The weather recently has been pretty nice, but today the sky has opened as we make our way to the KD dock. We are in for an 8 1/2 hr boat cruise as we are moving up the Rhine, against the current. That's OK we need a rest and to put our feet up.
There is pretty steady rain most of the day, occasionally it is pelting down sideways ... and there are some breaks. It's raining very hard when we get to our optional 2 hr stop at Bacharach, so I gather we missed something very special but dragging backpacks around in that was not appealing.
The boat is huge and the staff attentive.
Its quite an experience to be on one of Europe's biggest and busiest rivers. There are so many canal boats carrying a cargo of all kinds and passenger vessels. We can see cyclists, roadways and railways on the shore. The idea of waterways being the lifeblood to an area certainly has meaning here.
"Beneath flows the Rhine, and like this stream of Time, it flows amid the ruins of the past."
Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
The Rhine begins in the Swiss Alps and ends 1,320 km later in the North Sea in the Netherlands.
The Middle Rhine with its medieval castles, fortresses, palaces and beautiful, ancient towns is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
CASTLES & FORTRESSES:
MANSIONS:
CHURCHES:
TOWNS:
This is a major wine growing area of Germany with some of the oldest vineyards dating back to the Roman era. Rieslings have been dominant here on the very steep and terraced vineyards. Pinot Noir from this region is also becoming important.
As we pass the famous Lorelei rock (a 433' high, steep slate rock), the ship plays the Lorelei song that is well known to Germans.
The myth of the rock can be found on the 'net ... generally about a young woman who throws herself into the sea, distraught over an unfaithful lover. She is transformed into a siren who then lures fishermen to their death.
Below is the ferry that plies the waters here.
Mainz was a Roman military base in 13 B.C.
We mostly explore the old town which is known for its intricate old timber frame buildings. Strategic notching of the timbers allows the creation of many different patterns with the timbers.
I'm a self-described Athiest and sometimes get annoyed at how I'm drawn to the cathedrals here. The power and greed and wealth that I see put into these structures are disturbing; while the workmanship, architecture and artistic skills are awe-inspiring.
We visit St Stephens cathedral with its startlingly blue Chagall stained glass windows.
Scroll half-way down the page here to see a photo of the stained glass
... and St Martin's cathedral from the Baroque period ... its beauty leaves us speechless.
Down at the waterfront, we come across a completely artificial beach, which many people are enjoying on this beautiful day:
Off to Heidelberg.
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