We
are heading from Regensburg to Nuremburg and onward via the Main-Danube Canal,
leaving behind the Danube River and eventually entering the Main River. This
morning we passed through the three deepest locks of the whole trip, the
Hipolstein, Eckersmuehlen, and Leerstetten locks, each of which is 25 meters
(81 feet) deep. From now on, the deepest lock will be 19 meters and almost all will
be seven meters deep or less.
The
upcoming lock is Eiobach, a portion of the canal that goes OVER the road. It
was, I must say, less than exciting. More exciting was being on the upper deck
while going under a bridge where the ship’s bridge was lowered to its lowest
position and it was suggested to those of us on the upper deck that we remain
seated and facing forward. Why the facing forward suggestion, I don’t know as
it is more than a little scary to actually watch as the really, really low
bridge approaches. I could have reached up from my seated position and touched
the underside of the bridge! Everything on the top of the ship is lowered to
its max-low position, even the roof of the sunroom! I’m going to try to get a
lowered/normal position comparative photos. It’s just that I have to remember
to do that before they raise the sunroom again. I think it’s going to stay down
until Frankfort; at least we are not allowed on the portion of the deck that is
aft of the bridge. Aren’t you impressed? I know which direction is aft! I even
know port from starboard. Our cabin is on the port side of the ship. I’m pretty
sure of that.
At
least part of our cabin window/door is often above the level of the walls of
the smallest lock so we aren’t usually in the dark from the lock walls towering
above us—except this morning when the walls were looming far, far above us! But
Kathy & Ken and Greg & Yolanda are in what Kathy is calling Aquarium
Class where the water is often lapping just under their window!
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| Randy, waiting for everybody to get off the ship and start on the tour of Bamburg |
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| After tasting the "green" beer (young beer, not ready for sending to bars, but drinkable) |
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| Where we did the first beer tasting |
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| We tasted three kinds of beer in Bamburg |
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| Where we had sausages and more beer |
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| The large square in Bamburg |
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| The ship had to make a very temporary stop to pick up the beer tasters |
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| Even though it's temporary, they still have to take all the precautions of normal docking |
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| We interrupted the filming of a commercial for the German Red Cross. Note the costume. We have no idea what the story line of the commercial could be. They were NOT happy that our ship docked in the middle of their filming. |
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| This is what a temporary docking looks like. Note the crane that lifted the walkway in place. They have the crane because these temporary dockings are not unusual. |
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| Bamburg street scene |
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| Every town, it seems, has a town square with lots of food shops. |
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| Stephanie was our guide for the walking tour as well as for the beer tasting tour. |
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| What gorgeous foods are available |
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| Kathy is not having any fun at all! |
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| OK, try to straighten this photo! |
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| Kathy and Ken in Bamburg |
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| A building with some relief features |
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| The Bamburg Cathedral. ABC. Another Bloody Church. |
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| Ken, Greg, Kathy studying the cathedral. Kathy had done so much homework she could have been a guide! |
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| The tomb of Emperor Henry II and Empress Cunigund, the only emperor/ess to be canonized |
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| Probably the 11th century Hungarian king Stephen I, but nobody really knows who it is. |
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| Beautiful organ in the Cathedral |
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| One of the stations of the cross in the cathedral |
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| Clement II died after only a year of popeness and wanted to be buried in Bamberg Cathedral. It is the site of the only papal burial outside of Italy and France. He was exhumed recently and it was discovered that he was actually murdered. |
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| Kathy and Ken outside the cathedral |
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| Beautiful door in the cathedral |
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| Panorama of Bamburg |
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| View from one of the many bridges in Bamburg |
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| Randy and, guess what? Another beer! |
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| Greg trying to intrude on a formal portrait of Randy. |
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| This has been entered for the Guinness Book of Records |
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| Our guide and Yolanda in Nuremburg (or Nurmburg or Nurnburg or other spellings) |
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| Kathy and Ken went on another tour, the WWII tour, we were on the Nuremburg City tour |
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| The castle in Nuremburg |
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| Just a pretty courtyard |
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| An homage to Albrecht Durer |
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| Such beautiful places to eat and drink! |
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| Randy and Greg at an eating establishment |
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| Yolanda moving the brass ring on the fountain. There's a story to the ring that's too long to tell here. |
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| Yolanda, Patsy, Jim, and Greg. Patsy is the person who wrote a poem to me on my birthday. You can read it in this http://pamryanstravels.blogspot.nl/2014/05/hatches-matches-and-dispatches.html |
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