(Jun 19, 2015) Tokyo - Frankfurt Main - Kӧln - Essen [ドイツ鉄道旅行 2015]
I visited Germany again following last year. On July 19th, I got up early, took the rapid train of Sobu Line and arrived at Narita Airport at 07:34, almost two hours prior to departure of the flight. I had finished the check-in procedure by my mobile phone, so I only checked in my suitcase at the baggage drop-off counter. After shopping and having breakfast, I cleared security at 08:40, and went to the gate.
The boarding of the flight, Lufthansa LH 711 for Frankfurt Main, started at about 9:30. Boeing 747-430 D-ABVU “Bayern” was used for this flight. I boarded the airplane and sat on the seat 54B. The usual configuration of Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-400 Economy Class is 3-4-3, but the configuration of last three rows 54-56 is 2-4-2. My seat was next to window, and I could be relaxed since no one sat on the adjacent seat. At 9:50, 5 minutes prior to the scheduled time, the airplane was pushed back from the gate and powered on its four engines to begin taxing to the main runway. Following the takeoff of JAL Boeing 767 and 777, it took off from the runway at 10:05.
The sky over Japan was covered with heavy clouds, and I saw blue sky when flying near Sanjo-city, Niigata prefecture. I was surprised that the in-flight entertainment had been updated even in the old Boeing 747-400. I checked the flight information which was very attractive for aviation enthusiasts. Then I tried online internet service “Flynet”. It was useful for my work, but it costed 17 Euro to use during the whole flight,
The lunch service began when the airplane flew near Khabarovsk after crossing the sea. I drunk delicious German beer “Warsteiner”. I chose the beef goulash from the two options listed in the menu. I enjoyed the dish along with a glass of white wine.
After the satisfying lunch, I watched Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte (Magic Flute)” conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, recorded in Salzburg Festival in 2013. That was the one I watched in Salzburg and left me a moving memory. Additionally, I enjoyed a Japanese movie, named “Maestro”.
Two hours prior to the landing, lunch was served. I chose pasta from two options with a glass of white wine. The airplane crossed over the Baltic Sea into Germany. The sky over Germany was covered with clouds like Japan. It descended gradually and landed on rainy Frankfurt am Main International Airport at 14:30. The Jumbo stopped at the gate at 14:37.
After the satisfying Lufthansa flight, I got off the airplane. I smoothly passed the immigration, and picked up my suitcase. Then I walked to the platform of Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (Frankfurt Airport Long-distance Station). I had a reservation of ICE 106 which would leave at 16:09, but I considered to take the train ICE 628 at 15:25, or ICE 816 at 15:32, but both of the trains were crowded. As a result, I decided to take ICE 106 according to my reservation and took pictures to kill time.
ICE 106 came to the platform on time. The train had left Basel SBB at 13:13 for Dortmund, and was composed of sixteen cars (two sets of eight car unit of ICE 3, class 403, Tz 328 “Aachen” + Tz 316 “Sieburg”). I reserved a 1st class seat on car 39 which should be at the head of the train according to the schedule, but 2nd class car 31 was at the head instead. ICE 106 was also crowded and all the seats were occupied. I pushed my way through the passengers standing. The 1st class cars were also crowded and all of the seats were occupied, too. Though I have a reservation, I decided to keep standing near the door since it would take only 30 minutes to Kӧln and it would be troublesome to make someone move from the seats which I had reserved. ICE 106 ran smoothly at the maximum speed of 300kph over the high-speed line Kӧln-Rhein/Main. After a short stop at Sieburg/Bonn, the train arrived at Kӧln Hbf at 17:09, being 4 minutes behind.
I transferred to EC 8. The train came from Zürich HB and was consisted of SBB coaches hauled by DB 101 093. It left Kӧln Hbf at 17:20, 10 minutes behind the schedule. I found a vacant seat on 1st class coach, which was fitted with rows of seats in a 1+2 arrangement. Although I prefer the interior design of ICE because of its relaxing atmosphere, the interior of SBB coaches was also attractive, in which the red head overs were leaving a vivid impression. EC 8 ran at the maxium speed of 200 kph and arrived at Essen Hbf at 18:07 after stopping at Düsseldorf Hbf and Duisburg Hbf.
I moved to the underground station. The tram network in Essen had been modified just 5 days ago. I took the tram (BOMBARDIER Flexity Classic M8D-NF by Bombardier) of new line 101 to go to Rüttenscheid and checked in at Stadt-gut-Hotel Rheinischer Hof near the tram stop.
I left the hotel again and came back to Rüttenscheid tram stop. Rüttenscheid is one of
Essen’s downtown area, but it was very quiet. Again I took the tram of line 101. The vehicle was the BOMBARDIER Flexity Classic M8D-NF2 which was the latest tram in Essen, having entered in service last year. I got off at Rubenstr. and visited the house I had lived about 30 years ago. It existed as it had been. Then I took the tram
I took the tram of line 106 which ran the opposite direction of line 101 (M8D-NF). I got off at Cäcilienstr., and had dinner and enjoyed Italian dishes at Oase Restaurant which my family visited repeatedly when we had lived in Essen. After the dinner, I walked back to the hotel.
The boarding of the flight, Lufthansa LH 711 for Frankfurt Main, started at about 9:30. Boeing 747-430 D-ABVU “Bayern” was used for this flight. I boarded the airplane and sat on the seat 54B. The usual configuration of Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-400 Economy Class is 3-4-3, but the configuration of last three rows 54-56 is 2-4-2. My seat was next to window, and I could be relaxed since no one sat on the adjacent seat. At 9:50, 5 minutes prior to the scheduled time, the airplane was pushed back from the gate and powered on its four engines to begin taxing to the main runway. Following the takeoff of JAL Boeing 767 and 777, it took off from the runway at 10:05.
The sky over Japan was covered with heavy clouds, and I saw blue sky when flying near Sanjo-city, Niigata prefecture. I was surprised that the in-flight entertainment had been updated even in the old Boeing 747-400. I checked the flight information which was very attractive for aviation enthusiasts. Then I tried online internet service “Flynet”. It was useful for my work, but it costed 17 Euro to use during the whole flight,
The lunch service began when the airplane flew near Khabarovsk after crossing the sea. I drunk delicious German beer “Warsteiner”. I chose the beef goulash from the two options listed in the menu. I enjoyed the dish along with a glass of white wine.
After the satisfying lunch, I watched Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte (Magic Flute)” conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, recorded in Salzburg Festival in 2013. That was the one I watched in Salzburg and left me a moving memory. Additionally, I enjoyed a Japanese movie, named “Maestro”.
Two hours prior to the landing, lunch was served. I chose pasta from two options with a glass of white wine. The airplane crossed over the Baltic Sea into Germany. The sky over Germany was covered with clouds like Japan. It descended gradually and landed on rainy Frankfurt am Main International Airport at 14:30. The Jumbo stopped at the gate at 14:37.
After the satisfying Lufthansa flight, I got off the airplane. I smoothly passed the immigration, and picked up my suitcase. Then I walked to the platform of Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (Frankfurt Airport Long-distance Station). I had a reservation of ICE 106 which would leave at 16:09, but I considered to take the train ICE 628 at 15:25, or ICE 816 at 15:32, but both of the trains were crowded. As a result, I decided to take ICE 106 according to my reservation and took pictures to kill time.
ICE 106 came to the platform on time. The train had left Basel SBB at 13:13 for Dortmund, and was composed of sixteen cars (two sets of eight car unit of ICE 3, class 403, Tz 328 “Aachen” + Tz 316 “Sieburg”). I reserved a 1st class seat on car 39 which should be at the head of the train according to the schedule, but 2nd class car 31 was at the head instead. ICE 106 was also crowded and all the seats were occupied. I pushed my way through the passengers standing. The 1st class cars were also crowded and all of the seats were occupied, too. Though I have a reservation, I decided to keep standing near the door since it would take only 30 minutes to Kӧln and it would be troublesome to make someone move from the seats which I had reserved. ICE 106 ran smoothly at the maximum speed of 300kph over the high-speed line Kӧln-Rhein/Main. After a short stop at Sieburg/Bonn, the train arrived at Kӧln Hbf at 17:09, being 4 minutes behind.
I transferred to EC 8. The train came from Zürich HB and was consisted of SBB coaches hauled by DB 101 093. It left Kӧln Hbf at 17:20, 10 minutes behind the schedule. I found a vacant seat on 1st class coach, which was fitted with rows of seats in a 1+2 arrangement. Although I prefer the interior design of ICE because of its relaxing atmosphere, the interior of SBB coaches was also attractive, in which the red head overs were leaving a vivid impression. EC 8 ran at the maxium speed of 200 kph and arrived at Essen Hbf at 18:07 after stopping at Düsseldorf Hbf and Duisburg Hbf.
I moved to the underground station. The tram network in Essen had been modified just 5 days ago. I took the tram (BOMBARDIER Flexity Classic M8D-NF by Bombardier) of new line 101 to go to Rüttenscheid and checked in at Stadt-gut-Hotel Rheinischer Hof near the tram stop.
I left the hotel again and came back to Rüttenscheid tram stop. Rüttenscheid is one of
Essen’s downtown area, but it was very quiet. Again I took the tram of line 101. The vehicle was the BOMBARDIER Flexity Classic M8D-NF2 which was the latest tram in Essen, having entered in service last year. I got off at Rubenstr. and visited the house I had lived about 30 years ago. It existed as it had been. Then I took the tram
I took the tram of line 106 which ran the opposite direction of line 101 (M8D-NF). I got off at Cäcilienstr., and had dinner and enjoyed Italian dishes at Oase Restaurant which my family visited repeatedly when we had lived in Essen. After the dinner, I walked back to the hotel.
2015-08-16 22:37
nice!(2)
コメント(0)
トラックバック(0)
コメント 0