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  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 10

    Regensburg

    May 31, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    St. Peter's Cathedral existed since 700AD. Gothic style and latest version after fires has been in place since 1320. The twin towers are 350 feet high.

    The Old Stone Bridge was constructed in the 12th century. There are 16 arches. 168K residents

    Bridge is 1000 feet long. Roman tower 1800 tears old. White top

    The city name is the king at the river Rein ( I think) 1200-1400 heyday. 1570 mural. House from 1200s. Tall tower indicating wealth.
    Clock tower 1250. Weddings held here on Fridays. Orange building built for dancing and then an assembly hall of the holy Roman Empire.

    Cathedral is limestone and green sandstone. The sandstone is subject to pollution. Cleaning done here. Original stained glass windows. Removed and then reinstalled later.    Read more

  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 9

    Nuremberg through History

    May 30, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Canal opened in 1972 , but took 20 more years to connect from Bamberg to Danube. Garden city erected in 1900. Employers built housing. Mentioned in 1050. Franconian region (like Bamberg) of Bavaria. Aldi grocery founded in Germany. Adidas founded near here. Another quarrel. Puma is founded a brother. 6000 employees for Adidas. Siemens headquarters here in 1850s. Train parts and electrical engine. Invented electric engine for elevators in 1880. SS barracks, Hitler's strongest supporters. US took over the barracks in 1945 and stayed until reunification in 1989. Now federal agency for immigration and asylum. 1933-1938 party rallies here. Congress Hall based on coliseum of Rome. Granite facade stark and cold. It never was finished. Mark Twain came to Nurenberg in 1880s. 'Wagner's music is better than it sounds.' Bavaria is one of 16 federal states.

    Nuremberg bombed over 40 times. International toy fair every February. Always a toy city. Dolls here in the middle ages. Intact city walls. Very rare in Europe. A round shell around square towers because of cannonballs. First train ride in 1830s. In Europe. Kissinger born nearby in Firt. His family fled Jewish persecution.

    Nuremberg trials held here. The prison and Hall of Justice were not damaged. People held responsible for behavior during the war. Not just soldiers. 12 of the 21 defendants were hanged and cremated. 3 were acquitted. The rest imprisoned.

    Blue and white flag is Blue and white. Fracovia flag is red and white. 500 years old, current castle.
    At one time , around 1500, 4 the largest city in Europe. 40,000 people in 1400. Not sure why started with stone and then brick. Prague and Nuremberg are sister cities. Towers survived WW2. Narrow house one of only surviving the bombing in this areas.

    German artist praying hands. Owned house with slooping roof. Original art distributed around the world. Albrecht Durer. Airport named after him. St George dragon slayer . Armaments made here. Even the emporer bought armor here. Treasure chest of Europe. Huge cellar system underneath.
    In 1500 s converted to Lutheran by order. Old Catholic churches. Didn't destroy art. Germans pay church tax is 8 % of the tax.

    Fountain is 750 years old.    Read more

  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 8

    Bamberg tour

    May 29, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    First reference in 900s .Neo Rennnnaiaance style here.like our American base closed in 2014
    Christof clauvis reworked Gregorian calendar.Not always adopted.
    U. Bamberg 13000 students. Slaughter house from middle ages with ox. University owns building with ox worked until 1904.
    Old island town hall. 1300s. Plastered overland painted.1755 painting.
    Little Venice behind slaughter house.
    The poor lived near the river
    Baroque style flavored by prince bishop. Tax breaks for those who transferred from half timber to baroque.
    1405 schlenker brewery.
    Cathedral Romanesque and Gothic. Renaissance portal. Baroque third building.

    1002 cornerstone laid. This is the third version. All stone in 1237. Bamberg horseman inside King Stephenof Hungary. He rode into the cathedral as he rode into the cathedral on his horse .there is a papal tomb 1047 died. Pope Clement II from Bamberg. Wine was sweetened with lead sugar. Emporer Henry II buried here. His wife was a powerful woman for their time. Childless and they were canonized. Hard to say her name. Holy Roman Emporer. She proved her innocence walking over red hot plow shares. Never burned as that miracle.

    Princess portal. Jesus judging
    All will be judged. Statue is woman blind to the truth of Christ

    Jews blamed for all. All calamities. Money envy. Only they were allowed to be lenders.
    1600e iinvited back for Prince . 1880s allowed citizenship. Had a synagogue open in 1910 opened by Mayor with kind words. Destroyed in 1938. Called the pogrom night or night of broken glass. In 1946 Jews started to return . Founded by Jews.
    Residence of prince bishop Theater performances coming. 3 musketeers filmed here. Bosch main employer here. 2011 movie. A Netflix series the empress filmed here. Third building Baroque residence. Palace. Only 2 wings. Ran out of money. Waiting stones.

    Linden trees. In garden. 1000 old core buildings. Layout similar to other towns.
    UNESCo site. Weren't bombed much 4% . Didn't have much industry. Nuremberg more important. Kunigunde empress.

    It did taste like bacon.    Read more

  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 5

    Rhine upper deck

    May 26, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    On the upper deck on the Rhine. Travelling about 7 miles an hour. Liebenstein castle . Rival brothers in love with the same maiden. Bad Salzag. Edge of Roman Empire. Salt baths. UNESCO heritage region. No traffic bridges over the Rhine.

    Church and pub together at km marker 560.

    Burg Maus castle.

    Rheinfels castle

    Kat castle

    Loreley valley of Rhine. loreley maiden

    The Germans built fake castles in train spaces because the Allies were not bombing historical castles or churches . Loreley S curve.

    Later castles Aug Schonburg
    St. Marten church
    Burg Gutenfels
    Pfalzgrafenstein Castle in the river
    Ruin "Fürstenberg Castle"
    Heimburg in Niederheimbach    Read more

  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 5

    Marksburg Castle 2

    May 26, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Great room. Lock in toilet from the outside. Afraid of attack from inside.

    Weapons for foot soldiers. First armor 600-400 BC. Some armor suits 40-80 pounds. Visors for tournaments to show face. Beginning of military salutes.

    Torture chamber ceiling is original. The rack is here and thumbscrews. Torture was for the truth, then there was punishment. Shame masks. Head of pig, for adultery. Without having much, dignity was important.

    Blacksmith shop. Did not make weapons here. Made nails and horseshoes and tools.    Read more

  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 5

    Marksburg Castle

    May 26, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Went by Stolzenfels Castle ( white castle). Brown castle Burg Lahnneck. 800 years old. Never been destroyed or conquered. Protected with 4 gates. 6 different owners. 1238 oldest part. Locals, Not slaves, but ordered to build it. Steps added later.
    Canons added in the 16th and 17th centuries. Can shoot all the way across the Rhine. Not sure if used in battle or just as salutes for the King.
    Two families live in site.they work on maintenance. There was a well in the wine cellar. Beer and wine was safer. Drank a lot of wine, but it had less alcohol. Made own wine.

    10 to 16 people lived here in peacetime. 20-25 rooms in the castle.

    Bedroom is heated. Think everyone slept here. People slept at an angle rather than horizontal because that was the position of death.    Read more

  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 4

    Dinner and beer culture

    May 25, 2023 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    The first place was Muhlen. They served bratwurst, sauerkraut, pork, onions, potatoes and flava beans. Dessert was a malt mousse. Bill Clinton ate there.

    Second place was Paffgen. Sat with Henrik our guide.

    Third place was musical bar. Papa Joe's Biersalon. Lots of player pianos and mechanical musical instruments.    Read more

  • TravelerViking River Cruise
    Day 4

    Cologne Walking Tour

    May 25, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Romanesque from year 1000. First church to
    Metal anchors support the building. 30,000 Ford workers in Cologne. Cologne is a daughter of Rome. Colony of Rome. Roman city was recycled. One if the oldest cities in Germany. French Gothic style. Late Gothic. Old Roman wall. Romans had concrete. Rediscovered concrete in late 19th century. Cleaning not really possible. 8 kinds of stone. 520 steps to top. The sculpture is a one to one copy of the top. Started in 1250. Golden shrineif the bones of 3 magi. Around year 800 crucifix changed to suffering cross. In medieval times was very colorful. After a hundred years they painted them away. Church #5 in this spot. Oldest 300 AD. We stole 3 magi. Pilgrims financed it. Reformation stopped the pilgrims. Stopped building.1824 they finally started again with German unification as a result of defeat from Napoleon. Gothic means barbaric German tribe. Gothic style prevalent across the country. Then finished it in 1840 to 1880.The original architect had made drawings they kept and finished that way.Build replicas of statues. Clean stones are new replacement stones. War destroyed much of the city and. Prior to that Victorian style. Cathedral was preserved. Air Force had order not to destroy cathedral. Used Church towers as a point of reference for daylight attack industrial stuff. Wanted modern architecture. Collective desired amnesia. Biggest cities are ugly in Germany. East Germany preserved more of the old architecture.

    Each Brauhaus serves their own Cologne beer. Oktoberfest is only Bavaria. Cologne does Mardi Gras. Cologne glasses are small to keep it fresh. Empty glass in front of you is an order for more beer. Put coaster over glass to stop more beer from coming.

    Perfume based on alcohol invented here. Eu de Cologne. 300 years. Farina same scent.

    Old market square from 1050. Fountain late 19 th century.

    .    Read more

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