Real Switzerland, Experiencing Heidi Moments

Peg, one of our friends from Columbus, visited us in late June. Peg has wanted to see Switzerland for sometime and wondered if it was possible to combine the visit to Koblenz with a trip to Switzerland. Magda and I said sure, but what is it that you want to see or do in Switzerland. "I'd be happy sitting at a cafe with a view of some mountains while having a cup of coffee" was her response. This became known as our search for a "Heidi Moment."

To be honest, driving 6 hours to reach the Swiss mountains for cup of coffee and then driving back seemed a little extreme. Then there is the "vignette" or the toll for use of the Swiss autobahn that would increase the cost of that cup of coffee. And in point of fact, everything is Switzerland is pretty expensive.

Figuring that we were in for a penny in for a pound, we started looking for something more that a Heidi Moment, more of a "Heidi Experience". We came upon a offer from Ameropa for a 4 day trip that included train from Koblenz to Davos, 2 nights in Davos in a 4 star hotel, free use of public transportation in Davos, first class reservations on the Glacier Express to Zermatt including a 3 course meal for lunch, one night in Zermatt also in a 4 star hotel, and the train back to Koblenz.

While Davos it self is not the prettiest town, its setting near a small lake in a high valley surrounded by mountain peaks is hard to beat. The breakfast room at our hotel with its floor to ceiling windows looking over a small park to a near by peak and snow-capped range of mountains took full advantage of this setting. Enjoying this view over breakfast realized a Heidi Moment for Peg.

Davos has a Museum containing a collection of works by the German expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Magda and I became interested in Kirchner after attending a exhibition of his works in Frankfurt. However, as I was not feeling well that morning, Peg and Magda went to the museum while I rested for hiking in the afternoon. Magda was very impressed by the collection and still mentions this as a high point of the trip.

The free use of public transportation in Davos included the use of "Bergbahnen". These are the cog wheel trains or cable cars that go up and down the mountain. In the afternoon we took the cog wheel train to Schatzalp on the north side of the valley, returning by foot on a short trail through lupines, mountain orchids, and other wild flower, past a waterfall, and that was guarded by carved wooded figures. Later we took a cable car up the south side of the valley to Jakobshorn. From here we had a fantastic 360 degree view of the peaks and mountains. Really did not want to come down from here. Talk about a ultimate Heidi Moment.

The next day, after another breakfast with view (or view with breakfast), we boarded the Glacier Express for Zematt. The Glacier Express bills itself a the world slowest express train as it travels 7 hours between St. Moritz or Davos and Zermatt through untouched mountain landscapes, delightful valleys, 91 tunnels, and across 291 bridges. While the Glacier Express uses the same tracks as the regular Swiss trains, it offers panorama wagons with large glass windows that allow a more complete view of the landscape. While great for viewing, these windows cause reflections in any photos taken along the way.

While the whole train ride was beautiful, my favorite part was the first part from Davos to Chur. During this part the train travels through forests, crossing several deep gorges using stone bridges. In Chur, the train changes engines to one with a cog wheel to climb and descend the Oberalppass (2033m), the highest point on the journey. Descending to 650m at Visp, the Glacier Express then climbs approximately 1000m to Zermatt (1604m). Really stunning scenery the whole way. But to be honest, it is hard to concentrate on the scenery for that long. Which is to to say that we didn't enjoy the trip, and we were certainly able to add several more Heidi Moments along the way.

What can you say about Zermatt? I suppose it is a place that people will either love it or hate it. Once again a wonderful setting  in a high valley surrounding by high mountain peaks. A walk to the end of town to see the Matterhorn made the stay worthwhile for me. What a mountain. Like Davos, I only wish we could have had more time to do some serious hiking in the area.

The town itself is another story. While Zermatt has banned automobiles on its streets (autos are parked in about 5 km away and then people take a train into the town), it is hard not to call it a tourist trap. Almost every storefront is a restaurant or shop catering toward the tourist. Even the grocery store is stocked more for the tourist than an inhabitant. But some people love rummaging around shops like these. Even for me, the collection of outdoor shops was interesting to see.

Our hotel in Zermatt was the Hotel Alex. A wonderfully run hotel, with a great breakfast (although without the kind of view we had in Davos), but with the most eclectic decor I have ever seen. Peg thought it was the most interesting and beautiful hotel that she had ever stayed in. Magda had a more negative impression or the decor. Once again, love it or hate it.

Around noon on the fourth day of our trip we boarded the first of our trains to Koblenz. The second leg of our journey was interesting because it was in one of the new Swiss high speed trains. These really nicely designed trains. The third leg was on a German ICE, so we could make a direct comparison with the Swiss. The ICE is showing its age in the comparison. Of course it didn't help that the ICE broke down just before Mannheim causing use to miss our connection. The DB (the German train company) did give us 12 euros to help with a dinner while we waited 3.5 hours for the next connection. And later, they refunded 10 euros each. Of course, the extra 3.5 hours did mean we got back pretty late, and needed to get Peg to the airport early the next day.

Little Switzerland

Little Switzerland refers to the region on either side of the Sauer river that defines the border between Luxembourg and Germany. This region with its rocky outcrops, craggy terrain, thick forests and small streams resembles, at least to some, its namesake country. One big difference is altitude. The highest elevation in Little Switzerland is 414 meters above sea level. Compare that to 4634 meters for Switzerland.

But this comparison should not be viewed as a negative. In fact for the average hiker, Little Switzerland might be more enjoyable that hiking in Switzerland. On the Luxembourg side there is a system of well marked and interesting wooded trails through the terrain, often around, under or through the rock outcrops. While there are no huge altitude changes, there are constant changes as you climb up and down the rocky trails. It reminded me of the Smoky Mountains. We noticed that we hiked a bit slower here due to these constant elevation changes and the sometimes rocky trails. Trails on the German side were not as well marked, but just as interesting and less traveled.

The area also offers things for the history buff. Echternach is Luxembourg's oldest town. There you can find a fine example of a Romanesque Cathedral and a nicely preserved old town. While Little Switzerland is a bit south of the Ardennes, it was still involved in the Battle of the Bulge during WWII.

For the social observer, the region provides some interest, as well. For instance gas prices in Luxembourg are much cheaper that in Germany. As a result, there are no gas stations near the border on the German side, well there are a number on the Luxembourg side (often right next to a bridge crossing the border). As salaries are higher in Luxembourg and housing prices cheaper in Germany, a larger number of people live on the German side, but work on the Luxembourg side (EU offices are less about 30 minutes away). Very striking is the difference in grocery stores between the two countries. The French influenced stores on the Luxembourg side offer a far richer variety of items that the discount driven stores on the German side.

All and all, this is a great get-away place for us, less than a two hour from Koblenz.

BUGA is here

BUGA (short for the Bundesgartenschau) is the German garden show that occurs every 2 years in different German cities. This year's show is taking place in Koblenz. The city has been preparing for this for well over a year, closing roads and bridges, changing parking regulations, refurbishing buildings and pedestrian walkways. So for residents of Koblenz, the opening BUGA a couple of weeks ago brought a sense of relief, if for no other reason than the removal of the orange barrels.

It is a big show distributed in three locations in the city. One part is near Deutches Eck, a second part around the Bishop's Place, and the third and largest part around the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein. The first two parts are connected by a walkway along the Rhine, but as Ehrenbreitstein lies high on the hill across the Rhine, connecting visitors to this third part required an interesting solution, a hanging cable car system was installed.

We made our first appearance last week and were quite pleasantly surprised. Since we have a season pass, we didn't feel the need to visit all of the show in the first day. So we concentrated on Deutches Eck and Ehrenbreitstein this time. Here are some pictures and impressions:

• The gardens along the sides and back of St. Kastor were a highlight. Both were tulip gardens at the time. One was a explosion of colors with the 1200 year old Romanesque church as a backdrop. The other was much more contemplative with all white tulips.
• Behind the church was a story board that summarized the 5000 years of human inhabitation in Koblenz. This also reveal a new discovery that had been made in preparation for BUGA. There has long been documentation of a Roman temple that was built about 2000 years ago near the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle, but the exact location was never known. In preparing the gardens, it was found. The choir of the church was built directly over the temple.
• The cable car is a nice solution to connect the city with the fortress. The ride provides some unique views of Deutsches Eck and the city. Since this is was built within the areas that UNESCO designated as a world heritage site, the agreement is that the cable cars will be taken down at the end of the show. However, some are questioning if they should stay. On the positive side, providing such an easy connection between the city and the fortress (with its 3000 year history) would be a positive for tourism. On the negative side, UNESCO could withdraw their designation if the system stays.
• Ehrenbreitstien has been restored wonderfully, and the view of the city from the courtyard is as good as ever.
• The new observation platform on the northern end of the BUGA site around Ehrenbreitstein gives a different view of the city, but also an unexpectedly interesting view of the Rhine valley to the north.
• One area of the show, and a pretty popular one at that, was devoted to graves. This might be surprising, unless you understand that maintaining the grave sites of loved ones has long been an important part of the German culture, although it is a part of the culture under some stress right now as people become more mobile.
• Two large temporary building housed the various show plants. How judges decide a difference between gold, silver and bronze is hard (impossible) for me to see. Even the bronze orchids look good to me. Do you think a fly would feel better about being caught by a gold winning pitcher plant, than a silver of bronze one?

Karneval in Koblenz

The days prior to Ash Wednesday and Lent have different names in various parts of Germany. In and around Koblenz, they are called Karneval. Although the Karneval season officially begins each each at 11:11 on 11/11. This is when Karneval prince and princess are anounced and the Karneval clubs begin their planning for Karneval celebrations, including figuring out their theme for the coming celebrations, preparing their costumes and float, and planning their parties.

The actual Karneval celebrations begin the Thursday before Lent with "Schwerdonnerstag" (Hard Thursday). Many businesses close at noon, schools arrange in-service days so that the students don't have to be in school. Things begin with a symbolic storming of the city hall by the Karneval clubs. With the club members in costume, firing confetti cannons, the Karneval Prince demands the key to the city from the mayor. Women take the lead the rest of the day. Some women will go around carrying scissors, cutting off any ties worn by men on this day. At the parties later, women choose their dance partners.In fact, some folks refer to this day as Weibekarneval (Wife's Karveval).

Parties continue on Friday and Saturday. The foods most associated with this time of year are Berliners and Naunzen. Berliners would be recognized by Americans as a jelly doughnut, round pieces of yeast dough that are deep-fried, filled with jelly and sprinkled with sugar. Naunzen use the same dough as Berliners and like Berliners are fried and sprinkled with sugar, but unlike Berliners, are irregularly shaped and are not filled. By the way, Berliners are root of the Urban Legend that JFK called himself a "doughnut" when he said "Ich bin ein Berliner" before the Berlin Wall in 1963. In truth and in that context, there was no confusion for Germans. A Berliner is also a resident of Berlin and use of the adjective "ein" placed an emphases on his oneness with the people of Berlin. Exactly what he was trying to say. It remains a moment remembered in German history books and has a display devoted to it at Bonn's "House of German History".

On Sunday, parades get added to the entertainment. In our village of Wallersheim, there is a kids parade. Although I'm not sure what makes it a kids parade, other than the selection of the parades prince and princess, who were young kids. There are more adults than kids in both the parade and audience. A good percentage of the audience, young and old, are in a costume. And certainly, beer and wine are flowing in both groups. As the parade passes, everyone waves a hand over their head and shouts the greeting for Koblenz, "Oula" (in other parts of Germany the greeting would be "Hela").

Whereas in other parts of Germany, the celebrations are still rooted in the idea of scaring away the evil spirits of winter (see last years post on Fastnacht in southern Germany). The Karneval parades in this part of the country tend to be about political satire or current topics. Sort of reminds me of the Do Da parades on the 4th of Jully in the USA. This is one reason that even today many of the clubs still dress in costumes inspired by French or Prussian military from the 1700s. Karneval was used  as an opportunity to make some fun of their occupiers back then. This year, the current topic in Koblenz is the the upcoming national garden show, BUGA. So it is no surprise that to see a lot of costumes and floats with flower themes in this year's parade.

Smaller towns and villages have parades on either Sunday or Tuesday. Rosenmontag, the Monday before Ash Wednesday, is the parade day for the larger towns. Cologne's and Mainz's parades are shown on TV. In Koblenz, the parade attracted 100,000 watchers this year. Prior to the parade, the downtown was closed off to traffic and special buses carried people to and from the parade.