Javea to Germany

We flew from Valencia airport with Ryan Air to Frankfurt, Hahn, arriving two hours before the take off time of 18.10 hrs. On arrival we were a little panic-stricken, seeing the boarding time was right now and the flight was showing a departure time of 17.00 hrs, which meant we had no time to check in or board the plane. After asking the nice man at the Ryan Air information desk, he told us not to worry, the flight was on time, leaving at 18.10 hrs, the airport had got it all wrong and they were not taking any notice of the Ryan Air information desk. Silly of us to take any notice of the flight information signs at a national airport…..

After arriving in Frankfurt Hahn on time, which was a surprise, as the boarding ticket lady at Valencia told us to go to Gate 8D. Again by chance and good luck, I noticed our flight on the departure screen was showing our flight boarding at Gate A1. So we managed to catch the plane with minutes to spare. Well done again Ryan Air!!

My new Tom Tom One GPS navigation system, an early Christmas present, soon came in handy in the hire car. After I entered the address, we sped off into the frosty night armed with the best toy technology can throw at us. Two and a half hours later, no nearer to our destination of Limburg an der Lahn, we stopped at a petrol station and purchased a good old fashioned map, with a torch supplement. We found we were no nearer to Limburg an der and the Tom Tom was switched off and thrown into the back of the car. The journey from Frankfurt Hahn airport should only have taken us one and a half hours and we had taken more than three and a half hours following the instructions of the Tom Tom.

Arriving at 00.30 hrs we were met by John at a local furniture store, then we dashed off to a 50th birthday party, set in the middle of a forest. After the long journey we stood in front of a roaring fire, drank a few beers and the German hospitality soon brought us back to a normal state of mind, well nearly.

In the morning we awoke to a misty, cold, forest setting. The hunting lodge was owned and built by a wealthy German industrialist, back in the 1800’s. His daughter added a school house, large log cabin and other buildings and a playground. These buildings were granted building permission by the local town hall in Dörnburg, after a large amount of deer, wild boar and rabbits, ready for the oven, were mysteriously found outside the mayor’s home. Soon after these buildings were used to give underprivileged children the chance to have a good schooling and enjoy the natural surroundings.

John purchased the land and buildings in an auction four years ago and with the help of friends and local craftsman, they have transformed the buildings into a wonderful hamlet, complete with hunting lodge, with wonderful views down a wooded valley to the river and railway track, stretching way below. Log fires and modern central heating have made these homes very comfortable and they blend into the forest very sympathetically.

Dörnburg is a pretty little village with it´s nearest large town of Limburg an der Lahn, some 20 kms away. It is set in the national park called Nassau. The next day we visited the area and sampled some local refreshments. Limburg an der Lahn is a chocolate box picturesque town, with leaning houses and quaint narrow streets. It is a thriving town that is connected to the great Rhein river, some 30 kilometres away in the town of Koblenz.

Limburg is located in the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau, on the Lahn, here crossed by a bridge dating from 1315, and on the main line of railway from Koblenz to Lollar and Cassel, with a branch to Frankfort-on-Main. The small seven-towered cathedral, dedicated to St George the martyr, is picturesquely situated on a rocky site overhanging the river. It was restored in 1872-1878. Limburg has a castle, a new town hall and a seminary for the education of priests, its industries include the manufacture of cloth, tobacco, soap, machinery, pottery and leather.

Christmas eve was celebrated with John’s friends in the wooded hamlet. We ate traditional turkey, stuffing, dumplings, a vegetarian rissole called frikadelle, lots of fresh carrots in a creamy sauces and of course some generous glasses of light, white German riesling and red wines, which complimented the food. With the wood fires burning and the Christmas tree cut and decorated, that morning, it felt very festive. Wood fires are very popular in Germany, mainly because it is an economic way of heating the houses and providing hot water and secondly because there is a lot of wood about. The temperature can drop to -25c in the depths of winter. It was -2c when we were there and the cold can soon reach the bones, especially as we are so used to the Spanish climate.

On Christmas day we had a late breakfast of bratwurst and mustard. We then travelled across to Koblenz where the Rhein and the Moselle rivers join. Situated in the picturesque landscape of the Rhein and Moselle and surrounded by four low mountain ranges is the 2000-year-old town of Koblenz. It´s abundance of cultural monuments and historic buildings, it´s cosy lanes and narrow alleyways, the relaxed and happy atmosphere of its squares and river promenades, make Koblenz a friendly town where its guests feel right at home.

The view from Ehrenbreitstein Fortress high above the Rheine (118 metres) across the river down to “Deutsches Eck” with its re-erected equestrian statue of Emperor William I is spectacular. Koblenz is a meeting point for visitors from all over the world and an excellent starting point for trips into the fascinating landscape along the Rhein and the Moselle.

Our holiday was coming to the end and we prepared to make the journey back to Javea, via Frankfurt and Valencia. After saying our farewells and thanking John for his hospitality, we headed for the airport at Franfurt Hahn. The temperature on the last day, with a heavy fog, was -3c, which left the landscape covered in a blanket of white crystals, hanging from every tree branch and twig. The aircraft had to have anti-freeze sprayed onto the wings before take off.

Back in Javea the following day, the temperature was 17c and sunny, quite a contrast from our wonderful Christmas break in Germany!