Rolling on the River, Part 3

Thank for joining us as we continue our European Cruise. As we mentioned earlier, this is our travel journal. We tried to keep it short but you might find it a bit lengthy. 

Leaving Würzburg, we continued toward the lovely town of Bamberg, one of the few German towns not destroyed by WWII bombings. 

We could not leave town without trying rauchbier bier, which is made and served only in Bamberg. Often described as bacon beer as it initially has a heavy smoke flavor that mellows with each zip. At first we were not too fond of it but by the time we finished our pint we rather enjoyed it. 

Moving on down the river canal through more locks, our next stop was Nuremberg, which played an important role in the Nazi regime and was the site of the Nuremberg Trials following WW II. It is a rather large city which necessitated a bus tour to see the many historical sites. 

After the bus tour we followed our guide through the old part of town. Nearly destroyed in the war, the medieval and Roman relics were rebuilt, mostly using stones that could be salvaged. 

Albrecht Duer House and Museum

Want to know what happened to all the rubble from the bombings? It was piled up to form hills and covered with soil and grass.

You may be familiar with German gingerbread known as Lebkuchen. Quite different than the gingerbread we make at home, it is the pride of Nuremberg. 

We skipped the Regensburg tour to take the optional excursion to Munich, which we found a bit disappointing. After a two hour bus ride, stopping at BMW World 

for a restroom break and tour of the show room, we continued on the bus to see places of interest. Unfortunately we saw the 1972 Olympic complex and other historical places through the bus windows. Disembarking from the bus, a tour guide led us through the old town, pointing out the many medieval and Roman buildings that were rebuilt after the war. As it happened, it was a national holiday celebrating Corpus Christi. (A religious day in the Catholic Church that commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples.) We observed an enormous procession following the archbishop to the cathedral for the service. 

Video of the Procession

Following the walking tour, we had a substantial lunch at the Ratskeller restaurant.

The best part was the mustard
served with the pretzels

It was a traditional lunch of meatloaf wrapped with cabbage, with mashed potatoes and apple strudel for desert. 

We had 3 hours to explore on our own. Due to the national holiday, all the shops, museums and points of interest were closed. However the restaurants and bars were open. Tiring after aimlessly walking around, we stopped for ice cream to have a break,  after walking some more we stopped for a beer. Due to the heavy lunch we did not need or want more food but due to all the cigarette smoking in the outdoor spaces,  we needed to buy refreshments so we could take a rest and smoking is not allowed inside. A 2-3 hour bus ride back to the ship left us pretty much exhausted.

Stopping in Passau the following day made up for the disappointing Munich excursion. 

Our guide for the morning tour was Francis, a local law student formerly from Amsterdam. Having spent some time in the UK his English was excellent. We found it interesting that the the law schools are government run. If one passes the entrance test their 8-years of tuition is paid for by the government. 

As Francis led us through the charming little alleys 

                                                

and historical landmarks, he did so with a bit of humor injected into his narrative. 

St. Stephen Cathedral, home to the largest cathedral organ in the world, with 17,974 organ pipes. Many of the pipes were being repaired at the time of our visit, but we did hear a brief concert.

Taking the suggestion from our ship steward, Suzy, we did a bit of shopping and had gelato for lunch.

Of course, ABN bought a hat.

After lunch, a shuttle took us to Oberhaus, a fortress that overlooked the town and 

where we could take great photos. 

Passau was worth the 12,000 plus steps calculated on our smart watches. Of all the places we have visited these past 8 days in Germany, Passau rates near, if not at he top. 

Back on board, we were treated to a Taste of Germany Dinner, after which we joined friends
in the lounge for a lively evening with our talented pianist, Bistra and program director, Gavin as they performed dance tunes.

Gute Nacht from Germany. Tomorrow we will wake up in Austria.