Still on the Rhine.  Yesterday was Friday, May the 8th and the 70th anniversary of VE Day during WWII. Only fitting we were in Cologne.  The Cathedral  ( which was the tallest building Europe, until the Eiffel tower was built) was a landmark for the Allies in their bombing raids.  The Germans had removed  the windows for safe storage and the train station is right next door, so on the bombing raids to destroy the train station the church was hit 16 times and it never crumpled, because the windows were gone and the smoke had a place to escape.  The Cathedral was built to house the bones of the three Kings (Magi), which is encased in gold over the wooden box.

After lunch we cruised the Rhine to Koblenz to moor for the evening.  The city of Koblenz is at the corner of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.  We moored on the Moselle and we got off to do a small stroll after dinner and in the square for entertainment were the cafes and the hooka pipes.  A college town we were told.  They also have a lot of casinos .  Of course we got there when the stores were closed.

 

This morning we cruised down the Rhine Gorge and no less than 30 Castles.  Castle Mania at best. Not wanting to miss anything this am we were up early and on the front of the boat to see all the sights.  I think maybe we were part of the sights ourselves because it was freezing cold!!! A medley of photos!!

And of course the most famous rock, the Lorelei.  Go back in time to school and the poem , the Lorelei by Heinrich Heine, for his beloved Therese.  The legend is the rock will bring you to your death in the river if you get too close.  There are also some bad currents at the rock because the river turns either right or left depending on which way you are motoring. It is a rock on the Rhine and there is a mermaid on top of it-- you half to look very closely as we were quit far away from the little rock!!

Look closely where the white flag is on the small rock--there is the mermaid.  If you are still curious, www.lorelei.com



Okay, castletime!!

This is just a small sampling of the castles.

Now in Rudesheim, the home of coffee and resiling wines.

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After lunch we went to Rudesheim where we visited Siegfried's Music Cabinet.  Go back in time to all your music boxes.  This place  was very interesting and lots of fun!

More tomorrow as we have dinner tonight at the Chef's Table!