Saturday, October 16, 2010

Nuremberg October 16, 2010



 




Exit, I think
  



a rainy, dreary day in Nuremberg
   Today was a sobering day as we toured the Documentation Center located on the former Nazi Party Rally grounds.  We didn't realize that even today one can be arrested for raising their right hand at a 45 degree angle!  It is difficult to imagine how one man could gain so much power and get so many people to follow.   I need to read the book, The Wave," once again.  Our guide said Hitler was the first example of a leader using the press to accomplish his goals.  Frightening!  Our guide was excellent.  Our tour ended in a room where he showed us slides of the Nuremberg trial, who was arrested, who was tried and who was executed by hanging. And then the executed men's ashes were strewn so that their grave would never become a shrine or a tourist sight.   Nuremberg is a laborer's city so there is not the grandeur of other German cities. And, of course, everything is relatively new as Nuremberg was destroyed by bombs at the end of World War II.

 It is really chilly today with a light rain falling.  We decided to remain on board ship for the remainder of the day.  We are sailing on the Main-Danube Canal today.  They call the canal an engineering marvel, a dream of Charlemagne in 793 and completed in 1992.  It is 106 miles long with 16 locks and enables continuous river travel from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

Tomorrow is our last stop in a German port and Monday we will be in Austria.  Hopefully the sun will be shining tomorrow!  Blessings to all--

Friday, October 15, 2010

The Main River and Miltenberg October 13, 2010




Our ship, The Viking Sky, anchored on the Main River
  



a street in Miltenberg, a beautiful medieval town
  



Miltenberg
  






a pastry shop!!!
  



The Main (pronounced mine) River
  The Main River is 325 miles long and about 240 miles are navigable. It joins the Rhine just before Frankfurt.  We can no longer go on the sundeck as the bridges are too low.  Our captain told us we will travel 1300 miles and go through some 70 locks as we started at sea level in Amsterdam and in Austria we will reach an altitude of 1400 feet.


approaching one of the last locks



This lock is over 39 feet high!


the lock opening



and away we go!



We spent the morning sailing.  We have passed many vineyards, but we are told there is a blight in the grapes with has been very difficult this year.  From what they say is that it started here, went to the states and the states have now developed a vine that is resistant to the blight so now Europe is getting their new vines from the states. 

In Miltenberg we had viewed homes that were 400-600 years old and had escaped the bombing of World War II.

Until later--Nancy

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Marksburg Castle and Cruising down the Rhine, October 12, 2010




The castle in morning fog
  


entrance to the castle
 



morning sun
  



The Rhine River from the castle
  


Our German guide
 



The castle's dinnerware
  



Breakfast nook  :-)
  


pots and pans in the fireplace
 



The sitting room
  



The music room
  


The dining room
 



The castle from the river
  



Marksburg Castle
  



Vineyards along the Rhine
  



Vineyards
  



Oberwesel
  



Views along the Rhine
  



Along the Rhine
  



The sundeck
  



Tough life!  The Bosmas
  


Sleeping again!
 



Lorelei
  



My chess game--I never found out who I was playing!
  
We continue to be blessed with beautiful sunny weather!  It was chilly this morning--41 and foggy.  We had a bus ride up to the castle and then quite a walk.  It is 800 years old and is one of the few that wasn't destroyed with bombings during the war.  The sun came out while we were up there and it turned into a beautiful day.  I was playing with the light through the windows on some of the pictures inside of the castle.  The family still lives inside this castle.

We boarded the boat at noon, ate a quick lunch and went up on the deck to enjoy the beautiful scenery as we cruised down the Rhine.  We saw more castles, beautiful German villages, and huge vineyards.  Lorelei, a bronze statue, sits on a 433 foot high rock combing her hair.  This is the narrowest gorge on the Rhine, where the river is up to 80 feet deep.   Legend says that when the Rhine rocks glowed in the evening sun a figure could sometimes be seen on the hilltop and a mysterious could be heard as an echo.  It belonged to the enchanting maiden. Lorelei. 

Today is the last day on the Rhine, we go on the Main tomorrow so we won't be able to go up on the sun deck for a few days as the bridges are too low:-(  We have met so many wonderful fun people from all over the US.   We really haven't run into any one from any other country.  The cruise is very relaxing but neither of us is still sleeping real well--I guess we are still experiencing jet lag.  I will continue to write as long as we can get on the internet.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Kinderdijk, October 10, 2010




  







Roger, Nancy, Mary and Joe Bosma
  



                            We learned our first lesson this trip--don't be late for sailing time!! 

We were at Kinderdijk where therre are 16 windmills.  The day was so perfect--sunny and not a cloud in the sky.  You can only imagine the reflections of windmills in the canals.  So we were lolly gagging along and arrived back on ship 20 minutes after it was to set sail!  We did receive a slight scolding:-(

We spent the afternnoon sailing down the Rhine--very relaxing.

We both slept well last night--in fact, overslept so really had to hurry for breakfast.  The food is good--they try to make the country's cusine.  Last night we had pea soup.  This noon after soup and salad we were asked what we wanted for the main course!  We passed on the main course, but it would have been fun to try either the hutspot or cabbage rolls.

I am surprised we were able to get on the net today.  We will try again tomorrow--love you--

Cologne, Germany

We sailed all night and landed in Cologne this morning, Monday.

We took a guided tour of the Dom, the largest gothic cathedral in Europe.  Huge and grand.  The foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1248, but construction wasn't completed until 1880.  We opeted not too climb the 500+ steps to the top of the 515-foot tower.  It is said that the allies agreed not to bomb it in WWII, although 90% of the city center was destroyed and Cologne's population went from 800,000 to 40,000.  The organ inside is 30 ton.  We went back to the church at noon to hear the organ.  Magnificent!  I was glad I had read Ken Follett's book, "Pillars of the Earth!"

We ate German sausage and drank German beer at a pub and then did a little shopping.  We found a wonderful chocolate shop. 

Right now we are back on board resting our feet.  Dad and I might walk across the bridge and go up a tower.  It is said you can see forever.  We do not leave until 11 tonight so we do have lots of time but we will certainly not be late:-)




The spires of the Dom
  



The Dom
  



Inside the Dom
  

The 30-ton organ




     Hohenzollern Bridge
  


One weary man!
  




The river, Rhine, from the Dom steps
  



Cologne at sunset
  


Beer drinking buddies