Monday the 24th we had some more great experiences in Koblenz. Don took the more vigorous tour to the Marksburg Castle. I am certain that he has some lovely photos on his phone. I opted for a cable car ride up and over the Rhine to Ehrenbreitstein fortress. The views were spectacular! First was the German Corner, Deutches Eck, where the Moselle River joins the Rhine. There is statue of Kaiser Wilhelm with state and national flags. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.
At the fortress the guides are actors dressed in period clothes and speaking of the events current to 1836. It was fun to learn about the fortress units manner. The fortress was really impressive.
General Patton was also in Koblenz in WW II.
While we were touring, our ship moved on to Braubach where we reconvened at lunchtime. We sailed the Middle Rheingold under a cloud cover and occasional shower. There was also a demo of Rudesheim coffee plus tasting. I am bringing the recipe home.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Sunday, August 23, we are touring in Cologne, Germany. It is a beautiful old city. The weather is definitely cooperating. We did the walking tour of the city. Since it was Sunday we were only able to see the interior of the great Cologne Cathedral briefly. Then mass began. Also most stores were closed.
The ship was docked quite conveniently near the Chocolate Museum. We saw the history of many aspects of chocolate, from growing, harvesting, roasting, etc. There were at least 3 floors of displays, many had interactive components. Then we walked amongst production machinery and had a sample from the chocolate fountain. Finished our tour in the shop, buying our own bars to enjoy later.
We also crossed one of the city bridges and sat on the patio to taste a Kolsch beer.
Our cruise director gave a presentation on Germany that afternoon, also.
The ship was docked quite conveniently near the Chocolate Museum. We saw the history of many aspects of chocolate, from growing, harvesting, roasting, etc. There were at least 3 floors of displays, many had interactive components. Then we walked amongst production machinery and had a sample from the chocolate fountain. Finished our tour in the shop, buying our own bars to enjoy later.
We also crossed one of the city bridges and sat on the patio to taste a Kolsch beer.
Our cruise director gave a presentation on Germany that afternoon, also.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Saturday we did a walking tour at Kinderdijke, the Nederlands. It is designated a UNESCO world heritage site. There are 19 windmills that were used to drain and claim land, basically peat in this area. We were able to tour one completely. As the breeze came, the canvases were opened on the blades. Then the whole roof is turned to catch the wind power. Pretty ingenious workings. The later mills were built of wood instead of brick and were octagonal instead of round to better distribute them weight. As fascinating as all this engineering is, we left the tour and walked back to a shop torent
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Today we are starting a new adventure. We will arrive in Amsterdam on Friday morning and leave Friday evening on the Mimir river cruise ship. We are with our traveling companions who are part of our church family and good neighbors. We have taken vacations and expeditions in all seasons over the last dozen years or more. We always have a wonderful time.