Post from 2005 Burg Eltz, Moselle

No, this post wasn’t lost in the German mail system. As the original Blog was using an obscure blogging tool here is an old post from 2005:Just got back from a short trip down the Moselle in Germany. Beautiful scenery, food, drink and weather. The ghosts have stayed away but the Burg Eltz castle apparently has its own ghost (Agnes) who died defending her honour and the castle from an unsuitable suitor. This doesn’t really count though as she doesn’t leave the castle. The walk up there was a sensory feast through the forest from Mosellekern. The smells were particularly worthy of mention. The smell was of Fruits of the Forest.
The photograph shows

Dscf0299

a view of Burg Eltz castle as it comes into view from the footpath up from the Moselle River.

Are you a Shock Tourist?

Travel is not a one size fits all commodity. There are many ways of enjoying travel and just as each one of us is unique then what we do and see on our travels is too. Even if we visit the same places our experiences will not be the same. My travel tends to be budget orientated and to include physical activity such as walking, hiking or even snowboarding. I find destinations that are not tourist magnets, interesting, especially if they include Industrial Archaeology.

Of course there is also Luxury Travel, Adventure Travel, Cruising, Camping, Glamping, and even Shock Tourism, which is quite close to my liking, the list is seemingly endless. Last week, I gave Joelle a lift to Charleroi, not a town to be found high on many tourists’ “must visit” lists for Belgium. Nevertheless, I found the old spoil heaps slowly greening over and the old industrial heritage to be quite a draw. Two preserved headframes were visible over the buildings, so I made my way through the Marcinelles quarter to see them. They belonged to the former Le Péchon mine and now stood in an urban park. Sadly, they have been fenced off and allowed to slowly rust away. However the Bois du Cazier Mine has been preserved a memorial and visitor centre to respect the 262 victims who perished on 8 August 1956 in Belgium’s worst mining disaster.

Of course if one is to find ghosts, Bois du Cazier, might be a good place to look.

P1080240