Day 10 - The Stumbling Block(s)
Day 10 – Tuesday, Mar 31 – The Stumbling Block
Our next stop was Koblenz, Germany. But first … this is the part of the cruise that you see in the advertisements. The Rhine winds through some steep hillsides that include multitudinous vineyards on the steep hillsides and the famous castles.
It was another cold day with the winds whipping as we matriculated to the top deck for viewing the castles. With the cruise ship (boat) doing about 10-12 miles per hour, the wind on top was probably 20-25 mph. We had to take refuge behind the captain’s bridge to make the experience tolerable. The waiter roaming around the upper deck with hot chocolate and Bailey’s also made it more tolerable.
This part of the cruise took a couple of hours and there were about two dozen castles in various states of conversion to luxury hotels to privately owned to fallen into disrepair and waiting for a buyer. There were times when three castles were visible at one time, but each was from a different century, so the fiefdoms did not overlap. The Romans conquered this land, and one of the duties of each Roman legionnaire was to carry a cultivar of a vine. When a land was conquered, one of the highest priorities (besides subduing the locals) was to plant vineyards. Well, they did a great job because EVERY hillside that is less than a 60-degree slope has a vineyard as far as the eye can see. Most of it is the famous German Riesling, albeit a much dryer version than the sweet Rieslings of the US. It was a enjoyable despite wind-chills in the mid-30’s.
I will let the pictures do the rest of the “talking.”
Finally we arrive at Koblenz. This city is at the junction of the Moselle River and the Rhine River. We docked very near the heart of the town, so it was convenient for disembarkation and access to the city, which is guarded by a monumental (literally) statue of Kaiser Wilhelm (pictured here at night from our boat).
We did our usual 2–3-hour walking tour with a very loquacious guide. She was fun and engaging … and at times a bit too engaging (if you know what I mean). On several occasions, Kurt was ready to call “TMI! Let’s move on.” But it was informative. We learned the detailed story behind how the Berlin Wall came tumbling down on November 9, 1989. We learned that there was a string of November 9th dates in German history that were fateful (Hitler elected on Nov 9th; Kristallnacht – night of broken glass - was on Nov 9th; to name just a couple).
We also were alerted to 4-inch square brass plated embedded in the sidewalk that bore the name of a Jewish person who owned/lived in the house where the plate was embedded. These are Jews who were abducted and died in concentration camps. Some guy got the idea to memorialize these victims by placing the small plates where they once lived. The idea caught on and now such ID plates with name, address, birth and death dates are engraved as a lasting memory. They are called stumbling blocks. They can be found in many cities in Germany, and if I recall correctly, it is catching on in other countries as well. We saw more of them in this tour and other subsequent tours on the trip.
Our tour took us through historic squares and some really small hidden alleys filled with shops. At the end of our tour, there was one last story our guide wanted to tell us – “just a short one if you have a few minutes.” Fifteen minutes later … We were all thinking it: “Is this going somewhere?” In the end, the story was devoid of any meaningful conclusion, moral, uplifting message. Anyway …
We continued walking around on our own but “Hey, where’s Kurt?” Well, he had had enough and wandered off to the best German pub in Koblenz for a lager. We had to go inside the local church – the Church of Our Lady. It was the usual very nice old architecture with a rather unique ceiling. Otherwise, lots of stone arches and stunningly beautiful stained-glass windows. Personally, I just can’t get enough of the awe-inspiring beauty of the stain glass – rich colors, messages conveyed, incredible craftsmanship.
We caught up with each other at the gondola/lift that went across the river to a very high point where a fortress was. It was a command post for the US Army during WW II as the US troops advanced into Germany. At the top, we toured the fortress casually and made our way to the overlook. There was a stunning view of Koblenz, the merging rivers and the bucolic countryside in the distance. Very, very nice. [Man, that selfie stick comes in handy!!]
The evening was clear and beautiful with a full moon rising. Dinner was the usual scrumptious appetizer, dinner and dessert with plentiful wine selections. We had established “our table” and our wait staff (Adam and Ana) were absolutely delightful and attentive. We got to know them throughout the cruise. There were many choices including local cuisine – as usual - and a standard set of items. We were entertained that evening by a very accomplished musical quartet playing Bach, Mozart and other popular classical pieces. Outstanding!!!!
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