We traveled to Europe this spring to take two river trips. After a very long day, beginning in Phoenix, we landed in Zurich, Switzerland and were transferred to Lucerne in a taxi. We spent four days touring Lucerne and the surrounding Alps.
Dying Lion Monument. Upon seeing this sculpture, Mark Twain said this was the saddest and most memorable rock on earth. It is very impressive and moving.
At a train station in the mts.
We traveled by bus to Basel to board our ship for the first river trip from Basel to Antwerp, Belgium.
Basel
Another interesting tile roof on a cathedral.
Strasbourg, France
If you have ever wondered what you did all day on a river trip, I will include several of these photos of the day’s schedule, posted in the lobby of our ship. I took a photo every day to make it easier to identify each day’s photos when I got home.
It is not surprising that it would take 5 or 6 hundred years to build some of these cathedrals. They are very ornate and some were designed and had the foundations laid in the 11th century. At the time, each town tried to best the other towns for the largest and tallest cathedral. The one in Cologne is over 400 feet high.
On one of our bus tours, we stopped at a stork rookery. These are wild birds but they return here every year and are very accustomed to people being very close to them.
Don't look at us. We are too old.
Speyer, Germany
Speyer Cathedral, Dedicated in 1061
A portion of the old city wall. In Medieval times, these walls encircled the entire city.
Sailing along the Rhine
There are miles and miles of vineyards along the river
Some of the castles are just ruins, some have been converted to private residences and some are now hotels.
This toll house sits in the river.
Boppard
A section of an old Roman wall (complete with an old Roman)
Tier
This building, now used as a church, was built by the Romans about 310 AD.
We took a bus trip to Luxembourg, mainly just to add another country to our list. There was not much to see there but the ride through the countryside was very nice. It is always nice to get off the river for a while. We stopped at the American Cemetery for the WWII soldiers. This is actually a part of the US so the soldiers are resting on their home soil.
Cochem, Germany
A section of an old Roman wall built into the “new” city
Cochem Imperial castle The first documentary mention of this castle was in 1130.
This is the only modern style church we visited
End of part 1. To get to part B, you may have to click on the words "newer posts" or "older posts."
