Wurtzburg and Rothenburg

Wurtzburg and Rothenburg:

A very nice day was had. We are docked in Wurtzburg. After breakfast we boarded a bus which would transport us to Rothenburg. The last time I was in Rothenburg was in 1971 and traveling by bicycle. I recalled the walled city and it’s narrow  cobbled roadways, and towers. 

Our route took us along what is know as the Romanic Road. Called the Romantic Road simply because it was an area favored by the Romantic Artists. Passing through small towns and by farm fields. Soon we arrived in Rothenburg. Here we walked about seeing the various styles of buildings and learning about the history of the town. We stopped to have a lunch of potato soup, bratwurst, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and Apple Strudel. All was very, very tasty. 

From there we made our way to the city wall and hiked along the top for several meters. We then went down to the streets and found our way to a very very large Christmas Shop. 

Interesting things we learned today were the difference between the Bavarian Germans and the Franconian Germans. The Bavarians are fun jovial, beer drinkers, wear laderhausen . The Franconian are more serious, rarely smile, and drink a dry white wine. The Franconian like their wine and designed a special bottle, this bottle looks like a Matus wine bottle. Other vineyards pay to use this design of a bottle. We were told this style of bottle was designed so the Monks could hide their wine with their bible, as they were not allowed to be drinking during the day. This style bottle is called a Bocksbeutel. A literal translation of bocksbeutel is goat skin, maybe from the boat bags? 

In 2022 the Germans will no longer use nuclear power, all their electricity will come from alternative sources such as wind and solar. This transition has already started, it seem to be a topic of contention with many locals.  

When we returned to Wurtzburg, our guide was able to arrange an after hours tour of the palace. Simply an amazing building which needed extensive renovation after WWII. The last room we visited showed the damage and the restoration process, thanks to the Monument Men. 

We chose to walk through Wurtzburg back to the ship. We found a local bakery where we bought a chocolate covered gingerbread cookie. The ladies at the bakery were engaging and gave us some of the fresh local bread. A very nice gesture.  We enjoyed our walk back to the ship. 

This evening was a return cruiser cocktail party. Here we learned Viking in 2017 will be cruising the Mississippi River. Could be fun. 

All our meals have been excellent and the service superb. 

Here are some pictures from the day. 

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