Our train ride from Amsterdam to Kamp Bornhofen, Germany was lovely and hardly eventful but for the small oopsie when Ivan decided a run to the train's bistro kart 5 minutes prior to our arrival in Düsseldorf where we had an important connection to Koblenz. I should mention that train travel in general provides a very quick but effective lesson in various languages you have to understand well enough to know when to get on and off. It turns out Duisenburg is just a small suburban stop RIGHT before the train pulls into Düsseldorf, something not quite clear on our Eurail Rail Planner app which, by the way, is mostly spectacular for travelers!
As we imagined Ivan suddenly darting from the kart back to our train compartment to gather his belongings to get off, we stood at the open door to the platform contemplating our situation-Do we get off the train with Ivan's belongings with the hope that he jumped off the train? Do we stay on assuming he knew he had to get his things first? With few exceptions, trains run VERY on time in Europe, and this was no exception. SO...we stayed on and waited for Ivan to storm through the train door from the kart, but instead found later that he had in fact jumped off the train with the hope we did the same.😅
We figured out our cell phones finally worked and coordinated a reunion back in Düsseldorf after the kids and I shared a fun mommy-kid ride to Koln (Cologne).
Next we arrived in Koblenz, a fairly large city along the River Rhein and mixed with modern industrial office buildings right outside the station, it contains middle age cobble stoned streets now lined with everything from boutique shops to H&M.
They are cute, but it was hot and we really just wanted beer. We found it at Altus Bierhaus which unfortunately didn't contain the expected amount of small town German authentic beers - maybe because Colorado is so good at small brews we expected it here. However, it did the trick and we got our first bite of schnitzel, wurst, and pommes frites - as big in Germany as it is at McDonalds.:)
Arriving at Kamp Bornhofen - Along the fiefdom dotted Rhein are beautiful medieval castles where all the little barons built all their little castles to charge all the little ships tariffs for passage (only later to battle it out and eventually lose to a more centralized shipping tax method). We were happy to stay in the highest castle on the Rhein-Castle Liebenstein-run by the current owners, Klaus and Anita, since 1995. Along with its neighboring Castle Sturrenburg, these castles preserve the medieval heritage important to Rhein country, right up to the costume for knights in shining armor and strange artistic renderings of the fallouts that must have occurred between the brother barons.
Upon our arrival with few words Klaus brought us to our rooms in the castle turret, and left us there with no explanation. Not that we needed one, but we were suddenly thrown into imagining the castle in medieval times housing its fair maidens and men during sieges. I found early the next morning that my desire to walk around the castle trails outside its walls would not be realized as Klaus did in fact lock up all the doors and big iron gates to prevent passage outward. We were honest to god locked inside a castle! The operation is clearly authentic and not to be bothered with 5-star hotel service (not unlike most of Europe thus far where service is generally terrible compared to what we expect in America.) So, we learned not to expect too much and that allowed us to slow our pace to wait for checks, ask for water, and practice the native language (by now we've been exposed to Icelandic, Dutch, Belgic/Flemish, afremch and German.)
Along with some fabulous and very rich German food followed by beautifully served eis (ice cream) dishes, we enjoyed our time as a family "slowing down" (those who know me will appreciate this is a growing moment). We hiked the one mile steep trail down into Bornhofen, a trail laden with tributes to Jesus and ending at a beautiful Catholic Church.
We stopped for a (large) bite to eat at the Garten restaurant served by a lovely old German lady and seated next to a German grandmother with her beautiful blue eyed little grandson. He was entertained largely by the two hungry American teenagers who, just by being themselves, made this kid laugh through most of lunch.
We walked off our meal along the river trail where we skipped rocks toward the busy barge and tour boat-filled waters of the Rhein and found the godsend apothecary to treat Isabelle's unfortunate hornet sting that originated in Amsterdam and swelled to the size of a dinner plate by the time we arrived at the castle.
Our experience was delightfully slow, a needed break during our tour. Rhein country is simply lovely to be in and look at, and the people are adorably authentic German.
Next Stop: Bern, Switzerland!
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