Part I: A Nostalgic Dream trip from Amsterdam to Budapest 

In September 1963, I sailed from New York to Rotterdam on a small Holland American ship to spend a year studying German in Munich. Almost 60 years later I just returned from a more luxurious Viking cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest to relive the same journey. I was thrilled to find that the same charm of small villages, vineyards, castles, and old churches, delicious food, as well as magnificent cathedrals, palaces, and the artwork of my memory still existed. 

There were more bicycles to dodge and the ubiquitous cheeses were wrapped in brighter paper, and it was rainier than in 1963 

My friend Ramona and I wished we had a little car to avoid the rain as we explored Amsterdam on foot. There were so many umbrellas that I had a scratch on my face for days from an encounter with someone's

At Kinderdijk we visited a windmill where this large family had lived. It was hard to imagine 14 people climbing up and down with laundry and such. The last mill was taken out of service in 1950, but people still live in some of these built in the 1700's. The mills that pumped out water from German rivers were replaced by steam pumps in 1869 and by diesel fueled pumps in 1927. Kinderdijk is one of the few dikes to survive the Flood of 1421. Because of the swampy ground, much of Holland was spared invasion during wars. Wooden shoes last 4-5 mos.

The Dutch language was born in 1572 as the 12 leading cities of the Low Countries resolved to follow William of Orange in the fight against Spanish misrule, and the translation of the Bible helped to fuse the various local dialects. We traveled through the flat industrial part of Germany, passing coal, sand and iron-laden barges, arriving in Cologne, founded in 38 B.C. as Roman Colonia Claudio. It is the oldest and was the largest city of Germany in 784. It was a Free Imperial City under direct control of the Holy Roman Empire in 1475.

While the city was 90% destroyed during WWII bombing, The Cologne Cathedral, for many years the tallest Gothic cathedral of Europe (now the third) was not destroyed, but not finished until the 19th century. As a pilgrimage church, among its relics is the pure gold shrine containing bones of the 3 magi.

 

As a pilgrimage church, among its relics is the pure gold shrine containing bones of the 3 magi.

    Germany is of course known for its sausages, breads and pastries

I enjoyed the popular legend that a woman decided to find out if all the work was done at night by elves by putting pebbles on the stairs. No more work got done.

We visited many extremely ornate rococo palaces. The Hunting Lodge of Falkenlust has 10's of thousands of blue and white Dutch tiles 

F. Roosevelt used Augustusberg Palace to greet international leaders

Along the Rhine is a huge monument to an emperor, and nearby are pieces of the Berlin wall and memorial with stories of East German refugees and escapes until the 1989 fall of the wall.

We visited Marksburg, the only castle on the Rhine not destroyed. The entryway was treacherous, especially as it was raining. Great display of knights' armor. And garden filled with herbs, some for hexing!

Sailing along the middle Rhine was peaceful and lovely. The legend of the Lorelei, a beautiful maiden who wooed sailors into the rocks, occurred here. In German classes we always sang the song by Heine.

Miltenberg was beautiful. I climbed the path to see the 500 year old Jewish cemetery

Throughout Germany and Austria are small square brass "stones" in the cobblestones, marking the homes of Jews deported, killed.

6 of us braved the rain to climb the Wurzburg hills to the abbey and  the ancient pilgrimage church of Saint Mary finished in 1441, and then to the Marienberg Fortress, residence of the Prince Archbishops of Wurzburg. Afterwards we had Sauerkraut and wurst in the old city hall (Ratskeller). The peace gardens represented gifts from Africa, Asia, and elsewhere.

In the afternoon we visited the lavish Residenz (1720-1744) which rivals Versailles, with an even gaudier Hall of Mirrors and a HUGE ceiling fresco representing the 4/5 continents. I loved the gardens.

October 1

In 1007 Emperor Heinrich II made Bamberg, called the "Little Venice" and "Franconian Rome" the center of the Holy Roman Empire.. It is built on 7 hills like Rome, each with a church on top. It was the center of Enlightenment for southern Germany. It was not destroyed in WWII and is the largest repository of medieval structures and has beautiful frescoes everywhere.

       The city hall is on a man made island in the middle of the river

   New Archbishop's Residenz with rose gardens replaced the old             half-timbered 1500's Residenz, laden with flower boxes

Bamberg is the beginning of the Rhine-Main(tributary of the Rhine)-Danube canal, with 34 locks, which has made it possible since 1992 to travel from the North Sea to the Black Sea. The Rhine transports many cargo ships, the Danube has few.

We would pass through about 64 locks (a slow and complicated procedure, as there are so many barges and ships on the Rhine River). Radar makes it possible to pass through very narrow places, with only a few inches to spare between cement sides. Ships need to take turns, often with long waits. On the Rhine a lock can hold cruise and other ships end to end, on the Danube, 2 side by side. Somehow we managed to stay mostly on schedule.

The last free-flowing water is between Regensburg and Passau, Germany. The rest is not navigable all year. Beside the rivers and canals run trains and busy highways. The water level was alright while we were there. In fact, sometimes we had to duck under bridges!

Unlike big cruise ships, there are no regular nightly shows, but we did have an occasional lecture, music, or class: a glass blowing demo.The food was delicious and the cooks and waiters were fun and friendly.

Nuremberg was an Imperial free city in 1219 and strategically located at the intersection of 14 main trade routes privately owned by emperors Every newly elected German king held his first parliament, and from 1424-1796 the crown jewels  were kept here. In 1525 it was the imperial center of the Reformation. In 1623 the university was built. In the 1880's 210,000 people moved here during industrialization. As Bavaria's second largest city it was attractive to Hitler. 91% of the city was destroyed, as major industries such as Siemens and others were here. 55,000 people took shelter in the beer cellars, the size of 4 football fields. Hitler held huge rallies at New Congress Hall and the Documentation Center. The Nuremberg trials ended in 1946. We happened to be here on October 3, (1990) Reunification Day.

            Rallies (above) at Documentation Center, with parade ground, designed by A. Speer for 10,000, but 20,000 came. It started to crumble in the 1960's and is the only place left behind. German school children are brought here to be taught history. A colosseum to hold 50,000 was never finished. Below is the Court of Justice, site of war crimes Trials from Nov.20, 1945-October 1, 1946. 12 more trials were held from 1945-9.

In the afternoon we visited the bunkers with an excellent guide, a university professor of art, to learn about the safekeeping of works of art, which Goebbels' "Peace Party" started to hide here. By 1939 all churches were emptied. 3 brave organizers, more interested in art than Nazism, were instrumental and foresighted. Normal glass replaced stained glass, huge swastikas covered windows, and since Nazis never entered the churches they didn't know what was left or removed.

St. Peter's beautiful cathedral and the ornate tower and church with glockenspiel are lovely, the market with artisan wares and fragrant lebkuchen are enticing

And I was impressed with the displays of harvest produce as offerings of thanksgiving at the altars of German churches.

A monument to commemorate victory over Napoleon

Regensburg is the oldest German city on the Danube, which is wider and more natural. We learned a lot from our hilarious local guide Hubert Koenig. He sang, told corny jokes and many stories. We saw Schindler's house for one year, and learned that when the Jews were expelled, residents incorporated grave stones into the building of their homes (below under the eaves).

On to Passau, founded by Celts 2000 years ago. It lies on the German Austrian border and at the confluence of 3 rivers: the Inn, Danube and Ilz, distinguished by their color. The beautiful blue Danube is the brownest!

The Salt (precious "white gold") Tower and the Inn River. Below, the castle palace on the hill, where we climbed 320 steps in the afternoon for a great view of the old city and meeting of the 3 rivers .

St. Stephen's Cathedral has one of Europe's greatest pipe organs. The organ concert was fabulous!

A gorgeous sunset and a great German dinner for our last night in Germany, before cruising on to Austria. By the way, the pretzel was invented by priests to reward children for saying prayers. It also symbolizes the eternal nature of divinity.

End of part 1. Aufwiedersehen Deutschland!