Travel Blog: The Search is Over!

Boy, did Summer show up with a vengeance! We had been warned that it was going to be hot, but it has turned into a real scorcher with temperatures of 35 to 39 degrees Celsius and not a lot of wind most of the time. We've finally got time to catch up on the blog on the second last day of the cruise, but we'll split it into a couple of posts to keep them shorter.

Our morning in Koblenz finally got us across the river to see the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein, where a defensive position of some kind has overlooked the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel (or Moselle) Rivers since Roman times. Most of this part of Europe was at one point part of the Roman Empire so there are lots of ruins going back to that period. Most of the castles or defenses have been destroyed and rebuilt quite a few times throughout the region's history, so each has its own particular story to tell.

History notwithstanding, Ehrenbreitstein is now used more for the views and as an event venue. The cable car which has been taking people from Koblenz up to the hilltop, about 300 metres above river level, was put in at the cost of the cable car company when Koblenz hosted the German Flower Show in 2000 (and this is a big thing in Germany) to show that their product could be used elsewhere than just in the Alps to get people up and down the mountains.

You can't miss the German Corner, or Deutsches Eck, because of the construction that sticks out into the Mosel. This was built in the 1800s to show everyone Prussia's power, with a gigantic statue of Kaiser Wilhelm on his horse as the centrepiece. Only from across the river can you actually see that it is shaped like the bow of a ship. Now it serves as a national monument and the flags of all 12 German states stand there.

The Rhine River in front and the Moselle River in back,.

We had a little time to wander around in the old town of Koblenz once we returned from the fortress, so we looked at a few buildings nearby and strolled around the 'corner' to see Kaiser Wilhelm from a more impressive angle.

And of course we had to take a picture of the flag of Bremen!

We left Koblenz in the early afternoon and started our sail up the Mosel, with our next stop being Bernkastel.

There are a lot of low bridges on the rivers, so everything needs to be lowered from time to time. The round white structure is the top of the Vista Bar, which drops down into the deck, barstools and all!

Passing under a REALLY low bridge!!

That evening our entertainment directors, Joseph and Olivia, gave the first of their shows. They are great, and tend more toward folk tunes and singer-songwriters than pop or rock. They had been playing on Crystal Serenity over Christmas and left just before the world cruise started. We hope we'll be able to see them again next year.

Monica's Strawberry-Peppercorn Gin and Tonic!

And the next morning we arrived at Bernkastel, where we had booked a tour to visit another castle ruin, Burg Landshut, and then take a short walking tour in the town. This castle ruin, too, had a Roman history which was discovered through excavations on the site. Most of the towns where a high lookout position was built also had an economic presence - many were points of taxation. The local government, be it a baron, an archbishop or a prince elector, depending on the time period, made sure that it got its share of the value of all goods moving along the river, and with these castles placed high over the river, nobody could get around it.

First semi-official "tourist shot" of the ship!

Yes, all of that greenery is really vineyards!!

Bernkastel's Old Town Markt Platz. Most of the buildings date as far back as the 1300's!

Weiner Schnitzel and Bratkatoffeln for lunch in Bernkastel!

In the evening, the Crystal Signature event for our cruise was a concert by La Finesse, the same group we had seen on our Christmas Markets cruise, but this time instead of freezing in the venue, we were almost melting! Nevertheless, we enjoyed the concert: