alexandriacardinals

April 28

~ Nuremberg

If you’re over 80, you know this; if you’re between 60 – 80, you’ve heard of this; if you’re under 60, you’ll have to look it up . . .

[Saying good-bye to our new friends on the Embla.  Unfortunately, it has been so long ago now I’ve forgotten their names.  They always left us wanting for nothing.]

[We’re on the bus to Nuremberg now, and at the end of our visit there we will be moving to a new boat.]

[Still chilly in the neighborhood – 5 degrees Celsius translates to 41 degrees F.]

[John was enjoying his book, The Boys in the Boat, along the way.]

[Yup, another little snow squall for our traveling pleasure.]

[It’s 10:33 am – that doesn’t have to be converted to Fahrenheit or anything.]

[Obi?  Do I have royalty interests?]

[First sighting of Nuremberg Castle, c. 1000]

[Half-timbered (or fachwerk) construction, common through this area.]

[In Nuremberg center (Hauptmarkt) a house with a mural.]

[Haupmarkt, John points to the clock to let us know the countdown for our city walking exploration has begun.]

[Amazing, the number of cities with canals.]

[The Super says, “I love it, but it might be time to look for place with hot drinks!”]

[(Ultimately it was decided that I already had a sufficient supply of under garments.)]

[Is just bear with us too lame?]

[Not for Helen who was ready for some serious polka time!]

[Noting the absence of Pam and Tom from these meanderings, this may have been when they did the Nuremberg WWII tour.  We would do a bit of that in a bit.]

[And yet another attractive walking area for shopping, wining, and dining.  And the spires of St. Peter’s Cathedral.]

[We walked over one of these canal bridges . . . and came back on another.]

[The ladies take advantage of the photo ops . . . John’s thinking hot tea!]

[This will be identified three photos down.]

[Oh, can’t read German?  “The Marriage Carousel” (1977-1981).  Oy!]

[Back to the central square . . . ]

[What a day for an ice cream cone!]

[ . . . or a brat!]

[Und ein bier!]

[(Weakie, are you paying attention?)]

[Back outside to walk off lunch.]

[Pam and Tom . . . rediscovered!]

[And now back on the bus for the WWII tour part.  The Nuremberg trials memorium . . . ]

[A corner of the Palace of Justice.]

[Palace of Justice]

[Bus]

[Prison behind the Palace of Justice where Nazi war criminals were held.]

[St. John’s Cemetery]

[Bus]

[Nuremberg State Theater]

[Police headquarters . . . well, what it’s currently leased for.]

[Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds . . . ]

[An overlook . . . we didn’t stop.]

[Can you guess?]

[Ahh, now I know where we are . . . ]

[Luitpold Arena in the Nazi Party Rally Grounds had a capacity of 150,000.]

[And a lovely lake in the Nazi Party Rally Grounds.]

[Nazi Party Rally Grounds, 1933 – 1938 – the dreariness of the day added to the dreariness of the place!]

[Let’s go home and back to modernity . . . ]

[And now back in the city past the Castle.]

[Beautiful Fountain, apparently getting a beauty makeover.]

[John is sooo happy, indoors with hot tea (or was it chocolate?), showing off his Europe sweatshirt.]

[Farmers’ market on the Haupmarkt.]

[Alex??]

[Back at Haupmarkt, the tourists are laughing in anticipation of . . . ]

[Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, c. 1352,  One of the most notable features of the church is the Männleinlaufen, a mechanical clock that commemorates the Golden Bull of 1356. The clock was installed in the church in 1506. The Holy Roman Emperor is shown seated with the prince-electors surrounding him.  The clock mechanism is activated at midday, a bell is rung to start the sequence followed by the trumpeters and drummer. Then there is a procession of the electors around the figure of the Holy Roman Emperor. (Wikipedia.)]

[And now back on the bus for the trip “home” . . . ]

[You’ve heard of him, right?  He had some wild idea that the Sun, rather than the Earth, was the center of the universe.]

[St. Rochusfriedhof, a cemetery created in 1510 for plague victims.]

[And now we’re heading back to our new boat . . . ]

[Germany is behind only China in amount of power provided by solar panels.]

[The bus deposited us here where Helen tried to get to the “bottom” of things.]

[The welcoming party for our new boat . . . welcome to the Aegir!]

[Desserts . . . still good!]

Restore human legs as a means of travel. Pedestrians rely on food for fuel and need no special parking facilities. ~  Lewis Mumford

Up Next:  Bamberg (unless summer intervenes, again)

Where once it never rained till after sundown . . .

July 2

[No plans for the holiday weekend – just sit on the deck and watch the world go by. Besides, the Super has already lined up the next great adventure, before I’ve even blogged half of the last one!]

July 3

[OK, it was such another great day we had to go out. The Purdy River Band came all the way from Cedar Rapids, a 6-hour drive, and if you remember your elementary school geography, it means they had to cross a state line (and if either state had done a BREXIT, passports would have been required). Chuck on guitar and lead vocals, Beth on bass, Dave on banjo, and Brian on mandolin. Brian appears to be touched by the light of the Great Spirit late in the performance? The Super went because they had brick oven pizza!]

July 4

[Just a comfy 4th with A Capitol Fourth on the tube (after all those years being there live).]

[Mom? This was the stock photo with the Strib editorial today. Consider the fluttering flag to be her ponytail, it sure looks like Natalia?]

July 5

[Lest you missed the sunrise . . . it looked like The End of Times. Bright Orange Crush sky, which, unfortunately, digital cameras can’t quite capture . . . . ]

[Photo from Theatre L’Homme Dieu: ‘River: A Tribute to Three Legendary Female Songwriters’. The music and stories of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon.]

[From the TLHD website:  This show will take you on a journey back to the women’s music movement of the ‘60s and 70’s when Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and the prolific Carole King sang of first kisses, heartaches, prom, weddings, and other life experiences. Twin Cities performers Rachel Holder-Hennig, Deb Brown, and Jana Anderson sing “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” “Natural Woman,” and “Both Sides Now.” Lush vocal harmonies and an amazing all-star band bring the songs, stories, and memories together in this unforgettable tribute. July 5th thru July 10th, 2016.

July 6

[Here comes the sun . . . diddle, diddle . . . ]

[Last seen leaving Wednesday fine dining at the AGC.]

[And then off to Arrowwood, passing by Zorbaz and Bug-A-Boo Bay and their incoming boat traffic on Lake Le Homme Dieu along the way.]

[“America” was playing on the Super’s car radio.]

[And Professor Miltich was back with us again.]

[Gotta give the Super credit. She said, “Look at all the blues!” as we sat on the Arrowwood deck overlooking beautiful Lake Darling.]

[Nothing to do with preceding events.  Danny brought this back from the Harn to show how many patriotic slogans this iconic All-American beer, now owned by Belgians, could fit on its labels.]

July 8

[As exclaimed (on several occasions) by Mitch Sterling and the Superfriends of Soul during the first Music in the Gardens performance this season, “Beautiful weather, beautiful venue!” A 6-week run of incredible weather (don’t tell anyone!) continued through the evening as this Minneapolis group was terrific in their first ever performance in Alex. On the way out, did you notice the North Broadway makeover going on between 3rd and Lake Agnes?]

July 9

[Checking out the new North Broadway by daylight,  a fix up destined to fit a Big Ole Park makeover.]

[Then back to the winery for the Salty Dogs.]

[The birds were perfectly separated on the wire until the guy/gal on the left moved a bit closer to his/her neighbor.]

[Greg, Erik, and Tom strike up the band.]

[Helen and John, we have your gift flashdrive of the Europe trip from Pam!]

July 10

[I find the older I get the more I enjoy the simpler things in life. Take yesterday, for example. Classmate Brad and I decided to take a ride on the roller coaster at Carlos Creek Winery. What’s that you say? Carlos Creek doesn’t have a roller coaster? Never mind.]

[Where the “roller coaster” is in relation to the Super, the truck, and band shell.]

[Why it’s Professor Miltich again!]

[And then the Super reached into our pet elephant’s trunk and pulled out our next cruise.]

Our first day at a resort my wife and I decided to hit the beach. When I went back to our room to get something to drink, one of the hotel maids was making our bed. I grabbed my cooler and was on my way out when I paused and asked, “Can we drink beer on the beach?”  “Sure,” she said, “but I have to finish the rest of the rooms first.”  ~  Louis Allard

Up Next:  I know, I know – Europe.

April 27

~ Regensburg

[So, Regensburg.  Raise your hand if you know anything about Regensburg.  Yea, me neither.  From the cruise map, we know it was between Passau and Nuremberg.  We docked in Deggendorf and took buses into Regensburg where we discovered yet another delightful historic city, the oldest city on the Danube.  This first shot out the bus window almost looks like we’re coming in for a landing.  Oh, Pope Benedict XVI is from here.]

[Our “get off and start the walking tour” point.  The weather continued to be chilly, gray, and windy – this was possibly our coldest day yet with some snow flurries.]

[A commercial street leading to Stone Bridge and into town.  If we could find this street later, we could find our way back to the buses.]

[Rome?]

[Crossing Stone Bridge, undergoing renovation . . . ]

[Our guide did her best to keep us warm with information . . . ]

[John appears to halt . . . wondering whether it’s safe to cross?]

[St. Peter’s Cathedral ahead . . . ]

[Views from the bridge . . . ]

[What we’re crossing . . . ]

[We made it!]

[Then the most popular tourist attraction, the historic Wurstkuche, allegedly the oldest such place on the planet – sausage on a roll . . . DEE-LISH!  (OK, more on that further down the page.)]

[And the just crossed bridge . . . ]

[And the sausage restaurant – it’s the first destination for all visitors to the city.  To prove that point, two members from our boat crew were already exiting there by the time we arrived.]

[And now, into the city . . . ]

[This David and Goliath mural has been re-touched many times and dates back to the 16th century.  Oskar Schindler lived here for a while in 1945.]

[Regensburg Clock Tower and entrance to Old Town – 10:05, too early for lunch.]

[After much research, this is known as a pink building in Regensburg!]

[The Old Town Hall]

[“Door to Old Town Hall” –  Germany does not recognize church weddings so people who wish to get married must make it a legal union at the city hall. If they wish to formalize it before God with a religious ceremony, they do that the next day (From Viking River Cruise Journal).]

[The potato guy (no town should be without one)]

[That Donald Trump!  He has beauty pageants everywhere!  (OK, maybe not his?)]

[The norm for the most part is you pay to pee.  The smiling “toilette” signs that this is a place you can pee for free!  Woo-woo!]

[A gargoyle mayor “mooning” the public after a surprise victory.]

[Haidplatz, Old Town square]

[Our guide was totally nonplussed (to her credit) about leading us here for the public restrooms.  Ha!]

[And we’re walking . . . ]

[Markers in the cobblestone with names of Holocaust victims.  We were told other cities in Germany decided not to do this because they were uncomfortable with the idea of their memories being trod upon.]

[The Neupfarrkitrche is a Protestant parish church in Neupfarrplatz (OK, the open city square), c. 1520.]

[The Super took advantage of the surroundings in this “platz” to do a little window shopping.]

[So, you put your debit card in here, touch the Euro button, et voila!]

[Now, flush with cash . . . ]

[No, this is not the golf museum.  Welcome to St. Peter’s Cathedral . . . ]

[Apparently in recognition of some bizarre and obscure European sport.]

[But, back to the Cathedral . . . ]

[OK, this was pilfered from the internet.  It’s just that she looked so happy to be in Regensburg on a warm, sunny day.]

[Don Juan . . . of Austria, the illegitimate son of a local girl from Regensburg and Austrian Emperor Charles V. Don Juan led the Spanish navy in the defeat of the Turks in the famous naval battle of Lepanto in 1571.  Yes, I had to look this up.]

[You go, Don!  (Nice pantaloons, BTW.]

[Let’s take a stroll through Old Town Square.]

[From Wikipedia:  The Historic Sausage Kitchen of Regensburg (German: Historische Wurstküche zu Regensburg) . . . is notable as perhaps the oldest continuously open public restaurant in the world.

In 1135 AD a building was erected as the construction office for the Regensburg stone bridge. When the bridge was finished in 1146 AD, the building became a restaurant named “Garkueche auf dem Kranchen” (‘cookshop near the crane’) as it was situated near the then river port. Dockers, sailors and the staff of the nearby St. Peter cathedral workshop were the regulars for the centuries to come. The present building at this location dates from the 17th century,^[1] but archaeological evidence has confirmed the existence of a previous building from the 12th century with about the same dimensions.

. . .  when the family who currently own the restaurant took over in 1806, charcoal grilled sausages were introduced as the main dish offered.

The kitchen still operates today (daily 8AM–7PM, except holidays) and serves 6,000 sausages to guests daily. Sausages are the main dish^[2] on the menu and come in portions of six, eight or ten, along with sauerkraut and mustard. Renowned Bavarian dishes such as Franconian “Saure Zipfl”, “Krautwickerl” and “Sauerbraten”, as well as a variety of salads etc., are available.

During the summer tourism season, most of the guests are served outside on wooden benches/tables, as the tiny building barely seats 35 inside.]

[Heading back over Stone Bridge . . . ]

[The only way to finish a walking tour of any city . . . ]

[This building seems . . . Netherlandy?  We’re on the bus heading back to the boat.]

[A drive across the idyllic German countryside.]

[We knew before the cruise even started that this would be our last night on the Embla.  The locks between here and Nuremberg were still out for annual maintenance so we would be bused there to board our new boat, Aegir, for the rest of our journey.  We would miss the fun loving Katja, our hotel manager, and the rest of the staff save for Violeta and Mirjana, our program director and concierge, respectively, who would be continuing on with us.]

[And so our last dinner on the Embla.]

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.  ~  James Michener

Up Next: Nuremberg

April 26

~  Passau

[As Facebooked at the time:  Fellow citizens of the planet Earth: Just wanted to let you know that despite the weather horror stories you may have claimed to have heard about our trip, my head is peeling like an over ripe onion from those sunny days in Budapest. Yesterday we had one of those incidents that make travelling such an adventure. As we approached the last lock before Passau we learned that the lock workers had gone on strike. So, we pulled off to the side of the river and bused folks into town. I somehow had the feeling that the strike would be quickly resolved and that the boat we make it to Passau to pick us up later that day – and that’s what happened. But, it could happen again – this is Europe and it creates excitement. Anyway, in two days we have to be bused 5 hours around locks that are out for maintenance and get on another boat for the rest of the trip. Stay tuned . . . ]

[So, we got off here, Engelhartszell, the last stop in Austria, to be bused into Passau, the first stop in Germany.]

[General milling around on the boat as elderly people tried to comprehend what was happening.]

[So, the sights and sounds of the bus ride to Passau.]

[St. Stephan’s Cathedral, at the highest point of Old Town Passau, where we would be visiting shortly.]

[Please disembark the bus and be prepared to be wet and chilly!]

[That must be a high water mark on the building – I don’t really remember.]

[Dining then with aqualung?]

[Again, as Facebooked:  Yep, another windy, chilly, on-and-off rainy day yesterday as we soldiered on for a walking tour of Passau. But we like it this way – even our Austin, TX, contingent say they prefer this to hot, humid weather for touring.  Where I zeroed in on the square (where we caught the shuttle to the top), you can see Passau’s famous glass museum (the yellow trimmed building on the right) – the girls went in, the boys didn’t. Then back to the boat for dinner as I caught us just rising from a lock back into daylight.]

[This is the Glass Museum, which will be featured later.]

[Veste Oberhaus, which also will be featured later.]

[Our “hang around in” square.]

[High water flood marks.]

[John and Helen appear to be humming “Shelter From the Storm.”]

[The Executioner’s House (doesn’t every town have one?), a national treasure, built c. 1200.]

[“Just singin’ in the rain . . . ” past the flood high water marks and the head chopper-offer guy. Maybe more snow flurries today but maybe 59 in Bamberg in 2 days!]

[And we have arrived at the Inn!  And there appears to be room in it.]

[ISO, a string quartet?]

[Dr. Kiehne under a sign of unknown meaning?]

[Oh, maybe take your child to a grill for lunch today?]

[10:42, too early for lunch – but check the menus along the way.]

[Aha, whom amongst us doesn’t appreciate an Old World city square?  We appear to be trending toward St. Stephan’s Cathedral.]

[The statue in the wall was something (doesn’t jump out at me with a quick Google search).]

[Wittelsbach Fountain]

[Still storming the neighborhoods.]

[Rapidly nearing the Cathedral . . . ]

[And we’re in!  It contains the largest cathedral organ in the world (there are three larger organs in the world, all in the place that is No.1 in everything (according to our tongue-in-cheek guide) – yup, the good ole U. S.of A. Dr. Kiehne was not aware that one of them is at West Point.]

[Is that Kim Kardashian up there?]

[Tom and the Super are catching on.]

[John and Helen in the VIP pews?]

[The organ . . . or that which could fit in a photo.]

[I remain astonished at the time, labor, and treasuries that went into constructing these places.]

[Back outside . . . must be lunchtime by now?]

[And left to our own devices (actually, just walking around looking) here’s where we ended up with Helen and John.  I believe this is when Pam and Tom went on a hike to Sanctuary Mariahilf (photo upcoming).]

[A lovely little sidewalk cafe . . . with a big mirror for group selfies!]

[The Super checking on the goodies display.]

[Mmmmmmmm, ‘mater soup!]

[We had a lovely young hostess who spoke perfect English after spending time in the States . . . or was it Brazil?]

[Streets belong to pedestrians and distressed trees.]

[Funky Buddha . . . are we in San Francisco?]

[Leaving the St. Stephan’s area and taking a hike around the  . . .  confluence of the Danube and Inn Rivers – we walked through the pedestrian old town area then along the river bank of the Inn to the point and then back along the Danube before taking the shuttle up to the fortress Veste Oberhaus for the panoramic photos.]

[And this is the aforementioned Sanctuary Mariahilf (and the following photo).]

[The Inn River walk.]

[Helen endearing herself to a duck family.]

[We’ve rounded the corner to the Danube . . . ]

[And there’s Veste Oberhaus fortress, dating to 1219.]

[Translating the German plaque, something to the effect that she was a champion javelin tosser in the Casablanca Olympics . . . ]

Veste Oberhaus

[We’re inside the fortress courtyard, trying to figure out where we were in relation to everything else?]

[Aha, we were mainly looking for the city overlook.]

[We’re on the Danube side, that’s the Inn flowing into it on the other side.]

[Sanctuary Mariahilf]

[Sanctuary Mariahilf in the background, then the Inn, then the city (with our “hang around in” square on the left riverfront and the Glass Museum just to the right of it, and St. Stephan’s on the far right), then the Danube filled with river cruise boats.]

[There’s our square, from whence we got a shuttle (in the photo) up to the fortress, and then back down again.]

The Glass Museum

[The Super and Helen took this tour.  John and I went to a coffee cafe or something.  These are all the Super’s photos.]

Back on ship . . .

[As previously noted, our boat did catch up with us again in Passau.  In my excitement over that reunion, I took two crappy photos of the evening’s menu?]

[Fine dining in a lock!]

[Here’s lookin’ at you, kid!   Because Tom and I did invent “the circle” in high school, we get a cut of the action from the sale of these circular napkin holders.]

[Ho-hum, another busy day leads to the inevitable wining and dining.]

A tourist is a fellow who drives thousands of miles so he can be photographed standing in front of his car.  ~  Emile Ganest

Up Next:  Well, we’ve finished the Lower Danube.