River Cruise Diary – Boppard, Germany

Finally…and the cruise had to do this…we float down the Rhine during the day to see some of the most picturesque and historic scenery on the entire river. Quaint towns with distinctive old buildings and churches line the riverfront. Ancient vineyards climb up the steep hillsides.

The Town of Assmannshausen on the Rhine (12 November 2019) 

I’ve complained about all the night sailing but I understand it’s important to get us to the next port of call and there’s not much daytime in November to start with. Plus, it’s chilly and damp…not like the long, sunny, shirt-sleeve days in August. The downside then is that it could get stinky hot and the tourist crowds can be oppressive. I’m OK with off-season trips to Europe. Dress for the weather and appreciate the freedom of movement. The foggy morning in Strasbourg alone was worth it.

The river has been the main thoroughfare through the region for thousands of years…predating the railroads and highways that now also snake along the shoreline. I am happy to be on the slowest of the three modes of transportation…sipping hot chocolate…enjoying the beautiful scenery scrolling by at a leisurely pace…waiting for the next photo op.

Stahleck Castle on the Middle Rhine (12 November 2019) 

Grapes for wine have been cultivated in the Rhine and Moselle valleys for close to 2000 years. This stretch of river also had many old castles up on the high ground…some ruins and some restored into ritzy hotels.

The ‘Pfalz’, Rhine River, Germany (12 November 2019) 

Now a museum, the Pfalzgrafenstein Castle was built in the 1300’s and functioned as a toll station. In those days, the only safe passage for river traffic was between the castle and the fortress in the nearby town. A chain across that passage and a dungeon in the castle was enough to guarantee a regular revenue stream for whoever claimed the Divine Right to own it.

The Lorelei (12 November 2019) 

The middle reaches of the river include an area called the Rhine Gorge. The cliff pictured here is the infamous Lorelei. Various folklore stories refer to damsels and alluring female voices that lure watermen to their doom on the rocks. The river bends and is narrow and deep here. The currents can be tricky. In 2011, a barge carrying 2400 tons of sulfuric acid capsized here blocking hundreds of vessels for weeks. I have to add, for you ‘we-don’t-need-all-that-stifling-regulation-crap’ readers. Because the barge was a modern, double-hull design, no acid spilled into the river.

Downtown Boppard, Germany (12 November 2019) 

The delightful morning sail ended when we docked in Boppard. The town began as a 4th century Roman settlement and is now a charming tourist and wine growing center. We landed around 11 AM and took a brief walking tour before lunch. There were remains of the Roman walls, the 13th century church and other charming items of note. With nothing like the extensive gyms one can find on ocean liners, the daily walks were important opportunities to move.

Saint Severus’s Church, Boppard, Germany (12 November 2019) 

Compared to many of the cathedrals we will see, St. Severus is modest but still impressive. The building dates to the 13th century but stands where Christian chapels have stood since the 5th century.

Boppard River Walk and the ‘River Harmony’ (12 November 2019) 

Many of the passengers elected to take the optional tour of Marksburg Castle. I chose to stay on the boat and enjoy the quiet afternoon and Autumn light. That evening, we set sail for the next stop – Bernkastel on the Moselle River. This meant we took a hard left at Koblenz and sailed upstream on one of the Rhine’s main tributaries…not that many would notice in the dark.

River Cruise Diary – Speyer, Germany

It is Veteran’s Day in the States…Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom. Used to be called Armistice Day. The ship’s staff paid tribute to the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the guns fell silent and the Great War in Europe ended.

The next stop sailing down the Rhine was Speyer, Germany. No more stops in France. Not that spending much time up on the sun deck is easy in this chilly, damp weather, but my main complaint so far would be that we move between towns at night and I miss watching the river valley and countryside scrolling by. Of course, if we had done this trip in the summer, the days would have been much longer and we would see considerably more as we navigated the river.

Speyer is a town noted for its history as a Roman outpost that grew into one of the central cities of the Holy Roman Empire as well as a thriving Jewish community.

At the Entrance to the Old Jewish Quarter, 

Speyer, Germany (11 November 2019) 

Our guide (Amin, an interesting Egyptian Muslim married to a British Catholic woman he met on a tour) took us to the old Jewish quarter. He noted that Jews were invited to settle here in 1084 because their skills, talents and education were viewed as community assets. The area thrived and became one of the more significant Jewish communities in the Holy Roman Empire. Coexistence continued until the population was wiped out in the Holocaust. Amin decried anti-Semitism and was emotional by the time the Holocaust information was noted.

Speyer Cathedral (11 November 2019) 

Another UNESCO Heritage site, the Speyer Cathedral is the largest and one of the most significant Romanesque churches still standing. Begun in 1030 and consecrated in 1061, it illustrates the many features employed before Gothic architecture took off.

Inside Speyer Cathedral (11 November 2019) 

Unlike many ancient churches that have grown or been remodeled over the centuries and added Gothic and other styles, Speyer is still a Romanesque structure with heavy features and smaller windows.

Speyer Cathedral Crypt (11 November 2019) 

The crypt is the oldest part of the cathedral and contains the tombs of early German kings and Holy Roman emperors.

Approaching the Speyer Technical Museum (11 November 2019) 

During our free afternoon, we visited the Speyer Technical Museum. As we walked toward it, there was this frightening image of a 747 WAY too close to the ground…like a scene from a disaster movie. The Museum is as big and full of machines as any counterpart in the U.S. like the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. Locomotives, U-boats, airplanes, an IMAX theater…the place is extensive.

How to Scratch a 747’s Belly, Speyer Technical Museum (11 November 2019) 

The retired Lufthansa jet is mounted on tall pedestals and you can climb up and into it…and view the jumbo jet from perspectives few can.

Speyer Technical Museum (11 November 2019) 

The extensive grounds are covered with aircraft, naval vessels, old automobiles and all manner of mechanized things…like this old tri-motor passenger plane.

Russian Space Shuttle, Speyer Technical Museum (11 November 2019) 

The floor around a Soviet-era space shuttle was being prepared for a dinner party. Who knew the Ruskies had their own shuttle program? The BURAN program sought to replicate America’s reusable space craft idea but this all happened when the Soviet Union was collapsing and nothing much came of it beyond this prototype.

Another busy, interesting day ended with a fine meal and the evening’s entertainment: a five-woman acapella singing group. Tomorrow, we finally sail the best part of the Rhine in the daytime.