We all gradually arrive in Heidelberg

We all gradually arrived in Heidelberg. Some of us flew a day earlier into Frankfurt or Stuttgart for some sightseeing, reaching Heidelberg by train or bus. Others took the perhaps more relaxed and - as it turns out - not much slower option of the train. In the evening early birds met up and dined in the Old Town, in the centre of which our hostel was located.

We stayed in the Old Town, just below castle - reputedly Germany's best kept ruin.
Lots of history!

Reaching Heidelberg by Train

Taking the train means Eurostar at the UK end. Some of us took Eurostar to Brussels and DB train onwards to Frankfurt and thence to Heidelberg. The following pictures show my impressions when "letting the train take the strain". Dates me a bit, that one! I always think that the journey is part of the away-break experience; the rail journey via Brussels certainly gives that very European experience.

Eurostar passes one of the Dartford crossings, the cable-stayed Queen Elizabeth II Road Bridge opened in 1991. From the appropriate vantage point - without too many of those storage silos - humble I think it is visually attractive.




The Eurostar terminus in Brussels is not as large and historically impressive as London Saint Pancras, but it is functionally effective - especially for all those visiting the EU capital.


   

If you enjoy translating between Flemish (don't say Dutch) and French,
then Bruxelles Midi is the railway station to visit.


   

Ever heard of Kuifje?
(I took these two pictures in 2016 but they seem to fit here!)




This seems to happen in busy places the world over!




Now we get local.
We have Eurostar nestling in platforms 1 and 2 to the left out of sight.
The red train is a French TGV, perhaps for Paris or onward to Amsterdam.
The white train is a German ICE train going to Frankfurt.

Our First Hours in Heidelberg

Most of us arrived in Heidelberg on Sunday 8th September as planned. Some came a day earlier to Stuttgart or Frankfurt, and then made their way to Heidelberg. It was nice to reach Heidelberg during the afternoon so that we could get some familiarization with where we were staying. In fact, almost all of us stayed at the acclaimed (best hostel in Germany!!) "Hostel LOTTE" which was conveniently situated just below the Castle and in the centre of the Old Town (Alt Stadt) of Heidelberg. This was ideal for getting to the start of walks and other excursions, as well as in the evening, when we were spoilt for choice regarding the vast number of reasonably priced restaurants and eateries.

We would see this view from the Philosophers' Path (Way or Walk) on the other side of the River Neckar tomorrow, but I put the picture here so that you can see our surroundings in the greater context. The Castle has a commanding position over Heidelberg, as its original builder had intended! The Castle is below and to the right of the King's Chair, one of whose 3 transmission masts can just be discerned on the hill top.
Our accommodation was in the small street below and to the right of the Castle. The Old Town lies between the Castle and the Old Bridge over the River Neckar.




The Castle was so close, it always seemed to accompany us in the evening.




All credit to the hardworking hostel staff who gave us a very warm welcome. However, nobody seemed to know how old the building actually was. It looked late 19th century and solidly built and may have been the home of one of the aspiring professional or merchant classes of the time.




What's this chap doing here? Well this was a picture in the gentlemen's accommodation and shows that our hostel cultivated a certain artistic style! This picture is a copy of an original engraving by the famous "Ridinger". The subject is an example of 18th century dressage.

Our Evening

Probably most of us, after a day of travelling and new experiences, were so keen to try the local cuisine, that we forgot to take some pictures of our first evening! Anyway, some of us dined at the busy "Hackteufel" restaurant, our first taste of Heidelberg cuisine. The restaurant is located "really down-town" between the Old Bridge and the church of the Holy Ghost. The name "Hackteufel" translates as "Hack Devil", which, with its "devilish" eddies and currents, was for shipping a very dangerous part of the River Neckar - just upstream from the Old Bridge - before the present weir (barrage or dam, if you like) with footbridge was constructed.

After our meal, some of us went on to taste some more of the local beverage in one of the many other restaurants in the Old Town. Tomorrow would be another day.