Life on the High Plains

 We arrived in Koblenz in early afternoon and guess what?  Another cold, wet day in Germany! A massive statue of Prince William I is at the intersection of Rhine and Moselle Rivers. Atop the hill is Ehrenbreitstein, the Fortress of Koblenz.  It is Europe's largest fortress.  Construction began in 1100, Napoleon destroyed it in 1801, and was then occupied by France for 18 years.  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interesting sculpure! The Basilica of St. Castor. The original construction took place between 817 and 836.  Reconstruction to bring it to its current shape began in 1160.  It was damaged by a British air raid in 1944.  In 1948 a 25-year reconstruction started.  Pope John Paul II raised it to a minor basilica in 1991. History column in the Josepf-Gorres Platz in the city center.  It depicts the history of Koblenz starting with the Roman wine ships, warlike confrontations, periods of prosperity, and reconstruction in the 20...

 Our ship departed Rudesheim early in the morning and we sailed down the Middle Rhine which is spectacularly beautiful with its castles and rock walls. Enjoy these shots.  I can't tell you much about them except that everyone thought they needed a fortress back in the day and they were always trying to steal everyone else's castle. Forgive all the reflections in the photos.  They were taken through the lounge window because it was freezing cold and windy on top of the boat.  Eventually I figured out how to control the reflections better and the bartender helped by turning down the inside lights. Castles and wine take center stage along this section of the Rhine. Grapes are still hand picked on the steep vineyards.  Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Kerner, Kerner, Grauburgunder, Spatburgunder, Dornfelder, and Portugieser are the varieties of grapes grown in this region. The Upper Middle Rhine Valley was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Onward to Koblenz!

On the fourth day of the cruise our ship docked in Speyer, Germany.  After letting all the passengers off the boat, the ship sailed down the Rhine to Worms where it would pick us up in the afternoon. A glimpse of the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St. Stephen. Here's something you may not know about Speyer.  In 1517 Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses and nailed them to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg.  These theses challenged abuses in the Roman Catholic Church.  In 1521 the Diet of Worms or Edict of Worms convened and condemned Martin Luther as a heretic, banned his teachings, and criminalized any actions supporting Luther or his belief--actions that were punishable by death. In 1526 the Diet of Speyer placed the anti-Lutheran ban on hold until a national general council could be held.  In 1529 a second Diet of Speyer convened where a Letter of Protest was signed by six princes and 14 representatives of Free Imperial Cities dem...