This was the day that Jan has been waiting for ever since she was in college doing a second major in German: to see the Lorelei cliff and the castles along the Rhine. And it did not disappoint!
After breakfast we boarded buses to the Marburg Castle -- reportedly the only castle never to be conquered over the centuries. One could see why -- first because it was on a cliff high above the river, and four levels of gate security, some sections traversing rough-hewn stones that it was hard to walk on even in modern hiking shoes. There was the obligatory moat, plus passages so narrow that a soldier in armor could not have gotten through. The the castle is seen above us in the picture.
We returned to the ship and began the section where all the castles had been built. Steep hills and cliffs were on both sides of the river, with the castles perched on the tops. We went above to the outside sun deck to take pictures as we passed. We'll post these on a Picasa or Kodak site once we get back. Needless to say, even though it was cloudy, we enjoyed the passing scenes.
After another great dinner, we took a brief stroll through the village of Ruedesheim, a touristy place on a more level section above the valleys.
Tomorrow, we're on to the university town of Heidelburg, for another castle tour and some free time. More to come...
