Travelling as much as I have over the years has built up this nifty little reservoir of I'm-not-sure-what... It's a way of just winging it, of doing only cursory research and planning before a trip and letting it happen randomly. Travel balls, maybe? Too crass perhaps - maybe travel confidence is better.
No strict agendas, no specific day trips planned, only a train or plane timetable and a hotel booking here and there. It's a matter of waking up and doing what you feel like, including nothing much at all if the body or spirit are not willing.
And in places like Konigswinter, it always works out. The town is right on the Rhine, with a bike path lining either side for many miles and a stop for the river tours right out front. You can take a boat or a tram to get here as well.
A boat tour is a must here. Criss-crossing the river, you can sit for hours looking at German countryside roll by, stepping off at various old-school postcard towns for lunch and a beer, and walking into Christmas stores in mid-summer if need be. Cologne and the surrounding region are renowned for its year-round Christmas markets, with every ornament and trinket ever created. Then again, you could just stay on the boat, drink beer and eat apple strudel.
You can also head up to Drachenfels ("Dragon's Rock"), a small mountain with a 12th century castle perched on top. You'll get amazing views of the surrounding area here.
Ah, the meadows, the rolling river, the lush countryside, and the zigaretten.
Stumbled across a car show
These boats span the Rhine - at first, you feel like such a tourist, but then there's...
...the view...
...ze strudel...
...the small town(s)...
...and this guy, who invariably looks more like a tourist than you ever will.
Uhhh...Small-town horror house of some kind. We didn't stay long enough to ask questions.
3 comments:
Some great photos there. I wasn't all that sure of Germany as a travel destination at first but it has grown on me since then.
I now find that I have the same kind of travel confidence there that you talk about. I tend to go over for the Cologne christmas markets and I don't arrange much in advance at all. POeople have this image of it being such as controlled place that you need to beocme a robot there but I have always found it pretty relaxed for travellling in
Königswinter absolutely perfect location. On the banks of the Rhine River walk, go to the top of the hill, the wine was excellent. I went to see the history and nature was perfect. Refer to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbl5cosbwf
Sorry video url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbL5COsBWfE
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