Monthly Archives: May 2019

Basel Market Place, Basel Switzerland, COOP Department store, Jean Tinguely fountain

Basel, the city of frescoes and fountains

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Friday morning after our last breakfast on the River Queen, we transferred to the Les Trois Rois Hotel in Basel for our two day extension in Basel. Les Trois Rois or The Three Kings hotel is a venerable hostelry on the bank of the Rhine. More about the hotel later… Before we checked into our rooms, we had an orientation briefing in the hotel Library. The Ramblers were not the only cruisers who had opted for the extension but most of our cruise friends did not. Thus we met a mostly new group of people who were taking the River Queen from Basel back to Amsterdam, as well a a few folks we knew from our cruise.

Our guide, Bernie Jakob, always on the the go.

At the briefing, we met our guide for the extension, Bernie Jakob a very personable and likable guy. Bernie turned out to be an excellent guide who really knew his stuff; my only complaint was that he walked too fast. There was no gentle walkers group on the extension,We were all combined into one, as our numbers were fairly small. We soon learned that our tour would start almost immediately at 10:30 and it was now nearly 10 AM. The senior Rambler was not excited about this and he decided to stay at the hotel. After the tour ended, we would have all afternoon to explore Basel on our own. I would meet him at the hotel when I got back around noon. This turned out to be a good thing, as Bernie led us at a fairly quick pace past some very intriguing buildings.

One thing that surprised me about Basel was the large number of buildings which had frescoes on their facades, many of them in bright colors. Although their style was from ages past it was obvious they were either fairly recent or had been restored not too long ago. Had always thought of the Swiss as conservative but they certainly embrace a very different style of building decoration. Of course we saw striking modern buildings as well even in the historic district.

On display in the shop window were a variety of weapons, including a semi-automatic rifle.

Also in the historic downtown, you could visit a shop displaying a variety of weapons including a semi-automatic rifle in its window. This you probably won’t see anywhere else in Europe. The Swiss still have mandatory military service, and officers are required to keep their guns at home. However, since a mass shooting at the Swiss parliament, they are not allowed ammunition at home, so the guns are useless for home defense. Yet the shooting sports are still a popular family activity in Switzerland. However, there is much greater emphasis on training and regulation for gun owners and users, and most Swiss still enjoy shooting. Nevertheless, as Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Area, tho not a member of the EU, they may have to change their laws to comply with EU regulations, to retain their membership in Schengen. We were in Basel in 2017, and a referendum to comply with the EU just passed in 2019, so perhaps that window display has changed.

The exterior of the Rathaus courtyard with exuberant frescoes on display, inside you will find much older paintings and statues.

Almost before our group could catch its breath, Bernie led us to the central marketplace. There we made our first stop at the Rathaus which had been built in the 16th century. It is a beautiful and unusual building multilayered like an onion. The red stone exterior is decorated with trompe de l’oil from the art Deco period but once you step into its courtyard you see frescoes that date from a much earlier period. The two towers that book-end the building were added later on. The provincial legislature still meets here, and I’m thinking it would be a wonderful place to work.We didn’t have much time to spend there but since the Rathaus was not far from our hotel, the Ramblers could visit it later on.

The courtyard interior complete with more frescoes dating to an earlier period.

One of Bernie’s objectives was to show us how to use the tram system so we followed him onto the nearest tram stop. Electric trams and busses have routes all over Basel. Using a tram was quite simple and we got a fare card to use during our stay. Following our leader again, we got off the tram after riding only a few blocks, close to the imposing Munster church. We then walked through its cloister up to the cliff overlooking the Rhine.

Undoubtedly the most amusing fountain I have ever seen, fun for adults and children alike.

On the way to the Munster, we stopped to enjoy the most amusing fountain I had ever seen. I almost never deliberately take videos with my iPhone, tho I sometime do accidentally. The fountain, a creation of the Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely, was a melange of kinetic futuristic creations that sprayed water at each other in constant motion. I had never heard of Jean Tinguely (1925-1991) but evidently he is well known in Switzerland. There is a museum devoted to his work in Basel. The fountain was a lot of fun to watch as his mechanical creations got to work spraying water. . Have since learned that there are over 300 fountains scattered around Basel, and it is not a huge city. I wager none is as much fun as this one.

When we strolled by the marketplace on our way to the Rathaus, we all admired the products displayed in its stands. Bernie did mention that the products in the stands were quite high priced however we wouldn’t be able to check it out until we headed back to our hotel.

A beautiful display of mushrooms attracted the Rambler, but alas, I had no place to prepare them.

There was so much to see, the time flew by and before we knew it, the tour was over. We had walked in somewhat of a circle and the Trois Rois was not that far away. On the River Queen, food was available whenever we desired it, but during the extension we were on our own for all meals except breakfast. As we again passed the market, some friends from the cruise decide to pick up a few snacks, they did look very appealing, from one of the stands. I recalled Bernie’s comment, and also the time that I bought a very expensive package of raspberries at the Nuremberg market, so I passed on the experience. They later told me that the little bit of cheese(about 1/4 lb.) they bought cost them 80 Swiss francs which is more that 80 US dollars. Expensive indeed. Hope it was at least tasty.

The senior Rambler and I headed out to find a place for lunch after I met him in our room. Bernie had also mentioned that the best place to buy Swiss chocolate if you wanted to bring some home, was at the COOP department store off the market place. I did want to get chocolate for family and friends so we headed there, thinking to find a place for lunch on the way. Bernie, as usual was right, COOP has an amazing chocolate display and the prices are reasonable. They also had a little cafe that served lunch. We decided to eat there and enjoyed a simple, tasty meal. We enjoyed it so much we planned to go back on Sunday our last day in Basel. I later learned that this cafe was one that Rick Steves, ever on the look-our for bargains had recommended.

Some of the self-help snacks at the COOP. All were tasty and well a shopper’s magnet in expensive Switzerland.

As it turned out, we didn’t sample any of the nearby restaurants for dinner. We had bought some snacks to go at COOP and munched on them while enjoying a leisurely evening at the hotel. The next morning we were scheduled to visit Lake Lucerne, have a boat ride on its beautiful lake and then take the optional excursion to Mount Pilatus. This included a cogwheel train ride up the mountain and a gondola ride down. The Rambler was a little nervous about a train that would travel up the mountain at a fairly steep angle but the senior Rambler was game for it, and so we signed up. As it turned out, it would be a very enjoyable experience.

Alsace villages

Alsace village day in the Rain

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On our last day on board the River Queen, we docked at Breisach Germany Thursday morning at 8 AM, however I didn’t get to spend much time at Breisach. The Alsatian Village Day I had signed up for was scheduled to leave at 8:45 AM. Unfortunately, it was a drizzly, grey day, unlike the beautiful sunny ones we had enjoyed. Nevertheless, the thought of strolling along streets lined with medieval houses that looked like they were part of a fairy tale landscape was still appealing. Even the bus ride to our destination was a treat as we motored along country roads dotted with quaint villages, castle ruins and the ever-present vineyards. It had me wishing we could stop at and wander around but before long we were nearing the parking lot at Kaysersberg.

The old stone bridge still protects the entrance to Kaysersberg, as the medieval sentry box still stands watch. It seemed we were walking into a Grimm’s’ fairy tale as we crossed the bridge.

Yet all was not what it seemed. Our local guide told us something we never would have guessed. Most of the villages we drove through and would visit, had been turned into rubble by the end of WWII. Yet almost all were now restored to their former beauty. Alsace-Lorraine, an area France and Germany had fought over for centuries, was the the site of Hitler’s last ditch offensive to hold back the allied advance. Spearheaded by fanatical SS troops mixed in with regular Wehrmacht regiments, Operation North-wind took place in the winter of 1944-45. with heavy casualties on both sides including many civilians. it was hard to imagine the heartbreak of that time this morning.

All that remained of Bennwhir after the battle was this statue, strangely enough, it was a WWI memorial erected with a hope for no more wars! Instead it now serves as a reminder of both WWI and WWII.

As our tour bus motored along country roads, through picturesque villages, we came to one that had not been restored to its original beauty. This was the village of Bennwhir which had been almost totally destroyed in 1945. As we drove through this nondescript town, our guide pointed out a statue of two children in front of a plain modern church. The church had obviously been built in the 50’s of gray stucco with modern stained glass windows. However, the statue, a World War I memorial, called Felicite, of two children holding hands, had been the only thing left standing in Bennwhir after the battle. Perhaps because they didn’t have the heart to restore their town. the citizens of Bennwhir rebuilt their town in post war utilitarian architecture. Thus the buildings are not quaint or colorful but more modern in style and mostly painted in gray tones. Although Bennwhir is on the wine road, it does not have as much tourist activity as its neighboring towns but the residents don’t seem to mind. The Rambler thought Bennwhir was a poignant reminder of the changes wrought by WWII and somehow, quite appropriate.

The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Bennwhir was a stark contrast to the reconstructed Medieval buildings in the other villages but somehow appropriate. The statue Felicite stands in front of the building.

All the other small towns that dot the wine road had gradually been painstakingly restored after WWII until now it is impossible to tell what is old and what was reconstructed as you walk past. However, according to our Alsatian guide, Riquewehr, our second stop was unusual in that the brunt of the fighting swirled around this village and it received little damage. Thus the buildings we would see there really were built during the middle ages. Re-built or original, the villages in this area are among the most beautiful in France. This area has been claimed over for centuries by French and German forces. Over time there was much intermarriage and cultural exchange between the two nations which only made the WWII battles more bitter.

Kaysersberg’s most famous citizen was the renowned humanitarian, theologian, philosopher and medical doctor. Albert Schweitzer. Schweitzer was born in Kaysersberg in 1875 and died 90 years later in Lambarene, Gabon. In his 30’s, Schweitzer, already famous, trained as a medical doctor and headed to Africa where he established a medical mission. He was aided by his wife who had trained as a nurse. Schweitzer is not as well known today as he was in the last century as he received much recognition for his efforts including the Nobel Peace Prize. A simple museum dedicated to his life is at the outskirts of the town. Unfortunately it was closed when we visited.

The museum was a small building which faced the main street. Not very impressive on the outside and we didn’t get to go is as it wasn’t open at the time.

Kaysersberg is more than just a pretty face, it is dominated by a ruined castle, the Chateau de Kaysersberg which protected this strategic area for centuries. Although we had no time to walk up to the ruin, it was visible from almost everywhere in the town. One other shop caught my eye as we headed up the slippery wet cobblestones. Its sign said Elsass Dream, the Porte de Bonheur! Since my name is Elsa, I was naturally attracted to it, but the shop wasn’t open. It seems to be some kind of home decor place so I naturally took a photo. Just the other day, I realized that it probably wasn’t owned by someone named Elsa; in fact if you say Elsass it sounds like Alsace, which it probably meant. Oh well, it was a cute place.

The shop windows were inviting and despite the drizzle, a rack of toy storks already stood outside. Too bad I didn’t have the time to go inside, to find out the true meaning of Elsass Dream!

Kaysersberg also had an ancient fortified bridge, its stone sentry box still stands. It is necessary to cross the swiftly flowing Weiss river which runs past the town. Right at the end of the main street stands the ancient church of the Holy Cross or Sainte Croix. Its oldest part dates back to the 13th century but I have a feeling that it was badly damaged during WWII as the stones of the facade do not look like they have been there for 1000 years. Yet the dimly lit interior had a magnificent altarpiece that must have been painted in the middle ages, as well as a crusader’s tomb. Some of the stained glass in the small windows looked old but other parts were new. We had some free time in Kaysersberg and I spent mine in the church. The Ramblers had just learned we had lost an old friend and it seemed appropriate to remember her in this simple but spiritual place.

The interior of the small Church of the Holy Cross, though dark, glowed in the dim light and was a very spiritual place to light a candale and pray for the family of our old friend.

Lest you think that my visit to Kaysersberg was totally serious, our little group of damp tourists spotted a patisserie not far from the church. Of course it was too good to pass up and we all bought pastries to munch on as we strolled along. The tables out front would have been inviting if the weather had been better. Soon it was time to head for our bus and our second stop at the village of Riquewhir. It was still raining and the cobblestones were slipperier than ever.

Who could pass up such an inviting display of appetizing pastries on a rainy morning?

Even though Riquewhir had kept most of its timber frame buildings intact during the battle of the Colmar Pocket, i didn’t enjoy it very much. Instead of the quiet main street of Kaysersberg, Riquewir’s main street was line with shops and wine tasting bars. Of course there were racks of stuffed storks in varying sizes as the stork is the official bird of the area, although not as plentiful as it used to be. Perhaps the falling birthrate of the area has sent the storks elsewhere as they are not nearly as busy delivering babies as they had been in the past. As for tasting wine at 11:30 AM on a damp, rainy morning, it had little appeal. To make matters worse for me, the terrain was hilly which made the cobblestones even harder to walk on. Thus I made my way slowly and carefully to our bus, and was happy to wait on board. Yet,overall the tour was a good one and I wouldn’t have missed it. When we lived in Metz for Study Abroad, we didn’t have much time to tour the countryside, and this was a delightful area.

Shiny slippery cobblestones going downhill was not the Rambler’s favorite walkway and after testing them out, I decided that I’d take my time and head back to our bus in a nearby parking lot.

Tonight we would have the farewell dinner, and by 4:30, the River Queen would be on her way to our last stop, Basel, Switzerland. There we would disembark but instead of heading home, the Ramblers had opted for extending our stay and seeing something of Switzerland as long was we were there. The first two nights we would stay at Les Trois Rois as part of a Uniworld extension and then on our own at a less expensive hotel down the street.

On to Basel!

European Union, Strasbourg

STRASBOURG, a city of contrasts

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Many years ago, we spent a month in Alsace-Lorraine and planned to return in a timely manner, but life intervened and today we would visit this charming city for the first time in 20 years. While graced with many ancient buildings, Strasbourg is also the home of the largest glass building in Europe and is one of the three capitals of the European Union. The Parliament of the European Union meets here once a month in that amazing building. Because of its close proximity to Germany it was selected as the meeting place for many European Union organizations as well as the Council of Europe, which is not part of the EU.

Only part of the amazing glass home of the Parliament of the European Union viewed from the water. it was completed in 1999, the year after we spent a month in Alsace-Lorraine.

As we were scheduled to arrive in Strasbourg at 11 AM, the River Queen made a technical stop at Gambscheim, France so we could board busses for our morning tour of Strasbourg. This required an early breakfast as our pick-up time was 8 AM. Pretty sure there was some grumbling among the cruisers at the early start. I know the Senior Rambler was not happy about it. Being normally an early riser, it didn’t bother this Rambler as I was looking forward to seeing Strasbourg again after 20 years. We had two options, a walking tour or a canal tour. Naturally we chose the canal tour as the senior Rambler is never an enthusiastic walker tho he enjoys boats of all kinds.

Another ancient building viewed from the water. It was either the Custom’s House built i 1358 or the Old Butcher’s house dating from 1587. They look very similar and serve as museums.

This was another day when our destination was much closer by land than by water and it didn’t take long before our bus reached the boat landing in Strasbourg. Strasbourg is a city of two rivers as well as connecting canals. Although it is a major port on the mighty Rhine, the smaller Ill river also runs through Strasbourg and parallels the Rhine in several places. We would be cruising the Ill through and around the UNESCO historic center of Strasbourg. Because of its strategic location, Strasbourg has been the scene of many battles for territorial control between France and Germany, the latest in the 20th century. Catholic Strasbourg was controlled by Protestant Prussia in the 19th and parts of the 20th century. Thus there is a strong German influence in both its architecture, some of the later buildings were constructed for German occupiers. Perhaps Strasbourg’s shifts between German and French control resulted in a more open attitude towards religious beliefs. The city has both Catholic and Protestant churches and is also the site of the largest mosque in France.

The plaza in front of the beautiful Catholic Cathedral in Strasbourg, famous for it horological clock and beautiful interior was a busy scene that day. I was attracted to a group of tourists poised on their Segways in front of the Cathedral. I wonder if they went inside…

Morning is always a great time for a canal tour and we enjoyed the multitude of swans, the reflections of many buildings on the water and the sun evaporating the mist that rose from the water. The tour was a pleasant way to get an overview of Strasbourg’s varied architecture both historic and modern. However it seemed only a short time until our tour was over and it was time to head back to the River Queen for lunch. Those who wanted could either stay in the historic center or catch a bus back to there later on. The River Queen would not leave Strasbourg until 5:45 PM and Uniworld had scheduled a series of shuttles to and from the city and our mooring spot.

The senior Rambler was happy to head back to the River Queen but needless to say, I had determined that I would take the shuttle offered by Uniworld and stroll around the historic area by myself. I didn’t want to go too far however, as my sense of direction is not the best, and I had no desire to get lost in Strasbourg on my own. Carefully marking the pick-up point on my map, I strolled along the flower bedecked streets on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Then I spotted some workmen in an inflatable boat tied up along the canal wall. It was fun to watch them as they worked to patch the concrete canal wall both above and below the water. However anxiety about catching the shuttle back to the boat overcame me. I headed back to the pick-up point and spotted it fairly easily as there were a number of fellow passengers already waiting there. It was an unseasonably warm day and many had wilted quickly in the heat.

Despite the heat of the sun, these two worked diligently on the wall of the canal in the historic district of Strasbourg.

My early return made it possible for the Ramblers to stroll along the river where the Queen was moored. The docking space was called the Bassin des Remparts and seemed to be the home port of a number of live-aboard barges. This was not surprising as many of the barges that travel the Rhine and Danube are family operations. Often you will see laundry drying in the sun or a child’s playpen on deck. Many also have cars on board so they can get around when they are in port. We enjoyed our stroll as the good weather held and there were at least a dozen barges moored along the path.

We enjoyed our stroll along the river. Strangely we didn’t see anyone aboard any of the many barges tied up along the bank.

Tomorrow would be our last full day on the River Queen as we were very close now to Basel. This part of the Rhine continued to divide Germany and France and would do so almost to the border of Switzerland. However, something unexpected happened on our way to Strasbourg. The Ramblers noticed a strange sound coming from the River Queen’s engines, and then then she continued on her way at a somewhat slower speed. Before dinner we had our usual daily announcement about the next day’s tours from Tabea, our cruise manager. Then Captain Hendrick, our personable and accessible Dutch Captain, took center stage.

Captain Hendrick ruefully told us that one of the Queen’s engines was not working, but we would continue on to Basel according to schedule. The River Queen could manage on one engine but would not break any speed records. The Ramblers talked to Captain Hendrick afterwards and he explained that the engine would not be repaired until they got back to their home port of Amsterdam. Of course Amsterdam is a huge port and it would be easier to repair the engine there, but we didn’t envy the folks who would board the River Queen in Basel in a few days. Those who had cabins near the engines would have a somewhat noisier cruise as the remaining engine would have to work harder than usual, especially since the Queen would be traveling against the current back to Amsterdam.

One engine or two, the River Queen brought us safely to our next port on the German side of the Rhine where we would have a final days touring of Alsace Lorraine before we reached Basel.

Our charming Dutch captain Hendrick shared the news about the broken engine on the River Queen with the passengers at the evening cocktail hour.
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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.