Viking Grand European AMS-BUD Aug 2016 photo journal with pre-cruise Amsterdam

[mimmy52]

It was a nice day for enjoying the town square.

 

 

Our walking tour ended and we shopped our way back.

 

 

 

 

 

We are headed toward Inn of the Giants to try the beer.

 

 

 

And a pretzel

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

I guess I didn't mention that I was with Dee and El, shopping and enjoying beer and a snack.

 

A toast. El and me

 

 

 

Seating outside was full so we were sitting inside near the door. There was a step down and several people stumbled into Dee's chair as they went from light to dark. One person seemed to think it was all Dee's fault.

 

The inside of the Inn

 

 

 

Inside looking out

 

 

 

Walking back to our meeting spot where we'll board busses

 

 

 

 

 

At the riverfront, waiting for a bus

 

[mimmy52]

It was about a 30 minute ride to Wertheim where we were meeting the ship. When we got there, it was just arriving.

 

 

 

 

We were welcomed back and again watched the gangplank being put in place.

 

 

 

Once onboard, we were given a two-color welcome back drink, like fruit punch. Our daily briefing was a little later tonight, 7:15 instead of 6:45, and we had maybe 20 minutes to change. Since I'm in a room with a small window, I often turn on the bow camera. I took these pictures of the screen while the ship was going through a lock.

 

 

 

 

[oxypete]

Something I wondered about when we passed these hilly vineyards was how in the world people could work in them without falling down the hill.

 

Interesting question. In the vineyards you saw, the rows are worked by teams of six or eight. Each team member wears a harness or a belt with a ring in back. A tractor at the top of the hill has a power winch and a rope with clips that attach to each member of the team. The workers start at the top and prune, thin, leaf pull, or harvest depending on the growing cycle. Once the first six or eight vines are finished, the winch lowers the team down to the next set of vines. It is pretty intersting process to watch or try your hand at. I did it once when I was ALOT younger. It takes a bit of balance but it seems to work.

 

Great report - thanks for posting - we are booked for next year.

Edited August 30, 2016 by oxypete

[mimmy52]

Something I wondered about when we passed these hilly vineyards was how in the world people could work in them without falling down the hill.

 

Interesting question. In the vineyards you saw, the rows are worked by teams of six or eight. Each team member wears a harness or a belt with a ring in back. A tractor at the top of the hill has a power winch and a rope with clips that attach to each member of the team. The workers start at the top and prune, thin, leaf pull, or harvest depending on the growing cycle. Once the first six or eight vines are finished, the winch lowers the team down to the next set of vines. It is pretty intersting process to watch or try your hand at. I did it once when I was ALOT younger. It takes a bit of balance but it seems to work.

 

Great report - thanks for posting - we are booked for next year.

 

 

Thank you, Oxypete, for the really interesting information about how vineyards workers are kept safe. Now when I look at those pictures, I won't have to wonder. Wish we could have seen this in operation.

[mimmy52]

Wurzburg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Aug. 10

 

Getting into Wurzburg about 9:00 am. That's what the Viking Daily's says, but I found that often we were docked before the daily's schedule. It's another beautiful day, just need a light jacket.

 

Kappele Wurzburg

 

 

 

Marienberg Fortress

 

 

This morning there are two busses going to Rothenburg and three to Wurzburg, first to the Wurzburg Residenz. Those staying in Wurzburg will be able to walk back to the ship for lunch, then have free time. All busses left at 9:45. I went on the optional Rothenburg ob der Tauber tour since I'd read about it being a medieval village stuck in time, the best preserved walled town. It took about an hour to get there. We entered through one of the gates and our guide led us on a walking tour through town.

 

Entering the walled city

 

 

 

We're in

 

 

 

 

 

St. Jacob's Church

 

[mimmy52]

Church detail

 

 

The Council Drinking Hall. On the façade is a clock, a sundial and a glockenspiel that our guide Dorothea said is the most boring one around.

 

 

 

The Rathaus which is in the Market Place with the Council Drinking Hall

 

 

 

The Rathaus Tower. You can climb to the top for the view. As far as I know, only one of our group tried and he didn't make it all the way to the top. He said he stopped when the stairs got too narrow and steep.

 

 

 

St. George slays a dragon over a fountain in the market place

 

 

 

There is a stork's nest atop that roof

 

[mimmy52]

A closer look at the stork's nest. Messy birds.

 

 

We passed a shop featuring schneeballens in the window. They're like a fried ball of dough with powdered sugar, or caramel, or chocolate, etc. Later I tried a couple. They weren't as bad as I'd been led to believe. Our guide said they're probably thrown away more than any other Rothenburg food.

 

 

 

We were led to a viewing overlook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our walk continued

 

[mimmy52]

At noon we arrived at our lunch destination, Gasthof Glocke

 

 

 

Lunch was included in the tour price, and the menu was pre-arranged. We were told we could sit anywhere there were place settings. I hadn't realized lunch would be included until we were on the ship. In fact, I'd asked my travel agent who said it would have specified lunch if it was included, so I thought we'd be told lunch was on our own. But the night before, PD Sam had said if anyone had special dietary requirements for the lunch, we should see reception. I had requested a vegetarian lunch.

 

Everyone got Franconian potato soup. We could also have Franconian wine from their vineyards, either Muller-Thurgau medium dry or Johanniter dry. I chose the medium dry which came in an amber-stemmed glass. The dry came in a green-stemmed glass. Those at our table and nearby that ordered the dry didn't care for it much. If you didn't want wine, you could also have mineral water, apple juice, coke, beer, and lemon or orange lemonade. Coffee and tea were served later with dessert.

 

 

Because I had the vegetarian meal, I was served mac n cheese with a sprinkling of fried onions on top and a green salad. Under all that lettuce are potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

 

 

Those with the standard meal got home-made Bratwurst, wine-sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes. We all were served French bread with butter.

 

 

 

Interior of the Gasthof Glocke restaurant. Only the group from our bus seemed to be in here. I don't know if the other group ate here later or if they ate somewhere else, unless Gasthof Glocke had another large room that I didn't see.

 

 

 

Finally, all that good food was topped off with a dessert of apple strudel with vanilla sauce, and for some reason I didn't take a picture. Lunch took an hour, and then we had an hour and a half of free time before we had to meet our guide again at the St. George fountain.

 

Right outside the Gasthof Glocke was the postcard view of Rothenburg.

 

[mimmy52]

I started walking around town on my own.

 

The merman with two tails.

 

 

 

 

 

If you'd like your own personal suit of armor, you could have one made.

 

 

 

A lot of people want to visit the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store. There were too many other things I wanted to see.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2016 by mimmy52

[mimmy52]

I walked through the arch in the tower which led to the castle gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And another viewpoint from the gardens

 

 

 

 

 

And out through a different tower

 

[mimmy52]

I was walking through the market place at 2:00 and the Glockenspiel was in operation, two little windows having opened. I couldn't see anything moving, but someone said one of the figures raised a glass.

 

 

 

 

 

I had wanted to walk the town walls, but with so little time left, I settled for seeing a little of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

 

 

And then back to the market place and the St. George fountain to meet up with our guide. The half-timbered house with the red trim is the former Meat and Dance House, when there were butcher shops on the bottom, a dance hall on the upper floor. The other half-timbered building is the Mayor Jastheimer's House built in 1448.

 

 

 

Detail on the Rathaus

 

 

The Master-Builder's House, considered the town's most beautiful renaissance building.

 

 

 

Then we were walking toward an exit, a different way than where we had entered.

 

 

[mimmy52]

Back on the bus, we had an hour's ride again to return to Wurzburg. We were dropped off at the Wurzburg Residenz, although if you were tired, the bus would take you back to the ship. At least one couple who were usually in the gentle walkers' group went back to the ship.

 

The Wurzburg Residenz

 

 

 

Me at the fountain

 

 

 

Fountain detail. The musician looks bored.

 

 

 

We were not allowed to take photos inside, which is a shame it is so beautiful. The ceiling in the entry hall is magnificent and depicts all the known continents at the time it was built. It is cleverly done with a sculptured leg here and there poking out of the painting making it seem three dimensional. We saw eight of the 300 something rooms, including a room our guide referred to as the "God" room because when people walked in, so many said, "Oh my God." It was hard not to. The room was mirrored and hard to describe, except maybe to say over the top. We also saw pictures of how the Residenz looked after it was bombed in WWII. So many of these cities we saw and will see sustained major damage then, and a lot of the buildings have been reconstructed.

 

We were given a very short free time to see the gardens, although some of us took a peek into the beautiful chapel before we left. Not able to take photos there either.

 

The gardens are also magnificent.

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

The next two photos are of flowers and seed pods of those flowers. I would love to know what kind they are if anyone knows. They are similar to some I have at home that I call moonflowers which are white and trumpet shaped and have bulbous seed pods.

 

 

 

 

 

The cone-shaped trees sheltered sculptures

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back of the Residenz

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

Time to go back to the ship. There was so much to see in Rothenburg and at the Residenz, and I didn't get to see any of Wurzburg either. I would love to go back.

 

 

 

 

 

It was just about a five minute drive back to the ship. They were already folding the flags that are out in front of the boarding area and promptly at 6:00, we were underway. I took a couple of pictures from my room window as we left Wurzburg.

 

 

 

 

 

At 6:45 we had our usual daily briefing and Chef Johnny's dinner recommendations, then dinner at 7:00. We were served Franconian wine with dinner. My appetizer was cream of white asparagus soup. It had strawberries floating in it and it was delicious.

 

 

 

Surf and turf was an offering for dinner tonight, although I had the herb-crusted Ahi filet. Dinner conversation is one of the joys of river cruising as we get to know fellow travelers. There is always live music in the lounge after dinner, provided by Emmanuel. A few couples dance. I often sat there while I updated my journal, since there's not really a comfortable spot to do that in my room.

[jpalbny]

What a great day - Rothenberg and Würzburg all in one. You are lucky. We didn't get to the Würzburger Residenz until our third visit there.

 

Love this region of Germany - Franconia. Great wine, beer, and food. Enjoying your journey. Waiting to see Bamberg!

Edited September 1, 2016 by jpalbny

[deec]

I am so enjoying remembering our trip through your pictures. Thanks for taking the time to share!

[mimmy52]

Thanks for reading along, Deec. JP, we had a great time in Bamberg.

[mimmy52]

Bamberg, August 11

 

Another sunny day! But I still needed a jacket as it was cool and windy. We weren't arriving into port until 1:00 this afternoon so the dining room was nearly empty when I entered. I've been back almost two weeks, and one of the things I really miss is no one to cook breakfast for me!

 

While we were at breakfast, PD Sam announced that times for today have been changed. Because of lock times, the Vili will not dock in Zeil but in Hasssfurt and everything has been moved forward half an hour with lunch at 11:30.

 

Where we docked in Hassfurt. Those steps looked awkward.

 

 

 

The glass blowing demonstration set for 10:30 in the lounge was moved to 10:00. I got there a little before that time and had to look hard to find a seat facing forward. Later people were standing until they set up extra chairs.

 

Gathering in the lounge

 

 

 

The glass blower was Karl, by far the most informative and entertaining glass blower I have ever seen. His business has been a family business for generations. He talked about the different kinds of glass, and he'd startle us by slamming his glass down to show it wouldn't break.

 

Some of Karl's glass items

 

 

 

He demonstrated fiber optic glass by stretching it across the room, really awesome. He talked about working with Dale Chihuly and being a teacher for some Chihuly workshops. He talked about Pyrex and how now that Borden bought Pyrex and sent it to China to be manufactured, it's only like window glass instead of the strong glass it used to be.

 

Karl

 

 

 

He told us that Jägermeister is their family secret for glass making, but how Jagermeister and Red Bolt were a poisonous combination. He requested a volunteer for a shot of Jagermeister and finally Laslo volunteered. Karl had invented a special shot glass that hooks on your finger. He poured shots for the both of them and then Laslo blew an ornament.

 

Laslo and Karl with their shots

 

 

 

At the end of the presentation, Karl talked about his family escaping from East Berlin where his family had a glass blowing factory for generations. When the communists took over the factory, they had nothing to lose and seven of them escaped during the night. Karl was only five. He has a picture from kindergarten and can name children who were his friends and who are no longer alive because they were killed when their families tried to escape. He teared up and it was quite a moment. That man knows how to end a presentation.

 

He said he'd be in the lounge with his glass until 1:00 so I thought I'd wait until the crowd had dispersed before going back. That was a mistake. He sold out quickly and by 12:15 was packed up and ready to leave.

 

For lunch today there were chicken wings on the Aquavit Terrace and fish n chips in the restaurant. I had the fish n chips which came with mushy peas and French fries (chips). Dessert was Black Forest ice cream coupe (chocolate ice cream, marinated cherries and whipped cream) so I couldn't resist.

 

The boat was docked in Hassfurt and we could explore at any time. I was ready, so I got off and walked around while waiting for 1:00 and our excursion time.

 

[mimmy52]

What I saw of Hassfurt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By 1:00 we were all assembled on the busses and on our way to Bamberg, about a 30 minute drive. Our group was with Mark who was in his fifth year as a student at Bamberg, which is a university town of about 13,000 students among the 70,000 something inhabitants. One of the things I like about our excursions is we always have a local guide.

 

We walked several blocks watching the buildings go from modern to older.

 

 

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

A former slaughterhouse

 

 

 

Mark giving an explanation while we stood on a bridge

 

 

 

A building near the bridge

 

 

Mark pointed out two of the buildings features. Not everything was paint. At the top was a cherub.

 

 

 

Another cherub near the bottom shows a leg. It doesn't show in my picture of the building because a (real) man's head is in the way.

 

 

Still on the bridge, we can see the arches at the bottom of the former slaughterhouse. Convenient for blood going straight into the river.

 

[mimmy52]

Our Bamberg walk continues

 

 

 

 

To get to the area where the Cathedral and New Residenz are, we had to negotiate some fairly steep stairs. When I got to the top, I had to catch my breath and briefly wondered if I should see my doctor when I got home to make certain I don't have a heart problem. Later when I mentioned this to some others, they said they had the same thought about themselves.

 

We're at the top of the stairs

 

 

 

The Cathedral, or Dom, St. Peter and St. George. Built in the 13th century, it's Romanesque and Gothic.

 

 

A sculpture, probably Stephen I of Hungary. Mark said it's famous because it again shows a horse in the Middle Ages. At least, that what my memory tells me he said.

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

 

 

Tomb of Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) and his wife Kuningunde. Both are saints now. She supposedly walked on hot coals to prove she did not allow adultery in the city.

 

 

 

Detail on the side of the tomb showing events from their lives

 

 

 

The tomb of Pope Clement II is on the altar, but the altar is roped off and the light wasn't conducive to a good photo so instead here's a ceiling. Later I saw a tour group that was allowed on the altar. Hmm.

 

 

 

We left the cathedral to head to the Bishops' New Residence. At least half the structures we saw on the trip had scaffolding on them somewhere.

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

We walked through this archway

 

 

 

Arch detail

 

 

 

And came out here, but I don't remember anything Mark said about this area

 

 

 

We went out through the archway again to the Bishops' New Residence

 

 

 

We didn't enter the Residenz but went behind it into the Rose Garden.

 

 

 

There were views at the back of the Rose Garden.