THE RHINE AND WIESBADEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 39

THE RHINE AND WIESBADEN.

(By a Lady of New Zealand).

Hotel Weinp, Bahuhofslrasee, Wiesbaden* May 19, 1893.

We left Amsterdam on the 7th May, taking the train to Cologne, where we spent twa evenings. Of course I enjoyed seeing the cathedral with its wonderful Gothic architecture. Our hotel was only a few minutea' walk from the Dom (cathedral), and we spent several houra there listening to the services and the music. I liked the long Gothic aisles iv the hiterieur, they reminded me of Notre Dame, in Paris. It was Sunday, and therefore wa could not see the sacristy and the chapels o£ the choir until Monday morning. The treasures were very beautiful, especially the reliquary ,o£ tho Magi in gold of tbs eleventh century. We drove round tko towa, which has some of its old gates left and several old churches. In the evening wa had 6uppsr in a curious littla German restaurant. The museum at Cologne is aho interesting, being full of R.maii remains, glassware, pottery, jewellery, &c, found in tbe district ; a)so a very fine Mosaic pavement called "the Mosaic cf the Sages," with portraits of Gretk ph'losopher3. It was found in Cologne when they excavated for fcha hospital, ar.d is said to be of the fourth oetitury. On Monday morning, after teeing he chapals and treasury of tho cathedral, wa took the train to Bonn, where we spent the night. In tho afternoon we walked about and saw the town, which is very old. There is a fine monument with a statue of BcethoTen, and we saw alao the house whsra he had lived. There is a fine old church, called the Muuster, or the eleventh and twelfth, centuries, and the univenit y, also interesting. We s&w the «tadents walking in the streets in theie silk cape oF different colours, bnt did nob see the interior of the buildicg. Our koVl was very good and not expensive. It was on tbe Rhine, quite near the starting point of steamers. I found the towns in Germany, especially an old place like Bonn, which still retains its old houses, very like the Dutch towns, but not so pretty. The canals in Holland make it unique, and give 30 isuch lite. I do not think I shall like Germany nearly so well as Holland. It is not so uncommon, and more visited by the regular run of touriatß. On Tuesday morning wa left Boon at 9.30 in the Rhine steamer, which starts three times * day. Unfortunately it was misty, but after 12 tbe weather cleared, and then we had a better view. Ife is beautiful the whole way from Bonn to Ruddesheim, a d:stsnee of 10 or 11 hours. We saw Cobbntz aud Bicgen, also many celebrated castles and curious old towns. How beautiful tho castlea are, surrounded by woods and perched high up on rocky crags. Having Baedeker, we conld find the names and histories of the places as we parsed. The e teamcra stopt very often to take people up ned put them down. We had all our meals on board, and had brought with us some very good German sausage, which we bought at Bonn. We did not get to Wiesbaden until nearly 9 in tho evening, and we were very lucky to find rooms here, as nearly all the hotels are full. We had two addresses, and inquired at one given us by a German gentleman iv Amsterdam, but could not get a room. I had luckily asked the waiter of the hotel in Bonn to tell us of a quiet inexpensive hotel, and he gave me this address. We found it very comfortable, and they g?.ve us good rooms, so we arranged to tt*y en pension, as it is nob more expensive than ifc would be in a boarding-house. We pay fiva marks a day each, whkh includes everything, and have large rooms, comfortably famished with sofac and writing tables, looking on to the garden. The garden ia fairly large, with little arbore, where people take meals in summer, and there are several fine old trees, so it is shady. If we do nob dine iv they take off 1.50, but we must say so in the morning. That is convenient, as we are then free to do as we like, f.nd we can get a dinner for 1.50 at tho rcst'iuan's here, but not euch a gocd one as at the hotel, The dinner in the day time ab 1 o'clock is very long, with many courses, which I find trying, as ono" feels disinclined for walking or going aboufc after eating a heavy meal ie the d&y time. The supper in the evening is light and the breakfast only rolls and ccffee 4 but we always take an egg. The meals am excellent in this hotel, everything of good quality and fresh. Tho hotel where our i'r ei>ds are staying is much more expensive, being in the fashionable part of the town, near the springs. It seems curious to see theui making so much fuss about two cr three little springs, after having seen Rotorua and Taupo. Hare they are as at Waiwera. Tntre is a covered passage built over the principal spring, and people meet there at cerl&in timea atd drink the water.*, which are given to tlura by the attendants from a kind of wr 11 built in cement round the boiling spring. Ifc is necessary to buy a glass and a cumber, atid to giva your own glass to be filled. They are kept in long tables with the tickets on. It seems rather funny to see people sitting or walking about sippiug hot water, while the band is playing. Many of them are very fat, with red no^cs, ar>d a good osauy are lame and : rheumatic. However, they seem fairly bright and jolly. The curhaus, where concerts and enleitainmenls are given, is pretty, and the gardens belonging to ib are large and very pretty. I walked tlere this morning with cur friends. It is inoie like a park than gardens, with water and large treespart of the forest, I think. The German Ufa does not interest me as the Dutch did ; it ia more like our own. I find my Dutch useful here, as many words are like Geiman, and help nio to understand. We are the only Eneliflli t^r^nie in tho hotel