Exploring Speyer

After an early start to do my exercises on a cool morning with a lovely sunrise and then breakfast we were ready for our briefing at 8.45 – more “bad” news. We were unable to get mooring at Sonderheim or Pitterdorf so there was a reduction in the ride – 20km (turned out to be a 31km day in the end with some extra meandering that we did) – and we had to be at Germeheim by 2pm to load the boat and be away from the mooring by 3pm. Again – suck it up and peddle on.
We “saddled up” and headed out – first stop the Cathedral of St Mary and St Stephen – this time we could go inside however. As I said it is built in the Romanesque style and is the largest of this type in the world. The interior is very plain, but in its way very beautiful in its simplicity. I visited the crypt also, again this is the largest Romanesque crypt in the world. It consists of 4 rooms and includes a chapel as well as the tombs of a number of the Holy Roman Emperors and their wives. It is still used for services today. After that I went and climbed the tower – first there was 200 steps to the Kaisersalle (Kings Hall) here they had a display of murals which had been painted on the ceilings in the 19th Century – however in the 1950’s these were deemed not to be in harmony with the simple Romanesque nature of the Cathedral and many were destroyed although a number were saved and are now housed in this special room. From here it was another 190 steps up to the top of the tower and so very well worth it was as the view was amazing!!!! Coming back down the tower I noticed that a group of Ghostriders were in a café down the square. I ducked in there and asked them to watch my bike while I nipped further down the street to look for the Spatzel maker that was the aim for my souvenir from Germany – first attempt proved fruitless but a very kind lady directed me further down the street to a homewares store where I found one – bonus – on sale for 14.99 euro’s. I re-joined the Ghostriders and we headed off down the river towards Germeheim.Read more