R&R on the Rhine - Colmar

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rüdesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

After stopping at the ship for lunch we took an optional excursion to the French town of Colmar.  It's renowned for its well-preserved old town and is the home of the August Bartholdi museum, dedicated to the creator of the Statue of Liberty.  They even had a smaller version of the statue in a roundabout and our bus driver made sure to encircle it so we could get photos!

A great many of the houses in Colmar are half-timbered, meaning the bottom floor was some sort of brick or stone, while the upper floors were made of wood.  The ground floor was often smaller than those above since taxes were levied on the house's footprint, not the total square footage!

A half-timbered house

Colmar's version of Painted Ladies

An artist known as Hansi is famous for making many of the shop signs in Colmar.  He was a staunch French nationalist and during WW II, while Alsace was in German hands, he was wanted by the Gestapo for treason.  He was wounded during his escape to Switzerland and eventually died of these wounds in 1951.

Sign for a butcher shop

Sign for a pharmacy

Two more signs by Hansi

Maison Adolph is the oldest house in Colmar, dating to the 14th century.  Notice its three building styles: rounded arches on the lower two floors, gothic arches in the middle and half-timbered on top!

Maison Adolph

Of course Colmar has a lovely church too, though we didn't go in.  The church of St. Martin dates from 1234-1365.  A pair of storks built their nest on its roof.  Our guide said he'd nicknamed them Martin and Martina.

St Martin's
The stork's nest is the dark spot on top of the roof at right

We had a wonderful week of sightseeing and good times with friends.  We lucked out with the weather as the only real rain we had was one day at Kinderdijk and the temperatures warmed up as the week went on.

Viking really knows what American travelers want and caters to that demographic.  I hope to do another cruise in the future but it'll have to be a few years down the road as I'm booked for next year!  Wonder how I can manage to get paid but be on permanent vacation.  Any ideas?

R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rüdesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

Wednesday began our last full day on the ship and we docked in Breisach around 8 AM. From there we boarded motorcoaches and drove into the Black Forest.  I learned it is so named because of how densely the trees grow in some places.  Apparently deep in the woods the sunlight can have trouble getting in, thus making the forest seem black. Mostly what I remember is how green the area was.  Lots of rolling hills and farmland.  In fact, it reminded me of Middle Tennessee but with larger hills.

The rolling hills of the Black Forest near Sankt Peter

Our first stop was in the small village of Sankt Peter where once again the prized jewel was its church.  But after so many massive Gothic cathedrals, it was lovely to see a smaller church with a bright interior.  Built in the 1720s, it's a relative newcomer compared to other churches we saw but no less beautiful.  There was a Benedictine Abbey on this site that was founded by 1073 and was only dissolved when the building was secularized in 1806.

Town square of Sankt Peter

Abbey of Sankt Peter

Inside the Abbey

Inside Sankt Peter

Inside Sankt Peter

The organ

Our next stop was Breitnau, which was once a stopping place for travelers between the major cities of Europe.  The Hotel Sternen has hosted Marie Antoinette, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy among others.  Today it's primarily a tourist stop and has a massive cuckoo clock (with gift shop) and a blown glass shop.

The giant cuckoo clock in action

Mural on the side of the Hotel Sternen

Then it was back to the ship for lunch and we were definitely ready for a bite to eat.

R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rüdesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

If it's Tuesday it must be Strasbourg.  Or something like that, right?

One of the cool things about the European Union is the free transit between the countries within it, much like going between states here in the US.  So on this morning our ship docked in Germany and we boarded motorcoaches, drove across the bridge and voilà! we were in France.

Strasbourg is located in the Alsace region and is its principal city.  It has roughly 750,000 inhabitants in the French portion of its metropolitan area.  Historically the language spoke here was Alemannic, a dialect of German, and we saw some street signs in both French and Alemannic.  As we drove toward the city center, we passed the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. 

Street sign in both French and Alemannic

The quiet tree-lined streets on our drive were quite scenic.  And then we saw a number of trees that looked like they'd simply been flat-topped but we learned that was for a very good reason.  Each year quite a large number of storks make their way to the region and the need these areas for their very large nests.  We saw several nesting pairs as we drove along.  Later we saw several stork-related items in the souvenir shops.

We exited the motor coach and made our way to the city's historic city center, Grande Île, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the first city center to be designated as such.  As the name suggests, the city center is an island and thus there are channels all around it for the river to flow.  It made for some pretty photos, I thought.  We'd hoped to take an afternoon cruise in one of the glass-topped boats, but the line was too long and we couldn't risk missing our ship!

The houses facing the canal tended to be sure their façades were kept pretty.

Canal Tour passing through the drawbridge

The crown jewel is, no surprise, the cathedral which is known as Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg.  It's a massive Gothic structure and was the world's tallest building from 1647-1874.  Today it's the sixth tallest and is still the tallest structure built entirely in the middle ages.  This version of the cathedral began construction in 1176, replacing one that burned to the ground.  Construction was finally completed in 1439 and it is amazing to me how this huge building (and others like it) were constructed without the modern equipment we have today.  The façade on the west side contains thousands of stone-carved figures is considered a masterpiece of the Gothic era.  Some consider that the design of this cathedral (along with the one in Cologne) must be some of the first uses of architectural drawing.

Cathedral Notre-Dame - another building too big for a single camera shot!

Inside the cathedral is the world's largest astronomical clock.  It stands 18 meters high and is highly intricate.  This clock was completed in 1843 and can calculate leap years, equinoxes, the date of Easter each year, the official time, solar time, the day of the week, the month, the year, the sign of the zodiac, the phase of the moon and the position of several planets.  For the time-keeping portion, it has figurines parading through each hour, from a small child to an old man, representing a life span, all parading in front of Death.  It's very impressive.  From 1858-1989 the same family business took care of the clock and since that time it has been cared for by a man who formerly worked for that business, and his son.

Astronomical Clock

Man passing in front of Death

After our tour we made our way back to the ship for lunch and then several in our group took an optional excursion to a winery out in the Alsace region.  Some of us went back into Strasbourg and wandered around on our own before returning to the ship for a leisurely afternoon aboard.  Another day, another country!

R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rüdesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

After spending the morning up at the schloss, the bus took us down to the town of Heidelberg for the rest of the morning and into early afternoon.  Our guide continued our tour for a bit and then left us on our own.  Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany and the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire in 1386.  It has an emphasis on research and has been associated with 56 Nobel Prize laureates and is consistently rated one of Europe's top overall universities.

We enjoyed walking around the town, just soaking in the ambiance in the plazas and, of course, checking out their old churches. Unfortunately, I began to have camera difficulties and don't have many photos of the town.

Church in the middle of Heidelberg

We returned to the ship for a late lunch and while we were eating the ship relocated to the town of Speyer.  Since it was Easter Monday it was very quiet town as many businesses were closed for the holiday.  Its magnificent cathedral, the Kaiserdom, dates to the 11th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It's nearly 440 feet long and contains the crypts of eight German emperors and kings, along with various queens and bishops.

Kaiserdom

Inside the Kaiserdom

R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rüdesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

Our next stop was the university town of Heidelberg. Our longship docked in Worms (though in Germany it's pronounced Vurms) and we hopped on motorcoaches that took us into town and up the hill to Heidelberg Castle.  There we gained a tour guide who was a university student.


The castle as viewed from town

The earliest version of the castle was built before 1214 and later that century it was expanded into two castles.  But in 1537 a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle.  The structures pictured here were in place by 1650 though they've been damaged by water and fires.  Its most famous resident was King Frederick V who married Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James VI of Scotland (aka James I of England) in 1613. He began the enormous task of creating level grounds around the castle as he wished to have gardens for his wife.  Only a few years later he lost the crown and was forced to flee the area.

Interior walls

The courtyard walls demonstrate the different architecture from different eras.

The Schloss was abandoned over 300 years ago but is still home to the world's largest wine barrel - though it's long been empty.  It is 250 years old, shaped from 130 oak trees and once held 50,000 gallons of wine!

There was even a dance floor on top of the barrel!

From the Schloss there are lovely views of the town and the river.

Then it was time to take the bus down the hill to the town of Heidelberg.

R&R on the Rhine - Rudesheim

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rüdesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

On Sunday evening our ship docked in Rüdesheim.  The town shops were only a short walk away from the ship and many of our group enjoyed strolling through the small town.  C and I decided to just relax on the ship for awhile and enjoy the waning sun.  At the appropriate time we all met up just beside the ship where a "train" had magically appeared.  The train was actually a string of tram cars decorated to look like a train.  It was a tight squeeze to get us all on board but we did and the tram drove us through town, up and down hills and over the cobblestones.

We eventually stopped at a restaurant for our dinner.  As this was a large shore excursion from the ship, we took over the whole main part of the restaurant while other patrons were out on the terrace.  We were served traditional German food by waitresses in traditional German clothes.  It was all quite good and the complimentary wine was a big hit as well!  As we ate, the oompah band performed for us.

During and after dinner, the band and restaurant staff encouraged audience participation.  Shots of some sort of alcohol were served in glasses attached to a ski, so 5-6 people had to drink at the same time.  Many of our ladies gave that a try!  Then one of our group was recruited to play the bass drum as the band struck up a parade through the restaurant, both inside and out.  Nothing screams "I'm on vacation" like a bunch of slightly tipsy tourists wandering through a maze of tables.  To preserve their dignity I'm omitting any photos.  Well, that and very few of the photos came out very well as they were constantly in motion and the lighting was a bit dim at times.

But it was a lot of fun and our group enjoyed ourselves immensely.

R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rudesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

One of the highlights of the trip was Easter Sunday afternoon when we sailed through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.  This is a river valley with castles everywhere you turn, many located on cliffs high above the river.  Along the way there are railroad tunnels with entrances disguised as churches to try to deceive would-be Nazi bombers, steep vineyards on both sides and little towns dotting the way.  UNESCO has deemed this area a World Heritage Site because of its "importance as a transportation route for 2000 years", its "outstanding organic cultural landscape" and as "an outstanding example of an evolving traditional way of life and means of communication in a narrow river valley".

We were thrilled it was such a lovely day as we were able to sit up on the sun deck in our lounge chairs and listen to our cruise director narrate what we were seeing as the scenery came to us.  It was great to be able to just kick back and take a load off our feet!  Loads of photos, most of which I don't have a description for, but hopefully they paint an interesting portrait of the area.



Train tunnel disguised from above!

This area is also where the myth of the Lorelei has its origins. Officially the Lorelei is a large rock that sits at a bend in the river, rising some 120m above it.  This is where the river is most narrow and with the strong current there have been many boat accidents here.  The name comes from an old German word lurein meaning "murmuring" and the Celtic word for "rock", ley.  Combined they are the "murmuring rock".  The heavy currents here, along with a small waterfall that once existed give the area its name.  The other version of the story is that the Lorelei maiden (mermaid?) sat on this rock to sing to the sailors and lure them to their death.


The Lorelei Statue

R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rudesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

Easter morning arrived in a blaze of glory. OK, I don't know that for sure since I wasn't awake at sunrise but it was a beautiful day. We docked in Koblenz and boarded motor coaches for Marksburg Castle.  From where the ship is docked, we couldn't see the castle but could tell we were climbing a steep hill.  Even from the parking lot, the trees obscured much of the view so it was quite the amazing site when we hiked up close enough that we could finally see it.

Marksburg Castle as viewed from the port in Braubach

When you're a kid and you think about a castle what comes to mind? Large stone walls, small windows, circular towers/turrets with flags on top, the top of the walls crenellated and suited for shooting cannons or arrows, giant wooden doors, a torture dungeon, a moat and drawbridge are high on the list.  Marksburg Castle has all of these except the moat and drawbridge.  Frankly, it didn't need them, what with being up on top of a small mountain and all.  Any invading troops would be worn out from the hike up - and indeed, it was never attacked during the countless wars through the centuries.  It was even preserved during World War II as was not near enough to any major cities or military bases to be in danger.  But it is strategically located on a bend in the river, a perfect place for collecting taxes on all the products being shipped up and down the river.  Ostensibly the taxes were to help pay for keeping the tow paths clear on either side of the river, but the lords of various castles may have raised the "tax" a bit to pad their own pockets too.

Cannons over the Rhine

Misbehave and you'll find yourself in the stocks

Sample of how Marksburg's armor changed over the years

At over 800 years old, Marksburg is the best-preserved castle on the river and retains nearly all of its original construction.  It is quite a steep walk up to the castle from the parking lot and once inside there are cobblestones and other uneven footing but if you don't have an issue with that, I highly recommend a visit.


Beautiful tapestry in the breakfast nook



Large castle population = Large kitchen

Huge kitchen table

When our visit was complete, we took the motor coach back down the hill.  While we were touring the ship had moved to the dock in Braubach and from there we were able to get a view of a majestic castle on a hill.





R&R on the Rhine - Cologne

A tale of a cruise on the Rhine River:
R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rudesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

Mid-morning Monday we docked in Cologne (Köln), Germany.  I loved how we were able to dock right in the midst of the city.  The day was a little warmer than the day before and we had beautiful sunshine.

Our guide was a high school history teacher so he provided a wealth of information.  He led us on a walking tour during the morning and then we had the afternoon to ourselves.  We stopped by an active archaeological dig of the old Jewish quarter (well, it would have been active on a weekday).  It's one of the oldest and largest such areas anywhere in Europe.  There are at least six superimposed building layers from various eras being unearthed.

Jewish quarter archaeological site

The crown jewel of Cologne is its most famous attraction and the most visited attraction anywhere in Germany, the Cathedral or Kölner Dom. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site whose construction started in 1248 but was halted, unfinished, in 1473.  Work was restarted on the structure in the 19th century and was completed to the original plan in 1880.  The spires are about 515 ft tall and give it the largest facade of any church in the world.

It's so large that it's nearly impossible to get the whole thing in one photo but I was able to stitch together a couple to come up with these shots.  C and I came back after dinner to see what it looked like all lit up and with the crowds gone I felt like the photos came out better.  We'd heard there was an Easter-eve service that evening but there was not one being held when we stopped by after dinner.

There are beautiful stained glass windows throughout, most depicting some sort of religious scene or notable Biblical figures.  One window was lost during World War II and initially replaced with plain glass.  In 2007 German artist Gerhard Richter provided a new mosaic window composed of 11,500 identically-sized pieces of colored glass, somewhat resembling pixels randomly arranged by a computer.  The archbishop of the cathedral had wanted a window depicting 20th century Catholic martyrs and thus did not attend the unveiling.

The Richter Window

After our tour ended at the Cathedral, we went back on board for some lunch then ventured out on our own.  The handy thing about the Cathedral is that it's so massive that it's hard to get lost in Cologne as you can always find your way to it.  Next door to the Cathedral is the Römisch-Germanisches Museum or Romano-Germanic Museum.  It's got a large collection of artifacts from the Roman settlements on which modern Cologne is built.  It's built over the site of a Roman town villa that had a number of mosaics on the floor including this giant one featuring Dionysus in the center.

Dionysus mosaic

Of course there were hundreds of pots and pottery shards, glass vessels and goldsmith works. But it was fascinating to see all of these artifacts in a building housed on the very site where they'd been found.

Sensing it was time for a different type of museum we headed back down to the riverfront for the Schokoladen Museum.  Yes, it's just like what it sounds, a chocolate museum run by Lindt.  We considered whether or not we wanted to both wait in the line and pay the hefty entrance fee and decided...let's just go to the gift shop.  There was a bit of a line there too but we were able to indulge our sweet tooths (teeth?) and managed not to break the bank doing so.  Strangely we didn't have to worry about trying to bring any of that chocolate back into the US.  Somehow it disappeared during the week.  Hmm.

Then it was back to the boat for dinner and the sun had set by the time we were through eating.  There was a carnival on the other side of the river and the rides were all lit up and they set off fireworks.  C and I decided to meander back into town since we weren't leaving until 11 pm so we had the opportunity to take more photos and then just relax at one of the many biergartens/outdoor cafes.  It was a lovely end to a Saturday.