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traveling alone, Uncategorized

# Crusing Again on the Netherlands’ waterways

January 26, 2023 1954 Leave a comment

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!

Amsterdam, Kolncathedral

# On to Amsterdam!

June 27, 2022 1954 Leave a comment

Rudesheim was the last small town that the Ramblers visited on this cruise. Our last stop before Amsterdam was Koln, (Cologne) where we had stopped several times in the past. Thus we didn’t sign up for any tours. However we were suprised to find that the Princess docked in downtown Koln, as on our previous visits, our ship had docked outside the town and the cruisers had to be bussed to the historic center for touring and shopping. However, we were in walking distance of the historic district as we could see the twin towers of the cathedral from the dock. It holds a golden casket with the remains of the Three Kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, according to local beliefs.

The towers of the Kolner Dom are visible from the Rhine; no high rise buildings here.

This time we would only be in Koln for the morning so many of the people onboard opted for one of the two walking tours of Koln. Sadly, the senior Rambler was having trouble walking and a three hour tour was not in the cards even with the gentle walkers. But we did disembark from the Princess after all. The senior Rambler wanted to find an ATM as he was out of Euros and we woud likely need some before the end of the trip. We also wanted to stroll along the Rhine a bit, as it would probably be our last chance to do so.

One of the many squaes in Koln city center, our ATM was on the far side,

The purser showed us the location of the nearest ATM, it was almost visible from the Princess and not very far for an average walker. After some deliberation, the Ramblers felt it was doable and so we set out, slowly and carefully. It was a beautiful day, not too warm but sunny; a good day to take a stroll in Koln. We did find the ATM and even better, made it back to the Princess before she sailed for Amsterdam.

Along the way we reminisced about our first experience of the Rhine on a K&D day cruise some 25 years ago. The Rambler had an chance to spend 5 weeks in Metz FR teaching history in a study abroad program and she talked the senior Rambler into going along. Actually he had no choice whatsoever tho he didn’t realize it.

During the five weeks, both faculty and students had the weekends free to travel as they chose. In those days, the rail pass that came along with the program allowed travel from one end of Europe to another, for betweem 7 and 14 days, I don’t rememberf exactly. It was amazing to see how far some of my students actually went on a weekend thru careful planning. The Ramblers also took advantage of this opportunity and cruised the Rhine on the K & D line one week-end, and spent another in Salzburg. To get there we had a long overnight on the train but stayed in a 15th century Inn as a reward.

Much too soon,the Ramblers had to put their memories aside as it was time to board the Princess for the last days cruising on our way to Amsterdam. It was also the evening of the Gala Captain’s Farewell Reception and dinner. Although the food on the Princess was consistently excellent they really outdid themselve for this final meal. The Ramblers had a window table and we enjoyed watching the variety of boats that we passed until dark during out leisurely and delicious meal.

We started off the meal with some delicious mussels
And finished with Baked Alaska, not to mention paired wines…a fitting ending to a great cruise.

For some reason. when the Ramblers woke up the Princess was still cruising along at a good clip. Evidently there had some hold-ups at the locks during the night, as our ship should already have docked in Amsterdam yet we were still motoring along. Finally the Princess drew close to the mouth of the Rhine which meant we were close to our dock.

Ass you can see, we woke up to a very gloomy day in Amsterdam. The train station did not look very appealing from the water.

This time the Princess docked near the train station, which was again another new location for the Ramblers. Dock space for river cruisers is at a premium in Amsterdam, and on Viking owns their docks. Since they also have more ships than any other line, it is not often that they are available to the boats of other companies.

We were actually docked next to another Uniworld ship, tho we were not rafted but in individual slips. We were curious to see it as it was one of the two ships, the A and the B, which Uniworld had totally redone to appeal to a younger crowd. Unfortunately, their marketing strategy didn’t work exactly as they planned and they eventually lifted the age restrictions.

The senior Ramblerf discussed boaty topics with the Captain of the Princess.
The “B” would dock next to us in Amsterdam.

Our beautiful sunny weather reverted to a more typical Dutch rainy day when we woke up the next morning. On the schedule was a tour of the Amsterdam canals and then a visit to the famous Rijksmuseum. The senior Rambler was perfectly happy to stay on board but the Rambler gamely joined the tour group for the canal cruse. The tour company had sent only one boat for our group, it was pouring rain and slippery to board and the boat was absolutely packed to the gills. The Rambler was pretty sure it was filled beyond capacity but there was nothing she could do but hope it didn’t capsize. Obviously it didn’t as I am here to write this blog entry but I’m pretty sure quite a few other passengers were uncomfortable. To make matters worse, the windows all fogged up from the steam coming off a boat load of wet passengers. While is is usually a lot of fun to cruise the Amsterdam canals, the Rambler is pretty sure everyone was glad when this particular cruise was over.

As soon as we disembarked on the pier, we were encouraged to head towards out bus for a tour of the Rijksmusem. The Rambler had enjoyed it before so why not? Well, it too was a disappointment as where do you go on vacation when it is raining? Inside fo course, and so it was that the museum was extremely crowded with people who were waiting out the rain. Oh well, people watching was good!

The Rambler was very glad to get back to the Princess and the senior Rambler just about said “I told you so…” We spent the evening on board as it was time to say good-by to the many friends we had made during the cruise. Our Australian friends would be leaving early the next morning for their very long trip home while the Ramblers had decided to stay a few days in Amsterdam before flying back to Atlanta. Bags packed, we enjoyed our last night aboard, ready to disembark the next morning.

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# The Rambler enjoys Rudesheimer coffee after a village tour

March 16, 2022 1954 Leave a comment

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.

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.

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

August 10, 2021 1954 1 Comment

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!

dock space, Mildenberg castle, Miltenberg, St. Jacobus Church, Zum Reisen

# Medieval Miltenberg

April 30, 2021 1954 2 Comments

Today, the Ramblers experienced a brief stop in Freudenberg, a bus ride to Miltenberg, a delightful walk around the town and finally, a visit to one of the many nearby vinyards. All this before 12:30! Then our group returned to the Princess, now docked briefly in Miltenberg. That afternoon, we enjoyed a leisurely cruise along the beautiful Main. This was a totally different experience for the Ramblers than we had experienced the previous day in Wurzberg.

Unlike many of the towns we had visited on this cruise, Miltenberg was little damaged during WWII, except…on the day before the Germans surrendered,. The German troops destroyed its historic bridge across the Main to slow the advance of Allied troops! Of course, the Miltenbergers rebuilt the bridge in all its historic glory as soon as they were able.

The rebuilt bridge f rom the river with a view of the medieval entrance gatel

As usual, the Princess arrived at our first stop in Freudenberg around breakfast time. Although most of the cruisers left the ship at 8:30 for the short bus ride to Miltenberg, the Princess would stay in Freudenberg until 11:30. Those who remained onboard, including the senior Rambler, had an opportunity to walk around yet another small village with beautiful half-timbered houses, on their own. He enjoyed his time in Freudenberg as well as the short sail to Miltenberg while the Rambler embarked on the day’s tour.

Miltenberg from the top of the hill…you can see the red sandstone towers in the foreground, as well as another view of the bridge. an in town dock is hidden behind the trees.

Why could we not just go directly to Miltenberg? It was simply the availablity of dock space. Of all the companies whose ships cruise European rivers, Viking is the best known in the United states. Viking advertises heavily, has dozens of ships sailing in Europe and has cleverly bought up dock space at many popular stops. Amazingly they own three docks even in the small town of Miltenberg, thus their ships always have priority at their docks. This isn’t an issue most of the year, but can be a problem in the most popular cruising season, the month of July in particular. The Ramblers preferred to cruise mid August but the previous year, water levels had been so low by then that we chose to cruise in July. Thus we experienced the busiest time both on the river and on land as well, and decided we much preferred the less crowded times. Incidentally, most of the small towns along the Main have flooded many times in the last 300 years. Fortunately construction of canals, locks and dams has controlled the flooding to some extent.

Zum Reisen, pub and guesthouse hotel has been around for a long time, althogh there is little left of the original medieval building as it has been remodeled many times. Emperors and kings have stayed there over the centuries.

Today, the Princess offered four tours in the Miltenberg area. After a short stroll around the delightful historic area, our large group would separate into four smaller groups. One to visit a brewery. Another to a farm. The third on a hike to a local vinyard (there was a bus for the gentle walkers) while the artistic members of our group went to a paint and wine experience. But first our guides took us for a tour along the single main street, the Hauptstrasse, which is lined with half timbered houses dating from the 15th throughthe 17th century. The street level of many buildings contain intriguing shops, pubs and restaurants.

One of the main stops for those who enjoy drinking beer in a place steeped with history is Zum Reisen, which calls itself the oldest pub in Germany. Although the date on the building is 1411, this is somewhat misleading as Zum Reisen was rebuilt in 1590, but it is still quite an ancient place.

Historic Mildenberg castle is small as castles go, but it is truly a magical place, just up the hill from St. Jacobus Church. It escaped destruction through the centuries but was expanded over time. There is a small entry fee and sadly the tour is is German but almost self-explanatory.

Miltenburg still has its city walls and even a small castle at the top of the hill at the back of the town. It also has a church, St. Jacobus, which dates to the 1300’s although it was rebuilt many times.

Unlike most of the churches we visited on this trip, the interior of St. Jacobus was very plain. It did however have a striking and colorful modern altarpiece that was installed in 2004. During our visit, we got to watch a group of kindergarten children practising for a saint’s day procession with their teachers. It was a charming scene.

The children ended their march above the striking modern altarpiece. A proud parent is takina a video of the event. The Rambler loved the simple interior.

The shops were open as it was a week-day and some of our group were tempted by the sale signs in shop windows. The street is pedestrian only for part of the day to accomodate the many tourists who come here.

Our meetingplace was in the square where wee found the famous fountain which dates to 1583..

Along the way, we passed the Rathaus or Town Hall built of the red sandstone which is used in many buildings in Franconia as it is quarried in the area. A look to the left provides a view of the Mildenburg castle, small by castle standards, but picturesque and in good shape. Built in the 1400’s, it had many owners until it was bought by the town of Miltenberg.. Today it houses two museums and is an easy stroll up at the top of the hill. However, we did not visit the castle as we had to locate Miltenberg’s famous fountain built in 1583, of what else but red sandstone. There we joined our groups and prepared for part two of today’s adventure.

The Rambler had chosen the vinyard option which sounded like fun, and joined the rest of the gentle walkers on the bus. It was a chance to see the Bavarian countryside away from the river. We got to wave at the rest of our group as they trudged uphill to the vinyard. It really wasn’t a very long way and they seemed to enjoy their stroll through vinyards and farmland.

Our hostess explains the characteristics of the wine she is pouring. Note the bulbous shape of the wine bottle in her hand. it indicates that the wine within comes from this area.

It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the mid-seventies. The owners of the winery had set up picknic snacks of sausage, bread and cheese on a covered patio to accompany our wine tasting. The vinyard was in a beautiful spot, surrounded by fields of vines, and othe crops, a charming spot in rural Bavaria. We enjoyed the food, the wine, the company and the enthusiastic presentation of our hosts. it was a very pleasant way to spend the morning sipping and munching until it was time to head back to our ship – just in time for lunch. LOL

After lunch the Princess set sail for our next stop, Rudesheim, unusually early, at 3:00 PM. This gave us an opportunity to enjoy the scenery along the Main river from the sundeck. The Main is considered the most rural of the major German rivers even tho it has been tamed by canals and locks. It certainly lived up to its name that afternoon.

Perhaps the most unusal boat we passed on the cruise was this obviously home-made houseboat which seemed to be steered by four or five attractive young women. They might actually have been poling it along, as we didn’t see a motor. The river isn’t very deep so this is possible.

But the day wasn’t over yet, as it was the senior Rambler’s birthday. Our waitstaff and the restaurant manager coordinated their efforts to serve a lovely meal and provide a birthday cake as we sat at our favorite table for two. They even sang Happy Birthday! All in all, it had been a totally satisfying day.

Our favorite waiters singing Happy Birthday to the senior Rambler! All the staff on a Uniworld ship are great but they were exceptional.
Docking in Wurzburg, The Wurzburg Residence

# The Wurst of Wurzburg…

April 15, 2021 1954 Leave a comment

As soon as the cruisers got back from Rothenburg, the Princess prepared to set off for our next stop; this time we really would dock in Wurzburg. Our arrival was just around breakfast time, with both excursions set for 9AM. The Ramblers had visited Wurzburg on another Uniworld cruise and expected to be docked in the center of town, with a paved promenade alongside and a view of the Marienberg Fortress across the river. What we didn’t realize was the because of the many cruise ships on the river at this peak time of the year, we would end up at the Alter Hafen with a view of electric power lines and train tracks.

This was our view the first time we visited Wurzburg, from our dock on the other side of the Main.

Alter Hafen means “old port” and this sounds like it would be quaint and enjoyable but such is not the case. If the Rambler had know this, she would have signed up for the tour of the Prince Bishop’s residence even tho the Ramblers had visited it on the previous cruise. However, we had expected to enjoy a leisurely stroll along the Main, people watching and perhaps stopping at a cafe. A look around from the sun deck quickly showed us that there was absolutely no place to walk. The princess did offer a shuttle bus into town in the afternoon, which would be our only option to see something of Wurzburg. Even that turned out to be a disappointment. More about this later.

Unfortunately, this was our view from our dock this time. We did get to see trains rush by every so often.

Of course it was a beautiful day in the mid-seventies, but I have to say, we didn’t enjoy it as much as we could have. From our lovely day in the small village of Volkach, we now had a vew of the industrial old port on all sides. Our friends had all gone on the tour of the Bishop’s Residence so we had leisure time on our hands but not much to fill it.

In doing research for this blog, I found that the Alter Hafen dated to the 19th century but when the Main was canalized to improve navigation and lessen flooding, commercial river traffic was shifted west of Wurzburg after WWII and the existing port buildings and warehouses have gradually been conveted to a cultural center, concert venue and night club as well as an art museum. There was a rather strange large vase-like standing not far from our docking spot, and the Rambler is sure it was a sculpture of some kind, but she hasn’t found any information about it on the web…yet. If anyone knows, please send me an email.

Here is the mysterious giant vase. It must have some significance.

Unfortunately the Ramblers weren’t aware of the repurposed buildings and from our docking spot the was no indicaion they existed. Even if we had known, they wouldn’t be as much fun as aa stroll along the promenade.

However, there is somthing our readers should know about Wurzburg’s history. In the last days of WWII, only 2 months before the end of the war, 80% of the city, including its historic center was reduced to rubble in a giant firestorm. The mostly civilian poppulation of Wurzburg, at that time, a city of 100,000 suffered through an unimaginable event. Afterwards, three thousand terribly burned bodies were buried in a mass grave. Two thousand others were never found, and almost all of the survivors suffered burns of some kind.

The historic center of Wurzburg, shortly after the bombing.

In one night, historic Würzburg disappeared forever. The attack came on the night of March 16, 1945, less than two months before World War Two ended. At this point, Germany’s defeat was clearly imminent. Yet, at around 9:30 PM on that March evening, 236 planes filled the sky over the ancient city of Würzburg which had little to no strategic significance. On the same night, another 280 planes were headed out to destroy another centuries-old city of great beauty: Nürnberg which had the misfortune to be considered the archetypical German city by Adolf Hitler.
According to official statistics between 360,000 to 380,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on Wurzburg in three waves, including 180 to 220 high-explosive bombs weighing 500 kg each. Soon Würzburg was an inferno racked with 1,000 to 2,000 degree Celsius heat by midnight. The intensity of the heat and fire destroyed what bombs could not. There were few bomb shelters and most of the residents of the crowded historic area, cowered in their basements as the bombing began. However, the cellars provided little protection and as the fire raged, people ran from their overheating cellars to the Main river, screaming and praying for help. The death count at the time was at least 5,000 civilians.

Over 3,700 of the casualties were women and children, most of them painfully burned to death. Four fifths of the living space was destroyed and 35 churches and almost all public buildings and cultural memorials were absolutely ruined. The city was transformed from a magnificent mecca of culture and art into two and a half million cubic meters of rubble, ashes and burnt flesh. In 1939, Wurzburg had a population of 112,997. By 1950, it was reduced to 86,564. There had been no priority factories and no armaments in Wurzburg.

The British airplane crews had been told that it was an “important center of communication” yet the vast majority of bombs dropped were incendiaries with diabolical time delays dropped on residential areas.

It is hard to imagine this beautiful building was a burned out shell in 1945, but by 1950 it had been painstakingly restored to its former beauty.

The Prince Bishops’s Palace which our tour group visited this morning was almost completely burnt out and only the central building with the Vestibule, Garden Hall, Staircase, White Hall and Imperial Hall survived the inferno, however their roofs were destroyed.

From the attic the fire ate down through wooden ceilings and floors, and all the furnishings and wall panelling which had not been stored elsewhere were devoured by the flames. Much of the furnishings and large sections of the wall panelling of the period rooms had been removed in time and thus escaped destruction. As German forces faced defeat, the people of Wurzburg had removed some of the irreplaceable items to safer places. Among them were the most precious relics and statures from the churches in the historic district.

The strong stone vaults of the Residence withstood the collapse of the burning attic. However, because the roofs had gone, further damage was incurred in the ensuing period due to dampness. In the Court Chapel, for example, most of the ceiling frescoes by Byss succumbed to the subsequent consequences of the fire, in spite of the intact vault, and had to be laboriously reconstructed. Fortunately, there were still craftsmen availble who understood the ancient art. However before the restoration could begin, the area had to be cleared of a huge amount of rubble, most of which was carried away by “rubble women,” who made up a large part of the labor pool with many of their menfolk either killed, wounded or prisoners of war. To their credit, the United States troops did their best to help stabilize the existing buildings and ruins. Amazingly, a decade later many of the building exteriors had been exactingly restored and looked just as they did before the war, even tho they were built up from almost total ruin.

Even our bus stop was in front of a wall, not a good place for photography. This was not looking good.

After lunch we decided to ride the bus into Wurzburg to at least get a glimpse of the city. Here again, we were disappointed. The bus stop was quite a distance from the historic area. The Ramblers were not the walkers we had been even a few years ago, and sadly we didn’t get to see much of anything.

The exterior of the Church of Saint Burghard, even in generally neat Bavaria, they have a problem with graffiti on some historic buildings.

Even the famous bridge was too far away. Sadly we walked around a not very interesting part of Wurzburg for 45 minutes until the shuttle bus back to the Princess returned. We did see the parish church of Saint Burkhard, which had some beautiful altars and statues. Although it didn’t look it, the oldest part of the church dated to the 11th century.

This wood carvind commemorates the restoration of historic Wurzburg.

One of the most interesting artifacts in the church, although I didn’t realize it at the time, was a small carved plaque which commemorated the restoration of the church. Evidently, if you know where to look, there are a number of these memorials all over the cty. Wurzburgers have not forgotten that terrible time.

Before we knew it, we were back on the Princess, still docked in the Old Harbor. We were set to leave at 5 PM; our next stop was one of the prettiest towns on the Main, Miltenburg. Hopefully tomorrow would turn out to be much more fun.

Our last view of downtown Wurzburg and the mystery vase as we left the city.

Art of Chocolate, Bavaria, Maria im Weingarten, Volkach

# A Village Day in Volkach but first….

April 8, 2021 1954 Leave a comment

For some reason, I thought our next stop was Wurzburg, but this was not the case. The River Princess would instead dock in the small town of Volkach, one of the many places most river cruises usually sail past. The Ramblers had often thought that since the major stops were increasingly crowded, companies like Uniworld should develop tours in some of the smaller places along the Danube, Main and Rhine. Evidently Uniworld was thinking along the same lines, as Volkach was not one of their usual stops. Thus, when we looked outside early that morning, we were happy to see that ships from the major lines were not rafted up along side. There were a few docked nearby, but they were either private cruisers or locally owned. In truth, there probably wasn’t enough room at Volkach to host many ships.

The dock was on the outskirts of Volkach, which is more like a large village, and there was a path to the historic center of the town, no need to ride a bus. We would walk to the town in the afternoon, as the Princess would spend the whole day in this quiet little place. In the morning there were several guided tour options. First was a drive through the Franconian wine country with a stop for a chocolate and wine pairing; this group would board the Uniworld bus at 8:30 AM. The Rambler was always ready for a ride through the countryside and chose this option. but the senior Rambler opted to stay on board, since he could get off and walk around if he wanted.

Miles and miles of vinyards in the rolling hills of Franconia.

The Princess also offered several other guided options. The most energetic was a guided canoe trip on the old branch of the Main River, which might have been fun twenty years ago. There were also two walking tours offered, both involved visiting wineries, while the final option was a bike tour in the wine country.

Finally there was a Masterpiece Collection option to tour Romantic Rothenburg at a cost of 45 Euro. Since Rothenburg was some distance away, this group would be gone from 1:00 to 5:45 PM. This tour was tempting because Rothenburg is a place that still looks like a story book medieval village complete with castle and half-timbered houses. However, there would be lots of walking and unfortunately, lots of people as it was the high tourist season for Germans as well as visitors from abroad. Thus the Rambler reluctantly took a pass on visiting Rothenburg yet again.

The morning dawned bright and clear but not too warm, perfect for a bus tour. Our somewhat sleepy group boarded the bus promptly- no dawdling for those who wanted to take a tour as they almost always depart promptly. The countryside was lush and green, and we enjoyed our ride through the Franconian hills which were planted with rows and rows of grapes. Here and there one could glimpse a winery in the distance.

To our surprise our bus stopped at a roadside marker at the top of one of the rolling hills. We all scrambled out of the bus and dutifully looked at the marker; of course it was in German, so we climbed back in the bus to continue our drive through the extensive vineyards of Franconia.

A look down a long row of grapevines

Our next stop was in the small village of Swarzach am Main, for a chocolate and wine pairing/tasting at a small company called The Art of Chocolate. It had several branches but the one we would visit was in the small town of Swarzach. The Art of Chocolate was in a large metal buiding which housed a tiny cafe, a chocolate workshop, a room with an array of beautiful and good tasting chocolates and our destination, a seminar room set up with tables for four. It was here that our wine/chocolate pairing would take place

We first enjoyed an interesting lecture on their chocolates and the local wines we would taste. our hostess was very enthusiastic about her products and this filtered down to us as we did enjoy both the chocolates and the wine. The wines were all whites, and I am a red wine enthusiast, so while I enjoyed them, I was not tempted to buy a bottle. The chocolates, however were very tasty and I bought some to take home. Chocolates fit into a suitcase much better than builky wine bottles.

Our tables were set up with chocolates and wine glasses for our tasting.

Afterwards we had a choice of climbing back onto the bus, or walking a short distance to take a small ferry to the other side of the river. The Rambler chose the bus ride, even tho the ferry ride looked like fun My friends Kathy and Jean opted for the ferry and seemed to enjoy their short trip very much.

The happy group who rode the ferry is on their way to the bus.

Then it was back to the ship for lunch. The senior Rambler was waiting for me near the gangplank as we walked onboard. After lunch, we could walk into the historic center of Volkach only a short distance away. Since it was a beautiful afternoon, we opted to walk into town but did’t go with the main group as the Ramblers are not speedy walkers and we didn’t want to hold anyone up.

As it turned out, the place the Rambler would have enjoyed visitng most was the Pilgimage Church of Maria im Weingarten, a late medieval pilgrimage church located only a short distance from the town center. Volkach, after all only had a population of 8,000. Unfortunately our cruise director didn’t mention it and I only learned about it when doing research for this blog entry. It is probably just as well that we missed it as the path to the church was mostly uphill and it wasn’t one of the senior Rambler’s good walking days.

Maria im Weingarten is perched on the top of a hill. In the foreground you can see the tiny chapel like structures house the Stations of the Cross which line the path.

However, if you have a chance to visit Volkach, do visit this ancient little church as it is a place of peace and tranquility.The Catholic pilgrimage church “Maria in the vineyard” is located above the Franconian wine village Volkach on the Mainschleife in the Lower Franconian district of Kitzingen. The late Gothic church is lsurrounded by the vineyards of the main Franconian wine-growing region on the Volkacher Kirchberg.

It still houses an important work of art by the carver Tilman Riemenschneider which dates from the 1500s.. This beautiful carving of the Madonna of the Rosary was stolen and mutilated in the early 60’s, but restored to its original beauty in 1963. This was due to the efforts of the publisher of the German newspaper Stern (Star), who offered to pay the ransom. The thieves did return the carving and all of the stolen artifacts were eventually rcovered…and the thieves were caught through the efforts of the police.

However if you don’t make it to Maria im Weingarten, Volkach is still an enjoyable place and an easy walk from the river. There is also another church with amazing artwork right in the historic district.

Unfortunately the Ramblers took the wrong path to the historic center of Volkach. We hadn’t started out with the main group, but we headed up what we thought was the right path. Instead, it took us away from the historic center and when we finally reached a cross street, we could see that our destination was two blocks in the opposite direction. We finally did get there, and found many of our friends enjoying a coffee or a glass of wine at one of several outdoor cafes. We were happy to join them. This gave the Rambler another chance to enjoy one of her favorite drinks in Germany and Austria, an Eiskaffe. if you haven’t guessed, it is a mix of icecream and hot coffee and an excellent refresher on a warm day.

The truly amazing interior of St. Bartholomew and St. George bursts forth in joyous beauty.

The church of St. Bartholomew and St. George has been the parish church of Volkach since medieval times, and even today, the life of the village is shaped by it. The church tower is the highest landmark in the area although the rest of the exterior is fairly plain. However, the interior, redecorated in the 18th century, has amazing three dimentional rococo statues and paintings but still retains some of its earlier medieval simplicity in its Lady Chapel. Our little group from the Princess was very happy that we were able to visit this parish church. It must be a joy for the parishoners to attend Mass there every Sunday.

The candles before the altar in the Lady Chapel attest that many kneel here in prayer.

All in all, our stop in this small town was a great succes, as we all felt that we had enjoyed a part of small town Bavaria that still exists in the 21st century.

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

November 11, 2020 1954 Leave a comment

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.

Beautiful Fountain, Documentation Center, Frauenkirche, Männleinlaufen Clock, Nuremberg Rally Grounds

# Nuremberg; our most disturbing tour followed by a lovely finish — but no bratwurst yet again…

October 8, 2020 1954 1 Comment

The Princess left rainy Regensburg at 5 PM, headed for Nuremberg(Nurnberg). The Rambler is not sure if the people who took the Masterpiece Collection tour of the Hops growing region of Bavaria made it back in time…pretty sure they did as I don’t remember a technical stop to pick them up. This tour did sound like it might be fun but not on a rainy day. This group was to have met the Bavarian Hop Ambassador and learned about hop cultivation from her. They would then visit the hop field and enjoy the local beer. It would have been great fun on a sunny day but not this rainy day with a high of 72.

Hops grow in a region of Bavaria called the Hallertau, and have done so for centuries. The hops grow on tall vines; here the Hop Ambassador is checking the hops which are used to give beer a distinctive flavor.

The Ramblers enjoyed a quiet evening on board chatting with our friends and discussing the next day’s activities. The senior Rambler decided he would stay on board, as the Nuremberg City Tour planned for the next day would last from 9:30 to 4:00 PM. However, the Rambler would have plenty of company because our new friends, Laura, Jean and Kathy would all be part of the gentle walkers group. We didn’t know what to expect as our program simply said we would visit the Nazi Rally Grounds and Zeppelin field and then tour an exhibit at the Documentation Center. Afterwards we would drive through the city and have some time for lunch in the medieval marketplace…and perhaps a bratwurst… getting back to the ship around 4 PM.

The approach to the Congress Center on the other side of a small lake.

The Ramblers had toured the Rally Grounds several years ago and you will find them described in an earlier post. We did not leave our bus this day, but simply drove through the massive, decaying grounds. In 2019, the German state decided, after much debate, to conserve but not restore Hitler’s massive but unfinished constructions as both a warning and remembrance of an ugly time in their past.

Aerial view of the massive Congress Hall ; the entrance to the Documentation Center is on the left.

In 1900 Nuremberg was known as the toy capital of Germany but by the 1930’s it had become Hitler’s favorite city and he established the grim and grandiose headquarters of the Nazi party there. In effect, there were now two Nuremberg’s, one a happy place and and the other steeped in darkness. Today, we would see both, starting on the dark side and then visiting the main square with its market, restaurants, historic “beautiful” fountain and lovely Frauenkirche (Our Lady’s Church).

Because of the long day of touring ahead, the Princess made another technical stop at Roth, so those going on the tour could board their busses at 9:30 AM. This was necessary as our ship wouldn’t reach Nuremberg until 2 in the afternoon. Rivers don’t always take the most direct path; sometimes it is necessary to speed things up with a bus ride. The senior Rambler happily waved me off as we gentle walkers boarded our bus at Roth. The weather forecast promised another cool, cloudy day with a chance of rain; we would get partly cloudy and fortunately no rain!

Map of the complex ix 1940, with the Congress Hall at the top.

The Ramblers had not visited the Documentation Center on our earlier visit and the Rambler had no idea what to expect. Its name is misleading as while the Documentation Center does contain many documents, they are displayed in a most unusual way in a very unusual building. it is actually built onto a part of the huge but unfinished and decaying Congress Hall, inspired by the Colosseum in Rome but built mainly of red brick. You enter in the new part of the structure up a long flight of steps (there is a handicap entrance, beneath the stairs.) Above the entrance, the structure is pierced by a huge steel arrow (according to the architect.)

This is the best photo of the entrance I could find, It clearly shows the “arrow.” The handicap accessible entrance is directly below the stairs. and lead to an elevator which will take you to all floors. Those who have mobility issues need not worry about visiting the Documentation center.

Since it was the height of the vacation season in Germany, the Documentation Center was already crowded when we arrived about 10:30. The crowds milling around inside somehow added to our experience as we carefully navigated around the many twists and turns of the mazelike exhibit levels in semi-darkness. The four of us later agreed that there was something unsettling and uncomfortable about our time at the Documentation Center. Despite the extremely interesting exhibits, we were all glad when it was time to leave. Incidentally, the Center has a small café where you can purchase snacks and drinks but this is temporarily closed due to social distancing.

Here yyu can clearly get a sense of the size of the Congress Hall, the entrance is on the left, underneath the structure with the black front. The architect called this the “arrow”!

From 1933 to 1938, the National Socialists held their Party Rallies in Nuremberg. Today the remains of Hitler’s huge structures still bear witness to how his propaganda display was organized and produced. The exhibition in the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds provides an almost three dimensional and comprehensive picture of the National Socialist dictatorship as well as the history of the Party Rallies. Its educational forum also offers numerous programs, and information boards on the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, which cover 4 square kilometers, and explains the history of the site. In addition, it is possible to tour the parts of the huge Congress Hall that are not open to the public by appointment.

This video provides a glimpse of the Center’s interior and its exhibits. Photography was not an option during our visit, because the Rambler was concentrating on not tripping or bumping into someone. It really was crowded and many of the rooms that show videos are quite dark and gloomy.

We all had conflicting feelings as we boarded our bus to head to the main square; we felt we had seen something special, but at the same time we were glad to get back into the open air headed for the heart of Nuremberg.

After a short ride we were dropped off at the Hauptmarkt at the main square of the Alstadt. We would meet our bus again, just off the square after a substantial break to tour the market, church and shops. Lunch was on our own and our first destination as afternoon was already well advanced. The Rambler had heard that there was an excellent place for bratwurst right on the square and her companions agreed this was a great idea.

This is as close as we got to a Nuremberg bratwurst…For some reason, they are quite small and one orders 3,6,9 or 12.

Unfortunately we were only about to find one restaurant that offered bratwurst. Not only was it up a steep flight of stairs but it was CLOSED. I learned later that there were several restaurants that offered bratwurst and other Nuremberg specialties, but they were just off the square and we missed them. Of course every restaurant we checked was fairly crowded but an Italian place called Provenza seemed to have a few open tables so we ventured in and were seated at a table for four.

Provenza, no brats but good pizza !

It was an attractive restaurant but when the waitress brought our menus, the Rambler dared to ask if they might have bratwurst? She looked at me in exasperation and said, “This is an Italian restaurant!” Well, they might have had some… unfortunately the bratwurst quest would continue. Since we were in an ITALIAN restaurant, we went with pizza and fortunately the pizzas were tasty (although they could never be bratwurst) and we had a very pleasant lunch with much shared laughter.

Waiting for our pizza and wine…

Afterwards we split up to check out what the market and shops had to offer agreeing to meet by the fountain in an hour. The Rambler headed to the Frauenkirche. Although it had been reduced to rubble during WWII like most of the other historic buildings in Nuremberg, the Frauenkirche had been carefully rebuilt to look just as it had before the war. Oddly to me, anyway, the Congress Hall and stadium at the Rally Fields had not been bombed….

Unlike many of the churches we visited on this and other tours, the interior of the Frauenkirche is relatively plain; the famous Tucher altar triptych, dating to the middle of the 15th century, is the focus of the area behind the altar.

Fortunately, some of the original statues and stained glass had been saved, likely hidden away, and when the church was restored after the war, they were returned. Those that had been destroyed were replaced by similar artifacts from other churches that dated to the 15th century when the Frauenkirche had been built.

The church has a warm and welcoming vibe, not all do, and the Rambler was content to sit quietly and absorb the spirit of the church which had welcomed visitors for more than 500 years. The church organist enhanced my meditation by playing softly during my visit. The Rambler tries to light at least one votive candle in each church she visits and the Frauenkirche had some available at a side altar which featured a medieval sculpture of the pieta.

This was my favorite place in the Frauenkirche, the medieval artist well portrayed the sorrow of Mary – my candle joined those of many others over the centuries.

Leaving the Frauenkirche, I noticed the entrance steps were worn down by centuries of footsteps which was somehow comforting. Once outside I turned around and looked up at its famous clock.

A close up of the clock, an outstanding accomplishment for its time. The running men enter and exit from the doors on each side. The clock was installed in 1506, and must have been an amazing sight for the townsfolk.

The mechanical Männleinlaufen, meaning running men, begins its song-and-dance history lesson precisely at midday and it is a one-time only event. We arrived much too late to see the mechanical action of its historic figures, and honestly, it is so far up on the tower that one really can’t see much without a good telephoto or binoculars. Bothe the Rambler’s camera and cell phone do not have zoom lenses. Usually they are not missed, but today would have been a good time to use one. Consequently the close-up of the clock came from Wikipedia although there are dozens of clock photos on the web and even You-Tube videos of the Männleinlaufen in action. Not sure why its creators built it so high but they must have had a good reason, since they certainly wanted to impress the townspeople.

The fountain is both meeting place and tourist attraction.

We met up with time to spare at our meeting place by the fountain, not just any fountain, but the Beautiful Fountain of Nuremberg! The current fountain is a replica which was recently restored but the original was built between 1385 and 1386, and the fancy grillwork (or fence) was added in 1587. Because the fountain was originally built out of sandstone, it wasn’t very durable, and it had to be replaced several times. Any time you visit, you will see at least one person climbing the grill to try to turn the golden ring which is hidden in the ironwork. Evidently if you do you, either your wish will be granted or you will return to Nuremberg…

Before long our bus arrived and we climbed aboard for the ride back to the Princess, after a long and satisfying day. The senior Rambler was waiting for me by the dock. Although he had enjoyed the cruise to Nuremberg, our ship was docked along the canal in an industrial area, nothing much to see and do for the folks who had stayed aboard. This is often the case when the stop is at a larger city. The popularity of river cruising has made dock space a premium and it is not always possible for the ships to dock at a scenic spot.

Docking at Nuremberg in an industrial area although not a long drive to the Rally Fields or even the Alstadt.
Danube Maritime Museum, Locking on river cruises, Regensburg BMW plant, Walhalla

# Up the river to Regensburg; the bratwurst quest continues!

September 24, 2020 1954 Leave a comment

Today, the Princess was scheduled to arrive at Regensburg at 9 AM. On the way, our ship traveled through a stretch of the Danube that was both scenic and industrial. Although the Danube and Rhine are blessed with much beautiful scenery, many manufacturing plants are also located along their banks. Most river cruise lines see to it that their ships pass these areas when it is dark out, but this can’t always be arranged. For centuries, the Rhine, in particular, has provided a convenient method of transportation for many commodities, and this continues today. However, river cruising has become so popular in recent years that the cruise ships outnumber barges in certain areas.

One of the industrial areas we sailed past during the day.

The Princess would also go through several locks that day. One thing the Rambler has learned is that the Danube is the 2nd longest river in Europe, as the longest is the Volga. However, most of the Danube’s length is eastward as it flows through the Eastern Europe and ends in the Black Sea, and it has relatively few locks. At this point we were almost at its western end in Bavaria.

The Princess would travel through 67 locks on our 15 day cruise between Vienna and Amsterdam. As we are still on the Danube, most of them are ahead of us on the Main and Rhine Rivers as well as the Rhine Main canal. Although our ship would go through many locks at night, the passengers would become very familiar with the daytime locking procedure on this cruise. The stop and go of locking at night, a rare bump or thump and the extremely bright lights that surround a lock, would sometimes wake the Rambler briefly.

Here two of the crew are getting the ropes ready to tie up our ship in the lock. Another ship is already tied up on the right side.
If you look on the left side of this photo, you can see our captain carefully steering our ship through the lock basin as the Princess prepares to enter the lock.

Locking is a stressful time for the Captain and hard work for the crewmen who must tie up and then release the ropes as the ship enters and leaves the lock. Why stressful for the Captain? Because he must carefully pilot the ship into often very narrow channels without bumping into either the lock walls, another ship or even worse, the lock itself. That is why the locks are always brightly lit at night. A month earlier, a ship had damaged the Regensburg lock and ships had to be briefly re-routed. Fortunately the lock was repaired by the time the Princess arrived.

How narrow are the locks? Pretty narrow… The maximum beam of a river boat is capped at 38 ft. or 11.45 meters, because the locks are 12 meters or 40 ft. wide. This is the width of the lock itself, although some locks have a much wider basin that allows multiple ships to wait inside, however they all have to go through one by one. Many locks are only 40 ft. wide overall, and the Captain must keep his boat from banging the lock walls until it is securely tied. This process is often complicated by turbulence as the water goes in or out of the lock. Thus many river cruisers have dents or streaks along their sides from bumping into the lock walls. On our Uniworld cruises, our ships only got scraped a few time, once when a junior captain was at the helm. ( He never got to take the helm during locking on the rest of the cruise!) As soon as they had an opportunity, the crew launched our ship’s small inflatable boat, and motored to the scraped area and quickly repaired and repainted it.

an older river cruise boat, long and narrow it only has a sundeck and two lower decks. Perhaps because it is so low, it does look extra narrow.

Once in a while, you see an older river cruise boat which seems to be even narrower than the newest river cruisers still only 38.5 wide, if their route takes them through locks. The Ramblers think this is a good thing as their relatively small size is one element that separates river cruising from ocean cruising. Some companies have built longer ships to provide more space for passengers, and one company has a double wide ship, but it is limited to a part of the Danube without locks . The Viking ships are all over 400 ft. long and carry close to 200 passengers and Uniworld has several super ships over 400 ft. However river ships have a length limit as well or they would have trouble maneuvering around tight bends and wouldn’t fit in the smaller locks.

The Princess is waiting for a barge to clear the lock before she gets the green light to enter.

The lock and canal system on the Rhine/Main/Danube completed in 1992, has benefited its economy in several ways. Not only does it provide relatively inexpensive transport of bulk materials including grain, ore, scrap metal, and liquid fuel to name a few. In the last 20 years, river cruising has brought increasing numbers of tourists to the Rhine, Danube, Rhone, Saone and Main Rivers as they are the most suited to cruising. Locks and canals have tamed their currents and provided a minimum depth except in very dry years. The dams connected with many locks also furnish an excellent source of hydroelectric power. One of the few negatives resulting from canal construction has been the entry of invasive species , while some mourn the passing of the “wild rivers” of the past. However, the water is amazingly clear in many areas and there are many campgrounds along the rivers where people boat, fish and even swim, despite a sometimes swift current and passing ships.

Because the Ramblers visited Regensburg several years ago, this blog takes a different look at this part of the Danube. And now, a look at Regensburg and the surrounding area. First off, Regensburg is much more than the historic district; it is the 4th largest city in Bavaria. It has been an important destination since Roman times, and was both a political and intellectual center during the Middle Ages and the capital of Bavaria for four centuries.

Today it is a cosmopolitan university center with outstanding programs in music education and polytechnic studies. However, Regensburg also employs more than 100,000 people in light engineering, electronics and vehicle industries. International firms including Siemens, Toshiba and BMW have factories in Regensburg and today our cruisers would have an opportunity to tour the BMW plant.

Walhalla from the Danube, the dock isn’t visible but local tour boats stop there.

On the way to Regensburg we cruised past a beautiful Greek temple, a copy of the original Pantheon, built high on a hill above the Danube. Although we didn’t stop there, the Rambler learned that this imposing edifice was Walhalla, built in the 19th century between 1830 and 1842 by Ludwig of Bavaria to honor famous Germans and those who spoke a Germanic tongue. It holds over 65 plaques and 180 busts covering over 2,000 years of Germanic history. Busts are still being added to this pantheon, a mix of scientists, writers and clerics, both men and women.

Aerial view of Walhalla, thanks to Wikipedia. As you can see, it is much larger than it appeared from the river side.

The complex, and it a quite a large one with extensive grounds, has received many 5 star reviews and is highly recommended And the entry fee is modest, only 4.50 Eu plus 2.50 for parking.

The last time we visited Regensburg, our ship docked on the other side of the river near the old stone bridge which dates from the 12th century. At that time, the bridge was in the process of renovation, and we had to zigzag our way across it to the historic district, however we were then right in front of the alstadt. Today we docked on the historic district side, although quite a distance from its entrance, but no bridge crossing necessary.

One of the highlights of the Regensburg stop, is a visit to the BMW factory, a huge series of buildings a short bus ride away from the historic district. Last time we went right from the historic district to the plant, missing lunch. There were no snacks, not even water, available inside the plant until the end of the tour which lasted over 2 hours. The Ramblers along with the rest of our tour group, were tired, thirsty and hungry when we got back to our ship. The Ramblers had a sandwich in the bar onboard but others stayed in town for lunch. Fortunately, this year, passengers had a choice of the historic district tour OR the BMW factory visit, much more sensible to chose one rather than do both back to back

Hail falling in July! It made the gang plank quite slippery for a while until it melted. Luckily the ship matched up well with the river here, so no steep up or down hill..

The senior Rambler didn’t want to tour this cloudy, chilly morning and just as the city tour group was assembling, it started to hail. An amazing amount of hail hit the ground and the gangplank, and this was followed by rain. The Rambler decided she wouldn’t join the tour group but would take a stroll when the rain ended which it was supposed to do shortly. So, I sat by the exit door and had fun watching the crew take the clean laundry on board. The sheets and pillowcases were wrapped in tidy plastic bundles and the housekeeping staff set up a chain of available people to catch the laundry bundles, making a game of what could have been boring work. Even the Captain got involved for a little bit.

The housekeeping staff is having fun getting the laundry on board.

Sheets on board, the rain stopped and the Rambler set out for the historic district, at least a half mile away, passing a long string of docked river cruisers.

The older steam tug was built in Austria but was then sold to a Hungarian company thus it has two names.

On the way she noticed two old ships docked near the historic district. They were part of the Danube ship museum which looked interesting but was not open at the time. She learned later that these two boats, the Ruthof/Ersekosanad and the Freudenau made up a museum complex founded in 1979 and opened in 1983. Today the museum is maintained by volunteers and contains a variety of exhibits relating to the maritime history of the Danube. The Ersekosanad, a steam tug, has quite a checkered history; built in 1923, it actually spent a dozen years underwater until it was raised and restored. The newer Freudenau is diesel powered and can sometimes be found motoring along the Danube on short trips.

Slowly the Rambler got ever closer to her goal, the Wurstkuchl, “sausage kitchen) which lays claim to being the oldest fast food restaurant in the world.

The Wurstkuchl was open but the Rambler again did not take advantage of her opportunity to try the famous Regensburger sausages.

Regensburger sausages are famous, but the Ramblers had to pass by the sausage kitchen the last time as they were headed to the BMW plant. This time, the Rambler was on her own and had plenty of time to try their famous bratwurst. How would it compare to others she had tasted? Alas when she reached her goal, the gloomy skies foretold more rain and even more telling, the senior Rambler was not available to kibitz. Sadly, she only took a photo of the restaurant, admired the restored Stone Bridge, and trudged back to the ship. Surely she would find another place in Bavaria to enjoy bratwurst, but today was not the day.

The old stone bridge attracts many visitors. Only small boats can travel under it as the arches rest on massive stone foundations under the water. The Princess would have to go around.

## Ramble the world with us