Bernkastel and Trier, Germany April 13, 2023

 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.

Spitzhäuschen (Pointed House)

The half-timbered houses in the oldest part of the city are quite charming.  

And, of course, I had to take some pictures of window boxes.

A bit further on we viewed the only remaining piece of the original walled city - a city gate. I was surprised at how narrow the opening was.

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, 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).

Some beautiful scenes as we journeyed from Bernkastel-Kues to Trier.  Every square inch of the steep hillsides is covered with vines.  We watched as men in orange safety vests worked the vineyards.  This is the time for severely pruning the vines.  They carefully select the two strongest branches - one on each side - and prune away the rest.

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!!!