MEMORIES OF MS TREASURES, OUR RIVERBOAT HOME FOR TWO WEEKS

The sleek lines of the beautiful MS Treasures

Sunset sailaway 

Sun Deck and hot tub railings removed for upcoming bridges

Tempting snacks always available

Always a beautiful buffet for breakfast and lunch -
or order from the menu if you felt lazy.

Some light refreshment on a sunny day

Well stocked wine cellar 

The Bistro's al fresco eating area for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Welcome home after a day of exploring

The busy Wheelhouse 

Impressive fortresses

Beautiful reflections

Grapevines in full Fall colour

A soothing day cruising the Danube

Lots to appreciate from the sundeck

Bavarian lunch in the dining room

The Panorama Lounge - AKA the bar

Complete with a fabulous bartender

The rumour was true - we had
run out of beer!

The crew lower the bicycles

The aft Bistro

The Compass Rose dining room

Lobby from cabin floors looking to Panorama Lounge and Compass Rose

The sundeck living up to its name

Waiting for the lock to fill

Daylight outside, we were in the
depths of the lock

The mossy lock walls within
touching distance from our window

Locks open and off we go again

Riverboat cruising and the French Balcony

THE WRONG PLACE TO SUFFER CHURCH FATIGUE

Impressive interiors of Cologne Cathedral

After the last three weeks visiting famous European landmarks, museums and churches we wondered if Cologne Cathedral would be one church too many. We needn't have worried.  This Church visit was one to top them all.

The Cathedral's spectacular twin spires, completed in the mid-1800s, can be seen from virtually anywhere in the City.   

Cologne was flattened during World War Two bombing but Germany’s greatest Gothic Cathedral survived. The stained glass windows and art treasures had been removed in anticipation of bombing and while numerous bombs did significant damage to the Cathedral's structure, the glassless windows had the effect of minimizing the blast impact.

Shrine to the Three Wise Men

The interior of the Cathedral, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, has the effect of making one feel incredibly small but a good guide did a first rate job of bringing the Cathedral's turbulent history to life.

Particularly interesting, the shrine to the three wise men and a modern stained glass window overlooking the transom that castes beautiful light over the interior as the sun moves across the building.

The Romans had a long stint in Cologne and during post war reconstruction a treasure trove of artifacts was discovered.  

The Romano Germanic Museum opened in 1974 right next door to the Cathedral. 

The AD 220 Dionysus Mosaic

The Museum was built over the remains of a Roman villa and its famous Dionysus Mosaic (AD 220) that once decorated the floor of its elegant dining room.  Apparently at a G8 summit world leaders dined on this ancient floor. What were they thinking?

Part of the Museum's impressive collection 
of Romanesque glass

The Museum has the largest collection of Roman glass in the world.

The star exhibit is a 4th Century "cage cup" created through a painstaking process of delicate filigree work carved through layers of different coloured glass.  

The Cathedral and Museum are surrounded by modern buildings with a bustling shopping street occupying what was once an ancient Roman road.  

The 4th Century cage cup

One of the many nearby coffee shops provided an ideal spot to ponder our cultural morning in this modern powerhouse of a city while enjoying cappuccino, German apple cake and friendly service.

Sailing on to Amsterdam, our final port of call, the importance of the Rhine to the industrial heartland of Europe was really brought home to us  We were now outnumbered by fast moving cargo barges laden down with all manner of goods - probably fortunate that the Robber Barons were out of business. 

We noticed that many boats had a car or two parked on the aft deck - perhaps the captain and his crew drove home after a delivery?

One vessel bearing the name “Sailing Home” passed us in the opposite direction.  It struck a chord after such a wonderful journey across Europe.  

It was time to go home.

CASTLES OF THE MIDDLE RHINE

Castles on the Rhine

The profusion of castles in various states of repair lining the Rhine between Mainz and Cologne have a fascinating history.

The narrowing river and the mountainous terrain provided the Robber Barons of the Middle Ages with an ideal place to build their fortresses and demand tolls from merchants who used the river to transport goods, the roads being far too dangerous. 

It was a case of "Hobson's Choice" for the merchant. If the merchants refused to pay the toll they would be imprisoned in the dungeons of one of the castles, or worse. 

The next Castle more impressive than the last

These strategically positioned feudal toll stations provided an excellent source of income for the Barons and their friends in the church.  Lucrative in the extreme, every inch of land was hotly contested and defended.

The Robber Barons built their castles when feudalism was at its height during the 11th and 12th centuries.  Peasants served their baron although the baron didn’t exactly live a life of luxury. The castles, while imposing from the river, were cold, damp and dark. Life revolved around war, honour and power and this continued with no great change until the French Revolution.  

Vines turning colour lift the rainy landscape

Fortified by Rudesheimer Coffee we braced ourselves for the windy ride from Rudesheim to Koblenz, a distance of 38 miles. The bar on board MS Treasures was an extremely busy place for the transit as temperatures hovered around the zero mark. Forays out on deck for those essential photographs were rewarded with your choice of brandy or schnapps.

The Lorelei Siren

One particularly dramatic landmark occurs as the Rhine narrows at the Lorelei Rock rising 400 feet above the water line.  The river depth plunges here and is one of the most dangerous places on the Middle Rhine with shipping controlled by traffic lights.  

Lorelei of course comes with its own romantic myths about a distraught woman sitting on a nearby rock combing her locks while luring sailors to their destruction in the turbulent waters.  Time for another Rudesheimer.

Street lights glowing over the
raindrops falling on the Rhine

Docking in Koblenz we walked to Deutsches Eck - German Corner - the headland where the Moselle and Rhine rivers join.  In 1897 the former German Emperor William 1 was honoured with a giant equestrian statue which was erected at the headland.  

Remnants of the Berlin Wall

After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 three parts of the wall were erected next to the statue, with the purpose of representing German unity.  

The rain now coming down heavily we retreated on board for the overnight journey to Cologne.

WINING IN WURZBURG

The Prince Bishops palace on the hill overlooking Wurzburg simply wasn't large enough

The riverboat was moored in Wurzburg and after our visit to Rothenburg earlier in the day, we returned to explore the city with a heavy focus on a magnificent wine cellar.

For centuries the prince bishops wielded enormous power in the region, ruling the area from their hilltop fortress. But they decided this massive structure was not big enough and a new, larger palace was constructed in the middle of town. Simply known as "The Residenz" the building is absolutely vast and the wine cellar beneath it impressive.

Wurzburg was practically razed to the ground during World War Two fire bombing. The survival of the Residenz’s magnificent frescoed ceiling was largely due to the efforts of John Skilton - one of the famous Monuments Men.  The former curator of Washington DC's National Art Gallery, Skilton and his colleagues joined troops across Europe after D-Day to rescue cultural monuments stolen by the Nazis.

Wurzburg’s Residenz suffered heavily during the bombing and the roof of the central vault was destroyed leaving Tiepolo’s “Olympus and Four Continents” exposed to the elements. John Skilton led efforts to successfully salvage the painting before weather could destroy it.

Aspects of Tiepolo's "Olympus and the Four Continents"

 

Turning to more convivial pursuits, a special treat was in store. Wine tasting in the former Prince Bishop’s Court Cellar underneath the Residenz. Staatlicher Hofkeller was established in 1128.

Wonderful atmosphere in the Wine Cellar!  Beautifully carved barrels illuminated by candlelight

Viticulture was introduced to the Franconian region of the Main in the Middle Ages thanks to the Monks. 

State of Play in the wine cellar

The region specializes in white wines and we sampled a 2014 Horsteiner Muller-Thurgau, a 2014 Randersackerer Marsberg Silvaner and, our favourite, a 2014 Hofkeller Wurzburg Riesling. 

Schneeballen - BEWARE!

The flavourful wine had left a pleasant taste on the palate, thankfully finally putting to bed the lingering memory of the Schneeballen, a deep fried ball of shortcrust pastry rolled in sugar and cinnamon and a Rothenburg specialty tackled earlier in the day.

A little had gone a very long way!

ONCE UPON A TIME IN ROTHENBURG

The Romantic Road is a 220 mile route that begins in Wurzburg and follows the Main River to the Bavarian Alps.  The route connects castles, picturesque medieval towns, vineyards and rolling countryside.

Rothenburg is undoubtedly the fairytale superstar of the Romantic Road. 

All that is missing - Hansel and Gretel

One of the oldest, Rothenburg is quaint and unspoiled.  Despite all the hordes of visitors and an overabundance of Christmas shops, its hard not to feel transported back in time with ancient houses leaning this way and that on either side of the well worn cobbles. 

The town can thank economic stagnation after various wars for making it too poor to rebuild its town in the prevailing architectural styles of the 17th and 18th centuries. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The 19th century brought strict preservation orders protecting the steep-roofed timber houses and their expansive Gothic gables.

Rooted in its 12th Century beginnings, the town’s covered fortifications are worth exploring for magnificent views over the dramatic rooftops. It was surprising how quickly the crowds disappeared as we climbed the ancient stone steps (very carefully) to reach the walkway. There was virtually no one else there and as an occasional oncoming walker passed us we found ourselves giving one another a knowing nod that we had discovered something really special.

There is nothing more to say about Rothenburg - the pictures seem to do all the talking.

Stunning buildings line the town's main square

A walk along the town's scenic fortifications provided wonderful views
over the town and the countryside beyond