Atlantic and Europe

We crossed the Atlantic aboard the Royal Princess, then went with Viking River Cruises along the most historic and beautiful waterways of Europe. Read more

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Atlantic and Europe
Kinderdijk Windmills
May 10, 2015 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
I woke early to take photos on deck at sunrise. We ate breakfast then visited windmills at Kinderdijk. A Dutch guide named Ad was formerly engineer for US company. He was very knowledgeable about the mechanics and engineering of windmills. He explained old customs about millers communicating by the position in which they stopped their sails. He showed us the modern facility that uses hugh Archimedes screws to keep the polder dry. I tried to get a shot that resembles a picture my grandmother had hanging in her parlor. This was a fascinating tour.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
On the Waal to Nijmegen
May 10, 2015 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
While it is still in the Netherlands the Rhine River is known as the Waal. We had lunch with Richmond and Debbie, whose stateroom is across the passageway from ours. Joined at the table by Jerri and Mark from Anchorage, Alaska. I got good photos of a church and bridge connecting Waardenburg and Zaltbommel, then attended a lecture on Dutch water management. At 3:30 pm I got shot of church tower at Tiel.

4:15 pm. Went to afternoon tea and had warm shortbread with chocolate chips, waffle cookies, English trifle, and coffee with eggnog and cream. We are approaching Nijmegen. At 8:50 pm I get a shot of the bridge at Rees, Germany. At 9:00 pm we attended a presentation on the Golden Age of Dutch history and the Dutch masters.

I went up on the Sun Deck to make sure I got a photo of the railroad bridge at Nijmegen. Its destruction by the Dutch Resistance makes an interesting story from World War 2.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Walking to Cologne Cathedral
May 11, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
At 6:40 am got a shot of a grimy old coal port at Düsseldorf-Benrath. We docked at Cologne around 9:45 am, then went on a walking tour that ended at the cathedral. Our guide is a Scotsman who now lives in Germany. Of special interest was the Cologne town hall. The building is bedecked with statues of famous persons in Germany. More are being added all the time.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Cologne Cathedral
May 11, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
We attended the noon office at the Kölndom, as it is known here. Brief prayers were offered, including prayers for the travelers present. I thought this was a very thoughtful touch. Interspersed were three Bach toccatas, probably chosen for this week in the liturgical year. I could not imagine a more worshipful experience. Cologne Cathedral has long been my very favorite, and when I actually saw it, I was not disappointed. A little girl got loose from her mother in one of the radial chapels, and Glenda snapped a shot of her.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Discovering Gaffel Kölsch
May 11, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
We took our time photographing the nave and sanctuary and then we had lunch at Peters Brauhaus with James Swim and his wife Marcia from Arkansas. I had sauerbraten and a most delicious Koln beer.
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Atlantic and Europe
Finding Duns Scotus
May 11, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
We went to find the church of Saint Andreas. It was lovely inside, though not as grand as the cathedral, but the entrance to the nave was locked. Still, even though we did not have the opportunity to photograph it, we still found it quite beautiful. Next, just to see the town we set a tentative course for the Church of the Apostles. On the way, Glenda bought some chocolate. Before we reached our goal we happened past the Church of the Minorites. A plaque indicated that construction was begun in the year 1245. We went inside, admired it's quiet Romanesque beauty, and then found a plaque giving information about a connection between this church and John Duns Scotus. I happened to find the remnants of a very old painting on one of the columns in the nave, so I photographed it as well. John Duns Scotus was born in Scotland, as his name suggests. He was enslaved as a youth, then through a remarkable series of coincidences, was given an education in Paris. There he taught at the university. In a single day he was quickly and unexplainably transferred by the Pope in Rome to the frontier of Germany, without even being allowed to take his clothing. He died a year later in Cologne. His epitaph in Latin reads: Scotland birthed me; Paris taught me; but Germany holds me.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Relaxing in Wesseling
May 11, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
We returned to the large square in front of the cathedral and found our way to our bus pick up point. An adjacent coffee shop gave us a place to perch as we waited for the bus. I enjoyed an apple pastry and coffee. Our boat had moved during our excursion, so a double-decker bus drove us about half an hour south of Cologne to Wesseling where we boarded the boat. We had a light dinner of chef salad outside on the Aquavit Terrace because the weather was perfect. Chuck and Cindy from Lake Tahoe joined us for dinner, and later for a concert by a trio made up of a cellist, a pianist and a clarinetist. The musicians played some light classical works, and a few popular pieces from the last generation, such as "Moon River," and "Mister Sandman." I had forgotten that Jacques Offenbach was born in Cologne.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Marksburg Castle
May 12, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
We visited Marksburg Castle, and Glenda was given the key with which to unlock the door. The castle's foundations go back to the year 1100. The view of the Rhine from the top of the mountain is fantastic. Down in the basement there is an exhibit that shows some of the instruments of torture and imprisonment from the Middle Ages. However, our guide told us that there was never a prison at Marksburg. I was especially interested in the dining hall, and in the fact that there is a sit-down toilet. It hangs over the side of the wall, and the droppings fall to fertilize a garden.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Castles on the Rhine
May 12, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
Our tour director gave a running commentary for over three hours as we passed the castles, churches and villages on the Rhine. This river was especially important since Roman times. It served as the border between the Roman Empire on the south bank and barbaric Germany on the north. Of special note are the ruins of Durnstein Castle. Here Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom when returning from the crusades. In 1192 he was held as a prisoner here until his family, primarily his mother, could raise 26.5 metric tons of silver.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Miltenberg
May 13, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
We spent a leisurely morning taking photos from the entryway since the sun deck has been closed. They had to remove it completely so that the ship can pass under the bridges on the Main River. Heather the park ranger was able to get the generic battery charger to work on her Nikon 7000. Chatted with Sam from Taiwan while outside. I took a photo of Cruise Director Sacha and a colleague, which he wants to extract and post on the ship's display board. We have an excursion this afternoon into the small German town of Miltenburg.

Miltenburg was magnificent. The half-timbered houses make one believe he is in the middle of a German fairy tale. Our affable Scotch-German guide led us through the medieval town, and then we had several hours on our own. I had an apple pastry and coffee at a local coffee shop. First, we found a way inside the big Catholic Church (we are now in Catholic Bavaria). I set up the tripod to take some high quality photos of the interior. Then we went to the Catholic parish church for more shots. Next Glenda went to find a shop that had a garment she liked, while I went back to find the site overlooking the town. I found myself alone on the path; I was a bit fearful, so I turned around and went back to the Catholic Church to refine my photos.

Miltenberg boasts the oldest hotel in Germany, the Gasthaus zum Riesen. Guests include Napoleon and Elvis Presley.

A right-wing group planned to have a political demonstration in the plaza outside the Catholic Church. They applied for the proper permits and received them. As they were having their demonstration, however, the priest started ringing the church bells so loudly that the demonstration could not proceed. He was tried and fined for disturbing the peace and for preventing a lawful demonstration. The citizens of the town paid his fine. When his bishop moved him to another parish, the priest received a considerable promotion.

We were to meet at the Maypole at 6 pm, so I headed there, stopping all along the way for photos. Two members of our party were missing, so we were delayed nearly an hour trying to find them. Cruise Director Sacha was attempting to pack the returning buses as densely as possible, and he asked for volunteers to transfer to another bus. Glenda volunteered, and as we boarded the second bus some folks must have concluded that we were the ones who were tardy. I had a lovely dinner of hazel nut encrusted cod with Len and Sandy from Sacramento, and Heather and Don from San Francisco. Heather showed me her pictures from Antelope Canyon, AZ a and gave me some practical advice on scheduling a guide. After the 9 pm briefing on tomorrow's visit to Rothenburg, we came back to the stateroom and got ready for bed.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Arrival in Wurzburg
May 14, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
The Viking Ingvi arrived in Wurzburg around 9:00 am after passing swans, locks and other things on the river. Breakfast aboard the ship was wonderful, as usual. Locks are common now, as are the peaceful birds that stay right beside the ship as it passes.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
May 14, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
We hopped on a bus and drove about a half hour along an idyllic route to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval town that still has a large number of its old buildings intact. Mary, our guide, is originally from Oregon, so English was no problem for her. In fact she is extremely articulate and clear. I suspect that she has had some graduate education. When we got off the bus we were met with a complete medieval wall, including its turrets and towers. We went on a walking tour of the streets, shops and warehouses and ended the morning with a lunch of bratwurst, kraut, and potatoes. Local high school bands were in the town plaza offering their music. There is a band competition in town now. We also enjoyed a delicious locally produced dry white wine. Glenda and I skipped dessert so that we could get an early start photographing the Jakobskirche. We stopped in at the local Catholic Church and took a few shots. Then we found the Jakobskirche. Since the Protestant Reformation this church has been Lutheran. In some ways it is more beautiful than the cathedral at Cologne, which has so many beautiful sights that they detract from one another. The walls of this church are simple and white so that all of one's attention is focused on the extravagantly lovely stained glass. One of the specialties here is a beer that has an undertone of bacon. Once in medieval times all of the town's barley was stored in a certain warehouse. It caught fire and much of the harvest was destroyed. However, some of the barley that was not completely burned was toasted, and brewers decided to try to use it. The result was a smoky beer, "Rauschbeer," which is delicious. Now the brewers of Rothenburg are deliberately toasted for making rauschbeer. Walking to the old town walls gave us other opportunities to photograph the city. We got some pastry and coffee as we waited by the town fountain for our group to gather for the walk back to the bus.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Archbishop's Residence and St. Killian's
May 14, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
The Residence of the Archbishop is the most opulent high baroque structure I can recall seeing. The artistry and craftsmanship are unspeakably beautiful. Everything was "over the top" in this attempt to emulate the aesthetic excesses of Versailles. The little chapel with its myriad of angels and gold sun bursts transports one to the throne of God. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photographs inside.

St. Killian's Church, despite its grizzly skeletons on the outside, was lovely inside. It is a monument to three Irish monks who brought Christianity back into Germany in the dark ages. On our way back to the bus we saw the church of St. Kilian, the site of the three Irish martyrs who brought Christianity to Franconia around 670 AD. Its white and gold interior are gloriously refreshing and joyful. The priest had just finished a mass for the Feast of the Ascension, and incense still hung heavy in the air. Without setting up a tripod, I attempted to hold the camera on a steady pew to take my slow exposures. We almost had to run back to the ship, and barely made the departure time of 6:15 pm. The activities briefing for tomorrow preceded our 7:00 pm supper with Heather and Don, joined by Mike and his wife Helen from Patuxent River, Maryland. The runny nose and the coughing is slowing down. I'm glad Glenda suggested continuing the full course of antibiotics for ten days. The doctor onboard the Royal Princess told me that I had to take that medicine for only 5 days.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Bamberg
May 15, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
We left this morning for Bamburg, an important city in medieval Bavaria. Dmitri our guide led us on a walking tour of an ancient town that was as lovely as any of the towns we have visited over the last week. I feel as though I'm drinking from a fire hose. The cathedral was impressive but not as beautiful as the one in Wurzburg. I was impressed with the courtyard around the original palace of Hendricus II, which dates from the tenth century. The filming of a recent film version of The Three Musketeers was filmed at the site. We passed a hotel owned by the Messerschmidt family. This is the house in which the famous aircraft designer for the Third Reich was born. His father was an innkeeper here, and the house is still a hotel run by the Messerschmidt family. At the end of the tour we walked back to the Green Plaza, where green grocers originally sold their wares, got an ice cream cone, and photographed the Jesuit church. We got some free time at the end of the tour, and we spent it in a park. There was an evangelical youth group singing in German very loud rock songs about Jesus. It is hard to see that anyone would find such evangelism attractive. I walked to the nearby Jesuit church and took photos. Glenda waited for me on an interesting set of concrete pillars sitting beside a splashing pool in the public park. Near the cathedral, which was dark and forbidding, a bride was making preparations for her wedding. I snapped a shot, and her groom looked displeased. However, later when we were at the brewery, we met some of the wedding party's family, and they were very pleasant people indeed!Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Seehof Palace
May 15, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
The ship was delayed in its transfer to a new location, so cruise director Sacha took us for a brief visit to the summer residence of the prince-bishop, the Seehof Palace. We returned to the ship in its new location in time for a late supper and the evening briefing. We dined with Richmond and Debbie, and were joined by new friends Mike and Leah. Leah expressed some very strong opinions that we should still feel guilty for the atrocities committed by previous generations.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Arrival in Nuremberg
May 16, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F
This morning we docked near Nuremberg at around 8 am. We ate breakfast with Mel and his wife, and their friends Jim and Sally from Houston. Going into Nuremberg we drove to Zeppelin field to see the Congress hall and the grandstand of the 1932 Nazi rally. Many of the streets nearby bear the names of Jewish leaders, such as Itzak Rabin. Passed the building housing the courtroom of the postwar trials.Read more
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Nuremberg Castle
May 16, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
We began walking at the old city walls and fortress of Nuremberg Castle. Since this town captures what is quintessentially German, Adolf Hitler wanted to establish his presence here. It is fascinating how the dry moat, the upward climb to the portcullis, and the crooked, left-turning approach covered with murder holes were devised for strategic defense. The soft sandstone and the angled walls both served defensive purposes as well. It is interesting that this castle was never attacked because it was designed so well, no one dared attack directly. The best they could do was to lay siege to it. Our guide, whose name I understood to be Ingar, was very bright and funny. Down in the town we saw the modern pig sculpture symbolizing the world's reception of the work of Albrecht Durer, and the traditional statue of the late nineteenth century.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Nuremberg Churches
May 16, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
St. Sebaldus Church is a medieval church in Nuremberg, Germany. Along with Frauenkirche and St. Lorenz, it is one of the most important churches of the city, and also one of the oldest. It is located at the Albrecht-Dürer-Platz, in front of the old city hall. In front of the Frauenkirche is the Hauptmarkt, a farmers' market which Glenda examined thoroughly.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Highest Lock on the Rhine
May 16, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
Around midnight we passed the highest lock on the Rhine River, so the passengers of the Viking Ingvi decided that they would make a party of it. They gathered on the Aquavit terrace around midnight, fought the bugs and watched the ship go through the highest lock.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
St. Emmeram's Benedictine Abbey
May 17, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
St. Emmeram's is an over-the-top Baroque church whose ornamentation defies the imagination. One of the saints depicted in an ancient painting is St. Wolfgang, teacher of William II, the founder of the German nation. It houses a Benedictine monastery founded in 739 AD. It is built on the site of the grave of Emmeram, a Frankish bishop.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
St. Peter's Cathedral, Regensburg
May 17, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
I awoke around 6 am and went to take photos on deck. Lecture at 10 am on the history of architectural styles. We passed by the Cathedral of Regensburg, dedicated to St. Peter, in the morning, then toured the interior in the afternoon. This building is the most important church and landmark of the city of Regensburg, Germany. It is the seat of the Catholic diocese of Regensburg. The church is the prime example of Gothic architecture in Bavaria. It was opened in 1520.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Sausages and Sopranos
May 17, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
We went with Heather and Don to get the special sausages and beer they make here. A dining companion next to us was a German man and his wife who work for Siemens and visit Myrtle Beach each year. At dinner Ellen brought her Chinese-American friends with whom I discussed the Chinese language, culture and history. In the evening we heard three singers accompanied be a pianist sing selections by Mozart and Puccini, and also a medley from the Sound of Music.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Passing Through Passau
May 18, 2015 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
Before breakfast I saw a little deer grazing on the bank of the Danube. Around 10 am we arrived in the city and started a 90 minute walking tour with our guide Martina. It ended at the cathedral, but we decided to go back to the bishop's residence to tour it quickly before the noon organ concert in the cathedral. I'm so glad we did. The first floor housed a library. The second held an art collection. The third floor led to a gallery overlooking the high altar, giving me unobstructed access to the front of the church. I photographed everything up in the sanctuary from about forty feet away, and from a third floor level. I think I made some magnificent photographs. Next we walked down by the Inn River to find the church attached to the Jesuit convent. It was simple and beautiful. We sat there in silence for several minutes before going out to find the Jesuit church. Though we found it fairly quickly, it was locked tight. Next we found a deli and I enjoyed a liver cheese sandwich. Strangely, this liverkase contains neither liver nor cheese. It is a kind of thick sliced baloney, served with hot potato salad and a good local beer. As we walked further toward St. Paul's Church, we grabbed two ice cream cones. When we got to the church, I was impressed with its beauty. Though not nearly as elaborate as the cathedral, it holds a lovely reredos made of black ebony wood. The whole effect of the altar is quite masculine. I loved it. A cherry streusel and coffee followed, and we found our meeting place well in advance of our 5:30 pm deadline. We came back to the ship and I enjoyed a dinner of osso bucco before retiring.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Melk Abbey
May 19, 2015 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F
At 5:30 am the light woke me as we passed the lovely Austrian town of Persenbeug. I went up to the newly re-opened sun deck to grab a few photos. For the last two days the sun deck was closed so that the ship could pass under bridges on the Main-Danube Canal. In the morning we toured the Palace of the Archbishop in Melk.Read more
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Atlantic and Europe
Ice Cream in Krems
May 19, 2015 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
Scenic Cruising: at about 2:20pm we pass the Aggstein Castle in the Wachau Valley. 2:34 pm. One Lord of this castle would kidnap people, and offer them a choice. Either they could pay the ransom or agree to jump off the cliff to their death. Maypole in small village. Vineyards over church steeple. Ruins of the castle Spitz. 2:37 pm.

2:55 Weissenkirche was Protestant church attacked in thirty years war, has defensive wall,

3:00 pm Durnstein Castle. Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned here after he went on a crusade. His mother ransomed him by paying 26 metric tons of silver.

In the afternoon we walked into Krems with John and Dawn; Heather and Don; Mel and his wife, and a few others. We got separated fairly quickly. We hung with Heather and Don and went to get gelato. John told us about two churches he had found, the Dom and one other church, the Piaristenkirche. We took photos in both. In the evening we had a Viennese buffet with accordion and guitar players strolling among the tables. I tasted schnapps, but didn't care for it. I ate a small cheese plate, and that is all I really wanted. However, when we went back into the kitchen, there was a serving line with Wiener schnitzel, bratwurst and all sorts of Viennese food that I could not resist.Read more
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