All the rivers run

The last few days have been a fantastic (and full-on) mix of cruising and visiting Places Of Interest.
A visit to Wurzburg offered a walking tour around the gardens of the Residence (Palace) and old town.

The gardens on the old walls were beautiful and offered a mix of formal/French style and informal/English styles of landscaping.

There was fascinating art everywhere in the town - both ancient and modern and our guide told us the town was well known for its distinctive wine bottles, known as bocksbeutel (translates as billy-goat's bags).  The only other place bottles this shape are used is in Portugal by Mateus.  We managed a quick tasting and it's a lovely dry wine - so dry that they're called Fränkisch trocken, dryer than the usual trocken style.


The afternoon saw us taking an optional excursion to Rothenburg.  We're so glad we did, it really was one of the most fascinating towns we've visited! 

The massive city walls could also be climbed

The herb garden outside where the castle once stood had statues for the seasons and the graces

View from the city wall

Where he doesn't try beer Matt samples the local sausages!

Rothenburg really is stunning and we have to go back just so I can visit the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum.

Ducking cage for bakers who sold underweight loaves

Part of the wall was damaged by bombs and has been rebuilt.  Plaques name financial contributors from all over the world.

Back on board we sailed overnight to Bamberg, one of the few German cities which wasn't bombed and as a result has a World Heritage Listing.  Our tour showed the just highlights of the old town.

Being Sunday all the shops were closed and all the beergardens were open.  Matt tried the local beer at the brewery,  Schlenkerla.  Rauchbier (smoked beer) is disgusting.  Like drinking a bushfire.

Today's tour had sections on modern and medieval history.  Highlight of the commentary was the guide telling us "Nuremberg is not an ancient city, it was first mentioned in 1140 when construction began on the castle." Our first stop was a more recent erection, Zeppelin Field where the stage that Hitler addressed Nazi rallies from has been retained in order that the history of the era is not forgotten.  We also drove past the evil regime's  "Congress Hall", modeled after the Colosseum in Rome, now used by the government for Immigration and Refugee resettlement.

After reflecting on the lessons of modern history the tour went back to Nuremberg's earliest days as we tripped up the coblestones to the castle - and down again to the town.

Castle tower

Sumptuary laws restricted what you could wear or even how you decorated your house.  These little cabinets were allowed as their original purpose was for religious contemplation

Life is a journey that ends.

This afternoon we traveled through some of Europe's biggest locks and over some aqueducts, we expect to reach the watershed soon and start going downhill again.  We're now half way through our cruise and are planning our next river trip!

going up...(24.7 metres)
(82 feet Matt says.
What are these feet
of which he speaks?)

and up...

and the top pops into view!

in some spots the road goes under the canal!