10 June 2005 Friday
When we left Amsterdam and through Koln and onto Koblenz was all the Lower Rhine area which was clearly an industrial area. Lots of barges and factories from the Rhine, but none of the filth and dirt and pollution that we associate with industry. The Rhine water is a dark green, relatively calm, traffic light but constant. The barges we pass have the flag of the company on the front and then the flag of the country in which they are travelling. We were told that GCT no longer ever flies the American flag on their ships outside for any reason - for security reasons. Hmmmm.
After breakfast, the group who had selected the optional tour to the Marksburg Castle got on their bus and drove away. Only 55 of the 137 went. We were warned that there were many many steps and uneven surfaces. That is enough to put many off. The rest of us took a walking tour of Koblenz, a lovely little city that sits on the confluence of the Mosel River and the Rhine River. Sweet city with some lovely shopping areas. Squares, facades, fountains, churches. We were taken on a walking tour with Gerald, which meant that we followed a red flag on this day. Sights featured the Liebfrausenkirche, the Jesuplatz, the Augenroller (more story to come on that later) etc. The map on the back of our agenda allowed us to find our way back to the boat.
Meanwhile, my mother and Evelyn of Florida, whose husband had gone to Marksburg Castle, sat at one of the lovely little cafes (I felt like I was in Rome) and thought about the rest of the afternoon. By this time we have had so many lovely conversations with oodles of interesting people. I only wish my memory for names could be better. Thank goodness for the nametags, though they really should be double sided. It is hard to discreetly glance down and check names if tags are inadvertently flipped over!
Lunch on the boat and then my mother went to rest and I went back to the little square not far from the pier. At about 2:30 PM a local silversmith of Koblenz, whose family had been making traditional silver jewelry for hundreds of years, set up a table in the lounge and demonstrated his art. He sat with his blowtorch, materials and implements. Handsome filigree. Traditional design. Credit card purchases for nothing less than 50 EU. I was tempted for a very short period of time, but was pleased to be able to turn around and walk off the ship.
Poked around Koblenz and actually was able to look around extensively - back to the stores that had been calling to me before. I found a wonderful store with a combination of clothes and gifts and studio and material. The co-owner/artist assembled a small necklace for me, a handmade silver piece shaped like a seashell along with the natural cone shell. Lively conversation. The two owners had only just moved from Heidelberg and opened their shop three weeks ago.
Change for dinner, and then the meal itself. Traditional dancers, young people 20 somethings in traditional German garb. Moves that were reminiscent of square dancing and polkas. Stomping and slapping and such. There were those of us who were chosen to then dance - I took off my shoes and discreetly rolled up the band of my long black skirt and easily followed the lead of the dancers - faltering only when in the hands of my fellow travelling men. It was fun.
The industrial plants that floated by gave rise to the castles on the left and castles on the right. And after a while, there were carpets of vineyards, neat lines of planting running in parallel lines in regular patterns. The Mosel River and the Rhine intersected and gave rise to the settlement of Koblenz. Some of our party took the bus to the optional tour to Marksburg Castle and effectively disappeared until our late lunch. We went to town on a walking tour of the little town of Koblenz. Generally speaking, if there is an optional tour, two of our three guides will go with the group and one with stay back with the people who choose to stay with the boat. We were among the latter, and had the pleasure of walking with young Gerald 29 of Lower Austria.
Koblenz's old center had squares and a main cathedral and was organized as most of the towns and cities of Germany. We walked about, and I secretly marked the places to return in my mind. When Gerald then dismissed us to wander back to the ship on our own, my mother and I found ourselves with Evelyn, of Florida whose husband was on the Marksburg Castle tour. Coffee and sitting at one of the now open cafes was our mission, and we found one area that overlooked the Liebfrauhausenkirche, a church that had had several additions as monies would allow. We popped into that church and found the stained glass windows to be somewhat unsatisfactory. We were told that somewhere in the windows there was a Star of David, and though we looked with some intensity, there was no star to be found. Later Evelyn would go back with her husband and find the Star in right hand window behind the altar.
After lunch on the ship, I left my mother to wander about on my own. It is important to note that almost every little town is cobbled with neatly set square stones. After so many days if travelling, some of the party are walking more heavily.
At this moment, I can overhear one woman asking Katya very pointedly what exactly today's walking tour of Wurzburg will entail. Canes have emerged for some, and others have chosen to nap and rest rather than tour. It is a forgiving touring pace.
It is appropriate to speak of the 130 + individuals on the tour. The great majority are retired, mostly couples, some widows, three mother/daughter pairs and some cousin pairs and relatively few travelling alone. Most have traveled extensively, and almost all have tried the ocean liner cruises first and are only now trying the river cruises. I have only heard one complaint about the relative inexperience with the service of the young Slovakian waitstaff - Josef speaks English slowly and clearly and LOUDLY for example. I suppose that I am not so particular about wait service, so everything is fine with me.
Naturally most of the conversations take place at the dining tables and any one of the three meals per day. The fact is that if you sit down, even the shyest of us eventually ends up engaged in conversation.
Dinner, pleasant conversations and then bed.
posted by Articulate Pen @ 12:26 PM
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