Just have got this sleep thing worked out yet. Just crash as soon as my head hits the pillow then wake at 4 ish and just lie there. I am sure I sleep, yet it doesn’t seem like it. I an planning the rest of the trip in my head, all the things that can go wrong etc.
Anyway, woke to find some Easter eggs in a little straw nest outside my door, and that it had snowed overnight.
Breakfast was awesome an buffet, I really should have taken a picture. Far too much choice and I managed once again to make a roll for my lunch. Took an apple too, which I then proceeded to leave on the table.
Headed off about 8.20AM, climb straight out of the Hotel to the Bastei. Of course got hot and I shed some layers.
It was going to be one of those days, with shedding and layering as the weather altered.
At the top is an old medieval fortification, in ruins, that was quite impressive, especially how they managed to construct this structure where it is see pictures.
Then it was past the gathering tourists fresh out of the bus, and onto some nice back tracks all well marked with the white square with coloured slash or dot.
On the path I met a man with an Australia cap. With some fumbling we managed to work out 6 years ago he’d been to Australia and visited Sydney, Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. Not bad considering.
I think I missed a turn, as I ended up in Stadt Wehlen not quite the way the instructions said, nevertheless I got there.
Here I was to cross the Elbe.
It was morning tea so I found a cafe, which was a pasta making place, and had an ordinary coffee. I can see why they make pasta!!
The Elbe successfully crossed, a vicious climb followed up to a plateau, which then took me on a long circuit past may “steins”.
It was near here a group offered to take my photo with Lilienstein in the background. Once again my language skills triumphed, and I think we all left more confused than when we had met.
Another hard climb followed to Rauenstein, which had a restaurant at its summit. I was going to have lunch here, however there were too many Germans (and smoking) and it started to snow. So back downhill, roll to be consumed on the run later.
Then followed a pretty easy run, past the Owl Stones (see pictures) through the woods where I almost surprised a lady having a wee-well she was pretty surprised.
Then the Hotel Neue Schanke which was teeming with people having afternoon tea.
They seemed surprised to see me, however all sorted, then to my room, a wash a change, do some washing and off to the castle, which is just up the hill.
Surrendering my passport gave me an audio unit in Englische and I was off. I had only an hour before they shut or I lost my passport, albeit till they opened tomorrow.
What a great castle, what a great site. An hour did not do it justice. Too rushed and to add to it became very cold.
Königstein Fortress (German: Festung Königstein), the "Saxon Bastille", is a hilltop fortress near Dresden, in Saxon Switzerland, Germany, above the town of Königstein on the left bank of the River Elbe. It is one of the largest hilltop fortifications in Europe and sits atop the table hill of the same name.
The 9.5 hectare rock plateau rises 240 metres above the Elbe and has over 50 buildings, some over 400 years old, that bear witness to the military and civilian life in the fortress. The rampart run of the fortress is 1,800 metres long with walls up to 42 metres high and steep sandstone faces. In the centre of the site is a 152.5 metre deep well, which is the deepest in Saxony and second deepest well in Europe. Pinched unashamedly from Wikipaedia
Back to Neue Schanke for dinner, which was a set 3 course with a choice of mains. Salad, followed by the choice I least understood, followed by parfait.
The pictures tell it all. It was pretty good, whatever it was.
I was the only guest with a reserved table, I am sure it was so everyone else could look at how an Australian eats. There was the owner’s family, daughter and in-laws, I think, looking straight at me, a family of four and a couple who drank a couple of mighty beers and were very red faced.
the days walk pictures if you don't like the slide show
Anyway, woke to find some Easter eggs in a little straw nest outside my door, and that it had snowed overnight.
Breakfast was awesome an buffet, I really should have taken a picture. Far too much choice and I managed once again to make a roll for my lunch. Took an apple too, which I then proceeded to leave on the table.
Headed off about 8.20AM, climb straight out of the Hotel to the Bastei. Of course got hot and I shed some layers.
It was going to be one of those days, with shedding and layering as the weather altered.
At the top is an old medieval fortification, in ruins, that was quite impressive, especially how they managed to construct this structure where it is see pictures.
Then it was past the gathering tourists fresh out of the bus, and onto some nice back tracks all well marked with the white square with coloured slash or dot.
On the path I met a man with an Australia cap. With some fumbling we managed to work out 6 years ago he’d been to Australia and visited Sydney, Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. Not bad considering.
I think I missed a turn, as I ended up in Stadt Wehlen not quite the way the instructions said, nevertheless I got there.
Here I was to cross the Elbe.
It was morning tea so I found a cafe, which was a pasta making place, and had an ordinary coffee. I can see why they make pasta!!
The Elbe successfully crossed, a vicious climb followed up to a plateau, which then took me on a long circuit past may “steins”.
It was near here a group offered to take my photo with Lilienstein in the background. Once again my language skills triumphed, and I think we all left more confused than when we had met.
Another hard climb followed to Rauenstein, which had a restaurant at its summit. I was going to have lunch here, however there were too many Germans (and smoking) and it started to snow. So back downhill, roll to be consumed on the run later.
Then followed a pretty easy run, past the Owl Stones (see pictures) through the woods where I almost surprised a lady having a wee-well she was pretty surprised.
Then the Hotel Neue Schanke which was teeming with people having afternoon tea.
They seemed surprised to see me, however all sorted, then to my room, a wash a change, do some washing and off to the castle, which is just up the hill.
Surrendering my passport gave me an audio unit in Englische and I was off. I had only an hour before they shut or I lost my passport, albeit till they opened tomorrow.
What a great castle, what a great site. An hour did not do it justice. Too rushed and to add to it became very cold.
Königstein Fortress (German: Festung Königstein), the "Saxon Bastille", is a hilltop fortress near Dresden, in Saxon Switzerland, Germany, above the town of Königstein on the left bank of the River Elbe. It is one of the largest hilltop fortifications in Europe and sits atop the table hill of the same name.
The 9.5 hectare rock plateau rises 240 metres above the Elbe and has over 50 buildings, some over 400 years old, that bear witness to the military and civilian life in the fortress. The rampart run of the fortress is 1,800 metres long with walls up to 42 metres high and steep sandstone faces. In the centre of the site is a 152.5 metre deep well, which is the deepest in Saxony and second deepest well in Europe. Pinched unashamedly from Wikipaedia
Back to Neue Schanke for dinner, which was a set 3 course with a choice of mains. Salad, followed by the choice I least understood, followed by parfait.
The pictures tell it all. It was pretty good, whatever it was.
I was the only guest with a reserved table, I am sure it was so everyone else could look at how an Australian eats. There was the owner’s family, daughter and in-laws, I think, looking straight at me, a family of four and a couple who drank a couple of mighty beers and were very red faced.
the days walk pictures if you don't like the slide show
For those that don't want to wait for the slide show the Castle
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