Xmas Markets Trip to Boppard on the Rhine |
These notes are from Ken Baldry's diary entries, made on tours organised by the society. This trip was only four days, two of which were spent on the coach travelling, so it was always dark when we were in Boppard, hence no photos of the enchanting village.
Saturday 11th December - Ahrweiler
A good buffet breakfast somewhat made up for the dinner. We took the coach up the Rhine almost as far as Bonn & cut up the Ahr valley to Ahrweiler. Patsy is our rep again. Apparently, we bombed Ahrweiler but you cant tell which buildings are original & which, reconstructed unless you look at the dates eg 1671 or 1985! The Xmas Market was in the middle & seemed of high quality. Avis wanted & bought Xmas decorations, including a circle of sheeps wool with a rake in it, all rather imaginative.
Ahrweiler Xmas Market |
Ahrweiler Main Gate |
Ahrweiler Main Street |
Ahrweiler 2nd Gate |
Ahrweiler |
Sweet Goblins |
We had a hot chocolate & wandered round the back streets before rejoining the coach at 1230 for Koblenz. This was mayhem. There was a big but not so good Xmas market but we wrestled our way to the Lohr Zentrum to have lunch in Mr Wok, which was very nice. Then, into the Old Town Square for a coffee, where we found Patsy & had a long chat about travelling & the industry. Only then did we do the market & had a glühwein (rather weak) & later, a coffee & shared cake before getting the coach back to Boppard for dinner at 1830.
Doug-the-Treasurer in Ahrweiler |
Members Secretary, Chairman & Secretary |
On the boat |
Gloomy Rhine castles |
We took a boat along to the Loreley & back at 2000, in the dark, of course but there was booze & dancing & the villages and castles (rather many of them) were pretty all lit up.
Sunday 12th December - Rudesheim
I made sure I had an even better breakfast in view of the light dinner - up to climbing or skiing level! We took another boat to St. Goarhausen but it rained like fun. Then, we met the coach (the boat was extra) & went up onto the Loreley but we did not get out, as it was raining too hard. Then, on to Rudesheim on Rhine (as opposed to the other one nearby) with many castle stories told by Patsy. Rudesheim was nice & steepish. (Link to a trip in 2003 - no rain & more pictures).
Rudesheim Xmas Market |
In Rudesheim |
The rain eased a bit as well. We went round their market, finding the Swanage twin-town stall! The church had been bombed & restored, with very imaginative modern stained glass windows. There was Siegfrieds Mechanical Music Museum, which we toured. The guide played what she said was Chopin on a very good player piano but I told her it was Liszts 3rd Liebestraüme, which she should have known. They gave us Glühwein free, thinking we were with another party who were entitled to it & it was much stronger than yesterdays. We had some difficulty getting lunch, eventually in the Drosselgasse & were joined by a couple who addressed us in German & were so replied to but were English. In fact, she was German war booty from 1946. I had a bratwurst & Avis, an omelette. There were plenty of wine shops but No Schnaps To Be Had, much to my disgust. After we got the coach back, we went to the little Boppard Xmas Market in the square & had coffee & cakes in a café. There is vast pedestrianisation here. The dinner was better - beef stew. John & his sweet Malay princess wife handed round 10th Wedding Anniversary cake after.
Contact: Ken Baldry at 17 Gerrard Road, Islington, London N1 8AY +44(0)20 7359 6294 or e-mail him
URL: http://www.art-science.com/Tourism/AGFHS_trips/Boppard/index.html © 2002-2003 Ken Baldry. All rights reserved. Last revised 13/12/2003