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Europe 2016
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Europe 2016

A 53-day adventure by We are Living the Dream Read more
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  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Walking Tour of Cologne

    June 16, 2016 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    We arrived in Cologne at 3 o'clock and walked around for a few hours taking in this rather gothic town.

    Cologne has 2,000-year-old city spanning the Rhine River in western Germany, is the region’s cultural hub.

    Cologne's importance in the Middle Ages is reflected by its 12 Romanesque Chuches    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Cologne Cathedral

    June 16, 2016 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    The landmarks, which are mostly Gothic architecture, are very noticeable around town, especially the twin-spired Cologne Cathedral, which is also known for its gilded medieval chests and sweeping river views.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Cruising the Rhine

    June 17, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The very brisk morning started before breakfast listening to the Cruise Director explaining the fact and fiction of the many castles and townships along the Rhine River. This area of the Rhine is known as the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. It is a 65 kilometre stretch featuring dotted castles and villages that composers, painters and poets considered the embodiment of an ideal romantic spirit.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    The Legend of Lorelei

    June 17, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The rock and the murmur it creates have inspired various tales.

    The most common legend is Lorelei which told of a beautiful girl whose seductive song lures mariners to their doom on the rocks at the foot of the cliff.

    The story legend goes Lorelei is betrayed by her sweetheart and accused of bewitching men and causing their death. Rather than sentence her to death, the bishop consigns her to a nunnery. On the way there accompanied by three knights, she comes to the Lorelei rock. She asks permission to climb it and view the Rhine once again. She does so and thinking that she sees her love in the Rhine, falls to her death. The rock still retained an echo of her name afterwards.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments

    June 17, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We disembarked in Rudesheim Germany and went for a tour to the Siegried's Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments. It was amazing. There were some very interesting large scale musical instruments and some very weird and scary looking ones. The tour guide was very informative but a little scary.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Rudesheim History and Coffee

    June 17, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Rudesheim is a wine-making town in Germany's Rhine Gorge. It lies on the bank of the Main, at the foot of the Rhine and belongs to the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, one of Germany's biggest tourist attractions.

    The Drosselgasse Lane, the heart of Rudesheim's old town, is full of beautifully decorated restaurants, shops and live entertainment that plays all day and all night during the summer months. Built in the 15th century, the Drosselgasse was quite busy and a lovely town.

    After walking the streets and taking in all the history of Rudesheim it was time for coffee.

    Rudesheim has its own style of coffee invented by a TV chef in 1957. Asbach Uralt brandy and sugar cubes are added to a specially designed mug . The brandy is flambéed and stirred for a minute until the sugar dissolves. Strong coffee is added, followed by a topping of thickly whipped cream sweetened with vanilla sugar. Chocolate flakes are scattered onto the cream as a garnish. It was yummy.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Duetsches Eck Monument

    June 17, 2016 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Deutsches Eck "German Corner" is the name of a headland in Koblenz, Germany, where the Mosel River joins the Rhine. Named after a local commander of the Teutonic Order, it became known for a monumental equestrian statue of William I, first German Emperor, erected in 1897 in appreciation of his merits in the unification of Germany. One of many Emperor William monuments found in the Prussian Rhine Province, it was destroyed in World War II and only the plinth was preserved as a memorial. Following German reunification, a replica of the statue was erected on the pedestal after controversial discussions in 1993. It is today a Koblenz landmark and a popular tourist destination.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Main River

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The river Main is a significant trade route that meanders through Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hesse towards the west. It flows past several iconic cities and towns including Würzburg, a magnificent baroque town located on the famed Romantic Road, Frankfurt, Germany's financial capital nicknamed "Main-hattan" due to its skyscraper-filled skyline and Bamberg.

    The Rhine-Main-Danube canal is an artery between the Danube and Rhine deltas that flows between Bamberg and Kelheim via Nuremberg. Passengers get to experience the rising and lowering of the river cruise ship as it traverses a total of 16 locks along the 171 kilometre canal. Lock enthusiasts will enjoy that fact that it takes about a day to get through all the locks (up to 30 minutes per lock). Some locks are very narrow and can barely squeeze in one ship at a time, while larger locks can contain two to three ships at once.    Read more

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    Heidelberg

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We docked in Frankfurt today. As we have been to Frankfurt before we did not do any tours here so we took the Uniworld bus to Heidelberg.

    Heidelberg is located about 78 km south of Frankfurt, is a university town with roughly a quarter of the population are students.

    Heidelberg University was founded in 1386 and is Germany's oldest and one of Europe's most reputable universities. The university also has a interesting story about the invention of a chocolate called the Student Kiss.

    Heidelberg’s Student Kiss was the clever creation of Fridolin Knösel who was the proprietor of the long-standing Cafe. Knösel was a chocolatier and master confectioner who was much liked by his customers.

    His creative and exquisite chocolates attracted many to his cafe, including the young ladies who were attending Heidelberg’s finishing school. Of course the presence of the young women attracted the male students of Heidelberg university who would also flock to the store, hoping to catch the attention of the young women. However, their ever-protective governesses, who were never far away, made it difficult for the young people to meet. It pained the owner of a store to see his young patrons suffer and so he very cleverly created a chocolate delight which he called the Student Kiss. The exquisite chocolate delight was ingeniously promoted as a gallant token of affection from the giver.

    Finally, it seems the young men and women had a discreet way of sending messages to each other. If the young lady accepts the Student Kiss, it is an indication that she is accepting of the young man’s approach. If, however, the Student Kiss is returned, it is bad news for the bloke as it indicates rejection.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Heidelberg Castle

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Nestled in the hill 300 feet above the city of Heidelberg stands the breathtaking Heidelberg Castle. The castle is a combination of several buildings surrounding an inner courtyard, put together all over the place. Each building highlights a different period of German architecture.

    The castle has a history almost as old as the city. The first part of the castle was built around 1300, however it was not used until 1398 – 1410. It was destroyed by lightning in 1764 leaving it permanently uninhabitable, the castle was the residence for most of the Prince Electors. In 1800, Count Charles de Graimberg began the difficult task of conserving the castle ruins. Up until this time, the citizens of Heidelberg had used the castle stones to build new houses.

    The castle is huge and has so many nooks and crannies with many photo opportunities so it is very hard to stop taking photos.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Heidelberg Castle - Appothecary Museum

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    This museum was set up showing the history of the pharmacy and dispensaries. The collection includes a complete pharmacist’s office, a laboratory, pharmacopoeias, manuscripts, a wide array of vessels, mortars, and technical flasks and over 1,000 raw drugs representing medicine from the 17th to 19th centuries.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Heidelberg Castle - The Heidelberg Tun

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    World’s Largest Wine Barrel was built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor to house the wine paid as taxes by the wine growers of the Palatine. It stands seven meters high, is eight and a half meters wide, holds 220,000 litres of wine, and has a dance floor built on top of it.

    The court jester who guarded the cask during the reign of Prince Elector Carl Philip, a Tyrolean dwarf nick-named Perkeo, was supposedly known for his ability to drink large quantities of wine. Legend has it that he died when he mistakenly drank a glass of water.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Walking around Old Town

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Heidelberg has been called the most romantic city in Germany due to the baroque architecture in the buildings, castles, churches and location along the banks of the Neckar River.

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Monkey Bridge

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Heidelberg is a medieval city with lots of character and stories one of which is the story of Monkey Bridge located on the west end of the Bridge Gate. Heidelberg’s Bridge Monkey is a bronze sculpture which was installed in 1979. The Heidelberg Monkey holds a mirror up to those who look at it and according to one of many legend's surrounding the statue, the Bridge Monkey is intended as a symbolic reminder to Heidelberg’s citizens that neither the city-dwellers nor the people who lived outside the city of Heidelberg were better than the other, and that they should look over their shoulder as they cross the bridge. But just in case you think that this Heidelberg Monkey statue has been put there merely as a tourist attraction, there was a bridge monkey in Heidelberg going as far back as the 15th century. Old drawings of the town show it located next to the tower on the north end of the Old Bridge. Unfortunately, that bridge monkey disappeared during 1689-93.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Food Tour around Heidelberg

    June 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The day has been very long and was coming to a close with a little more walking and a food tour. Heidelberg is such a wonderful place and has heaps of diversity probably because of the different nationalies of the students attending the University.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Main River

    June 19, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We continue cruising down the Main to Wertheim during the night.
    This morning was hard to get up, so much walking and my head is starting to hurt from all the stories, so many facts but also heaps on fiction and myths.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Wertheim

    June 19, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Weritheim is a town in south western Germany, with a population of around 23,400. It is located where rivers Tauber and Main meet.

    Wertheim is best known for its landmark castle and medieval town centre and the Castle is one of the most beautiful and largest castle ruins in Germany. Impressive is the magnificent view over the old town with the river landscapes
    of the Main and Tauber.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Property Taxes

    June 19, 2016 in Germany ⋅ 18 °C

    Property taxes in the Middle Ages were assessed by how much of your home “touched the ground’, not by total square footage. Many homeowner saved some money by building their home larger on the upper floors!! That took some structural know how!!Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Wertheim Floods

    June 19, 2016 in Germany ⋅ 16 °C

    Flooding is one of Germany's most devastating and costliest natural disasters, periodically affecting hundreds of communities, particularly those located along the Main River. Wertheim being located at the confluence of two rivers, the Main and the Tauber, is particularly vulnerable.

    Flooding in Wertheim is not a recent phenomenon. High water levels have been marked on the walls of buildings going back as early as 1595. Many of these markings can be seen on the sides of several medieval buildings in the historical district. In recent years, severe flooding has occurred in 1970, 1982, 1995, 1998, and 2003. This photo taken near the town centre shows the same area during the 2003 flood. One wonders how these old buildings are able to withstand repeated flooding episodes and remain habitable.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Pretzel and Wine Tour

    June 19, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    After the walking tour around Wertheim it was time to go to a winery where we watched a pretzel making demonstrations and tasted some nice German wines while eating the freshly made pretzels.

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Wurzburg Residence

    June 20, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    This incredibly lavish 18th century palace was created under the auspices of two Schönborn prince-bishops, Lothar Franz and Friedrich Carl, who brought enormous knowledge and passion, as well as a budget for the best, to the project. Over the course of 60 years, they fostered the creation of a 300 room palace that contains jaw dropping baroque art. The magnificent grand staircase boasts the world’s largest ceiling fresco, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Portions of the building were damaged by Allied bombing in 1945, but, fortunately, most of the historic furnishings had been stored off-site and key rooms were unharmed, so you can see the original and matchless artwork, gilding and statuary. Even the gardens have been restored, right down to the topiary fruit trees in the kitchen garden, which are re-creations of the trees grown there in the 18th century.

    Unfortunately no photos are allowed inside very annoying but if you google the Residence you can find a few of the most stunning rooms.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamEurope 2016Traveler

    Walking around Wurzburg

    June 20, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After the castle we went on a walking tour around the township. Lots of cobbled streets and old buildings. Each town still has its own feeling though which makes visiting them interesting.

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