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2017 09 27 - day 11 - Rudesheim.
This morning at 8.00 am, we arrived in Koblenz. It was a dismal day, foggy, cold and damp. This meant an early start as one of the optional tours we had booked was leaving the ship at 8.15 am.
We were off to Marksburg Castle (an 800 year old castle in the Romanesque style and triangular in shape. It has also had Gothic styled additions. Its uses have included a home for invalids, a state prison, living quarters for soldiers, and today it houses a museum as well as the German Castles Association). It was a thirty minute bus ride and up a mountain at the end. There was no warning about the steep climb, uneven steps and very uneven and rough walking areas. Wayne was very puffed in places and unsteady on his feet. He was done in at the end of it. But what a magnificent castle. It has always been occupied.
One aspect that amused a lot of us on the tour was the dining room. There was a small room that 'hung' off the side of the dining room (literally, from outside the building if you looked up, you could see the hole)! It was a toilet which was just a hole in the floor! It had no door so that if you did need to relieve yourself during dinner, you wouldn't miss out on any of the conversation as there was no door to isolate you! No privacy at all. Pity the poor guard on night patrol in the grounds below! There would be no warning as to what might drop out of the sky!
After the tour there was some free time. Wayne had seen a Church not too far from the ship so we investigated. The Church was St Kantor. (The Basilica of St. Castor is the oldest church in Koblenz. It was built between 817 and 836. The church honours St. Castor, who is said to have worked as a missionary on the Moselle in the 4th century and to have founded a religious community).
As we came in to dock, Don had seen a huge statue of a mounted horse. He wanted to have a look at that, which we did. It was a monument erected in 1897, to honour German Emperor William I of Germany, mounted on a 14-metre-high horse, which was inaugurated at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers by his grandson William II.
At 12.00 pm we set sail for Rudesheim in Germany. Lunch was also served during our departure from Koblenz.
After lunch we were all invited to the sundeck to listen to a commentary on the castles that lined the Rhine Gorge which we were going to sail through.
There were some stunning old castles. Listening to the history and seeing where they were built must have taken some doing back in those primitive days.
Something that amazed us were the vineyards on the side of mountains! If the land was vacant, better plant some grape vines!
We were also treated to two fighter planes travelling at high speed flying through the Gorge. The roar of the engines and the manoeuvrability of the aircraft was spectacular.
As we arrived in Rudesheim (A winemaking town in the Rhine Gorge. The town is one of Germany's biggest tourist attractions. Only Cologne Cathedral draws more tourists from other countries), dinner was served.
Tonight's dinner menu consisted of:
Appetiser: Shrimp and pineapple cocktail.
Soup: Riesling soup with cinnamon croutons.
Mains: Braised topside of beef marinated in red wine and vinegar with braised red cabbage and potato dumplings; or Pan fried salmon trout on creamy sauerkraut, sautéed grapes and steamed parsley potato cubes; or Onion pie with chives, sour cream and salad garnish.
Desserts: Cheese cake; or Vanilla ice cream with strawberry-mint sauce; or Cheese selection from the buffet; or Fresh sliced fruits in season.
After dinner there was some free time to explore Rudesheim's nightlife. We strolled through the streets with six of our new found friends from the ship. We saw the most stunning Christmas shop!
Back to the ship as we were setting sail tonight for Mannheim.
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