Day Seven - Nuremberg

After sailing overnight, the Viking Legend arrived just outside the city of Nuremberg, Germany. Many people remember Nuremberg as the city in which the Nazi party held annual mass meetings, and where were held the war trials following the end of World War II. On our bus tour, which followed breakfast, we saw the building in which the trials were held. The tour took us to the castle high above Nuremberg, fascinating in itself, but also as a vantage point to see the area which had been mostly destroyed by Allied bombing and almost miraculously rebuilt.


Our guide then led us down from the castle past the house in which the artist Albrect Durer did his work, past St. Sebaldus church, past the city hall to the main market place of the Old Town. There were stalls upon stall selling all manner of fresh vegetables and lebkuchen -- gingerbread -- a local speciality.

After lunch aboard the ship, Jan and I went back to the center of the Old Town on our own, to see the interior of St. Sebaldus church which had been badly damaged by the bombing and rebuilt after the war. It was somber to see what is the waste and suffering of war for all concerned, and to see the hope for peace the church now represents.

We then walked through more of the Old Town and the Pegnitz River which flows through it. We went outside the city walls to the Baroque Garden and returned for a cappuccino at the Nuremberg Starbucks.

Tonight we enjoyed our final dinner and began our good-byes. In the morning we leave early for the Nuremberg airport, from which we fly to Frankfurt and then back to Newark. We look forward to being back home.

Day 6 - Regensburg, Weltenburg Abbey, Kelheim

Our day began with a visit to Regensburg, a medieval town on the Danube which became famous and wealthy because the Romans built a stone bridge there -- the only one between Vienna and points north.  Then, after conquered by Napoleon, it faded into some obscurity, which is why it was not bombed during the Second World War.  So much of the charm of the medieval buildings and narrow alleys is still there to see.

After lunch we headed to the Weltenburg Abbey, a Benedictine community which had renovated its church in the High Baroque style -- much ornamentation and gold plated statues.  The community has its own brewery so we were able to have a sample of the smooth, dark beer.  It was Ascension Day which, in Germany is also Fathers Day, so there were lots of fathers celebrating in the abbey beer garden.

We then boarded a small boat to sail through the narrowest part of the Danube, appropriately called the Danube Gorge.  High cliffs on either side gave a sense of being at the Lorelei on the Rhine river.

The evening meal was the Captain's Farewell dinner.  Though we will still have one more day in Nuremburg, some of the passengers were leaving in the morning.  The dinner is capped off with Baked Alaska for dessert, introduced by as parade of the kitchen staff carrying the Baked Alaska topped with sparklers.  It's fun!  And yes, we dressed up a bit for the dinner.

Tomorrow is the last day of the trip.  We will be in Nuremburg.  So, there is yet more to come...

Day Five - Passau, Germany

Our day began in the morning as we arrived in the German city of Passau. After breakfast, we were given an introduction to the European Community -- its history, accomplishments and present-day hurdles. We learned about the common currency -- the euro -- and of how the economic problems of Greece and Ireland are causing other European Community members to wonder if this was the best path to follow.

Then we took a walking tour of the old city of Passau. The city is a bit hilly, so our regular excercise routine paid off as we had no problems keeping up with the guide. The city had for centuries a bishop-prince, so the cathedral -- St. Stephen's -- was magnificent. Inside the cathedral is the largest organ in Europe, containing almost 18,000 pipes. At noon we were treated to an half-hour concert, and the organist played selections that allowed the most use of the pipes.

Following lunch, Jan and I walked to the point of Passau where two other rivers joined the Danube. The confluence of three rivers is both a source of pride for the city, and a major threat for annual flooding. We saw sections of the town that had experienced over 20 feet of water above the normal levels, most recently in 2002.

The ship then sailed again, headed for Regensberg and our next set of adventures. More to come...