WE HAVE REACHED CRUISING ALTITUDE

The ups and downs of our riverboat's transit through the RMD Canal

One of the highlights of a Danube riverboat trip is the crossing of Europe’s Continental Divide.  To pass over the Divide river craft transit 16 locks over a 100 mile distance, lifting themselves over 1300 feet above sea level at the highest point.  

It was only a fanciful thought but somehow when we had reached the high point in the transit we thought it would have been nice for the captain to have announced “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached cruising altitude”, albeit fleetingly.

Passing upward through the massive locks of the Rhine Main Danube Canal during the night, in our half sleep it felt as though we were travelling through a giant car wash as the waters rushed and swirled into each lock compartment.

Fall colours at their very best

And then the descent. The next three locks were the steepest in our Canal transit, each lock lowering the vessel by a massive 80 feet. 

In 1992 the RMD Canal opened after 32 years of construction  linking the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers, connecting the Black Sea in Romania with the North Sea in the Netherlands. The Canal is a small but important link in the 2200 mile waterway, created through a series of dams, locks and hydroelectric power stations.

Arriving in the port of Nuremberg later that morning, we would not be leaving the RMD Canal until Bamberg, our next port of call the following day.

Ivy geranium tumbled from window boxes in the charming buildings of Nuremberg castle

We spent the afternoon walking the medieval cobbles of Nuremberg, Bavaria’s second largest city.  Architecturally interesting, the city in its day was a magnet for artists, the most famous of all being Albrecht Durer - his house an authentic representation of his time and talent.

Across from the Albrecht Durer's house, on a street named for him

Nuremberg was a powerhouse during Germany’s industrial revolution and later the Nazis chose it as the perfect place to rile up the working classes.  

The boycotting of Jewish businesses began here and the infamous Nuremberg Laws outlawing German citizenship for Jews enacted. 

After World War Two the city was chosen as the site for the war crimes tribunal, the Nuremberg Trials.

With the shadow of that history fixed in our minds we strolled the uneven streets admiring the ivy geraniums that trailed lazily from window boxes perched on window ledges all over the old town.

By some fluke, a Canadian flag falls on Doug
  

The Canadian flag that spontaneously fell from a display of flags outside a gift shop in the square caused great amusement with the passers-by when they realized we were Canadian. We said it was probably a not so subtle reminder that the day after we get home it is Election Day.  And of course we shouldn't let jet lag prevent us from voting (it didn't).

In the main square a farmers market was in full swing in front of the cathedral - organic farmers and beekeepers displayed their wares, agricultural equipment was on display and of course the beer gardens and sausage stops abounded.

The aromas reminded us we were hungry and while the beer was tempting we thought of Prague. So sorry Germany, but those Czechs really know how to make beer.