A Marvel of Engineering

During the two week period of our Splendours of Europe river cruise we will travel 1800 kilometres along five separate waterways.  The ship will pass under 600 bridges and move through 68 locks.

The locks are necessary to move our vessel from one water level to the next, typically 3 meters at a time.

The locks are only 12 metres wide and, as our ship measures 11.4 metres across, it is very squeezy inside.

Once our ship is inside the lock, the back gate shuts, water is pumped in and, when our water level reaches that of the next level, the front gates are opened and we continue on our journey.


Yesterday, on the Rhine-Mein-Danube Canal, we travelled through a lock measuring an enormous 25 metres in height.  

The Rhine-Mein-Danube Canal is a marvel of engineering which was built to create a short cut for cargo ships travelling along the Rhine and Danube Rivers.  When the canal was completed in 1992, after 32 years of construction, it was twice the length of the Panama Canal and had cost 2.1 billion Euros to build; that equates to 11 million euros per kilometer!

It is 31 metres wide, just wide enough for two ships to pass each other.  There are 16 locks along its 171km length.  At its highest point it is an astonishing 406 meters above sea level.


The amazing thing I noticed yesterday as we cruised along the canal was that our waterway was ABOVE the road!

I cannot fathom how this works but I do know that this modern engineering masterpiece has enabled us to comfortably cruise between ancient waterways, appreciating every minute of it.

I'll be back tomorrow to show you photos from the beautiful Danube river.

Bis dann, gute Nacht!

Nuremberg and Albert's Story

Although Nuremberg is yet another German city with a history dating back almost 2000 years, its significance for me relates to the propaganda machines of Nazi Germany.

Hitler chose this city to hold his massive Nazi Party rallies each September from 1927 to 1938, with 250,000 participants and 70,000 spectators.

At the Zeppelin field today, the site of the Nazi Party rallies, the chill we felt standing amidst the ruins of this massive area was deepened when our guide showed us the photo (below) of how it looked during those years.

As we visited Nuremberg  I chatted to Albert, one of the passengers on our ship.

Albert’s father was a Russian veterinarian and his mother a Ukrainian farmhand, living in Russia at the outbreak of World War II.  When Albert’s father was conscripted to the Russian Front in 1942 he ran away from the army and hid for several months in the surrounding woods, surviving by foraging for food and placing a blanket over bushes at night to collect water.  With the help of the Polish Resistance he arranged for his wife and two young children to escape Russia and together the young family spent three months walking through Poland, travelling only at night.

In early 1943 Albert’s father took a calculated risk and surrendered to the Germans, who were desperately short of skilled manpower.   He gained “employment” at Buchen Wald Concentration Camp where he administered the animals and his wife worked in the fields milking the cows.  The family survived by cooperating with the German army who provided them with meagre food and shelter in return for their labour. 

Albert was born in the Concentration Camp in August 1944 and his malnourished mother kept him alive by carrying him to work in a makeshift sling and squirting the cow’s milk into her baby’s mouth. She told Albert that she had to be careful not to draw attention to herself as he became a thriving chubby baby.

Nine months later, the Nazis left suddenly.  After two years’ living within the confines of the camp, Albert’s parents had no idea what to do next.  They were too frightened to simply walk out of the camp as they were convinced they would be shot. 

On May 11^th 1945 the Americans liberated them.  They were free to go.  But where?

It was not until 1949 that the family gained passage to Australia, where they settled in Tasmania and never really spoke about the war.  Albert’s father remained suspicious of authority until the day he died.

Albert’s pilgrimage will take him back to Buchen Wald next week at the conclusion of our river cruise, when he will visit his birth place and put the final puzzle pieces of his personal history together.

Rothenburg

Germans are proud people with a great sense of humour.  It has been a pleasure to spend the last five days  cruising the Rhine and Mein Rivers, immersing ourselves in culture, history, food and having a brief introduction to the German people.

Many of the towns and villages along the way were first settled by the Romans and Celts 2000 years ago but have a long history of being destroyed by warring armies.   The bishops who ruled each town in the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th centuries built enormous fortresses and ostentatious residences, of which the townspeople were extremely proud; although the Australian tourists today find it difficult to fathom such garish extravagance in the face of the poverty-stricken masses.    

The Germans are not proud to have started World War II and do not blame the allies for destroying up to 95 percent of some of these ancient towns and cities.


One city that was spared however was Rothenburg, superbly sited above the charming Tauber Valley, whose citizens surrendered in 1945 in order to save their beautiful city from destruction.  Today it is one of Europe’s most perfectly preserved medieval cities.  


Walking within the city walls it is easy to imagine life in the Middle Ages.

Rothenburg’s Market Square is dominated by its magnificent City Hall (Rathaus), a harmonious blend of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture.  

The half-timbered houses, indicative of many of the towns in this region, were built around 1500.

Today, the Rothenburg people are proud to offer visitors their Bavarian beer, Franconian wine and their famous “snowballs (schneeballs) – thin layers of pastry rolled into a ball, deep fried and covered with icing sugar or chocolate glaze.

All cakes and pastries are served with frothy whipped cream which "is safe to eat as all the calories have been whipped out of it!"

Well, I'm feeling rather whipped myself now so...

Gute Nacht für heute.

Julie

The Rhine Gorge

Last night we docked at the 2000 year old town of Koblenz on the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers.

Plenty of people were enjoying the food, beer and wine on this balmy Monday evening.

The spectacular Rhine Gorge was the highlight of today.  Our eye balls were like ping pong balls as we viewed the towering castles of medeival villages on both sides of the river.  Constructed during the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th centuries to protect the monasteries and stand sentinel over the river, many of these castles were plundered and destroyed by the conquering French armies of Louis XIV.  They have been lovingly restored and maintained by the German people over the past 200 years, now being used as hotels, convalescent homes and even a youth hostel.

Each of the castles has its own legend, a beautiful woman commonly being the central character.

This area is proud of its riesling wine, the vines planted vertically on the slate hills to retain the sun’s warmth and produce this delicious drop.

All along the Rhine today we’ve seen hundreds of holiday makers, Germans, as well as the Dutch who revel in the change of scenery from their own flat homeland.

This afternoon we visited the beautiful town of Rudesheim. The 10,600 residents welcome 3 million visitors each year, who come to drink the famous Rudesheim coffee and immerse themselves in the panoramic views down the Rhine Valley.

Until next time...

Julie

Cologne

This morning we visited the oldest city in Germany, first settled in 38BC - Cologne. 

Dominating this city of 1 million people is Cologne Cathedral, a magnificent example of gothic architecture which took 631 years to construct. 

It was the only building in Cologne to survive World War II although bullet holes can be clearly seen in the sandstone facade.  

In Altstadt, the old town, the people of Cologne have rebuilt their city to replicate the original style.

The beautiful summer weather has followed us and we see people in caravans and tents holidaying along the Rhine, enjoying the beaches.  The clean waters flowing from melting ice upstream in Switzerland might be appealing to the Germans but we Australians prefer our water a little warmer than 8 degrees before  swimming!

I'd better go and make sure Mum hasn't got into any more trouble.  Last night, I found her in the lounge providing the entertainment, dancing with other women's husbands and singing "My Way".

Auf Wiedersehen for now.

Amsterdam

In Amsterdam, we boarded our ship, the Amadeus Brilliant, eager to begin our 14 night cruise along the Rhine and Danube rivers to Budapest.  150 passengers, mostly Australian, have come together to share this journey.  Mum is popular, with many of our fellow passengers simply calling her “Mum”.   The comments keep coming.  “How old is your Mum?”  78 years old.  “Gee, she’s in good nick!”

Last night we walked through Amsterdam’s red light district.  Well, Mum staggered, due more to the free flowing wine at dinner than the cobblestoned, poorly lit streets. Bars and alleys overflowed with enebriated Brits, the aromatic smell of gunja and sickly smell of urine overwhelming.  And of course, there were the girls in the windows, who charge 50 euros for 15 minutes, including washing.

After entering this store, the owner locked us in.  Our nervousness became interest as he explained to a couple of teenagers how much of the product they should take, how much water they should drink and what to do in case of severe hallucinations.

A local lady tells us the buildings are intentionally non-symmetrical so their beauty stands out, yet a local gentleman says it's because of the water underneath.  Whatever the explanation, they are certainly eye catching.

To buy one of the 2500 houseboats in Amsterdam costs just as much as an apartment.

No point buying any of this - we can't bring food or plants into Australia!

The 700,000 inhabitants of Amsterdam own 1 million bikes.

I'm off now to prepare for our gala welcome dinner. 

Adieu!

I love Paris!

I love the cafe's where I practice my French and, to my surprise and delight, they understand me!

I love the subdued character of the anonymous streets

and the every-day chaos of the well-known ones as they make preparations for the cyclists' triumphant arrival.

I love the grandiose architecture, honouring centuries of kings and presidents.

And the modern day artists.

I love the romanticism of lovers locking their hearts together and throwing away the keys

and the folly of creating a beach on the banks of the Seine.

This city rocks - and I'm loving every minute of it!