1981 - Family Trip #1 - Koningswinter/Drachenfels

Sunday 29 March 1981 -  Bad Godesburg

We all woke up early despite the fact that we lost an hour last night as the clocks moved from winter time to summer time. Since it was Jan's birthday, we had a cooked breakfast of ham and scrambled egg with "toast". Rather difficult, the latter, without a toaster or a grill and with very unusual bread. 

We finally set out just after ten and caught a bus down to the river. It was a beautiful Spring morning and we walked along the bank for about one and half kilometres, admiring the view. There were some beautiful (and very large houses - mainly embassies, being so close to Bonn - and clubs. There were a lot of Bonners about - just strolling like us or riding their bicycles along the cycle track which runs alongside the river right to Koblenz. I would love to try the ride sometime.

 

Koningswinter Castle

We caught an auto ferry, to Matt's delight, across the river to Koningswinter and, after strolling about the town, caught the rack and pinion train to the summit of Drachenfels. I was a bit disappointed to find that electricity had replaced steam as the motive power, although I do not know how the old puffing billy made the trip! An alternative route up is by donkey and we were hoping that Matt could have a ride down, but there were no mokes at the summit.

Rab and Jan stroll down the hill

The view from up there was magnificent although there was a bit of a haze, so we couldn't take photographs. There is a modern restaurant there as well as the ruins of an old castle, which was very interesting. We all walked down to the Schloss Drachenfel, half way down, which I would like to have looked around, but which the party decided was not worth Dm4 (R1.60) a head. Rab and Jan caught the train down, while Matt and I walked, which was very pleasant. We passed several donkeys coming up the hill, but none going down.

We met the girls at the bottom of the hill and decided to look for food, as it was after three and we had not eaten since breakfast, apart from an ice cream and some Bobby Pop - popcorn with a honey flavour. We found that all the reasonable restaurants were closed, so we decided to press on down to the river if we could get a ride on a riverboat. There was one boat operating, which didn't unfortunately go down to Bad Godesburg, but we went upstream to Roland's Arch. We had a beer and some salt sticks on the boat, which quieted our hunger and enjoyed the trip thoroughly.

Matt on the Rhine

Matt and I stayed on deck most of the time and managed to fight off all attempts to take over our spots. We all have a laugh about this German trait which Jan identified. Wherever you are, standing or sitting, it won't be long before a local comes along who wants that precise spot - and only that one will do! From the ferry we caught a tram heading down river and after de-tramming and having a stroll through a suburb of Koningswinter, caught another car ferry back to Bad Godesburg, found a bus leaving in five minutes, and so home.

Again the weary and infirm decided against eating out, so we had sausage and pea puree  with salads. After dinner (at 19.30) Matt and Jan and I went for a walk in the forest - Matt riding on Jan's landlord's bicycle, which he loved. we got back at 20.30, just as dusk was falling.

An excellent opening to our first overseas trip as a family.