank you to all my teachers along the way. Your patience and commitment are unmatchable. Thankfully, they keep some rooms away from the 5th graders so you can sleep in peace.

I finished my ride down the Rhine into Mainz and took a train to Nurnburg to visit a friend that I met in Fort William after hiking the highlands. Camilla was a great host, and showed me around the city after a night on the town. It was the first time I really saw the sun since being in Germany, and it was a welcome change. The old city is almost entirely pedestrian traffic only with shops and cafes dotting the street. Most of the old wall and moat (now a grass park with walkway) are in tact. On the hillside inside the north wall lies the Imperial Castle. The castle was impressively large, and had a great view of the city. Well, its time for the main event, next stop, Oktoberfest!