Friday, May 31, 2019

5-31-2019 On the Main River ~ Freudenberg to Miltenberg

Family homes and gardens along the Main River...

Lots of homes have solar panels in Europe!

The reason our sun deck was dismantled...
lots of low bridges on the Main River...
The captains crows nest actually descends down into the second floor of the ship!
  
Ship builders...

On the Rhine River,
vineyards had vertical rows up and down the hillsides.
Here in the Main river, the vineyards have horizontal rows.

Lots and lots of camping sights along the Main River!
People 'rent' a spot for the summer,
drive their campers down and leave them there for the summer,
then come visit on their days off work.

Today's excursion...a walking tour of Miltenberg...
quaint, picturesque, with only 2 streets...
one for people traffic, one for cars.

Colorful cobblestones on the riverfront!

Heading toward the "dark street"
dark because the homes are built against a hill
and only get natural light from the front of the building.

Here's what the "people only" street looked like...

Pictures from the local winery shop...





One of the city's 2 water pumps...

Serenity...

Our guide, Elke, explains the numbers over the doors...

Another beautiful door...

Busty humor...

Bee houses...to help the bees re-populate the area...

More interesting doors...

The sagging house...

Miltenberg city center square...

Fountain with a bare butt towards the financier's house
because he wouldn't pay the fountain maker anything
until it was completely finished.

Another view on the "people only" street...

Another amazing door...

A merchant handing out free licorice
to entice you into his shop...

I got ruby red lips...

Elke pointing out the flood lines on the church...
and don't forget to look at the door!

Some German Shorthairs
hoping their owners will drop a bratwurst their way!

When the star is hanging below the business sign
it means that fresh beer is now being served.

Cropped sycamore trees around the churches...
something we saw in other towns too.
Not sure what that's all about.

More yellow, not only in the homes
but in the 'official' buildings too...

Back on the ship for dinner...

Dinner is over
and we're sitting on the balcony of our room
sailing by more campers on the river's edge.

What a beautiful town Miltenberg is!!!
I think I'd get bored living there though
with only two streets in town!








Thursday, May 30, 2019

5-30-2109 Koblenz ~ Marksburg Castle

Sunrise as we come to Koblenz...

First look at Marksburg Castle...
Cable Cars are for those who don't want to climb the hill.
We climbed the hill for our morning excursion.


Entering the Castle...
first gate

Light at the end of the tunnel...
second gate

View of Koblenz from the Marksburg Castle...



Coat sof Arms of those who have occupied this castle...

Blacksmith room..

Armory...

Past the armory...
third gate

Another view of Koblenz...

Passed through the third gate (above) into the castle gardens...







Through the final gate we enter the kitchen of the castle...






(I doubt they had this kind of chairs when the castle was occupied...)

Bedroom...beds were short on purpose...
they slept sitting up
thinking you would die if you slept lying down flat.

I loved the doors in this place!!!

Music niche in family quarters...

Now these chairs look more 'period'...

Door to the potty only unlocked in the morning...

The potty room...
one squatted over a hole in the floor
and everything fell straight down to the outside of the castle.


The castle's chapel room....


Weapons room...



Torture chamber...







The castle "keep"...

Saying "good bye" to Marksburg Castle in Koblenz...


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back on board the ship for lunch
and to try the beer of the region...
European beer and wine are so different
from what is produced in the USA!
Time to write some more post cards for the Grandkids!


Floating by some beautiful Tudor styles...

Time to go grab a book from the library
for a bit of an afternoon read while we sail
to our next port.

Sitting on the sun deck, sailing past Rhine River vineyards...
tonight they will be taking down the sundeck
for low bridges ahead for the next several days.





Sailing down the Rhine River...

Scenic sailing by more Castles on the Rhine River...




(Yellow seems to be the preferred house color
in Germany and Austria...)


















Starting to see swans along the river...

Colorful bridge graffiti...

Heading into yet another of 68 locks...

What an amazingly scenic day of sailing
past castles, vineyards and German/Bavarian towns!