A New Adventure! Switzerland to Paris
A New Adventure! Switzerland to Paris ~ April 2 - April 23, 2023
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Boston to Paris ~ April 2 - 4, 2023
We drove to Bethany's house mid-day, arriving just after 3:30 pm to leave the car and get a ride to the airport. We sat and chatted with Beth and Jeremy for an hour or so before making our way to Logan. Because we are flying first class, we have access to the British Airways Lounge, which is really quite lovely.
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| We sat in these chairs, sipping some beverages |
Neither one of us was particularly hungry, but we did grab some food - there was some lovely steak, a vegetarian pasta dish, as well as chicken, green beans, jasmine rice, and salad. It wasn't very crowded, and we were just up the stairs and around the corner from our gate.
It was a gloomy, rainy day when we landed in Rekjavik, but as we were just passing through, it made no difference to us. We flew Icelandair - primarily because the first-class flights on other airlines were outrageously expensive, but also for the fun of it (and the hope that perhaps we might spy the northern lights). It also has very good reviews in terms of service. With the strikes going on in France, we would never have run the risk of flying Air France or any of its US partner airlines. To be honest, Saga Premium (what they call "first class") is really just what other airlines call Premium Economy. The seats were certainly more comfortable than the economy seats, but we were spoiled by our forced Delta One experience with its "lie flat" seats. I guess it's true that "you get what you pay for." That said, the flight wasn't terrible and I did manage to doze a bit on and off. They did serve a meal and as much wine as you wanted - Jeff had a Jack Daniels, and because I wasn't feeling tip-top, I didn't have anything but water.
We landed at Charles de Gaulle airport a bit after 1 pm Paris time and easily made our way to the Sheraton Paris Airport, checked in, and fell into bed for a lovely long nap. The room is very comfortable.
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| The Sheraton - the boat-shaped building on the right. |
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| We took the CDGVAL - shuttle train from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 |
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| The train station is directly below our hotel! |
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| We went to Les Etoiles (the stars) for dinner! |
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| Poulet et légumes commes wok satay - my dinner |
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| Le Club Sandwich - Jeff's dinner |
Jeff is enjoying a "nice hot bath" in a surprisingly deep "soaker tub" - a pleasant surprise after a very long day of travel.
Tomorrow we rise early for breakfast here at the hotel before boarding the TGV just down one level to head to Strasbourg, France - thence to Basel, Switzerland - and on to Zurich and our hotel for three nights - the Renaissance Zurich.
À bientôt, mes amis!
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Paris to Zurich April 4, 2023
After a good night's sleep, we woke early to have a delightful breakfast before heading down one level to the TGV station, where we boarded the train that took us to Strasbourg, France.
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| Jeff enjoys watching the trains come and go as we wait patiently |
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| The station is quite lovely |
The scenery along the way was quite beautiful, with many large farms dotted with small villages in the distance. Occasionally a village was within 500 yards or so of the train. Just beautiful!
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| Europe is highly environmentally conscious, going "green" whenever and wherever they can |
We arrived in Strasbourg shortly after 11:00 am. The station is a beautiful old station that has been encased in a kind of greenhouse.
We had a couple of hours before boarding the regional train that took us to Basel, Switzerland, and then a local train that took us to our final destination: Zurich, Switzerland.
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| A bit of breakfast for lunch - Perfection! |
We worried that the strikes and protests in France might upend some of our travels, but that didn't seem to be the case, as all of our trains were on time and relatively seamless. However, we did see a sign that made us realize how lucky we were to escape France when we did.
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| Basically, the sign says there will be transit disruptions on April 5th - tomorrow! Whew! After a bit of a wait, we made our way to our train from Strasbourg to Basel. |
Again, our train was on time in Basel, and we had a short 20-minute time to make our way to the platform for our last train from Basel to Zurich.
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| Coming into Zurich |
Our hotel, the Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel, is about two miles from the train station, but there is a local train that runs from Zurich HB (the main train station) to Hardbrücke, across the street from the hotel. However, we opted to take a taxi since we had carted our suitcases onto and off of trains all day long. We were very glad to get into our hotel room (which we arranged to keep once we "transfer" to the Viking cruise, which begins with a two-night stay in this same hotel.
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| The Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel |
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| Our hotel room |
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| The view from our room |
After a bit of a nap and rest, we headed downstairs to the Equinox Restaurant for dinner - a whopping 32 Swiss Francs (about $35.50) for a hamburger! They were very tasty.
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| Equinox Bar and Restaurant |
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| Light Fixture in the Restaurant |
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| Our hotel by night |
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An Unprogrammed Day in Zurich April 5, 2023
Today is "embarkation day," as we are officially under Viking's "wing." We weren't sure whether they would make us change rooms but decided not to worry about it. We had a rather delightful hotel breakfast. Since there are no scheduled Viking tours today, we set out on our own using the GPS My City app we first used in Bergen, Norway, last summer. One of the tours is an hour-long tour of Zurich's "old town," so we decided to tackle that one.
We made our way to the beginning spot - Bürkliplatz, a town square named for Arnold Bürkli. It is situated in the historic Alpenquai area near Lake Zurich. It is a truly picturesque site and seems to serve as the hub for the city's tram lines. There is a lake-front park, called the Seeuferanlage, and an arboretum and aviary nearby. I loved the flower clock.
Also, in the Bürkliplatz area, we saw a wonderful old Ferris wheel, with a line of children waiting to go up.
It was a beautiful day, and people were strolling about and feeding the ducks and swans in the lake.
We also stopped in front of Fraumunster Kirche (Church of Our Lady). Zurich's skyline is dotted with church spires, but the Fraumunster is the most remarkable, in my opinion. It has a slender blue spire that can be seen all over the city. In 853, Emperor Ludwig founded a Benedictine convent on the site and his daughter became the first abbess of the convent. The present church dates from the mid-13th century, but the original crypt from 874 remains beneath the church. The convent was closed with the Reformation in 1524, and the last abbess donated the church and abbey to the City of Zurich. It was remodeled in 1970, with the installation of beautiful stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. The northern side of the church hosts a red-orange window called, "Prophet". The eastern side windows are named "Jacob", "Christ", and Zion", and the south wall window is called "Law".
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| Kirche Fraumünster |
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| Kirche Fraumünster (side view) |
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| Chagall Windows in Kirche Fraumünster |
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| Zurich Churches |
From there, we began to wander, stopping to see whatever took our fancy. We wandered up a narrow, steep street, passing a florist along the way and snapping these pictures of the lovely flowers for sale.
At the top of that street, we found the Predigerkirche (Preacher's Church), a non-denominational, very charming church with a magnificent organ. There was a man and a woman up on the altar, reading and singing a service of some sort - even though there was just one other man (besides us) in the church.
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| Predigerkirche |
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| Pussy Willows |
By now, it was past lunchtime and we wandered into an interesting restaurant called Tid Bits. Jeff was hungry and found himself a plate and took some rice, potato salad, and a few green beans from the buffet and grabbed a bottle of what turned out to be some sort of tea with orange juice and apple juice.
After our very expensive dinner from a very limited menu last night, we decided that we would enjoy sharing a bottle of good wine and some bread, cheese, and apple slices for our dinner, so we went in search of a wine shop (Martel Wein am Bellevue), where a very lovely sales person pointed us to two different French wines - a traditional Chardonnay, and a Chablis Chardonnay.
We next found a little grocery shop and purchased some lovely rolls/baguettes along with a Gruyere and a Camembert cheese, and a couple of apples. We loaded everything into the backpack and headed back downtown to catch the tram back to our hotel.
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Another Day in Zurich April 6, 2023
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Zurich to Basel April 7, 2023
Today was our transfer day from the hotel in Zurich to the Viking Idi docked in Basel, Switzerland. We were up early for breakfast at the hotel after which we boarded our motorcoaches for the ride to Basel. Some folks opted for the very pricey "Highlights of the Alps" excursion before getting to the longboat, but at nearly $400 each, we decided it was too rich for our blood. The combination bus tour and walking tour of Basel might have been quite lovely ... if not for the pouring rain.
The city is located in Switzerland but shares a border with both France and Germany. The Old Town consists of a cluster of medieval buildings spread on a hilly riverbank.
As we drove from Zurich to Basel, we passed many small picturesque farms along the way. Many of the farms we passed were growing white asparagus, which grows underground to keep it from turning green. It is the preferred type of asparagus in the region.
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| A Rainy Shot of a Basel Church Through the Bus Window |
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| Crossing the Bridge into Basel |
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| Basel City Gate |
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| Tinguely Fountain in Basel |
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Strasbourg April 8, 2023
I had forgotten how much I enjoy river cruises! After a delicious breakfast (at least Jeff's looked delicious), we boarded our motorcoach for a drive through the German Imperial District and the European Quarter, home of many institutions of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
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| European Union Building |
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| Parliament Building |
The Renaissance architecture was truly remarkable and beautiful as we made our way to the city center where we got off the bus for a walking tour of a picturesque part of the city known as the Petite France area, then on to the former Tanners' District which is surrounded by the small Ill River and crisscrossed by charming canals.
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| Petite France |
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| Maison des Tanneurs (Tanners House) |
We saw the old Customs House and the covered bridges with their defensive towers.
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| Ancienne Douanne (Old Customs House) |
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| Ponts Couvets (Covered Bridges) |
From there we walked to Cathedral Square, stopping along the way while our guide, Octave, pointed out important buildings.
Our stroll continued to Gutenberg Square, where we viewed the magnificently restored Strasbourg Cathedral that towers above merchant houses. Strasbourg Cathedral, one of the finest of Europe's great Gothic cathedrals, was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874. It hosts a gorgeous Gothic rosette window and a magnificent red sandstone portal.
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| Bubbles in the Square |
A highlight was the remarkable astronomical clock. It harkened us back to the one we saw in Prague back in 2018 and the one we saw just last summer in Gdansk, Poland.
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| Base of the Guttenberg Statue |
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| Easter Market in Strasbourg |
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| Gutenberg Statue |
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| View from the top of the Cathedral |
We drove along the Parc de l'Orangerie which is a center for reproduction and repopulation of the Cigognes blanche (white storks), where you can see storks up close. The storks go to Africa in the winter, but return each year in April or May to lay their eggs and have babies. The storks are the symbol of Alsace and may be spotted occasionally nesting on top of rooftops or chimneys in the city, and are seen as a bearer of good fortune and fertility.
Storks are mute, but they communicate by clattering their bills. This can be quite loud and interesting to hear.
Along the way back to the ship, we stopped to view this war memorial that touched my heart. It shows a mother and her two sons both killed in the war.
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| A closer view of the statue. |
We returned to the ship for lunch and a short rest before our second excursion of the day - an Alsatian Wine Tasting. Aimee's former husband, Marty, had family members who came from Alsace (I believe his mother, Evelyn's family was from there), and whenever we were with his family, we were served delicious Alsatian white wines. On this excursion, we learned that Alsace is world-renowned for its viticulture, partially due to its dry mild climate, favorable soils, and ideal vineyard exposures. Its location creates a blend of Germanic and Roman influences and tells a story started by the wine-producing Romans. The Alsatian white wines rival the crisp Rieslings of neighboring Germany. We drove through the wine country to a small winery, Domaine Buchert, where we toured the winery and the cellars before sitting down in "the kitchen" for a wonderful tasting.
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Owner and winemaker, Noelle Bachert, pours glasses of sparkling white wine to welcome us to the vineyard.
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| Noelle talks with us about caring for the vines |
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| Treehouse for the children |
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| Vines in April |
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| The vineyard also allows camping on the property |
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| Cheese Shop |
We returned to our ship with time for a brief rest before it was time for dinner. I had also forgotten how busy we were on the river cruise - especially if you did more than one excursion in a day!
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Speyer, Germany April 9, 2023
It's Easter, so this morning, when we came into The Restaurant, all of the tables were decorated with these adorable baskets.
Later, when we returned to our room, we found two of these Lindt Chocolate rabbits. We didn't eat them, so I packed them to bring home.
Today's included tour took us on a stroll through Speyer, Germany, home to the largest of the three Romanesque imperial cathedrals. It is believed that the Protestants earned their name here in 1529 after citizens and royalty drafted the "Protestation at Speyer," proclaiming their right to practice Christianity as they pleased. In 1689, Lous XIV's troops plundered Speyer and left it in ruins, but over many decades it has been artfully rebuilt.
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| Viking Idi with Train Passing Overhead |
Jeff joined me today on the "Leisurely Tour", which is designed for slower walkers. I like the pace of this "gentle group," and I also like the small size of the group - we were just five souls with our guide, Marilies.
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| Marilies, Our Guide |
We visited the cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eight emperors are entombed in the cathedral.
- Conrad II (died 1039) and his wife Gisela (died 1043)
- Henry III (died 1056), son of Conrad II.
- Henry IV (died 1106), son of Henry III, and his wife Bertha (died 1087)
- Henry V (died 1125), son of Henry IV.
- King Philipp of Swabia (died 1208), son of Frederick Barbarossa
- King Rudolph of Habsburg (died 1291)
- King Adolph of Nassau (died 1298)
- King Albert I of Germany (died 1308), son of Rudolph of Habsburg
Kaiserdom zu Speyer (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer). Pope Pius XI raised Speyer Cathedral to the rank of a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church in 1925.
Begun in 1030 under Konrad II, with the east end and high vault of 1090–1103, the imposing triple-aisled vaulted basilica of red sandstone is the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries". As the burial site for Salian, Staufer, and Habsburg emperors and kings the cathedral is regarded as a symbol of imperial power. It is the largest Romanesque church. It is considered to be "a turning point in European architecture", one of the most important architectural monuments of its time and one of the finest Romanesque monuments.
In 1981, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire".
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| Mount of Olives Sculpture |
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| History Museum |
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Mainz, Germany April 10, 2023
Today's included tour was a walking tour of Mainz, Germany, a city that boasts more than 2,000 years of history! We had a gloriously sunny day for our day in Mainz. We enjoyed a light breakfast before setting off with our small "leisurely group" with our guide, Werner, for a walking tour of Mainz and a visit to the Gutenberg Museum.
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| A beautiful morning in Mainz |
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| City Gate in Mainz |
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| Undamaged Building in Mainz |
Much of Mainz was destroyed by the bombing in World War II. It was quickly rebuilt, Werner told us with ugly concrete boxes, which were cheap to build. Over time, facades have been added to recapture the architecture of the past.
The Heunen columns, which are still preserved today, are located in different places. The best-known of them stands as a memorial in Mainz. Two more are in Nuremberg and Munich, and another is on the waterfront in Miltenberg.
On the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of the construction of the cathedral in 1975, the city of Miltenberg donated one of the haystack columns (also "giant column") to the city of Mainz. The Mainz Heunensäule weighs 16 tons, is 6.40 meters high, and has a diameter of 1.20 meters.
The circular support, today one of the symbols of the city, was set up in the middle of the market and framed with a bronze base by the Palatinate sculptor Gernot Rumpf, who explained the history and nature of the city of Mainz very comprehensively by depicting various headgear from the history of the city of Mainz represents. A Roman gladiator mask represents the period of Roman occupation. A Jacobin hat represents the time of French occupation.
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| Nagelsäule |
Wooden pillars like this were often put up throughout the German Empire during World War I to raise money for the military, particularly for injured soldiers and their families. People paid for the big black square iron nails, then hammered them into the column. One iron nail would cost about one Deutsch mark. The nails are hammered in patterned rows, smaller ones contrasting with the big, flat-headed ones. The pillar is made out of oak and is seven meters high, with the Iron Cross sitting at the top. The gold inscription below reads ‘In Kriegsnot Helf Uns Gott’ (In Times of War, Help Us God). The carved pictures around the pillar show military symbols of strength and scenes of unity and charity - a soldier, a military eagle, an armor-maker, and women nursing children and giving out bread.
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| Gutenberg Museum |
The museum was founded in 1900, half a century after the birth of Johannes Gutenberg. It features a fascinating exhibit that covers the history of the printed word and also has a replica of Gutenberg's workshop.
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| Organ in Cathedral |
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| An afternoon lecture on French and German relationships through the centuries. |
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| Chef Pierre Paolo and the Head of Housekeeping |
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| Captain Gunter serves members of the Explorer's Society |
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| A traditional Norwegian toast "Skoal!" with Alvavit, a very strong brandy-like beverage! |
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| Captain Gunter and Linda |
Castles of the Middle Rhine and Koblenz, Germany April 11, 2023
We had a beautiful cruise through the Rhine Gorge, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, as we made our way to Koblenz. This city was the start of the cruise we took with Aimee and Bethany back in 1988 or so. In fact, as I think back on it, I believe that we cruised from Koblenz to Basel.
Our cruise director, Tara, was up in the Wheelhouse with our Captain and took us on a narrated journey on the "Middle Rhine", a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the sheer number of castles. We were given a nifty map that marked the kilometer numbers of the various castles. Castles we saw included:
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| Mouse Tower and Ehrenfels Castle |
Mouse Tower, the White Tower, was a toll tower built on an island and served as a shipping signal station until 1974. According to legend, mice ate an archbishop who was imprisoned in the tower! On the opposite side of the river stands Ehrenfels Castle, a picturesque 13th-century castle that is surrounded by ancient vineyards. It is located near the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein in Hesse, Germany. The grape variety Ehrenfelser is named after the castle.
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| Pfalzgrafenstein Castle |
Pfalzgrafenstein was also a toll station on the Rhine. The keep of this island castle, a pentagonal tower with its point upstream, was erected between 1326 and 1327 by King Ludwig the Bavarian. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was built between 1338 and 1340. In 1477 Pfalzgrafenstein was passed to the Count of Katzenelnbogen. Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun bastion pointing upstream, and the characteristic baroque tower cap.
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| Gutenfels Castle |
Gutenfels Castle was built in 1220. It was used with the toll castle, Pfalzgrafenstein Castle in the middle of the Rhine and the fortified town of Kaub on the farthest side to provide an impenetrable anti-toll zone for the Holy Roman Emperor until Prussia purchased the area in 1866 and ended this toll in 1867. The castle transitioned from a hotel into private ownership in 2006.
Unlike its two neighboring castles, Burg Maus was never destroyed, though it fell into disrepair in the 16th and 17th centuries. Restoration of the castle was undertaken between 1900 and 1906 under the architect Wilhelm Gärtner with attention to historical detail.
The castle suffered further damage from shelling during World War II which has since been repaired. Today Burg Maus hosts an aviary that is home to falcons, owls and eagles, and flight demonstrations are staged for visitors from late March to early October.
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| Schönburg Castle |
Schönburg Castle was built in 966 and burned by French troops in 1689. Schönburg castle remained in ruins for 200 years until it was acquired by the German-American Rhinelander family who bought the castle from the town of Oberwesel in the late 19th century and restored it. The town council of Oberwesel acquired the castle back from the Rhinelander family in 1950. Since 1957 the Hüttl family has been living at the castle on a long-term lease; they operate a successful hotel and restaurant there.
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| Liebenstein Castle (left) and Sterrenberg Castle (right) |
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| The "Hostile Brothers" |
The two castles Liebenstein and Sterrenberg lie high above the medieval pilgrimage Kamp-Bornhofen, in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley between Rudesheim and Koblenz, close to the famous Lorelei rock.
Together the two castles are also known as the "Hostile Brothers". Numerous sagas deal with the two feuding descendants of an old king who built the two castles in the course of their dispute about their inheritance. The castles Liebenstein and Sterrenberg lie closer to one another than any other castles that have ever been built in the Rhine River Valley.
The internet is failing me right now, and I can't seem to upload my photos of Marksburg Castle, but I will go back and try again another time. For now, I can say that on our Grand European tour, we took an included excursion to Marksburg Castle, and it was truly a highlight of that trip! This time we had the opportunity to see it from the river, and it is a remarkable castle.***
We decided to eschew the walking tour in favor of a "choose your own adventure" for Jeff and a modest stroll about the area of Koblenz for me.
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| Koblenz |
I strolled about Deutsches Eck, the city's famed German Corner. It juts into the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle waters like the prow of a ship. There is a wonderful public park with a statue of Emperor Wilhelm I astride his horse. I remember that statue from when we took the "Moselfahrt" with the kids three-plus decades ago, and I remember waking up during our 2018 Viking cruise, opening our drapes, and seeing Emperor Wilhelm's statue just beyond our veranda.
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| Statue of Emperor Wilhelm I |
We didn't see the cable cars back in 2018. Jeff remembers them as being out of service. Anyway, he decided to head off to the DB Museum (Deutchebahn?), a railway museum. He looked on a map for directions and took a longish walk, only to find that the museum is only open on Saturdays. However, there were a number of people there - der Freiwillige (the free workers), and upon finding out that Jeff was also "und Freiwilliger" at the Danbury Railway Museum, they allowed him access to the yard where he enjoyed snapping photos.
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| "Watching" the Castles |
Cochem, Germany April 12, 2023
Cochem, a town in Germany, was settled before 886. Like so many of the towns we visited, it is said to be one of the most picturesque towns on the Moselle. It is also known for the wine produced in the surrounding region. But...
I woke early with a scratchy throat and spent an hour or more worrying that I was coming down with a cold (or worse). I finally fell back to sleep and woke again shortly after 8 am. I got up and dressed and let Jeff know that I was heading out for breakfast. He said that he'd be down shortly. I ordered him a pot of tea and some cranberry juice and enjoyed a lovely conversation with a couple of ladies from Colorado and waited and waited and waited for him to join me. Finally, I walked back to the room to check on him; and he was back in bed. There has been a stomach bug going around on the cruise, and unfortunately, it has attacked him. The good news is that my scratchy throat has disappeared, and I have felt fine all day. Also good news, the stomach virus seems to be a 24-hour thing, so hopefully, he will feel better tomorrow when we travel to Bernkastel.
I spent the day in the lounge watching the towns go by. It was a gloriously sunny day.
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| Not all houses are beautiful! This one appears to have suffered from a fire. |
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| Daniel (left) and Giani - Waiters Extradinaire! |
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| Daniel is from Portugal |
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| The "house white" - a very good dry Riesling |
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| Tomato Tarte - So Delicious! |
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| Chateaubriand, Mixed Vegetables, Potatoes Gratin - Fantastic! |
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| Vanilla Bonbon |
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| The gang gathers |
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| The staff sings Happy Birthday to Paula as Maggie looks on and Mark smiles proudly |
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| Remy Sings Elvis' "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" |
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| Paula's Cake |
I leave you with some random photos (from the internet) of what we might have seen had we ventured out today.
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| Reichsburg Castle at Dusk Tomorrow ... Bernkastle ... Alas, the days dwindle down to a precious few. ~ * ~ Bernkastel and Trier, Germany April 13, 2023 This morning when we awoke, we were docked in Bernkastel, one of the most beloved medieval villages along the Moselle and a thriving wine center. Unfortunately, it was a cold and grey morning with periodic sprinkles of rain - not enough to open the umbrella, but enough to make my rain jacket feel cold and clammy. We had signed up for an optional excursion for wine tasting, and I was surprised to learn that it would take place in the morning! Jeff was still feeling just a bit under the weather, so he opted out of the excursion, and I was glad that he did. He wasn't alone - of the 43 who had paid for this excursion, only 22 of us actually took the trip! The excursion began on the Bernkastel side of Bernkastel-Kues, where we strolled along cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered houses. We browsed the medieval marketplace and the 1608 Renaissance Rathaus (Town Hall).   We stopped to admire the tiny narrow Spitzhäuschen (Pointed House), which dates back to 1416.
  Of course, I had to take pictures of window boxes!
 
We stopped to view the castle ruins of Landshut, which loom over Bernkastel. The castle was built in 1277 and was destroyed by a fire in 1692. From there, we crossed the river into Kues. Bernkastel and Kues are kind of like Buda and Pest in Hungary - two towns on opposite sides of a river, that were incorporated into one: Budapest and Bernkastel-Kues.
There on the Kues side, we learned about the history of the city's most well-known resident, medieval cardinal, and philosopher, Nicolaus Cusanus. Nicholas of Cusa (1401 – 11 August 1464), also referred to as Nicholas of Kues and Nicolaus Cusanus was a German Catholic cardinal, philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician, and astronomer. One of the first German proponents of Renaissance humanism, he made spiritual and political contributions to European history. A notable example of this is his mystical or spiritual writings on "learned ignorance," as well as his participation in power struggles between Rome and the German states of the Holy Roman Empire. As papal legate to Germany from 1446, he was appointed cardinal for his merits by Pope Nicholas V in 1448 and Prince–Bishop of Brixen two years later. In 1459, he became vicar general in the Papal States. Nicholas has remained an influential figure. In 2001, the sixth centennial of his birth was celebrated on four continents and commemorated by publications on his life and work. St. Nikolaus Hospital was founded on December 3, 1458, as a poor hospital for exactly 33 (after the life of Jesus Christ) single men from the nobility (six), clergy (six), and bourgeoisie (common people - 21). Since the late 1960s, women have also been admitted to this nursing home. To this day, the monastery fulfills its task as a retirement home. It has a famous library and a historic winery, and more than 500 years of tradition. The abbey buildings are located away from the old town center on the banks of the Moselle. Construction began around 1460; a building inscription on the east wing of the cloister gives the year 1458. The chapel was probably consecrated in 1465. A partial reconstruction took place in the years 1748-1778. Our first stop was the chapel, which was just lovely.         Our next stop was Vinothek, the winery associated with St. Nikolaus Hospital. From what I can tell, it is a very large organization that employs the handicapped in meaningful work and produces tens of thousands of bottles of wine each year. The tasting took place in a 500-year-old cellar.      After our excursion, we returned to the Idi for lunch as we continued cruising to Trier, Germany's oldest city.  Trier is Germany's oldest city and was once a mighty outpost of the Roman and Holy Roman Empires. Because it was a rainy day and Jeff was still recovering from his stomach bug, we decided to skip the excursion to Trier. We had been there before with our friend, Hans, and did not need to see it again. Instead, Jeff slept and I spent the afternoon getting the blog caught up (of course, now I am behind again).   Later this evening, we enjoyed a wonderful cocktail party - "the Captain's Farewell" - complete with appetizers and glasses of champagne. And then there was dinner - delicious as always! Tomorrow ... An early departure and a long trip to Paris! Farewell Viking Idi - You have been wonderful!!! ~ * ~ Reims to Luxemburg to Paris, April 14, 2023 After another delightful breakfast, we said goodbye to our Viking Idi staff and boarded a bunch of motorcoaches at 8:15 in the morning for our long trip to Paris. Our first stop was at about 9:30 at the American Cemetery in Luxembourg, where we paid our respects to the 5,073 United States soldiers who died during World War II - most of them in the Battle of the Bulge. The site is beautiful and peaceful. It is meticulously maintained.
      
I remember going to an American cemetery when we first visited the Kalscheuers in Belgium and being moved to tears. I had similar emotions on this trip. I was not alone - in fact, our normally boisterous group was virtually silent for the thirty minutes we spent here, and there was quite a bit of silence on the two-and-a-half-hour bus trip to Reims (pronounced hhrrum -- sort of). *** Arriving in Reims at about 12:15, our first order of business was to find a place to eat some lunch. Our "leisurely group" was escorted to Au Bureau Pub & Brasserie. Jeff and I both ordered hamburgers - different styles, but equally good. Our friends, Tom and Stella ordered some sort of flatbread with "lardons" and cheese (I don't think they really liked it). Tom was also disappointed with the frites, exclaiming, "They taste like American fries; I was expecting something amazing, and these aren't that!"    
After lunch, we met our guide, Liesette, who talked with us about the exterior of Reims Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The architectural features of the cathedral's exterior glorify French royalty, something that I thought was rather odd. We viewed the amazing Gallery of Kings, where 56 statues stand above the central portal.
   The cathedral is massive - impossible to capture the size of it with photos, but Lisette tells us that Notre Dame Cathedral could fit inside the Reims Cathedral! It is made of sandstone, which is difficult to maintain, so many of the carvings are damaged - both from time and from the wars.  Crowning of Mary   Everywhere you look, you see intricately carved entities - deities, emperors, kings, angels. It's difficult to take it all in.
I loved the story of the Smiling Angel, which was carved between 1236 and 1245. The Angel is in the north portal of the west facade of the cathedral, just over the doorway that we entered. The Angel's head fell to the ground, due to a fire caused by a German shell on the cathedral of Reims, during World War I. It broke into several pieces after falling from a height of about 12 feet. The head was collected by the abbot Thinot the day after the fire, and stored in the cellars of the Archbishop of Reims to be discovered by the architect Max Sainsaulieu on November 30, 1915. It became an icon for French wartime propaganda as a symbol of "French culture destroyed by German barbarity". After the war, the original fragments were molded and preserved in the Musée National des Monuments Français. The already famous sculpture was restored and put back in place on February 13, 1926. And then we stepped inside the cathedral...  Once again, photos cannot do justice to the magnificence of the various stained glass!
On the top of the western wall of the cathedral, one can see La Grande Rose, which dates from the end of the 13th century and represents the Assumption of Mary. The rose is done in a circular pattern. In the middle of the big circle, the Virgin Mary is represented, surrounded by the first circle of 12 apostles, and then a second circle depicts 24 angel musicians who, together with prophets and kings, accompany Christ’s mother to heaven. Between two rose windows, stained glass evokes the crowning of the king: the king is in the center dressed in some sort of flowery robe and he is accompanied by six pairs of church officials and six pairs of dukes and counts. This represents the unique history of Reims Cathedral, where kings were once crowned.
In 1936, Ateliers Simon-Marq created a second, smaller rose below the big one in order to replace the windows that were destroyed during World War I. Such an accomplishment! Having two roses on the same wall is very unique. The small rose has the Virgin Mary placed in the center, where each of the rose petals represents her different qualities.              
I think this photo is one of the best photos I have ever taken! The lighting is just about perfect! There are several very modern stained glass windows by the same artist installed in 2011 throughout the cathedral. I liked them - probably because I have never seen anything like them in a cathedral.
Marc Chagall created three beautiful stained glass panels in the mid-1970s. These windows are in the apse of the cathedral, behind the main altar. The left-hand window focuses on the Old Testament and the tree of Jesse. It culminates at the top with a beautiful Virgin and Child, shown with green haloes indicating rebirth.  The middle window is devoted to the stories of Abraham and Christ. Christ on the cross dominates the right-hand panel. The third window, on the right, reminds us of the other great function of the Reims Cathedral, the coronation of the kings of France.        Organ Pipes ~ The actual organ was enshrouded with scaffolding as it is being restored.  
We returned to our motorcoaches at 3:30 for a two-and-a-half-hour drive to our hotel in Paris. We were tired and very glad to finally arrive at our hotel, the Hotel Pullman Paris Montparnasse.   
Tomorrow ... a Panoramic Tour of Paris and a move to our Chic Saint-Germain-des-Prés apartment! |
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