Germany-Mittel Rheintal-Koblenz

In my youth Germany and the Germans, German products (except cars), German culture and the German language were all widely disrespected, even hated. Many say that this was because of the war. Germany  occupied Holland for five years, robbed many of it valuables, deportated most of the jews, tortured and killed many resistance people and left the country ashambles in  the spring of 1945. It took more than 10 years to repair the dammage. During those years and thereafter, Germany strived  to lose their previous attitude and became a democratic, peaceful country at which they did a pretty good job.

It took the Dutch much longer than necessary to wise up their attitude to their big neighbours in the east. The fact that Germans have a nasty habit of beating us in significant football matches didn't help much. But nowadays the tensions seem to have lifted and more and more people seem to be able to enjoy and admire the country, it's people, it's rich culture and the wonderful stuff they produce. One of my childhood trauma's was when my grandfather brought me a 'Lederhosen'. I never wore it, I would rather have gone  out in the streets naked than wearing that monstrousity.  Nowadays people from all over the world flock to the Oktoberfesten in Munich and voluntarily wear lederhosen and dirndln. Supergeil!

Who doesn't dream to be able to drive a Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, instead of their Volkswagen or Opel? You got to give it to them: the past century Germany started and lost two major wars, the last  left it completely ruined and split in two,  40 years later the West bought back their  pauper Eastern half and twenty years later they are again the powerhouse of Europe. For sure a remarkable people.

 The Baskadiyarlar team forayed  into Germany before, as our dear followers will remember. This time we followed the Rhine down to Koblenz and made some tours from there. Let's have a look.

Things that can make one happy on a sunny afternoon: a steam locomotive

In Koblenz, the rivers Rhine and Mosel confluent and after that are called just Rhine, which seems a bit unfair for Mosel, who streamed all the way here from France! The place where they come together is called "Deutsches Eck". There we see the 37 high 'Denkmal' to Kaiser Wilhelm I, erected in 1897. The 14 m high statue of Wilhem on horseback was destroyed by US artillery in March '45. In 1993 a reproduction was put in place of the original.

Denkmal oder mahnmal?

Detail of the base of the monument

To the back of the momument you will find nice beergardens with river view and a stage for open air concerts.  It's a nice place to sit down, have a beer and a wurst and watch humanity walking by.

Artistic artists am Deutsches Eck

Old house on and next to old wall 

Luckily the Americans could take the city in 1945 without blasting every single building to pieces so Koblenz is certainly worth a walking tour along it many sights. You should certainly apy a visit to their famous ice salon, these people are true artists.

Should your wife get bored, you can leave her here for a while

many interesting things there for her.

Uncool part of Germany, Der Alte might exit the door any moment

Luckily, there are plenty good old boring parts left to enjoy that special German je ne sais quoi. Youths tend to pick up stronger on boredom. Maybe that's why 100's of them flocked in the streets and squares of the city on the night of Ascension Day, carrying cans of beer and bottles of liquor. One of them even poured cola and rum in an bucket and added straws and put it on the square where he and his friends geintly giggling emptied it. In Holland juvenile binge drinking is a problem often debated but here people don't seem to care much. Maybe because these parts are catholic and everybody thinks Jesus and Mary will save them?

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Great name for a shop, sounds like a Rammstein song title, say it a couple of times and it will stick in your mind all day