Day 52~ Wednesday August 21, 2019 Koblenz Germany on the Viking European River Cruise

Cruising down the Romantic Rhine.
  Today was a special day as we cruise through the most beautiful stretch of the Rhine.  Apart from the narrow gorges and stunning scenery, another feature of the Middle Rhine is its abundance of Castles.  So unique is this section of the Rhine that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The Middle Rhine is very popular with the river cruises and is often also slotted into land-based tours as a "Rhine Cruise" and there are various day trips along this area of the Rhine. 
First part of our day was spent sailing through the Rhine Gorge and as we have been blessed with a splendid temps everyone was on the sundeck enjoying the scenery and views of the Rhine castles. Every mile along this section of the river we admired a different magnificent castles.  We found ourselves turning our heads left and right not to miss anything.  Good commentary over the PA system as well.  Besides all the castles we are seeing, there are charming villages and towns with their beautiful churches with elegant spires along the riverbanks.  This area again is also a wine-producing region and the hills in this area are covered with vineyards.
We hope we are not boring anyone with all that we are seeing.  But it is very beautiful.  On the eastern bank of the Rhine, near St. Goarshausen we cruised past the legendary Loreley Rock soaring some 120 meters above the waterline.  The Loreley is linked to a popular folklore where sweet songs of local beauties lured enchanted sailors to their doom.  Yes you sure wouldn't  want to jump into the Rhine near this rock as the cross currents are very strong here.  The rock below the waterline and the strong currents have caused a number of boat accidents here.  As recently as in 2011, a tanker loaded with sulfuric acid capsized here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the deck watching the view go by

This is the only castle in the Rhine Valley that was never destroyed  Marksburg Castle as it watches over the town since the 13th century.  They said because it was built with strong fortifications it was never besieged by enemies. We viewed the grounds, the citadel,  the kitchen, the tower that they call the butter chum tower because the upper reaches have smaller diameter than the lower, is a beloved landmark of the town.

 

 Thanks for coming along for the ride

Your friends  Bob & Leslee

Nautical term of the day ----
Over the barrel
The most common method of punishment on board a ship was flogging.  The unfortuneate sailor was tied to a grating, a mast or a "over the barrel" of a deck cannon