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Crusing Again on the Netherlands’ waterways

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The Rambler wasn’t sure she would ever venture abroad alone without the comforting presence of the senior Rambler…but it has been over a year…

Ata the nd of August, I found myself at the Hartsfield International Terminal waiting to board a Delta flight to Amsterdam. This has been a summer of extreme heat in Europe and low water issues on the Rhine, but the cruise I booked was called “Dutch Delights,” and our boat would cruise entirely in the Netherlands. The Rambler was aware that this was a country with plenty of water, but she didn’t realize just how much. The Netherlands, she learned, has many large lakes besides rivers and canals, and at times it would look like our ship was on an ocean cruise rather than on a river.

Hartsfield was as busy as ever the week before the Labor Day Holiday weekend, but there did seem to be less staff available. This had been a concen as I use wheelchair transport in any airport. My balance is not good and there is always the fear that someone who is walking along staring at at their phone will plow into me. Fortunately the wheelchair service was operating well and check-in went smoothly.

Up until a few years ago, the Rambler would never have considered using a wheelchiar but the senior Rambler needed one. Then we found out that wheelchair bound passengers get priority throuh security. I felt a twinge of sympathy as my transport attendent cut blithely through the line of waiting passengers. Before long I was being frisked after my full body scan. Security will scan you if you have serious metal in your body, and I have about 5 pounds on each side after a double hip replacement. I doesn’t matter if you are an 86 year old grandmother. Just be sure to wear decent shoes so you won’t trip in the scanner. Actually they are usually but not always, apologetic as they pat me down.

After security and a tram ride, I arrived at the Delta gate early but not surprisingly, there were already a few people waiting. It was odd to sit there by myself for the first time in my new life as a single traveller. Truly I was feeling somewhat uptight as I am a nervous flyer but i was even more concerned that I would miss connecting with the Uniworld Rep at Schiphol. Having been there before, I knew it was a very large airport and I had heard that they were having labor issues.

When it was time to board, there were no wheelchair transport people availble to push my chair down the jetway and the Delta staff at check in were reluctant to do it. Guess the Rambler didn’t look particularly feeble so they kept asking me if I could get myself down the jetway because if I didn’t I would be the last person to board. Since our plane was a big Airbus 350 with a full load of passengers, this choice was not appealing. I did decide to get down the jetway myself and fortunately my Delta Premium comfort seat was close to the door so I thankfully almost fell into my seat.

Thankfully, our flight was uneventful except for a crying toddler who made her presence known through much of the flight. As the mother of seven, I am able to tune this out as it would be concerning only if it was my child crying. Not likely since my baby will be 52. LOL However I did have a good deal of sympathy for her parents.

Unfortunately the food on our Delta flight hadn’t improved in the last 3 years. In fact, now the Premium Comfort folks got the same food as the coach passengers and it wasn’t very exciting. On the Delta website, they intimate that the people in Premium Comfort get different food than coach but in reality, they don’t. The Rambler can testify to this, after 3 flights in Premium Comfort. Oh well, it keeps you from overindulgence.

Our flight landed 45 minutes early at Schiphol and perhaps this is why there was no transportation waiting for me. The KLM gate attendent told me that they would be coming and I should sit on the bench by the wall and wait. There were already two people sitting onthe bench waiting, from an earlier flight, not a good sign. So we waited and waited. We were about to ask the gate attendent for help when we realized that she had already left.

At this point, I was glad our flight landed early as I didn’t know how long the Uniworld Reps would wait for arriving passengers. I started to get uptight again. Somehow my anxiety level increases when I am traveling alone. The couple who were waiting with me were equally uptight. They were anxious to meet up with a friends they were to cruise with, who had taken a different flight to Amsterdam. Their meeting point was the exit, a long way from where we were at the moment.

Schiphol is an extremely large and busy airport. Before Covid, it was easy to find one of the transport carts or wheelchair pushers who ferried passengers with mobility issues from the gate to the exit and vice versa. Obviously much had changed since my last visit in 2019. I learned later that that airport management had fired most of the transport staff after COVID took hold, and were just now rehiring them.

From our vantage point, I saw a passenger transport cart in the distance and got up to try to flag it down. I managed to catch the attention of the driver and she assured me that another cart would be with us shortly. I just hoped that her idea of shortly was faster than that of the gate attendant. Finally, after thirty minutes or more, the long awaited cart showed up and we were our way. A few years ago, I would have hiked it but no more. So many people are looking at their phones as they walk along that older people with balance issues have a 50/50 chance of getting knocked down.

Our driver was both cheerful and efficient. She one one of the transport folks who had just been rehred and she admitted that after a while it was a strugle to make ends meet. It took a while to get near the exit, as we had to work our way though ever increasing crowds of travellers. I was starting to worryagain as I didn’t see any Uniworld signs waving around. Yes, I knew I probably could get to the boat by uber or taxi but finding the Uniworld rep was very much preferable. Finally I spotted one of the ubiquitous Viking signs and I asked the Viking rep if she knew where I could find the Uniworld folks. Her response was “at the meeting point.” This meant absolutely nothing to me. Of course, you would meet someone at a meeting point. Fortunately the transport guide said she knew where it was, and so she did. Before long, I spotted a Uniworld sign and not one, but two Uniworld reps.

Of course, I was the last traveler to arrive but the reps and two couples from the States who had been on earlier flights were patiently waiting for me. I was cheerfully welcomed and almost magically my guide produced a wheelchair for me. Things were looking up; maybe attempting to travel on my own wasn’t such a bad idea. Guess I was going to find out!

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The Rambler enjoys Rudesheimer coffee after a village tour

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Rudesheim is a delightful town with many quaint buildings and a museum or two. It is also the home of the famous Asbach Uralt brandy and and many vineyards. Perhaps more importantly, it is close to Ebingen Abbey, the spiritual home of the 11th century mystic, musician, advocate of healthy eating and holistic medicine, not to mention saint, Hildegard of Bingen.

Kloster Eibingen01.JPG
Eibingen Abbey; not far from the river but an uphill walk. You will enjoy your visit.

Although she has been considered a saint for centuries, Hildegard was never formally canonized by the Catholic Church. When German Pope Benedict XV, realized this, he proclaimed her sainthood immediately to rectify this omission. On our last visit to Rudesheim, I made my way to the Abbey and found it a powerful experience. Although I did not get to revist the Abbey this time, I did provide directions and information for another guest who wanted to go there. She enjoyed her visit very much

On this sunny morning, I decided to go on the village stroll with some congenial friends. The senior Rambler was delighted to stay behind; since we were docked in town, he could happily walk around on his own. Rudesheim is one of those towns with what the Europeans call a “a tiny tourist train,” that saves walking from the dock area to the historic district and back again. These trains are all pretty small, but the Rudesheim one is really tiny; some of the larger members of our tour had a hard time getting in –and out.

A very tiny train can in which at least four people squeezed into.

Of course when we wanted to go back to the ship, the tiny train was no where in sight. The Rambler thinks it is a ploy to force the cruisers to walk past the shops that line the street facing the river on the way back to their ship. On the plus side, it is a pleasant stroll and one can walk along the river as well. Considering all, Rudesheim is the last small towns we would visit on this cruise, and many of our group, including the Rambler would indeed buy some souveniers from shops we passed on the way back.

Fortunately no one got stuck inside a tiny train car on the way to our destination downtown. so we all climbed out in the heart of the historic district. There our smiling guide was already waiting. Before we started our stroll, we visited a local chocolate shop to have a chocolate tasting. Fortunately it was a tiny tasting, to go with the tiny train, perhaps. The Rambler likes her chocolate well enough, but not so much at 10 AM in the morning.

During the tour, we walked past the Drosselgasses, which the Rudesheimers promote as the narrowest street in Germany. The Rambler is not sure about this but it is both narrow and steep and lined with inviting weinstubes, restaurants and hostelries.

A look down the Drosselgasse; it is very narrow and paved with the Rambler’s favorite, cobblestones.

We did have a treat in store before our tour was over, a stop at the Rudesheimer Schloss for the signature drink of the town; a Rudesheimer coffee. The folks who had gone on the Rudesheim tour split into several groups mostly based on walking speed but all the tours ended at the Rudesheimer Schloss for our special coffee; and special it was. The staff at ther Schloss Rudeseim are used to serving Rudesheimer coffee to large groups and after a brief welcome by the proprietor, the waitresses dressed in traditional costume set to work. First hot coffee was poured into special cups, then the Asbach Uralt brandy produced near here was added. Finally the steaming cup was topped with freshly whipped cream. Then the coffees were quickly delivered to our tables and enjoyed by all who love coffee, brandy and whipped cream.

Rudesheimer coffee served to some of our friends from South Africa.

Walking back to our boat, I reflected that Rudesheim was bombed heavily during WWII, The main reason was because of the Hindenburg bridge which linked Rudesheim with Bingen across the Danube. Bombing was not a precise science during WWII and many non-strategic buildings were also damaged. Although most of these buildings were rebuilt, the bridge was destoyed and not rebuilt,;only parts of the once massive structure remain. In Rudesheim,as in many other German towns, medieval buildings were painstakingly rebuilt using salvaged materials whenever possible. Unless you look at photos taken immediately after the war, it hard to imagine how much was detroyed during the war.

Bridge remains, 1959. Author: WSA Mannheim – CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the remaining parts of the once strategic Hindenburg bridge.

Rudesheim today might be considered touristy by a purist, but it is at the center of the Rhine wine industry. Much tasty wine is made in the surrounding area and many Germans stay in the area while doing a series of visites to local wineries. We did not visit any wine estates on this cruise but sailed past many hillsides covered with vines.

Rudesheim is also situated close to the Rhine Gorge which probably helped make it a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as the Lorelei Valley. a very picturesque area of the river. Since it is a popular vacation spot for Germans as well as a regular stop for a number of river cruise lines, the local buisness hopefully have been able to keep going during the Pandemic years. The Ramblers were fortunate to take our last cruise together before the onset of the virus, virtually shut down travel.

The Rambler headed back towards the ship with along with Jean, one of our cruise pals, stopping at a few shops along the way. Even in Germany, it is sometimes difficult to find items that are actually produced there. I was lucky enough to find a t-shirt for my young grandson that was actually made in Germany on the way back, not an easy task.

Of course the senior Rambler was waiting for me when we got to the ship, and I was very glad to see him as it had been quite the long walk. Yet it had been a pleasant stroll in good company and the last time we would enjoy the atmosphere of a small German town. Our cruise was almost over and it would end in the very busy metropolis of Amsterdam.

The next day would be spent cruising through the Rhine Gorge, with a brief stop at Koln (Cologne) and then on to Amsterdam, where we would disembark. This time, the Ramblers would spend a few days in Amsterdam to relax before heading back to Atlanta.

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A Special Post

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Those of you who have read my blogs for a while may have wondered why there haven’t been any new entries posted recently…

Sady, my best friend and travel companion for almost 70 years succumbed to a vicious cancer that ravaged his body. The senior Rambler set out on his final trip May 25,2021. This was one we could not take together Although we only had four days between the oncologist’s diagnosis and his death, we knew something was wrong months earlier and had talked extensively about what he wanted me to do during his last days and afterwards. Our children and I were able to fulfill his wishes and he left on his last trip from home, as was his wish.

Charles Henry (Chuck) Nystrom- 07-17-1933 – 05-25-2021 – Requiescat in pacem.

The senior Rambler wanted me to continue the blog when I felt up to it and I will start writing again soon, There are many happy tales of our travels left to tell and perhaps some solo travels in the future for the Rambler herself.

We will be back on the river in the next post!

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A new look at Bamberg;medieval town and busy port…

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The Princess left Nuremberg Saturday evening for our next stop, Bamberg, a city noted for its medieval timbered buildings and awesome cathedral. Note also that Bamberg suffered little damage during WWII, so what you see is largely original, unlike many cities and towns in the area. Bamberg is also famous for its smoked beer, produced by the breweries within the city. The Ramblers did not try any so I can’t tell you how it tasted.

This was not the first time we visited Bamberg, we were there several years ago on the Uniworld Maria Teresa, but traveling the opposite direction.

Although we had stopped there on a Sunday when most places were closed, the Gentle Walkers had a marvelous tour with an excellent guide. Sabine took us to places that the other guides either avoided or felt weren’t interesting. However, not everyone wants to look only at historic and unusual medieval buildings and her tour went above and beyond the surface. If you want to read about it, go to my post for January 15 2016 titled “Stolpensteine, a poignant message from the past in Bamberg,” the rest of the tour was covered in” Bamberg, a city of rivers and gardens,” posted on January 31 2016.

The Bamberger Dom is truly a magnificent church, with its combination of Romanesque (smaller windows) and early Gothic construction.

Of course, the Princess again docked at Bamberg on Sunday It is still not the best day to visit as nearly everything is closed except for the churches. Bamberg is is a very conservative area of Franconia; thus Sunday is considered a day to attend church and spend time with family. However, because of this, I hoped to attend Mass in the beautiful medieval Bamberger Dom which I hadn’t visited on our last visit. Heidicha, our Tour Manager, assured me this would be possible as she had often done so.

Usually Sunday mornings are fairly quiet in Bamberg, but not today, Many townspeople were out and about.

Unfortunately this particular Sunday was a special feast day, the Bishop was in town for some local religious event event. Red and white banners were everywhere in the Alstadt. Many people wore something red and there were an unusual number of local residents enjoying the morning. I learned that the Dom was more or less closed to visiting cruisers. Thus I was forced to give up any chance of attending Mass yet again, and just went along with my friends in the Gentle Walkers group who hadn’t been to Bamberg before. Our guide was pleasant and knowledgeable but she didn’t have the passion of Sabine, who had guided our first visit.

The striking Adamsporte , of the main doors of the Dom.

However, before changing our focus to touring Bamberg, the Bamberg Dom or the Church of St. Peter and St. Georg, deserves some attention. It is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Germany. The first version of the Dom was built in the 11th century, but it, and the second church on the site burned. Fire is always a danger in these ancient Romanesque and Gothic churches because although they appear to be made of stone, they contain much wood. A prime and terrible example was the fire in Notre Dame de Paris, not long ago. Bamberg itself was not heavily bombed during WWII and today’s Dom survived almost intact, unlike the Frauenkirche in Nuremberg.

The Dom that stands foursquare today started as a church in the Romanesque style but as these churches were not built in a day, by the time it was completed, the later parts, were more Gothic in style Unusually it has four towers and several imposing entrances. Unfortunately, the aristocratic family who were the Dom’s patrons, couldn’t resist “modernizing” the church in the 17th century, adding Baroque touches to its medieval interior. Fortunately these were removed in the 19th century and the Dom looks much like it did during the late middle ages.

The tombs of Henry II and Queen Cunegunde,, the only royal coupe who were both canonized as saints.

The Church of St. Peter and St. Georg was founded in 1002 by King (and later Emperor) (Henry II) and consecrated in 1012. Within are the tombs of Henry II and his spouse, the cathedral contains the remains of the only imperial couple who were canonized as saints.

The tomb of Pope Clement II, much less elaborate than that of Henry and Cunegunde.

It also has the tomb of Pope Clement II  (1005–47). Thus the Dom contains the only papal grave in Germany, and north of the Alps, as most popes were buried in Rome.

The Bamberger rider, the statue is so well preserved, it hardly looks a thousand years old.

Located in front of a church and showing a crowned yet unarmed man, it is believed that the sculpture represents a specific king, perhaps one who was a saint. Some indeed believe that it depicts Henry II who is buried in the Dom while others think it was King Stephen of Hungary. Of course, no one knows for sure, as the statue was not signed by its creator thus it is impossible to know for sure, unless some document remains to be discovered. This is not as unusual as you might think.

In 2014, an inventory of the statues in the cathedral gave rise to the theory that a project for a large sculptural screen for the eastern choir was begun and abandoned after only a few statues had been completed; two other unusual sculptures in the church fit into this proposal. The proponents of this theory believe that the horseman is one of the Magi, looking towards the Star of Bethlehem. In some ways, this theory fits the statue as the Magi were kings but not warriors.

The fast flowing Regnitz with the Bamberg City Hall jutting out over the river.

It is hard to avoid crossing a river in Bamberg and its residents enjoy boating and water sports; the Rambler noticed a white water kayak course on the Regnitz which flows through Bamberg,

A number of river cruisers docked in the relatively small and busy industrial port of Bamberg.

In addition, Bamberg is an important port on the Rhine/Main/Danube waterway. Our docking spot was in an industrial area where barges loaded and unloaded their cargoes. The harbor is relatively small and because of Bamberg’s popularity as a cruise port, river cruisers often have to raft up when they stop there. Because of their appreciation of river travel, the Bamberger’s hold a port festival every so often. The last one was in 2019.

Enthusiastic citizens queue up to ride on an historic steam train for a tour of the harbor. There are a number of grain elevators in the background as grain is one of the primary products area and much is shipped on barges from this port.

All in all, our stay in Bamberg was a pleasant one. Before long our time in the town was up and we headed back to our bus stop. It is always important to know exactly where to meet the Uniworld bus, as the guides usually leave you in the heart of the city or town, expecting you will remember your way back. This is not always the case. However, this time it was not a problem, always a relief. Soon we were back on board before our ship cast off for our next stop, Wurzburg.

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Speyer and a vinegar tasting!

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We arrived in Speyer Germany around 8:30 AM cutting it pretty close as our bus for the tour of the Docktorenhof Vinegar estate was scheduled to leave at 9:15. However, we were able to board our busses with time to spare as they were able to pull up close to the River Queen docking spot.

The entrance to the Speyer cathedral with the huge cathedral bowl in front. We would get to see it up close in the afternoon.

Speyer is one of Germany’s oldest cities and started out as a Roman military outpost in the days of the Republic ca. 10 BC, it was then called Spira. Today it is a mid sized city of around 50,000 and boasts not only the largest Romanesque cathedral in the world but a museum that houses a large collection of airplanes and even a Russian space craft. We drove past the Technics Museum as we headed to the Vinegar Estate.

The 747 mounted as if it was in flight was interesting but too many steps up for us.

We thought it looked interesting and there was time to visit it in the afternoon, but we chose not to go. There were many steps to climb,if you wanted to enter the Lufthansa 747. The large plane was attached to a platform as if it were taking off. To reach it you had to climb a spiral staircase Alas, the Ramblers’ climbing days are mostly over, so we took a pass, although seeing a Russian spacecraft was intriguing.

The morning was overcast and drizzly as we drove through vineyards and fields to the small town of Venningen, population under 1,000, where the Doctorenhof Vinegar Estate is located. On the way, I saw a stork in a field, too far away for a photo from a moving bus, unfortunately. This part of Europe is famous for storks but this was the first I had seen and I was amazed at how large it was.

When we arrived at the Vinegar Estate we were given long brown hooded robes which we were expected to wear. Our group was a little surprised by this but we complied and were told this was to protect the vinegar “mother” which we would see before we went to the tasting room.

Here we are in our robes, we finally made it down the treacherous steps and into the passage to the tasting room

This was the part of the experience the Ramblers did not enjoy as we had to go down a series of stone steps with no handrail in semi-darkness. Fear of falling flashed through our heads but we made it safely down. If you have any difficulty with steps, I would suggest you skip this part of the tour. Although our group managed it without incident, I would hope they have another way into the tasting room. The mother bacteria wasn’t all that interesting to us, but from there we were finally ushered into the tasting room. here we were handed very unusual tasting glasses with extra-long stems. We learned that the special vinegars were distilled from premium wines such as Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Riesling and Pinot Noir and flavored with a variety of herbs and fruits. The result is a liquor rather than a vinegar, which presented as a most interesting and complex aperitif. The vinegars we tasted had fanciful names such as Angels kissing in the night, You are my heart’s delight and Balsam of St. Damien. The first two of these were classed as aperitifs while the third was considered a tonic. The Ramblers tasted them all. While we agreed that they had a great variety of flavors, the senior Rambler only like the first one, while I enjoyed them all.

Our guide in the tasting room; it was filled with mysterious bottles and jars.

Unfortunately, Doctorenhof is not allowed to ship their vinegars to the United States, although they were willing to pack them in bubble wrap so you could put them in your checked baggage. The Rambler bought a few tiny bottles; as you might expect they are very expensive. This was a very unusual tour and one of the more intriguing places we visited on this trip. Recommend it highly except for the steps.

Our tour of the Vinegar Estate ended at noon but we were not scheduled to leave Speyer until 7 PM. As we had the afternoon free and the drizzly morning had cleared, the Ramblers decided to walk to the historic center of Speyer. Krista and Cliff, friends we had made on the cruise, asked us if we would like to share their taxi as Cliff felt it was too long of a walk for him. We happily agreed, and the senior Rambler climbed into the front as he was the tallest while Krista and Cliff and I would share the middle seat.

What I didn’t realize at first was that the taxi driver was a very large woman who had the driver’s seat fully extended. We asked if she could move it forwards but she declined.  She was undoubtedly the least friendly person we encountered on the trip. Well, my artificial hips don’t allow me a lot of flexibility, and my legs are not thin, nor as strong as they used to be. When I stepped into the taxi, my right leg got stuck between the front and middle seat. It was really wedged in there, and for a while I struggled in vain to pull it loose. I looked pretty silly with one leg stuck inside and one outside the taxi.  Of course, all four of us, myself included, were convulsed with laughter and this didn’t help.

The taxi lady just sat there glowering as we were wasting her valuable time. After a minute or two, I managed to move my leg and eventually climbed into the taxi, a small Mercedes station wagon, the vehicle of choice for taxis in Germany.

Sweaty and flustered, I sat next to Krista  and Cliff, retired dentist and his niece, who had already become good friends. We had no trouble  laughing about my predicament. The taxi lady drove like a fiend to the historic center of Trier, probably wanting to get rid of the crazy Americans who had hired her cab. Needless to say, no photos were taken of this mishap.

Our destination from the rear, it is an amazing place.

It was a relief to disembark from that taxi and we soon went our separate ways to places we had seen briefly on our way back from this morning’s tour. At this point the Ramblers wished we had just taken our time and walked to the historic center as it was not that far away. Speyer is one stop along the Rhine where the docking space is within easy walking distance of its historic heart. However, the River Queen was sailing at 7 PM and we didn’t want to miss our ship. We needn’t have worried, as we would get back in plenty of time.

Of course I had to visit the cathedral of Maria and St Stephen which has been the heart of Speyer for over 1,000 years. On one hand, it is a bastion of religion and the other a symbol of imperial power. It has undergone many interior changes through the centuries as the original austere Romanesque interior was adorned during the baroque era. Fortunately in recent years, these later additions were removed and now looks much like it did 1,000 years ago.

Unlike the rest of the churches we visited, the exterior and interior were very plain, none of the statues was painted and bright colors were absent.

The Cathedral Bowl in front of the west facade in front of the plaza
is part of a unique tradition you’ll only find at Speyer . The huge bowl used to mark the boundary line between the church’s property and the city. When a new bishop was installed, the bowl was filled with wine and everyone in the city could drink freely. This was done to improve the local attitude towards the new bishop.

It has been a long time since the cathedral bowl fulfilled these historical functions. But this beloved Middle Age custom continues to be observed in modern times. On special religious occasions, the cathedral bowl is again filled with wine. With a capacity of over 1500 liters, many citizens and guests are thereby able to enjoy a taste of the juice of the grape. The bowl was last filled at the 950-year anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral of Speyer on October 2, 2011.

The cathedral has many massive sculptures of emperors and saints both on its facade and inside, yet it is striking in its simplicity. Its recent restoration has left it looking like new construction as it has none of the colorful paintings or statues one expects. Both interior and exterior have white statues and two tone masonry colored walls. In the courtyard, there are a series of statues of ancient emperors and not far away is an elaborate sculpture of the Mount of Olives protected by a high wrought iron fence. The Ramblers had never seen anything quite like this. We learned that for centuries the sculpture had been the centerpiece of the cloister walk but both sculpture and cloister were destroyed in a 17th century fire. The cloister was never rebuilt but the Mount of Olives was reconstructed in the late 19th century.

The Ramblers were not sure why the Mount of Olives statuary group was surrounded by a forbidding wrought iron fence, but so it was.

After admiring the statuary and the historic center, we slowly found our way back to the ship. Tomorrow we would spend the day in France as our next stop was the city of Strasbourg along the Mosel/Moselle river. After a day and a half in France, we would head back to the Rhine and our last stop in Basel.

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A brief stop in Boppard

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After our morning in Bernkastel, we boarded the River Queen on a beautiful afternoon. It was a perfect day to enjoy the scenery as our ship cruised through the Rhine gorge. Our program sheet called it scenic sailing and it certainly was. This stretch of the Rhine is fairly narrow and castles dot both sides of the river. To make viewing easier, the cooks grilled hamburgers and German sausage on the Sun Deck. This was washed down with German beer, naturally, and sides included sauerkraut and German potato salad. If you haven’t cruised through this stretch of the Rhine, I heartily recommend it. Even if you are not on a river cruise, you can board a local ship that follows the same route. A cruise through the Rhine gorge was one of the week-end trips the Ramblers took on my Study Abroad experience in Alsace-Lorraine many years ago.

The River Queen docked in Boppard, the cliffs alongside the Rhine
and the bend in the river are clearly visible.

Because the River Queen traversed the gorge at an even slower speed than usual, we did not arrive at our next stop until the following day. I woke up early that morning and got up to look out our cabin window. I was just in time to take a photo of a beautiful sunrise. No doubt we missed many others, but when one is on a vacation, sleeping just a little later is not a bad thing. On the River Queen, as on most river cruise ships, they offer a morning exercise class at 7 AM, on the sundeck . I am not ashamed to admit that of all the cruises we have taken, I have never attended one of these classes and haven’t missed it. Of course the Senior Rambler has never met an exercise class he liked as long as I have known him. LOL

I enjoyed this beautiful sunrise as the River Queen moved slowly down the Rhine towards Boppard.

Boppard is a small town still inside the Rhine gorge, in fact it is directly north of Boppard that the Rhine makes its greatest bend. Because it is small and has relatively few attractions, few cruise ships stop there. This is a good thing, as there were absolutely no crowds as no other ships were docked while we were there.. Yet Boppard has been part of an UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002. The Rhine gorge area that encompasses the big bend in the river was then designated a Heritage site. The designation included towns along the its banks and Boppard is probably the closest. In addition, Boppard has been designated an official tourist village by the German government.

Like many cities and towns along the Rhine, Boppard has a long history dating back to Roman times. It was the Romans who would bring grapevines to the area and their vinous descendants still flourish today. Boppard began as a border outpost staffed by Roman troops whose duty was to keep out the marauding Germanic tribes and protect the farmers in their vineyards. However due to the gradually decline of the Western Roman Empire, the Germans had driven out the Romans by the end of the 5th century.
in the 5th century. In the middle ages, Boppard prospered and became a free city, often visited by German kings. However, during the next 500 years, it would change hands many times and often suffer the ravages of war. Boppard would be ruled first by the Bishop of Trier, then by the the Holy Roman Empire, next by Napoleon Bonaparte and finally by the Prussians. Today Boppard has town rights under the German state and is situated in the province of Rhineland-Palatinate.

The remains of the large Roman fort in the center of Boppard, close to the Rhine, is an open air museum , free of charge and worth a look.

Because it is quaint, pretty and well preserved, Boppard is popular with tourists. However its main attraction, especially for people who live in the surrounding area is the many vineyards and wineries found in the area. Thus Boppard has a large complement of hotels for a town of its size as well as many restaurants. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try any of them, even for a coffee and cake, as our guided walk was scheduled only for an hour, from 9 to 10 AM, and then it would be all aboard for our next stop at Rudesheim. The Ramblers love these stops in the smaller towns along the rivers of Europe, be they in Germany, France , Austria or Hungary. They have a slow pace that is appealing to us, used to the faster pace of suburban life in America.

The Romanesque Carmelite’ church dates back to the 13th century,. It is a short walk from the Rhine.



This particular small town has two medieval churches worth visiting. The oldest is St. Severus, very impressive inside and out. The second is the Carmelite Church, very plain on the outside without even a tall bell tower as was common at the time. The interior, however, is very elaborate and a total surprise. Although the Carmelite Church was once attached to a Carmelite monastery established in the 14th century ,but long since dissolved. One of the monastery buildings is now the town hall of Boppard. Although St. Severus was the parish church of Boppard, it seems that the wealthy people of the town preferred to attend the Carmelite Church and used their money to pay for elaborate altar pieces and other adornments of the interior.

With two high towers and imposing appearance, St Severus
dominates the skyline of Boppard.

St. Severus has its own charm however. Its construction started in the 12th century and finished in the 13th. Like many other medieval churches, it was built on the site of an earlier one that dated to the 6th century. St. Severus has a tall plain interior with a high overarching ceiling and relatively few statues. It does have some early medieval frescoes that were lovingly restored a few years ago. I was struck by the beauty of a small medieval statue of mother and child ant stopped to light a candle and say a prayer or two.

The ancient statue seemed to glow from within as I knelt to light a candle.

Back in the sunlight again, we continued our leisurely walk along the river walk, admiring the variety of well kept medieval and more recently built homes that looked out on the Rhine. Not all the houses were kept to a high standard. We spotted a few that would easily fall into the category of fixer upper in the US.

The people who live in Boppard obviously love flowers as most houses sported both boxes and pots of brightly colored blooms. It was early enough that the town gardener was still at work watering the plants in boxes that lined the promenade.

The village gardener was hard at work watering the flowers that lined
the Rhine with his portable water supply and hose.

Unfortunately soon the hour of our village stroll was almost up and we headed back to the River Queen, as the sailors were ready to cast off for our next stop. We would be in Rudesheim that afternoon for a very different kind of adventure.

Uncategorized

A beautiful Morning in Bernkastel

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After an afternoon sail along the green banks of the Moselle/Mosel River we arrived in Bernkastel around 7 PM. The Ramblers spent the afternoon on the top deck enjoying the scenery while the River Queen’s pastry chef orchestrated a demonstration of apple strudel making. Since I have made more than one myself, the scenery had more appeal. They do a good job though, stretching out the dough rather than cheating and using puff pastry. We could have strolled around in Bernkastel after dinner but instead spent a leisurely evening in conversation in the lounge.

The Mosel was so still that the buildings of Kues across the river were clearly reflected in the blue water.

The next morning the river was very still and reflected the quaint houses on the other side of the bank. It looked to be another warm and sunny day. We were scheduled to take a stroll through the picturesque village of Bernkastel and then visit the famous winery, Dr. Pauley Bergweiler. The winery tasting room was an easy walking distance from our dock in town. The Gentle Walker’s guide this morning was a personable Australian Ex-pat who obviously enjoyed her job. We set out a a modest pace which the Ramblers appreciated. Yes there were cobblestones but not particularly lumpy ones. As it was fairly early, Bernkastel was not crowded with groups from other boats. This sometimes happens, and smaller villages like Bernkastel are often congested as the medieval streets are fairly narrow. However tourists must share the pavement with delivery vans in the morning. Fortunately we had no problems navigating Bernkastel which is joined with the village of Kues on the other bank of the Mosel. Kues was the birthplace of Nikolaus von Kues (Cusanus) a medieval philosopher and mystic, cardinal and scholar. His heart is buried in the chapel of St. Nikolaus-Hospital which he founded in the 15th century as a hospital and care center for the sick and aged. The hospital library contains an excellent collection of rare and ancient books and amazingly still functions as a retirement home after over 500 years. Wish we could have visited the hospital, not only because nearby is a wine museum and tasting room,(the Weinkulturelles Zentrum) which offers 150 varieties of wine to taste, hopefully not at one time!

Nicholas von Kues, medieval scholar bishop
The narrowest and oldest house in Berncastel. The equally narrow cobblestone street eventually ends at Landshut Castle.

As we walked along the narrow main street of Bernkastel, we passed many gabled timber-frame homes dating to the 1600s, as well as the oldest, the narrow house called the Spitzhauschen or Pointed House which was built in 1416. Similar homes also surrounded the market place which was of course paved with cobblestones and slowly angled upward. The road would eventually turn into a steep 1/2 mile path which ends at the ruins of Landshut Castle. The castle was built in the 9th century and served for a long time as the summer residence of the Archbishops of Trier but was destroyed by fire in 1692.. Today it is an interesting ruin with a great view of the river and the vineyards surrounding the Mosel. Not fancying a steep 1/2 mile uphill climb, the Ramblers did not visit Landshut. Later we learned that there was a little bus that took visitors to the top, and even a beer garden to visit next to the castle.

Landshut Castle looked like an interesting ruin, but we didn’t have time to hike up the steep pathway to investigate for ourselves.

Instead the Gentle Walkers followed our guide through the ancient Graasch Gate of Bernkastel and onto the main plaza and fountain. The coat of arms of the town is visible above the gate entrance; of course they feature a black bear although there are no black bears in Europe. We especially like the fountain on which several bear cubs playfully gambol which is in the center of the Platz am Barenbrunnen or the Square at the Bear’s Fountain.

The Barenbrunnen or bears’ fountain added a charming touch to the square.

We then headed towards the the famous wine cellar of Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler for a wine tasting. The winery is surrounded bu a high fence and entered through a beautiful pair of bronzed gates. The current owner of the wine estate, Dr. Peter Pauly, has a PhD in agricultural science and is descended from two families who have been making wine since the 12th century. He took over from his grandfather Zacharias Bergweiler while still a student, This was not an easy task as his grandfather had been one of the most respected vintners on the Mosel. However Dr. Pauly has been up to the task, as their Riesling wines in particular, are known world wide. These grapes are grown on steep, difficult to cultivate river valley hillsides.

After walking through the reception area, we headed to the cellar where the Dr. Pauly expert awaited us to lead us through our tasting. Although the Rambler is not much for drinking wine at 10 AM, the tasting was interesting as we learned not only about the varieties of grapes used but also the history of this very famous winery. Its vines line the steep slopes leading down to the Mosel.

In Dr. Pauly cellar, where we tasted a variety of their wines with our friends from the River Queen.

Afterward we had some time to wander around Bernkastel on our own and eventually found our way to outdoor seating of a small restaurant on the bank of the river. There we enjoyed a tasty apple cake with a substantial dollop of whipped cream and a strong American style coffee. Our morning in this delightful town offered all the best of river cruising, an interesting tour as well as time to enjoy the small town on our own. On the way back to the boat, we noticed an American style three wheel motorcycle, a perfect photo op for me with the Senior Rambler

Fortunately we made it on board with plenty of time as the River Queen would soon be on the way to our next stop, Boppard.

An unusual sight in Berncastel, an American style three wheel motorcycle, much modifies.

Rijks Museum, The Night Watch, The River Queen in Amsterdam, Uncategorized

The Rijks Museum, a festive dinner and on to Cologne (Koln)

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After a pleasant night in our small but comfy suite, we were ready for the morning’s tour to the Rijks Museum. The Ramblers had never explored Amsterdam on their other stops, and their attempts to see things on their own this time had mixed results.  The senior Rambler grumbled about taking this Uniworld tour. He is not a big fan of art museums, despite spending a good bit of his working life as a commercial artist. He was talked into going, when I pointed out, he didn’t have to go inside if he didn’t want and the museum had a beautiful garden. True to his word, he didn’t go inside, although I think he would have enjoyed it. I know i did.

Sometimes ships are docked far away from the city, this time we were docked within walking distance of the city.

As a life long student of history, this Rambler has toured many museums and the Rijks Museum is one of the most beautiful I have visited. Even before entering a visitor can’t help but appreciate the  newly restored exterior, white tuck pointing gleaming in the sun. The one complaint most visitors seemed to have was that it was hard to determine just where the entrance was, so they wandered around a bit. However, the Ramblers didn’t realize this until later as we had special access and didn’t have to wait in line to enter but walked right in. This was a plus as more than 2 million people visit the Rijks museum every year and it can be very crowded.  Luckily this was not the case when we visited as we were able to get quite close to the major Dutch masters and never felt crowded.

The Rijks Museum, from the road. As we arrived by bus, we had no chance to wander around outside.

You may wonder why the Netherlands, a small densely populated country has such a major collection of art? Well, the Dutch were a major naval power with trading posts all over the world in the 17th century,  their golden age.  Unfortunately, they eventually  lost out to the British and the Dutch Republic was even  ruled by Napoleon  for a time. Nevertheless, the Dutch did not lose their sense of identity nor their pride in their golden age art of art and architecture. Unlike most of Europe at this time, the great works of art by Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, et al., were owned by wealthy  stadtholders, officials appointed to keep order in the provinces . Most of them were fiercely republican and not from the aristocracy, although there were exceptions.  The public museums that we take for granted today began to appear at the end of the 18th century and the Dutch thought a national museum like the recently opened Louvre, would be good for the country. Some  stadtholders then allowed their cherished paintings to be  displayed at the new museum.

Noticed this gentleman copying some of the details from one of the paintings.

Thus the precursor to the Rijks Museum opened in May of 1800 as the National Art Gallery in The Hague. When Napoleon established the Kingdom of Holland in 1806, the museum was moved to Amsterdam and paintings then owned by the city, such as the Night Watch were exhibited there. The exhibits of paintings and art objects were moved several more times until  a new building was constructed in 1874. It would be decorated inside and outside with references to Dutch history. This building which opened in 1885 became the Rijks Museum. However, over a century later, it needed some refurbishment and in 2003, the main building was closed for a total renovation. Some 400 of the most famous artifacts were displayed in the wing next door until the Rijks Museum re-opened in November 2014. The renovation took over a decade to complete and cost 375 M Euros, but the money and time was well spent. The interior glows with light and the center atrium gives the museum a spaciousness not often found in museums. Not surprisingly, over 2 million people a year have visited it.  After the renovation, the most famous Golden Age paintings were grouped in the Hall of Fame, anchored by the most famous of them all, The Night Watch. This makes it easy to see some of the greatest Dutch masters in a relatively short time.

Our guide, Aida, giving us the background of a painting, the art student/copyist, is standing the the left.

Thus  the senior Rambler was left to wander around outside, and with hopes I would find him when we were done with the tour. I joined the Gentle Walkers group in the atrium where we met our guide Aida. The guides at the Rijks Museum are a very highly trained bunch who have considerable understanding of art. Aida was extremely knowledgeable and easy to understand and made our visit very pleasant. We  of course, had limited time in the museum so Aida led us on one of the special tours for groups like our Uniworld bunch.

Here we viewed Rembrandt’s most famous work, The Night Watch.

We were able to see some of the Netherlands’ greatest paintings in the Hall of Fame, which probably pleased the majority of the tourists. This Rambler, however, wished she had more time to check out more of the galleries, especially the arms and armor and ship models. However, Aida provided us with a delightful hour’s worth of knowledge about the Dutch masters of the Golden Age. The paintings were indeed masterworks.

The Night Watch is big but this painting which hung on a side wall, was much larger.

We learned that The Night Watch was actually not a night scene but had been  coated with a dark varnish which was since removed. It is justly famous for its large size, 11.91 x 14.34 ft., its wonderful use of light  and shadow and the life and motion that Rembrandt has given what was a portrait of a military company. It has been vandalized several times. In 1911, it was slashed with a shoemaker’s knife, by a bread knife in 1975; although it was restored, some evidence of the damage is still visible. Finally in 1990, it was sprayed with acid. However this time, the guard quickly sprayed water on the acid and no serious damage resulted.

Feeling very cultured, I located the senior Rambler and we headed for our bus. We had quite a long walk past dozens of busses which had arrived after ours. It was obvious that the attendance figures for the Rijks Museum had not been exaggerated and it was a good thing we had an early special entry.

House built into one of the bridges, note the heron perched next to the window. Quite the water view but not so good during a flood.

Back on board the River Queen, we watched the crew get ready for our departure. They worked in precise order to lift the gang plank and move it into its travel position, lines were cast off and we said good-by to Amsterdam.  Sometimes river cruisers sail at night if the landscape is not interesting but this time there was much to see. First the outskirts of Amsterdam, with many quaint buildings and finally into the country side where windmills still turned in the distance. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we lingered on deck to watch the countryside scenery flow past.

Sailing through the Dutch countryside, in the distance you can see one of the many windmills that dot the landscape.

Eventually we headed to our cabin to change. Tonight was the Captain’s Welcome Dinner, with a meet and greet before hand in the lounge. Our Captain for this trip, Hendrick Fennema, was a tall, lanky Dutchman, one of the most out-going and personable we have encountered on our Uniworld cruises. He would always be visible and approachable during the cruise which we all appreciated. We also formally met our Cruise Manager, Tabea Bramberger, another very important person on any cruise. Young and pretty, we found she was also an accomplished organizer and tour guide. It looked like the Ramblers would be in good hands as we cruised towards Basel.

Borries, Gordes, La Fontaine de Vaucluse, lavender honey, Le Pont Julien, Senanque, The legend of the Mistral, Uncategorized, WWI Memorial in Gordes

The Romans, wineries and medieval history intertwine in Provence

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Thinking back about our time spend in sunny Provence during August 2016 is a pleasant way to escape from chilly Georgia in January 2018. Provence was a place the Rambler had wanted to visit for a long time and when we finally got to stay there for a few days, it did not disappoint. After touring the region on the Uniworld SS Catherine, for a week, we had two days to explore on our own and two we would travel around the area with a  Viator guide.

I had booked two tours from Avignon before we left Georgia through Viator, a subsidiary of Trip Adviser.  Viator works with local tour companies all over the world and lists many tour options on their website for almost everywhere. The best thing about using Viator is that they have vetted the local tours and if something goes wrong, they will make it right. Our first tour was to be an overview of Provence in one day; obviously we wouldn’t see everything but this seemed to be a great way to get a feel for the area. On the second day we would do a wine tasting tour; a little selfish on my part as the senior Rambler doesn’t drink, but we would also enjoy the varied scenery of Provence as well as the wine tasting.

Although our guide for the first day, JB (Jean Baptiste) was not our favorite, he did take us to some amazing places ranging from ancient towns and monasteries to Roman ruins. Unfortunately although the trip was supposed to be English language, we found that a small French woman was already seated in the tour van when we boarded. JB announced casually that he had another passenger and she did not speak English, so he would conduct the tour in both English and French. I am pretty sure that the woman spoke English, he said she was a teacher, but for whatever reason, she did not want to speak English or French for that matter, to us. In fact, she totally ignored us for the whole tour. In fact, she was the only French person we encountered who was not friendly and willing to speak to us. To make matters worse, as the day went on JB, spent much more time speaking French to the French teacher than he did in English to us. This was very frustrating but there wasn’t much we could do about it except complain to Viator when we got home (We did and they were very good about refunding half our expense.)

The other problem we had  was that except for three stops, JB dropped us off and stayed with the van so we didn’t learn as much about the area as we would have liked. We were used to having a guide along with us when we toured but evidently on this tour, because of crowds of tourists and minuscule parking, the guide was supposed to drop off the tourists  and pick them up at an agreed upon time.

Dropped off on the village square in a Provence hill town.

Admittedly parking was very tight in those small villages built way before the advent of the auto, and it did save us some walking but the negative was we got no information on what we were seeing as we strolled around the towns.

It was also un-nerving to be sitting in the middle seat of his small van where we had an excellent view of his no hands style of driving on the narrow roads of Provence. As we headed away from the busy city of Avignon, and into the countryside, JB told us the legend of the Mistral.  This strong and often unpleasant wind  which often blows tiles off roofs and branches from trees, also dries  out the air in the region saving millions of grapes from mildew. For an excellent re-telling of the legend click here.  https://curiousrambler.com/2016/07/28/the-mistral-of-provence/

We found that the lingering presence of the Roman empire is never far away in Provence. One of the first sites JB pointed out was the oldest bridge in Provence, Le Pont Julien which dates back to the beginning of the first century. It was built of interlocking stones without mortar by Roman engineers over the Cavalon River, circa 3 BC, as part of a much longer Roman road.

The bridge is in amazing shape considering that it is more than 2000 years old. I am sure it will last longer than the one built to replace it.

The river was dry on this August day, but the Cavalon is a rushing torrent in the springtime.   Unfortunately there is absolutely no information about the bridge at the site which is a shame. I later learned that only a few years ago cars drove over the ancient structure but now theRoman bridge is restricted to pedestrians and bicyclists.

JB  then parked on the shoulder of a hill so that we could look down at the Cistercian monastery of Senanque near Gordes.

Looking down at Senanque from the road above.

While we were stopped, he picked some thyme and other herbs (the Herbes de Provence)  to show us how they grew wild by the roadside.  Although Senanque was abandoned during the French revolution, in the 20th century a small group of monks returned and Senanque is now flourishing.

a close-up of the Abbey church.

When the lavender is in bloom, the monastery is bordered by fields of scented purple flowers. Unfortunately, Senanque was not our list of stops as I would have really enjoyed walking through the 12th century Romanesque church of Notre Dame.

From Senanque we traveled to Gordes, a town built up a hill for protection in the Middle Ages. All of its buildings are made of pale, white-gold limestone, durable and readily available. Tourists from all over come to the beautiful hill-top towns of Provence and Gordes was no exception, almost all built of the pale white-gold stone.

The soldier on the monument is wearing the  French infantry uniform of the WWI era. Many of the men and boys from the town were killed at Verdun and the Marne.

We were dropped off at the village square and given a chance to explore on our own. The first thing I noticed was the town’s WWI memorial, standing somewhat forlornly and un-noticed in the town square. These monuments are found in most French villages but this was the only one I saw that featured a soldier. Most are usually much larger and impressive.

The area around Gordes has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Tourists come to walk and marvel at the almost perpendicular streets of Gordes and its ancient Church and castle ruins.

The hilltop village of Gordes

However, on the outskirts of the town is another village dating to prehistoric times. Much of it has been restored, and like the Romans, these early inhabitants built their houses, called borries,  out of stacked stone, without mortar.

The entrance to the prehistoric village; several borries are visible as is a no parking sign!.This road was a busy one and the two tourists are cautiously waiting to cross.

It is possible to walk through the rebuilt town but we just took a peek inside because  our time in Gordes was limited.

Our next stop after Gordes was an ancient farmhouse, part of a working farm, and not much changed for several centuries.

The farmhouse, much changed for centuries and built to last even longer.

The family who lived there raised chickens, rabbits and a few other animals for their own use but also maintained bees which produced lavender honey.

A side view of the building; small windows and thick walls aided heating and cooling. NO dryer in this home.

They had a small home business selling home packed lavender honey and other lavender products. Alas, the honey I bought there never made it back to Georgia because I forgot to pack it in my checked bag; unfortunately honey is considered a liquid, Who knew? I am sure the pleasant farm  family was happy to have groups stop there as it is increasingly difficult to make a living farming because of European Union regulations. Their honey was delicious and I only wish it had made it home.

JB at the rabbit hutch, built into the wall, these bunnies were probably raised for food.

We were on our own for lunch on this tour but JB picked a beautiful spot: Le Fontaine de Vaucluse. This was a small town of 500 which revolves around an amazing natural wonder, a fontaine or spring. It is, in fact, the largest spring in France and the 5th largest in the world. Vaucluse comes from the Latin for closed village and indeed it huddles close beside the spring which is surrounded by limestone cliffs.

One of the popular hotels in Vaucluse, and our view from La Terrasses of the flowing spring and encircling cliffs..

Our uncommunicative French lady quickly marched off on her own without even a nod. The Ramblers shrugged and strolled alongside the river that flows from the spring, evaluating the various restaurants for their potential. We finally settled on Les Terrasses, mainly because it had some tables available with a water view. Since we had eaten excellent cuisine for two weeks, we enjoyed a simple snack of pinions de poulet (chicken legs); the senior Rambler had an Orangina, while I settled on a pichet of rose wine, what else, in Provence.

After a leisurely lunch and stroll along the flowing spring, we would spend the rest of a long day, about 9 hours in total, seeing even more of beautiful Provence.  To be continued…

 

Avignon, dining on board the Catherine, Palace of the Popes, Uncategorized

Avignon, a historic walled city

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Unlike many places we docked on this trip, Avignon had an extensive quay, which allowed many ships to dock at one time.  Since it is a very popular stop in the summer, this is a good thing.Most of the dock space was occupied by ships from many  different cruise lines. From the  Catherine’s spot on the quay, we had an excellent view of the medieval walled city and could check out the other ships docked nearby.

A view of the historic area of Avignon from the sundeck of the Catherine.

The historic area itself is surrounded by boulevards and green space, but. not far away, a wholly different modern Avignon city exists, not much different than any other French provincial city. This we would learn later as the Ramblers planned to stay on in Avignon for 4 nights at the end of our cruise.  Although we did not have to share our dock, two ships from different cruise lines did raft together in front of us. Rafting is no big deal, but sometimes the ships don’t match up well, and the passengers in the rafted ship may have to walk up and down stairs to disembark. On a positive note, it gives you a chance to check out ships owned by other lines. The most humorous experience we had with rafting was two years ago, on the Maria Theresa. The MT is one of Uniworld’s super ships, which means it is as big as you can get through the locks. As a result, she did not always match well with the  smaller ships. At one stop, we had to climb the steps to the sun deck and then down again to disembark. When we returned, the kitchen staff was loading foodstuff and we got caught up in a procession of kitchen staff  and some crew, each toting boxes filled with produce. Although it looked like a scene from Disney, I am sure it was not much fun for the hardworking staff.

Although the Catherine has her spot on the quay to herself, two river cruisers had rafted in front of us, the Swiss Emerald with a home port in Basel and the Amadagio based in Hamburg

In Avignon, it was pleasant to walk down an almost level gangplank and stroll along the quay. This had been laid out as a wide and pleasant promenade with benches along the way. It was possible to walk for several miles along the river in both directions. The massive Palace of the Popes was clearly visible in the distance and lighted at night. We would dock here for one night and move to Arles/Tarascon during the  day,. Tarascon was the farthest we traveled on the Rhone. However we would dock there only briefly. The  Catherine would turn around after we toured the city and return to Avignon for the last night of the cruise.

An aerial view of the Palace. You can see the river on the left. The Palace wall forms part of the city wall.

Today Uniworld offered three options. The first, and the most logical choice for the Ramblers was a tour of Avignon including  the Palace of the Popes. However, the  gentle walkers could ride a little tourist train around the historic area inside the walls instead. This choice was a no-brainer for the Ramblers. We decided on the train. The Palace of the Popes tour involves lots of walking and steps as it is huge and unfortunately  largely empty.

The Ramblers weren’t attracted by the other choices either. The first was a Kayak ride on the Gardon River scheduled for the afternoon. If we Ramblers got into a Kayak, we would have to be hoisted out, not a pretty sight. However a number of the younger passengers signed up for kayaking on the river. Those who went really enjoyed it, although they returned looking very hot and sweaty. Fortunately they would have plenty of time to relax before tonight’s gala farewell dinner. Kayaking on a French river was one of the go-active tours available during every cruise. Some are strenuous hikes, others involve bike rides and all are very popular with the less sedentary passengers.

The third choice was a tour to the Pont du Gard Aqueduct. It was scheduled for the same time as the tour of Avignon, providing an interesting option for those passengers who had already visited Avignon.

Our approach to the nearest gate in the wall gives an even better idea of how massive it is.

As you can see from the aerial view, the palace is immense, the largest medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.  Constructed as both fortress and palace it was briefly the seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace is actually two buildings joined together. If considered as one, they form the largest Gothic building of the Middle Ages. Although construction began in 1252 AD as a Bishop’s palace, the first Pope, a Frenchman, Clement V moved to Avignon in 1309 AD because of chaotic religious and military issues in Rome. The following 70 years, when the principal see of the Catholic Church was in Avignon, is often referred to as the Babylonian Captivity. This was one of the low points in Catholic history as for a time there were two Popes, and then a third until Urban V and Gregory XI returned to Rome, convinced that the seat of the papacy could only be the by the tomb of St. Peter. Despite its brief role as the center of Western Christianity, the Avignon papal library  of over 2,000 volumes drew clerical scholars, including the founder of Humanism, Petrarch. Composers, singers and musicians came to compose and perform in the Great Chapel of the Palace. Because it was so huge, 118,403 sq ft,  the Palace forced the centralization of services, creating the first central administrative system for the Church. It also required a large staff of both religious and lay persons unusual for the time.

Unfortunately, although the return of the Pope to
Rome was good for the Catholic Church, it resulted in the deterioration of the Palace. Such a large space simply wasn’t needed in Avignon. Consequently it was in bad shape by the time the French Revolution broke out in 1789.The Palace was stripped of its remaining furnishings and artwork during and after the French Revolution and these items were never restored

As you can see, this petit train is similar to the one we rode  thru the vineyards..

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We gentle walkers assembled for the relatively short walk to the square where we would board the little train. Unfortunately we didn’t realize that  was more than one train in service . It probably wouldn’t have mattered as we boarded the one that was there. However, one of the trains is quite new, and seems to have had a more careful driver while the one which we boarded was ramshackle and  as we soon  found out, with a  driver to match.

Unfortunately this battered contraption was the one that showed up when we waited at the stop.

I wanted to sit in the last car again  so as to have better photo opps. This was a mistake.  Riding in the last car, the Ramblers thought our driver was playing crack the whip as we bounced along the cobblestones and whipped around the corners of the narrow streets. To make matters worse, the narrative that accompanied the tour was impossible to understand.  I am sure the gentle walkers with back problems were only too happy to disembark at the end of this tour although the children probably enjoyed it.

Not sure whether the nun was a tourist or a resident of a nearby convent.

Our ride ended  in the square,  a relatively short walk back to the closest city gate and then not far to the Catherine. We took our time as we knew that if we missed lunch in the dining room, we could always order a sandwich in the Leopard Lounge. While we were in the square, I took perhaps my best photo of the trip. It was a hot day, and the noon sun was very warm.  I noticed an elderly nun, resting in the shade, not far from the Palace.  I don’t usually take photos of people without their permission, but in this case I couldn’t resist.

A cruise in France would not be complete without a lesson in crepe making by our chefs. I am really not sure just day we had this but it was fun to watch.

Margery and the chefs quaffing the cognac. It was to give her courage to flip the crepe, and it worked!

Although the chef prepared the crepe batter, he was looking for some one from the audience to make a crepe. First they asked innocently if anyone made crepes at home, When I mentioned that I had, many times, they tried to coax me into coming forward and being their guinea pig. The Rambler politely refused, suggesting that someone else have the honor. Eventually, Margery the daughter of my South African friend, volunteered. She was quite the sport and actually managed to flip her crepe after toasting her attempt with a glass of cognac.

That night we had  our “Gala Farewell Dinner.”  I put the title in italics because every night, we had an excellent 5 course meal with several choices. Fortunately the portions are small, otherwise many passengers wouldn’t be able to buckle their seat belts on the plane going home. One of the appetizer choices for the Gala was foie gras which neither of the Ramblers enjoy. But I guess it was good, as our waitress told us folks at another table had asked for, and received 2nds and 3rds.

The Senior Rambler enjoying a special meal in the Leopard Lounge.

All the courses had accompanying wines which were excellent, while the senior Rambler had his customary orange juice or coke. One thing we enjoy about river cruising is the open seating. We tried hard to sit with different people at every meal but eventually, especially for the Farewell Gala, you gravitate towards the friends you made on the voyage.

For dessert, what else but Baked Alaska, on the Catherine’s special china.

Ironically, the Gala is not usually on the last night of the cruise but the preceding night. I am sure this is because the crew has to get ready for the next group of passengers who will be arriving as we disembark. Clearing up for such an elaborate meal obviously would take longer. Plus, some passengers had very early flights home. At end of one cruise, European Jewels in 2015,  we had to leave for the airport at 3:30 AM, so obviously  not a good idea to eat a rich meal only a few hours earlier.

On our last day of this cruise, the Catherine would set sail tomorrow for Tarascon at 9 AM. The Captain isn’t kidding. if the schedule says 9, the ship leaves at 9. This was not a problem for anyone on this trip nor should it be, as the next day’s schedule appears in your cabin the night before.