Amsterdam - our last day

This morning we went on an excursion to Zaanse Schans to see some of the few remaining authentic windmills in Holland. Along the way we called in at a cheese factory to see how they make Gouda cheese. 

Our next stop was the clog shop. After a demo of how clogs are made we could try them on and purchase a few souvenirs. 

We then visited one of three mechanical windmills at the site. The windmill is used to grind stone, wood, etc for the production of paint pigments. 

We were also taken on a drive through the World Heritage listed section of the dike which is one of the oldest reclaimed areas in Holland. The houses were very quaint. 

After lunch Stephen, Alex, Graeme and I set out for a cruise on the canals. For an hour we cruised the variety of canals Amsterdam has to offer. It was very interesting. We were particularly taken with the 'dancing houses' - this means that over time the foundations have begun to fail and sink and so many of the houses now stand at different angles, only held up by the houses on either side. 

We are now packed and ready for the treck home. If only we could snap our fingers and be back in Australia. This trip has certainly been the trip of a lifetime - certainly better than either of us had dreamt it would be. We can't wait to start planning the next one.

Cologne: Good-bye Germany

Today we walked the streets of our last German town - Cologne. It is certainly not the prettiest city we have visited but it was almost completely destroyed in the war and while they tried to restore the town to its former glory - it seems a little soulless compared to some of the beautiful towns we have visited. 

Cologne of course is famous for production of cologne. We visited the oldest perfume store and saw many signs for the original scent - 4711. And why the name? Simply 4711 was the street number of the shop in which the famous (infamous) cologne was first produced. 

Back on board in time for lunch before setting sail for Amsterdam. The first activity of the afternoon was a towel folding demo. The cabin stewards will often leave little animals made using towels on our beds. Paula is our absolutely gorgeous stewardess. She is a real expert and I have made a collection of her fun work - swan, elephant, rabbit, stingray, snail, dog and ET. 

Next we had our disembarkation meeting. This was a reality check for us all. Tomorrow is our last day. Wednesday morning we are on our way home first thing in the morning. Yuk!!!

The Captain's farewell dinner was next on the agenda. The fare included lobster and chateaubriand. Yum!!!

The last activity for the evening was a disco. The best part was that the crew joined us for the party. They all came dressed up in their flares and bright neon colours. It really was great fun for all. 

Yet another busy, busy day!!!

This morning we were transferred by a little tourist train to the mechanical music museum in Rudeshiem. Wow!!! Who knew old music boxes and instruments would be so interesting and entertaining. 

We then caught the cable car to the monument on the top of the hill amoung the vineyards. The monument was impressive and so was the view over the Rhine River. 

Once back on board we cruised along the Rhine River gorge. Another WOW!!! Our heads were spinning trying to keep up with all the castles. 

Our meal today was in Marksburg Castle but we certainly had to work for our supper. As if the climb to the top wasn't enough.....the castle tour was a killer. Lost count of the steps and the cobbles were so uneven it was very difficult to walk and take in the views at the same time. 

Marksburg Castle

Sir Stephen and a bunch of other middle aged knights. 

Busy, busy day

Overnight we cruised to the town of Wertheim famous for its glass blowing industry. Unfortunately we didn't have time to explore the town as we were up and onto buses early for our morning excursion. We had all been given a selection of local activities from which to choose one. Stephen decided to go on a bike ride and I decided to bake pretzels. We both really enjoyed our respective activity. I managed to make two fairly decent looking and tasting pretzels. 

After our baking we had time to visit another one of the local towns, Miltenberg. The great surprise was that Miltenberg rivals Rothenburg for beauty. The streetscape is simply stunning and the streets not as crowded as the larger Rothenburg. 

Miltenberg is famous for its red sandstone. The town wall, many of the houses and the bridge were all made from the uniquely coloured stone. 

Everyone then returned to the town of Freudenberg for lunch in an enormous underground cellar. It was delicious and very entertaining. 

Back on the boat and it was time for a glass blowing demonstration. What great fun! Hans Ittig the artist was entertaining, informative and produced several stunning pieces. 

All in all a great day!

Beautiful street signs everywhere

Great day on the tour!!!

Today we ventured south along the Romantic Road from Wurstberg. Wurstberg is not a particularly pretty city as it was flattened by allied bombs during the war. Therefore most of the buildings were built in the 50s. However, our destination for the day is a completely different kettle of fish. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, approximately 60km south of Wurstberg, was mainly untouched and is therefore one of the best preserved medieval towns in the world. In fact its entire city wall with its 42 gate houses and towers remains in tact. It is quite possibly the most beautiful town I have ever seen. We walked with our guide for about an hour and then had a couple of hours of free time. Stephen and I wandered up and down the cobbled laneways and tried some of the local fare. We also spent time in one of the Christmas shops for which the town is also famous. The drive to Rothenburg along the Romantic Road was also memorable. The small towns dotted every 2/3 kms along the road are exceptionally quaint. The road is very narrow and in some spots it was hard for the bus to navigate its way through. When we visited Neuschwanstein Castle (on our other tour) we were in fact at the southern end of the Romantic Road. Perhaps one day we will come back and drive from one end to the other. I think it would be a lovely journey. 

Bamberg

Our next stop was Bamberg. Bamberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany, located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. Its historic city center is a listed UNESCO world heritage site. It is a very pretty town that suffered little damage during the war unlike Nuremberg (yesterday) and Wurzburg (tomorrow) who were both significantly damaged and needed to be rebuilt. Some towns in Germany chose to replicate the original style of building and others like Dusseldorf have gone for a much more modern architectural landscape. 

Our guide today took us on a tour of two parts of the town - the island section and the hill section. It was very pretty. The town was also celebrating the religious holiday - Corpus Christi Day. All the shops were shut and there was a very large religious parade through the winding cobbled streets. The 'floats' were spectacular. What added to our walking tour was the fact that the entire service and parade was broadcast over very large speakers throughout the town so as we walked we could listen to the singing, prayers, etc. It really did add to the atmosphere. After the sombre nature of our tour yesterday the colour, music, noise and masses of people were welcome. 

I liked Bamberg a lot!!!

Nuremberg, Germany

This morning we moved from the Danube River to the Main-Danube Canal. We actually crossed the watershed and went through the three deepest locks on the waterway (25 metres). Silvie (our cruise director) also gave an interesting lecture on the building of the canal. 

The other fascinating thing about our trip through the canal was the enormous viaduct that we cruised over. Fancy a viaduct large enough for cruise boats and barges that has a road that runs under it. It would be disconcerting to be driving along a road, look up and see a ship cruising by. 

For lunch we had a Bavarian theme. Lots of sausages, sauerkraut and mustard with delicious white asparagus (a delicacy here in Bavaria). Strawberries are also widely grown in Bavaria and so dessert consisted of strawberries done in numerous ways. They were gorgeous to look at and tasted even better. 

After lunch we headed off on our excursion to the Palace of Justice (the court in which the Nuremberg trials were held), the Nazi parade grounds, the Nazi party rally grounds and the documentation centre. Like Dachau, although interesting, I can't say it was an enjoyable excursion. It only served to reaffirm what bastards Hiltler and his cronies where and how easily influenced the German people were. 

On our return to the boat and in keeping with all things Bavarian, there was a beer tasting. Listening to the history of beer making in Germany was interesting and Stephen certainly enjoyed tasting the beers. We have met a nice couple from Sale. Alex is an engineer and Graeme works offshore on an oil rig. They both work for Esso.