We arrived in the late afternoon, settled in, and took a walk in the area of our hotel. Failing to find our way to the train station, Statione Santa Maria Novella, we decided to grab our dinner and take a taxi to the station in the morning .. a wise decision.

Over a year ago, I blogged about the ARTQUILTSvoices exhibition and conference with Katie Pasquini Masopust taking us from random paintings to quilt top designs. Well, finally, I have completed the quilt top that was begun back in the spring of 2016. If you scroll down to the bottom of the post, you will see the beginnings of Unstructured 1, pictured here. It was fun to work on, if not prolonged!

UNSTRUCTURED 1 – designed and created by Mary A Ritter 2017.                                                           All rights reserved. ©Mary A Ritter 2017

Step 1:

It starts with a sketch from a photo of an interesting site, and a new project is underway…. Le Chêne Chapelle – the Oak Chapel. We visited this area in Allouville-Bellefosse, France on our trip from Paris to Normandy in 2013. We’ll see what develops.

Step 2: After enlarging the sketch by 400% and printing it (20 pages), the outline and background fabric are pinned to the design wall and the fun begins. While at the site in France, I was fascinated with the door that leads to the two chapels inside the large old tree. You must read the story about this tree: click here Le Chêne Chapelle. I worked the photo of the tree door through the Moku Hanga app on my iPad, then sent the modified photo to Spoonflower to have it printed on fabric. If you click on the “Design” tab on their web page you can learn how to create your own photo designs and have them printed. Somehow the enlarged door will emerge as a part of the overall design. Too early to tell. There will also be leaves so it doesn’t look so barren.

Once traced onto the denim background, I used Dye n Flow to paint it all, using a sponge and opaque Jacquard fabric paint to complete the sky. The painting serves as a guide as I add treatments – appliqué, embroidery, quilting, text etc.

Then I created the bark using wool. The door and tree surface around it is a photograph I took at the site which was altered in the app Moku Hanga on my iPad.

Far from finished, I am outlining the shingles with machine stitching. They cover areas of the tree where the bark has worn or weathered away. Not shown are all the structural poles, cables and supports applied by man to keep the tree very much alive and upright. I have completed covering the bark areas with either wool scraps or cheesecloth dyed black. Next, I will add the stairway around the right side, clusters of leaves, and decking at the bottom. Then on to the quilting.

After quilting, which includes quilting some smaller leaves to surround the clumps of leaves which were created using Texture Magic, the text was stitched, clusters of silk ribbon embroidery were added, and the whole thing was ringed with two layers of wool yarn.

At every art lesson I’ve attended, I’m usually told to take a journal with me everywhere and sketch whenever I get a chance. Being me, I still prefer the camera. However, this artist, Lisa Engler, is inspiring me to TRY to give sketching a chance. Elise Engler’s apartment window overlooks NYC’s Broadway. For 43 years she rode her bike around Manhattan until she was hit by a truck and injured her left arm. During her recovery, she “sketched” Broadway. Every day for a year, she chose a different block along the avenue and drew a sketch of something significant in that block.  At this link, you can view the results (as seen on CBS Sunday Morning.) Trust me, you will love it! And, you may even begin to sketch as the first step. A blessing came from an accident, giving her TIME to sit still everyday and sketch.

http://eliseengler.com/a-year-on-broadway/1

To read more about art quilts, click on the PAQA-South link, where as the President for 2017-2018 I am keeping their website and Facebook pages updated as best I can. Sometimes there is overlap that I can post here too.

PAQA-South (Professional Art Quilts Alliance)

PAQA-South Facebook (please friend us)  https://www.facebook.com/PAQAsouth/posts/

The Spring 2017 show has opened at Page-Walker Art Gallery and History Center in Cary, NC. If you are in the area, please stop by and take a closer look. Here are some photos of the way it looks from across the room, but the true joy is seeing the up close and personal details. The theme is RESPITE …. removing yourself from life’s busy pace to rest and relax. The show lives up to its theme! (Click on individual photos for a bit closer view.) Click oaths link for a  gallery along with artists’ statement.

All rights reserved. ©Mary A Ritter 2017

All rights reserved. ©Mary A Ritter 2017

As we are getting settled at home, without anyone to prepare our meals or bring us our coffee or tea, or take us on long walks and explain everything to us (oh so sad!), I am finding some bits of information that I had intended to include in the travel blog.

On the impressive pedestrian/train bridge in Cologne, someone had hung a skeleton sculpture. It was done anonymously overnight and the city grew fond of it, so it wasn’t removed. It was added to a pre-existing beam.

We were taught that if a structure or city’s name ended in “berg”, it meant it was a fortress such as Heidelberg Castle. If the name ended in “burg”, it meant is was a smaller town, such as Wurzburg or Rothenburg ob der tauber.

One of the items we purchased from the glassblower was a rooster. My collection of roosters is small: a Navajo rooster, a Maui rooster, a Minnesota rooster, and a NC rooster. Now I have a Wertheim, Germany rooster to crow with the others.

The temperatures seemed so cold to us while we were in Amsterdam, Delft and Bruge. Of course, there was a wind to go along with them. When we checked our maps we found that we were at the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska. No wonder!

I always intended to show a steeple with a cock on top indicating that it was Lutheran. I took many pictures, but had a hard time getting a clear shot because the steeples were too high. Here’s the best shot. It was a pretty church in Rhein, Kamp-Bornhofen, Germany as we sailed by the castles.

Our trip, with the pre-trip and post-trip bus excursions, included 21 cities. Our memories are unclear about what happened where, so I added some brief commentary to each city on the list mostly as a memory aid for us. It is our memory cheat list. They are listed in the order we visited them.

1. Prague, The Czech Republic: Praha, Charles Bridge, Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral/Anton Mucha style; dinner out on our own overlooking Charles Bridge, Palace and Cathedral. Astrological Clock; Jewish Quarter; Wenceslas Square; Anton Mucha Gallery; Norm climbed the clock tower and took pictures while I had coffee at a street-side cafe.

2. Bratislavia, Slovakia (I never thought I would be in Slovakia!) Great little walkable old town with many humorous sculptures; noon meal included at the politically-elite restaurant

3. Vienna, Austria: guided tour of city; learned about Cici and Franz Joseph

4. Melk Abbey: not really in the town, but located between Vienna and Passau. We toured the abbey, but did not dock in Melk. We purchased Wachau Merillan (apricot) chutney and a sample of Merillan aperitif. Wachau Valley is also known for its wines: Gruner Veltline or Riesling; Zweigelt (red)

5. Passau, Lower Bavaria, Germany-Dreiflüssestadt-City of Three Rivers; first city actually in Germany; the Danube River is the border with Austria on one side and Germany on the other;  and we rode on the sundeck enjoying the scenery of classic paintings of Wachau Gorge; free Organ concert at noon in the baroque style St. Stephen’s Cathedral

6. Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany-home visit to Beilsning; oldest bratwurst stand; dinner at ump pa pa evening dinner out at cruise expense at Alta Linda; it was Sunday so the cathedral’s bells were ringing; 

7. Kelheim-Memorial on hill above city overlooking Rhine River; visited a monastery/brewery???why??? 

8. Nuremburg-Justizpalace trials and Hitler’s Zeppelin field; Frauenkirk Cathedral with clock figures; *best* bratwurst in Bratwurst Cafe

9. Bamburg- houses along the river; great downtown shopping square; bought scarf and sketches; had Flammkuchen (pizza like); selfie on the bridge by the mural painted buildings; finally found an apotek (drugstore) for cough drops, aspirin and bandaids.

10. Rothenburg ob der Tauber-buildings on the square and houses; oldest medieval town; walked the wall; Christmas shops; St. Jakob’s Lutheran Cathedral with tall wooden sculpture; Mihai’s 94 year old friend-owner of shop, so alert and talkative; small building with a street on each side. Included lunch in authentic restaurant.

11. Wertheim- coin operated bicycle inner tube dispenser; narrowest building in Franconia on the square; Castle above-rode the tram to get there and scrambled all over it totally unsupervised – it was a great castle to explore; great overview of Wertheim; went to small festival (Octoberfest) and tried the bratwurst and beer.

12. Rüdesheim-We didn’t do the late afternoon tour because we were too tired after touring Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

13. Offenbach-didn’t tour at all. It was just a docking point.

14. Heidelberg-crowded castle; too many tourists, but an impressive castle and overlook; Palmbraeu Gasse restaurant included mid-day (alley restaurant); hot chocolate later at a small cafe that had gorgeous big cakes. It was raining and cold.

15. Wurzberg-walkable right off the gangplank; Residenz and Fortress; same day as Heidelberg? We didn’t tour Wurzberg as it was evening by the time we returned from Heidelberg? Some took the option to stay in town and tour in the evening.

16. Koblenz- end of the castle run on the Rhine; clever sculptures; 

17. Cologne- pedestrian/train bridge; large Dom Cathedral; fish market houses;  Kölsh Beer Tasting

18. Amsterdam, North Holland, The Netherlands-Rijkmuseum; canal tour; houseboats; bicycles; city seems so large compared to the ones we’ve been visiting.

19. Delft, South Holland, The Netherlands-De Candelaer Factory Handprinted Delftware and shop; Henry Willig Gouda shop

20. Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium-impressive number of cathedrals; not enough time but good exposure; stepped gable roofs

21. Brugge, West Flanders, Belgium- lovely walkable city; canal tour; 1000+ Belgium beer wall; French fries with mayo; movie The Monument Men filmed here. Only Michelangelo sculpture outside of Italy – angel

 Day 21-22~Oct 13-14~Th&Fri~Brugge, Belgium~the saga ends!

This is the last post for this trip as we fly out of Brussels, Belgium tomorrow morning. We leave the NC Hotel by van at 3:45AM, heading for Brussels. What a trip this has been! It’s truly not a vacation as we have been on the go, on our walking feet, everyday for several hours. We’ve also been fed delicious food, listened to tantalizing facts and figures about each location, told entertaining tales, and met wonderful people. We just hope our traveling paths will cross again in the near future.

Our first full day in Brugge was better after a night of rest in a lovely old “monastery” hotel right near the large sculpture, but it is still very cold and windy. We are all wearing multiple layers that we would never put together at home! They layers serve their purpose and help to hide us from the wind and chill. Brugge is loaded with sculptures, and we have not done the wonderful artwork here justice just because we are at the end of a long saga and are quite tired. Folks seem to be on the mend from a harsh cold and cough that has made its way through the tour group.

We love the small village feeling of Brugge, and even with the cold weather, the sun was bright during our canal ride so Norm got some great pictures. You can tell by how clear it is that it might be cold, but the sunlight made for great shadows and light in the photos.

A local guide took us on a walking tour, pointing out the multitude of sculptures on the buildings and bridges. She also informed us what buildings hold more artwork and the only Michaelangelo outside of Italy. We plan to follow her recommendation to rewatch The Monuments Men, a movie from 2014. Following the walking tour, we boarded a canal boat for a tour from the water.

(Be sure to click on an individual picture for a larger view.)

The construction material of choice was brick, with the oldest buildings using little ornamentation. Newer construction involves decorative use of brick and color. The Main Square features a charming combination of many styles and is a busy place. Swans are a common site here, but this was a particularly large flock.

The first shot is one of Norm’s that shows the cascading bridges and the vivid colors so well. The canal captain is pointing to the remnants of his hair lost by going under so many low arches.

Two must-do traditions in Brugge:

1-Eat the special double fried fries with mayo offered at the street stand in the Main Square. Norm is not fond of mayo, but I loved them with mayo, and he liked his too.

2-Visit the wall of 1000+ Belgium beers. We visited it and intended to return this last day to taste the sampler. Guess this means we have to return! We couldn’t get there today as we are room-bound trying to get Norm’s cold in check to fly tomorrow.

WHAT A GORGEOUS CITY!!!!

CIAO!

AUF WIEDERSEHEN!!

Day 20-Oct 12-Delft,The Netherlands and Ghent, Belgium

On this day, we disembark the River Adagio and start our bus ride to Bruges, Belgium. Our Program Director, Marloes, points out some features of Amsterdam as we pull away from the city on the Ring highway which encircles the city. The Netherlands has 12 provinces with Amsterdam being the capitol of North Holland, and Rotterdam the capitol of South Holland. An entirely new province created from reclaimed land, Fleevoland, was established in 1985.

Yesterday, on our cruise of the canals, we saw many drawbridges. Drawbridges, of course, were invented by the Dutch with their many areas of reclaimed land separated by small ditches of water. There are 92000 dikes plus Delta Works throughout the country. Delta Works  will hold back the ocean with the touch of a button in the case of an emergency, or to stave off the effects of climate change. It sounds quite complex, and I intend to read more about it.

The Habsbergs once ruled here, thus we see the blue crowns as symbols. During WWII, 100,000 Jews and others who were selected, were imprisoned here. We see the XXX symbol on many things; it stands for Water * Fire * Plague. The area has experienced many hard times.

(Be sure to click on the picture to see a larger version, sometimes with commentary.)

Marloes, a citizen of The Netherlands, pointed out the multitude of windows, mostly free of shades or curtains. Aside from the people not feeling the need for privacy, the government used to tax, not by the size of the footprint of a building, but by how many windows it had. Since that ended, the citizenry has enjoyed having the sunlight pour in from all directions!

If you earn less than 24,000€ annually, you qualify for government housing. Because the government provides newer housing and maintains its quality, this is some of the best housing available, although it is a small space. It is also rent controlled, so families try to keep it from one generation to another, although this is illegal.

As we hit the outskirts of Amsterdam, I snapped a couple of photos of more recently constructed buildings. We were near the university Marloes attended, and when asked, she explained that sports activities are never associated with educational institutions here. Thus these is no such thing as a cheerleader. Sports is its own entity and is operated by neighborhood organizations.

Greenware fired at 1400 degrees and still hot to the touch.

Designs are painted on the fired bisque ware and then fired again. The entire molding, cleaning, firing bisque, painting designs, and firing again is done in this shop.

The sales area is adjacent to the creative process in quite a small space, actually. It carries the legal mark for Delft ware. Items made in China or other locations are not truly Delft ware.

We also saw houses which backed up to a canal, gorgeous flowers in a shop, and the beautiful, quaint shops sharing the downtown square with two huge cathedrals, an old one and a new one from the 1700s. I bought a chunk of smoked gouda in a shop that sold only Dutch gouda in a multitude of flavors.

We had a local guide and walked some more. It’s another lovely town with structures from the Middle Ages and older… Houses and Cathedrals, of course. We did enjoy Delft for its Henri Willig Gouda Cheese Shop,  and De Candelaer Delft Pottery Shop, spending some Euro in both places.

Then we rode for an hour and stopped at Ghent for another guided walking tour. Ghent was a huge contrast to Delft with multiple huge cathedrals and much larger squares and structure in general.

This structure exhibits the stepped gable roof line and the decorative brick exterior.

We had a local guide who did a marvelous job of exposing us to the high points. It looks to me like Ghent is worth two to three days for a quality visit. I noted only that Ghent is known for its stepped gable roof lines, cheaper to build than a curved roof line, but still adding stature, even though there frequently is no actual living space behind the gable. We feel like we are viewing a movie set at times.

Afew random facts: ***Ganda hams – ganda was the name for Gent in old times and one of their well-known products is ham. ***Ghent folks are called strong heads. Charles V tried to hang many people who didn’t pay bills. There were too many to hang them all, so instead, he humiliated them by making them walk with nooses stringing them together, in white costumes, barefoot in single file. ***Trappist beer is still made by the monks – Spenser Beer in USA. ***Wool and cotton industry during Napolean’s time.

Finally, after another hour of riding, we arrived in Brugge, a very tired group of 13. A good night’s sleep in an old monastery, now the Brugge NC Hotel will make a difference.

Ciao for now!

Day 19-Oct 11-Tues-Amsterdam, The Netherlands

After sailing all night, we arrived in Amsterdam while we were eating breakfast. We were aboard canal cruisers by 9am, followed by a long guided walk through the city. This is our last day and night aboard the River Adagio. Early tomorrow morning, we will board a bus to Delft and then on to Bruges, Belgium for the last three days of our journey.

(Be sure to click on the picture for a larger version, sometimes with commentary.)

Amsterdam is a city of WATER! They sail in boats and live on boats!

Amsterdam is a city of BICYCLES! They haul children or groceries, or briefcases; then they park their bikes in parking garages! Or in a mad pile wherever there is a smidgen of space! Watch where you step as you don’t have a chance if you wander into their path.

Amsterdam is a city of beautiful skylines and big cheeses, namely Gouda and Edam.

And Amsterdam is the city of Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum. 

Anne Frank hid from the Nazi occupation in the city for years and her hiding place is a museum.

Ciao for now!

Day 18-Oct 10-Mon-Cologne, Germany

We have traveled through the night and arrive at Cologne by breakfast time. As we sailed from Klobenz to Cologne, we were reminded that not all of Germany is old and picturesque. We passed this highly industrial area before nightfall. 

(Be sure to click on the picture for a larger version, sometimes with commentary.)

Norm captured this shot of the beautiful Dom Cathedral and the impressive rail and pedestrian bridge in a panorama. He had to walk across the bridge as our ship is docked under the far side of it.

 On our morning guided walk, our guide tells how Cologne got its name. Agrippa was the military leader of the fortress in this area. He had a beautiful daughter named Agrippina. When Claudius, the Emperor, saw Agrippina, he divorced his fourth wife and made Agrippina his fifth wife. He made the fortress a colony and named it Cologna (colony) in her honor. This label raised its status, and so it grew and prospered.

The Dom Cathedral is pictured again as we approach it a bit closer.  The Dom Cathedral was only bombed once in WWII due to orders to avoid it as it served as landmark for the planes to know where to bomb. The steeples stuck up over the morning fog. Cologne was heavily bombed, but not the cathedral – once a steeple was struck by accident, but no major damage occurred.

Cologne served as a triage camp during WWII which means that prisoners were sent here first to then be reassigned according to whatever status was given them. It is called the Deutz Concentration Camp. Prisoners were sent here because of many persecutions – being Jewish, being gay, being disabled etc. This pink triangle memorializes those imprisoned because of sexual differences. Conrad Adenauer said, “Deutz is where Siberia begins.” Now the site is used for trade fairs and the like.

These houses on Fisherman Row were painted different colors in the Middle Ages because houses were not numbered at that time. You could direct someone to your home based on the color.

The iron figures on the front actually are large staples fastened into the end of the beam that runs from front to back of the house. The beam holds them straight. Again, they build taller because they are taxed on the footprint of the building. They seldom used blue because lapis lazuli is the only source, and it oxidizes too quickly. Sometime blue bottles were crushed up to add color, but it was also very expensive. They also used ox blood to mix in the paint to make pink.

These sculptures imitate Lorrell and Hardy style characters. On the left is the farmer Tunis. On the right is the city slicker, Schnell. Schnell criticizes Tunis for letting life just pass by and for drinking too much. Schnell rethinks his life and sells all of his empty drink bottles and becomes as rich as city guy. And another story: Schnell sees Tunis in his best suit carrying a Bible. It is Saturday night, and Tunis tells Schnell that he is going to a brothel. Schnell wonders why he is dressed in his best suit and carrying a Bible. Tunis says he might stay until morning. Our guide told us these as an example of German humor.

(Be sure to click on the picture for a larger version, sometimes with commentary.)

We were invited to a Kölsch beer tasting. This is a special German beer that adheres to many traditions. The beer hall must have dark wood floors with dark wood paneling between covering 40-60% of the wall surface. The table tops must be wooden with no lacquer coating. The beer is served in 6oz column-like glasses.

The waiters are called Kübes and they always wear white and blue. They like to banter and challenge the guests on a variety of topics like sports etc, but the waiter must be the initiator of the teasing. They hate Dusseldorf – Cologne sewage flows down to Dusseldorf.

I am not much of a beer fan, but I thought this beer had a smooth and pleasant flavor.

Ciao for now!

Day 16-Oct 9-Sun-Castle Row on the Rhine to Koblenz, Germany

Our ship stayed in the port of Rüdesheim overnight so that we could cruise by the castles that line the Rhine River during the morning light. Right after breakfast, we pulled out of port. We cruised by 16 Castles, but I have selected just four to share. Some are in ruins, and some have been restored. If there is a flag flying, it usually means that some one is in residence.

(Be sure to click on the picture for a larger version, sometimes with commentary.)

Rheinfels Castle (German: Burg Rheinfels) is a castle ruin located above the left (west) bank of the Rhine in Sankt Goar, Germany. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen. After expansions, it was the largest fortress in the Middle Rhein Valley between Koblenz and Mainz. It was slighted by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797. It is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine,[1] and historically covered five times its current area. While much of the castle is a ruin,[2] some of the outer buildings are now a luxury hotel, “wellness” centre and restaurant.[citation needed] There is also a museum within some of the better preserved structures. Wikipedia

The Marksburg is a castle above the town of Braubach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is one of the principal sites of the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress was used for protection rather than as a residence for royal families. It has a striking example of a bergfried designed as a butter-churn tower. Of the 40 hill castles between Bingen am Rhein and Koblenz the Marksburg was the only one which was never destroyed. Wikipedia

The Schönburg is a castle above the medieval town of Oberwesel in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Wikipedia

Stolzenfels Castle (German: Schloss Stolzenfels) is a former, medieval fortress castle (“Burg”) turned into a palace, near Koblenz on the left bank of the Rhine, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Stolzenfels was a ruined 13th-century castle, gifted to the Prussian Crownprince, Frederick William in 1823. He had it rebuilt as a 19th-century palace in Gothic Revival style. Today, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

The Schönburg is a castle above the medieval town of Oberwesel in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Wikipedia

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (German: Burg Pfalzgrafenstein) is a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the Rhine river near Kaub, Germany. Known as “the Pfalz,” this former stronghold is famous for its picturesque and unique setting. Wikipedia

Stahleck Castle (German: Burg Stahleck) is a 12th-century fortified castle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley at Bacharach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It stands on a crag approximately 160 metres (520 ft) above sea level[1] on the left bank of the river at the mouth of the Steeg valley, approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Koblenz, and offers a commanding view of the Lorelei valley. Its name means “impregnable castle on a crag”, from the Middle High German words stahel (steel) and ecke (here: crag).[1] It has a water-filled partial moat, a rarity in Germany. Built on the orders of the Archbishop of Cologne, it was destroyed in the late 17th century but rebuilt in the 20th and is now a hostel. Wikipedia

Rheinstein Castle is located opposite to Assmannshausen on a steep rock. It is one of the most important examples of romantic castle reconstruction. As a masterpiece of the architect Johann Claudius of Lassaulx the castle was built in the beginning of the 14th Century. It was a princely summer residence. In 1975 the opera singer Hermann Hecher bought the castle. It’s due to him that Rheinstein Castle became again one of the centres of attraction in the Rhine Valley. Around the apartment tower from the 14th Century you find neo-Gothic sets, turrets, terraces and iron stairs. Inside are stained glass windows and mural painting as well as a Renaissance fire-place and stylish furniture. Castle and medieval games take place in the knights hall. The castle can only be reached by a short footpath and offers a marvellous view of the Binger Loch and Assmannshausen. Source: Mittelrheinforum Loraley.com

Ehrenfels Castle is a ruined castle above the Rhine Gorge near the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the steep eastern bank of the river amid extended vineyards. The grape variety Ehrenfelser is named after the castle. (Wikipedia)

En route, we passed Lorelei, a large rock rising 440 feet above the river. Since the time of Ancient Greece, there have been legends of sirens, women-creatures who lure sailors to their death with sweet songs. Ancient Germanic legend places one such siren (Lorelei) here, and it is said she enticed sailors to destruction below the rock. In our case, Lorelei looks strangely like Carol, one of our Program Directors.

We were treated to sausages and beer after the last castle to help us warm up as it was very chilly up on the sundeck. Then a full three course lunch at 1pm, featuring a delicious mushroom soup, goulash, and a pistachio ice cream sundae. Luckily, the servings are small.

At 2:45 we disembarked the ship for a guided walking tour of Koblenz, set at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Originally established as an outpost of the Roman Empire in 8 BC and named Castellum apud Confluentes, the town became a city in the 13th century and served as the home of French refugees during the French Revolution. Here are some highlights in pictures.

(Be sure to click on the picture for a larger version, sometimes with commentary.)

Where four streets converge in old town Koblenz, there is a neighborhood square. These 4 cornices on each of the four corner structures overlook that Square. I enjoy looking at the details of structures most of all.

Koblenz has several sculptures located around the city that are humorous. The market wife is complaining to the policeman that a neighbour’s dog has just urinated on her basket and she wants him to fix the problem!

The “chaengle”  is spitting water. Chaengles were children of French soldiers and German women. Their single moms had to work to support their families, and so the children were frequently called “naughty” (chaengle) as they freely roamed about town.

This evening we will meet with the guide who will lead our tour to Bruges, Belgium so we can get ready for that. Dinner will follow that meeting, AND THEN, we will be entertained by an accordian orchestra.

Ciao for now!

Day 16-Oct 8-Sat-Offenbach/Heidelberg/ Rudesheim, Germany

Offenbach is the center for the world bank, and is located near Frankfort. We are headed to Heidelberg on the autobahn in a bus as the river there cannot handle a boat the size of the Adagio. While we are in Heidelberg, the ship will reposition to Rüdesheim on the Rhine. There is a governor on the bus limiting us to 100 km/ hour. Porsches and Ferraris are passing us like we are standing still because there is no speed limit on the autobahn.

(Be sure to click on the picture for a larger version, sometimes with commentary.)

This is the gate into the grounds of Heidelberg Castle.

The Wittelsbach Family joined with the Palatine family to take over each others fortunes if one or the other families died out. Both were strictly Catholic. Fredrick , a WIttelsbach, switched to Lutheran, which was heresy. He is the one who built Heidelberg Castle, a red sandstone structure. Once he died, they switched back to being Catholic.

He even became Holy Roman Emperor, but was killed by the Swedes before he could be crowned. He was married to a beautiful Lutheran princess, Elizabeth Stuart, a family which would take over the throne of England. Frederick V was the last one to inhabit the castle in Heidelberg. France destroyed the German castles along the Rhine, but left the Heidelberg castle, as it was already somewhat in ruin.

After some free time to explore the castle, we met up with the whole group for a wonderful lunch at Palmbraeu Gasse. In German, gasse means alley (strasse means street). The restaurant was located in historic ruins which had been restored for use, and an alley redesigned to add space to the restaurant.

Taxes- Our guide explains- If you earn 17,000€ and below, you pay no taxes, but can still get full government help as needed-food stamps, help with housing, education, college. Above 17,000€ , you pay up to 46% in taxes, and have a 19% sales tax too. You must prove you have been looking for work in order to get welfare; must go to interviews, get stamps of proof. It is harder than working a job. There are some jobs like harvesting which are called 1€ per hour job, no application or interview. You must take this type of job if it is offered, or you will not get welfare money. The Germans feel if their people are fed and educated, they can prosper more easily, and they have found this to be true. Likewise, they expect the government to handle the refugee expense since they already pay so much to the government.

We always notice all of the bicycles piled/parked in lots around the cities, and it isn’t hard to get in their way or to get knocked down by a bicycle if you do not stay alert.  While walking around Wertheim yesterday, we noticed this coin operated machine for buying inner tubes for your bicycle…. A first for all in our group…

CIAO for now!

Day 15-Oct 7-Fri~Wertheim, Germany~Fire and Stone

We have been on the Main River for two days now. The Main River flows through the German states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg (forming the border with Bavaria for some distance) and Hesse. Its basin competes with the Danube for water; as a result, many of its boundaries are identical with those of the European Watershed.

We are in Wertheim which is a small town so we are able to walk off the gangplank directly into the town. We walked all over the old market center which was very picturesque. It seems taxes were determined by the size of the footprint of the building, so owners would build small, but tall. This building is the narrowest in the state of Franconia, a state in Germany. We have spent 3 days in Bavaria, another state in Germany.

We did not dock until 10:30am, so we were treated to a glassblowing demonstration prior to going out for our walking tour. The artist also had wares to sell. We helped keep him in business.

(Click on the individual photos for a larger version and sometimes commentary.)

The other highlight of the day found us roaming around the castle ruins high above the city on our own. We rode up and back in a special coach train – Burgbahnle. We had a wonderful sunny cool day, and saw some good views of Wertheim from on high.

Norm is waving to me from up high on the right. 

On our way back to the ship, we stopped at a local festival, listened to some German music and had a brat and beer.

Then we had to get back to the boat as it is sailing to Offenbach by tomorrow morning. (I skipped dinner on the ship after eating that brat, and we both skipped the dance party in the lounge.)

Ciao for now!