Tags
Black Forest railway, Bollenhutte, Brussels, Caffee und Kuchen, cake shops, Cologne, cuckoo-clock shops, Deutsche Bahn, Ebbsfleet, Eurostar, holiday, ICE trains, Liege-Guillemins station, luggage, Luggagemule, Offenburg, packing, Parkhotel Wehrle, River Gutach, trains, travelling, Triberg
We recently had an eight-day holiday in the Black Forest in Germany. Richard organised the whole trip on his own, booking the hotel independently and then contacting Deutsche Bahn who recommended a route for us to take. We enjoy travelling by train! On previous trips we have used couchettes or sleeping cars but Elinor said that she’d rather we didn’t do that again so we managed to get the whole journey done in one day, setting off from home at 4.30 am and getting to the hotel just before 9.00 pm (8.00 pm British time) the same day.
We drove to Ebbsfleet in Kent where we left the car and went through passport control and customs before boarding the Eurostar.
Modern high-speed trains are usually very pleasant to travel on. The seats are comfortable, there is no jolting or bumping and there is hardly any engine noise. We seem to slide through the countryside at 140 mph almost as though we are hovering above the ground rather than fixed on tracks. The only downside is travelling through tunnels which make my ears pop and not being able to see the scenery at times because of sound barriers built next to the line near towns and villages. The tunnel under the English Channel only takes 20 minutes to go through and the train is travelling at a mere 80 mph. This rate of travel is still very surprising to me; I have always journeyed by train and my first train trip to the Continent when I was 14 years old began at Victoria Station in London. That first leg from London to Dover took about an hour and 40 minutes. We went through customs and then boarded a ferry to Ostend in Belgium. The sea journey took three or four hours and we then caught a large train to Paris. It was very exciting! Everything looked and smelt so different. I remember setting off from London about midday and eventually getting to Paris that evening where we ran from one station to another dodging the crazy traffic and quickly finding something to eat before we boarded the sleeper to Munich.
But back to our recent journey – the Eurostar took just over two hours to get to Brussels where we had a couple of hours wait for our next connection to Cologne.
It was so pleasant to be out in the sunshine and the lunch was exceedingly good. What I found sad was the sight of armoured cars and armed soldiers and police everywhere. With all the terrible attacks all over Europe it is not to be wondered at but I find it very upsetting all the same.
Our next train arrived on time and we were soon on our way to Cologne.
The last time we passed through Liege, work had begun recently to up-grade the tracks for high-speed trains. I don’t remember seeing this station then. Catalan architect Santiago Calatrava designed the building and it really is superb.
We had a 40 minute stop in Cologne where we dashed about looking for food as we would be arriving too late at our hotel for a meal. Our next high-speed train took us to the small town of Offenburg where we needed to buy more water as we had forgotten this in Cologne. Luckily, there was a drinks dispenser on the platform and we bought two bottles of ice-cold mineral water. By this time the fine weather had disappeared and it was raining hard and quite chilly.
Our last train was a double-decker local train to Triberg which travelled through very scenic countryside, though by this time it was very gloomy and wet and after 8.00 in the evening. We had arranged with the hotel for a taxi to pick us up at the station and as soon as we got off the train we were halloo-ed by the driver who was over on the opposite platform.
He drove us quickly to our hotel where we booked in and found that our other suitcases had already arrived and were waiting in our rooms. We had decided to use a company called ‘Luggage Mule’ to help get all our belongings on holiday. Lugging heavy suitcases on and off trains is a back-breaking business and as we usually need a large case for our medication alone we thought having someone else do the lifting was a good idea. The cases were collected six days before our holiday started and I found packing this far in advance quite tricky. Inevitably, there were things I wished I’d included and hadn’t and things I wished I hadn’t included but had! We were amused by the list of things that we were forbidden to pack. As you will see from the list, we had to leave our sink behind! We still managed to find more things we couldn’t do without for eight days to fill two smaller suitcases that we carried with us on the journey (see the second photo above)! Three washbags, cosmetics, medication for three people with chronic illnesses, Elinor’s books and drawing materials, her laptop and my notebook PC, shoes we had forgotten to pack earlier, coats etc made us look like a normal family going away for a week.
Our rooms in the hotel were comfortable and spacious and we slept well after our long day. The following morning we enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast and then had a short wander round Triberg, the town where we were staying.
It wasn’t a warm day and there was a mixture of sunshine and showers but we saw that it was a pretty place though very busy with tourists like us.
As you see from the picture we had arrived in the land of large teddy bears. Two worked unceasingly at their clock-making and another abseiled up and down the outside of the shop all day.
I believe these statues represent Triberger women in their distinctive national costume and their Bollenhutte (hats with pompoms).
After our walk about the town we returned to the hotel for a few hours to rest and then at about 4 o’clock we went out for ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ (coffee and cakes) Our breakfast had been so satisfying that we hadn’t needed lunch but by mid-afternoon we were in need of a little something to eat. The cake shop opposite the hotel served the most delicious cakes!
In the evening we went out for a meal at a restaurant close to the hotel. For the time we were in Germany we tried to eat local Black Forest food for every meal. It was all very good indeed though I found there weren’t as many vegetables as I am used to in these dishes which were mainly meat with potatoes or arborio rice or noodles.
In the next post I will describe what we did while in Germany.
Thanks for visiting!
margaret21 said:
So glad you got your priorities right. Kaffee und kuchen first stop!
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clarepooley33 said:
Oh yes! 😀
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Liz said:
What a wonderful trip – really looking forward to the next installment. Like you, we love train travel and use this mode of transport wherever possible. I will be tripping down to London in a couple of months and already have my advance first class tickets booked! When we lived in London, we used the Eurostar every year to travel to Paris. We had the first part of our honeymoon there, so it was wonderful to keep returning. And a particularly fond memory is of when the Eurostar had only just opened and we went across to Paris and back in the day for lunch – it seemed so amazing!
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you so much for such a lovely reply Liz! Lunch in Paris – what decadence! When we’ve used the Eurostar before we’ve gone from central London which was a bit of a hassle for us. This time we tried Ebbsfleet and it’s so much easier. The parking is cheaper than at an airport and not having to travel into the city was a real bonus.
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Liz said:
So glad you have found this alternative – sounds great!
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susanpoozan said:
Thanks for sharing, it looks lovely.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Susan.
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KerryCan said:
Such an interesting post! I envy you the sort of train travel you are able to do–traveling by train is much more difficult and not nearly as comfortable here. The town you stayed in looks very picturesque–like what I would expect a town in the Black Forest to look like! And I really, really, love those pompom hats!
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Kerry! Those hats are something else! I have never seen anything like them before.
Train-travel has certainly become much easier and more comfortable in recent years. The whole of Europe is concerned about the amount of fuel we consume needlessly and has been promoting rail travel (using electricity) instead of flying and car driving. Most countries have a high-speed rail network and it is now faster to go by train to Paris and Brussels than to fly. Cities are building up tram-ways which are quicker and cleaner than cars and buses.
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Jill Weatherholt said:
What a great post, Clare! I feel as though I traveled along with you, sans popping ears. 🙂 I loved all of the photos, especially the ones of you and the family. I can’t recall seeing a close up photo of you. You look just as sweet as I imaged. Thanks for sharing this with us. I’d love to go inside the cuckoo-clock shops. Enjoy your day! xo
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clarepooley33 said:
How very sweet of you Jill! The cuckoo-clock shops were amazing and quite over-whelming 🙂
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quietsolopursuits said:
After only two hours of sleep the night before, I hope that you were able to catch a few winks while riding the train.
I would say that Richard did an outstanding job of making the reservations since everything was there waiting for you when you arrived. The town looks quaint, as some one else said, just what you’d expect a town in the Black Forest to look like.
I too am looking forward to your future posts on this trip, this one was a great appetizer.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Jerry. Richard did do a great job! The journey went smoothly and the hotel staff were expecting us when we arrived so late in the day. I did manage a little doze on the train but I was concerned about missing our stops on the way so couldn’t really relax. The trains are comfortable and I enjoy looking out the window at the changing countryside – no real effort involved!
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Cynthia Reyes said:
A wonder-filled post, which I thoroughly enjoyed. thanks for taking me along with you, Clare! Those picturesque shots of the town centre are lovely. Isn’t the European high-speed train a marvel?
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Cynthia. Yes – the high-speed trains have made European travel easy and comfortable. I like the process of travelling on land to different countries – I appreciate how far from home I have come and I love to see the countryside as I go. Flying is convenient but one airport looks like any other and it isn’t until I’ve left it behind and I’m on my way to my hotel that I feel I’m ‘abroad’. The old trains were fine but I had to add a couple of days either end of my holiday for travelling or spend less time at my destination.
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Jane Sturgeon said:
I think you look lovely and I love sharing this trip with you Clare. Hugs and much ❤ xX
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clarepooley33 said:
Oh Jane! How lovely of you! Hugs and lots of ❤ xx
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Jane Sturgeon said:
❤ always xXx
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
I think after all that time on a train I would have been happy to get off, but it’s been a very long time since I’ve been on one and I’m sure things have changed. The last train seat I sat on was little more than a board with an inch or two of padding.
The double decker train sounds interesting and scary at the same time. I hope it went a little slower than the Eurostar!
I don’t really know a lot about Germany but the photos match what I imagined it would look like. I can’t wait to find out what there is to do there.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Allan. We had to change trains three times on the journey so we didn’t have to sit still for too long. The trains are comfortable and usually have buffet cars where we can buy food and drink, there are WC’s and there is room to move about just like in a plane. Wi-fi and electric sockets are provided too if we need them.
The double-decker trains do go slower than the high-speed trains but they aren’t too slow either. We could have done with spending at least a fortnight in Germany so we could visit all the places we wanted to.
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
There’s always next year!
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Lisa G. said:
Clare, I’m astounded. You can’t take credit cards OR CASH with you? What the…if you don’t mind my saying so. No water, no phones. Seems rather extreme.
Anyway, you accomodations look nice from the outside, and I’m glad you seem to have enjoyed it all. Even the Chunnel didn’t bother you – I think I wouldn’t like it. Twenty minutes is a long time to be under water.
I look forward to part two. 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
The no phones/cash/credit cards etc was for the luggage that was sent on ahead of us. I think it was a safety regulation and also their insurance wouldn’t have covered these things if they’d been lost or damaged. We were allowed all these things but we had to take them in the hand luggage we took on the day – if that makes any sense.
A lot of people are bothered by the Chunnel or any tunnel come to that, but fortunately they don’t worry me. I can’t stand flying and I’m not that keen on going anywhere by boat either but I still do it when I have to.
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dobetteralways said:
Sounds fun, I’ve never traveled by train (other than short rides on subways) and I enjoyed reading about your high speed train ride. What kind/flavor of cakes are popular in Germany?
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clarepooley33 said:
There were so many cakes to choose from! A cake that originated form the Black Forest was very popular everywhere in the 70’s – the Black Forest cherry cake. Layers of chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries in between. Other cakes we tried were apple cakes with sliced apple and sprinkled with almonds and icing sugar; plum cake with plums and almonds and honey cake with nuts. They were all very good!
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dobetteralways said:
Those all sound delicious!
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clarepooley33 said:
They are!
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colorpencil2014 said:
Great travel journal with wonderful pics! brings back happy holiday memories for me too! xo Johanna
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Johanna xx
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Orts and Gribbles said:
The Black forest, how lovely! I holidayed in that area with a friend a couple of years ago and it’s a beautiful place. I look forward to reading about the rest of your trip 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you! It is very beautiful there and I wish we could have stayed longer.
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Lavinia Ross said:
Thank you for taking us along with you and the family on your trip, Clare! That looks like a lovely holiday.
The last time I was on a high speed train was when Rick and I took a trip to France in 2000. The train went from Paris to Provence. Yes, very quiet!
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Lavinia. Provence is a place I’ve never been to but would love to go one day.
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womanseyeview said:
What a busy train journey you had! Train travel is something we’d like to do more of with traffic getting so bad and all the fun being taken out of flying. Look forward to hearing more about your trip.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you! It was a busy day but so much easier than driving.
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imackenzie14 said:
So glad you had a lovely break Clare
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clarepooley33 said:
I did – thank-you, Ian.
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Charlotte Hoather said:
What a lovely post, I was surprised no shops were open today, my only day off, so I had to eat out – oh well 😄
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Charlotte! It’s nice to eat out now-and-then 😀
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Beautywhizz said:
I went to Black Forest few years ago, it’s such a beautiful place with many pretty towns and villages. Your hotel looks lovely and the pompom hats!
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clarepooley33 said:
The pompom hats are wonderful!
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Ste J said:
I hope we get a photo of you in a pompom hat please! The town almost looks like it could be a model if not for the people in some of the photos and the local cuisine sounds interesting as well. Another place that needs visiting it seems!
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clarepooley33 said:
Sadly (liar) I never managed to get a pompom hat though they were for sale with long plaits attached.
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Ste J said:
Fear not I will remind you next time you go abroad to find the most embarrassing bit of head gear you can for our evil delight.
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clarepooley33 said:
Great. 😉
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Kate R said:
Oh lovely! It has been a long time since I went to the Black Forest but I remember it being very pretty. I enjoyed reading about your experiences on the train and was just thinking about how difficult it used to be to get to mainland Europe with the ferry..it seemed like such an ordeal which is probably why my parents never wanted to go and we always ended up going to Wales or Cornwall!! I love the high speed trains too although, like you, I seem to get awful ear problems going through the tunnels! Richard did such a great job organizing all of this and it looks like such a pretty hotel too. I am going to investigate this company “Luggage Mule” as it sounds like such a good idea. As much as I love trains and traveling throughout Europe, I always struggle with luggage as a bad back and big suitcases don’t go too well together!
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clarepooley33 said:
Luggage Mule was very good value though it took some organisation on our part to make it work. There are restrictions on what can be transported (similar to the restrictions that planes enforce). They send lots of labels for the outward and homeward journeys and each suitcase has to be wrapped completely in thick plastic. We had to pack a week in advance of going and then had to wait for a couple of days after we got home before the cases arrived back. We had to take plastic and packing tape with us so that we could pack and seal the cases in the hotel for the return trip. But…not having to carry really heavy cases was wonderful especially as European trains are so tall and a climb to get into and there isn’t as much space for luggage in the new trains. I never went abroad with my parents either only with friends going on music courses or with my school.
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quercuscommunity said:
Looks great, though I’m a little worried about the lack of ability to transport settees and sofas, whilst movement of ottomans, chesterfields and chaise longues is unfettered. Seems like prejudice against people with small vocabularies!
Fascinated by your ability to post a picture of a man posting a picture of a beer – truly surreal! 😉
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clarepooley33 said:
I hadn’t realised what he was doing until I went on Facebook later – I assumed he was checking train timetables or something useful like that. It does seem a little surreal now you mention it.
I wonder if there are many people disappointed that they cannot send filth or body parts by Luggage Mule.
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Jane said:
Well Clare it was so lovely to see your face! You look very young to me and Elinor is such a cutey. I’m working backwards through your posts so I am enjoying your Black Forest trip in reverse! The buildings certainly look very pretty. I’ve never been on a high speed train before and it has certainly been many years since I went to a holiday on one. 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
You are very kind! I’m not feeling too young at the moment as I had my 58th birthday on the 9th of this month. 😦 I’m not sure where all the years have gone to! High speed trains are a wonder! When we first travelled through Europe by train to the Austrian Tirol (which isn’t that much further south than the Black Forest) it took us 24 hours which included a Channel crossing on a boat. It would now take half that time to get there because of the Channel Tunnel and the fast trains.
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