1st – 3rd September
Our Bielefeld Diversion
Sunday
An 09:55 departure of the Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train saw us having a leisurely breakfast at our little Parisian hotel and a slow walk, favouring Lynne’s sore ribs, to Gare du Nord. Lynne was glad that she had not taken her own rucksack as that would have been impossible for Peter to help shoulder the burden.
We were on the second leg of our journey to Stockholm, this leg taking us to see our friends, Uli and Senta, living in the Westphalian city of Bielefeld. The Eurostar whisked us at a smooth 200kph to Cologne, with a ticket for a supposed connecting train to take us to Bielefeld. Our only notification that we had crossed the borders into Belgium and then Germany was via messages from Vodafone and Orange on our mobile phones.
This is where things got a bit complicated.
Having booked our Deutsche Bahn tickets online, we found by chance, before our trip, that the train from Cologne had been cancelled (due to major, multi-year rail track upgrade work). With some help from Uli, via lively WhatsApp messages, we settled to take another train to Osnabrück instead, where Uli and Senta would join us at our hotel for a night, spending the next day with them in Bielefeld.
The problem was though, it was not possible to change the tickets, except by visiting a DB Service Centre, which are sort of non-existent in the South of France… So, on a wing and a prayer, we arrived in a bustling Cologne Station, managing to find our way to a DB Service Centre. Once there, we were looked after in minutes by a cheerful and most helpful chap. We were referred to our alternative train, but only managed to reserve one seat. A busy train!
Spot Cologne Cathedral
On the train, after some rounds of musical chairs (without the music), Peter was offered the seat next to Lynne, by a tall fellow, who said he’d repair to the cafe carriage. He would return to his rightful seat at Osnabrück, where we were to alight. What a gentleman!
We were relieved and very happy when we stepped off the train at Osnabrück, into the open arms of Uli and Senta!
It was a delight and joy to spend time together, stories abounded as we walked along the Hase Fluss (Hare River) to the Osnabrück ‘Altstadt’, demolishing a coffee en route and admiring a grand Protestant Cathedral on the way. The Town Hall (Rathaus) was famously where the Treaty of Westphalia was negotiated, bringing the 30-year war to an end in 1648.
The famous Rathaus
After an outdoor dinner in the pretty old town square, we ambled back to the hotel for a few more stories and a glass of wine in the bar before repairing to our rooms.
Monday
We naturally shun big brand chain hotels, but sometimes they cannot be avoided. This Osnabrück Holiday Inn hotel was conveniently close to the railway station, and seemed ok.
It was much better than ok – it was fantastic! New, fresh and very well designed, it was a delight. The price of breakfast was extortionate at €22 per person, but, honestly, it was superb!
After the four of us enjoyed breakfast, Uli took the wheel and drove us to Bielefeld – more specifically, up a hill to the Sparrenburg Fortress where we enjoyed a bit of history, a bit of medieval architecture and a contemporary rooftop view of Bielefeld in the lovely sunshine.
A walk through the town revealed a most pleasant centre, with the ‘Weaving Man’ statue, an artistically decorated church, famous for its 500 year-old Amsterdam altar and the peaceful courtyard of the Brauhaus Joh. Albrecht.
Ancient altar Weaver man
This is where we had a healthy light lunch, excepting Peter, who just HAD to indulge in a Currywurst! Peter was disappointed to find the wine festival that was being set up in the centre of the old town wasn’t serving until the following day.
Senta had prepared her speciality of apricot tart for us at home, where we also enjoyed Uli’s encyclopaedic knowledge of music, among his collection of literally thousands of LP albums and CDs (more than 13,000 CDs at the last count!).
A short walk took us to Bielefeld Haubtbanhof. It was closed for Intercity trains (therefore our stay in Osnabrück), but fine for regional trains. Fond farewells, and an hour and 15 minute train ride back to our hotel.
A late bar snack for dinner, and early to bed, to face a full day on the rails ahead! We were delighted that we had managed to negotiate what we had anticipated was the most difficult part of the Deutsche Bahn portion of our journey.
PS – Ancient History…
What a gorgeous meet-up in Osnabrück and Bielefeld it was, and how lovingly documented by you two! It’s high time Bielefeld’s Weaver Man travelled all over the world, and Copenhagen will want Senta’s apricot tart! Encounter to be continued! All the best for the up-coming test run and the big Stockholm half marathon. Love Yours Uli&Senta