We're away from here tomorrow...

margaretclare

....leaving home, drive to Harwich, overnight to Hook of Holland, planning to drive up the Rhine Valley to see historic/scenic places.

First night on board, second night at Xanten, then 2 nights at Cologne (the cathedral is a must-see), then Worms (very old historic place), then Freiburg (to see the Black Forest) then 5 nights at Friedrichshaven on Bodensee (Lake Constance). We plan to relax there and also see a little of the neighbouring countries - Austria, Switzerland, France - and the Rheinpfals (waterfall) which is another must-see.

We have a Peugeot 206 and although we're wrinklies, we both drive.

We've planned it and looked forward to it for sooooo long. After Cologne the road runs alongside the Rhine - it's called the Romantic Route.

Not sure about when/how coming back, may find somewhere else to stay on return journey, may stay longer, who knows. That's just the kind of people we are - a package tour or coach trip would not do because we don't like being regimented, we like to do our own thing.

Saint_Chris

have a nice holiday

soolin

I hope you have the best time, I'll miss your advice on the silver board.

briona

I've been to Cologne and am going back there again in October! Without doubt, the Cathedral is absolutely awesome! Also, if you are interested in Roman history, check out the Römisch-Germanisches Museum. It's at the side of the Cathedral and well worth a visit! Other than that Cologne is just a pretty nice city to stroll around with some interesting architecture and plenty to see and do...

I haven't been to any of the other places on your list, but it sounds like a fab trip! Hope you enjoy it!

VickyA_2

Have a wonderful time! What a fantastic adventure.

margaretclare

briona wrote: »

I've been to Cologne and am going back there again in October! Without doubt, he Cathedral is absolutely awesome! Also, if you are interested in Roman history, check out the Römisch-Germanisch Museum. It's at the side of the Cathedral and well worth a visit! Other than that Cologne is just a pretty nice city to stroll around with some interesting architecture and plenty to see and do...

I haven't been to any of the other places on your list, but it sounds like a fab trip! Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for this. Yes, part at least of my interest in this area is the history that goes back to Roman times and before. The very name 'Cologne' comes from the Roman 'Colonia' - like Lincoln, which was 'Lindum Colonia' There is a lot of myth/legend which has become combined with actual history - the hero Siegfried, that's why we're staying at Xanten - the hotel is called the Niebelunghof, so you can see where I'm coming from. Also I want to see the Drakenfels, where according to legend, Siegfried killed the dragon that guarded the Rhine's gold.

Worms was a Roman city which was sacked by Attila the Hun. And there are a lot of other places to see. DH used to travel to Germany a lot on business in earlier years, but it will make a big difference being able to travel at our own pace and sightsee, stopping where and when we like.

The ferry from Harwich is called the Stena 'Hollandica' and we're having an en suite cabin overnight.

We went on a 5-night Christmas trip to the Rhine the Christmas before last, but it wasn't a success. Very long coach journeys there and back, and the return journey turned into a sprint across northern Europe just so that most people could get to the hypermarket at Calais for their cheap booze and fags. I've since found out that all the coaches that make the Dover-Calais crossing include that in the itinerary. We didn't want the booze and fags, we'd have preferred lunch ! but were told there was no time for lunch otherwise we wouldn't make the 5 pm ferry after an hour at the hypermarket.

Incapuppy

I lived in Germnay for 4 years (not too far from Cologne actually) and have either been to or stayed at all the places you mention (with the exception of Xanten - I can't remember if I ever went there or not).

I'm sure you will have a fantastic holiday, OH and I were talking just a couple of nights ago about making a trip to revisit a lot of old haunts. Enjoy!

briona

margaretclare wrote: »

Thanks for this. Yes, part at least of my interest in this area is the history that goes back to Roman times and before. The very name 'Cologne' comes from the Roman 'Colonia' - like Lincoln, which was 'Lindum Colonia'

http://www.museenkoeln.de/english/default.asp?s=252&tid=123&kontrast=&schrift=

A little bit of info on the Römisch-Germanisches Museum – always nice to know a little bit about it in advance!

albalad

if you get a bit of time , try and pop into speyer - lovely little town

McKneff

:rotfl: :hello: hope you have a lovely time and enjoy the adventure. Its great to get to an age when you can do as you please whenever you like. some would say you were brave, i think you are lucky. enjoy......

margaretclare

Thank you for the link to the museum and also the suggestion about Speyer. I know there are lots of lovely little towns like this.

I started off by reading the old legends, Siegfried, the dragons, the Rhinemaidens etc and then I found out a lot more and wanted to see it. When DH was there he heard about the 'Romantic Route' and thought we should see that together.

Thanks, Annie. Brave? - how are we brave? It's not as if we're going to Outer Mongolia or the Amazon rainforest - Germany is a country that has been civilised for a very long time. It has all the amenities we expect, comfortable places to stay, lovely food, good roads etc. We've made some bookings and in every case there was someone who spoke English, so no problem there.

We know we are lucky, but now is the time to do things rather than sit around saying 'if only...' We've both known a lot of people who wanted to do something or other but for one reason or another never managed to get off their behinds and do it. I used to know a lady who'd had a lifelong ambition to see her mother's grave in Ireland and by then she was in her 80s. I offered to arrange it all for her, go with her, take her to Stansted and fly Ryanair to Dublin - I'd just come back from visiting a friend in Dublin so I knew it was no big deal. I even found out, via the Internet, just where the grave was, actually the east side of Ireland rather than the west coast which was what she'd thought, and it wasn't far from Dublin. Even with all that, she was full of excuses about why it couldn't be done, so in the end it never happened.

I'm determined not to be like that. The first time DH and I crossed the pond together, everybody said we were mad because it was about 3 weeks after 9/11. We crossed North America up and down and across, went by train from Chicago to Seattle then to Vancouver - had a fantastic time. People were cancelling their travel bookings in droves, but we just went.