May 28 2024 Regensburg Germany

 Regensburg Germany

May 28, 2024

Today the ship docked in Regensburg Germany.  Agnes was feeling a little under the weather this morning and this left me to do the walking tour on my own.  It wasn't just Agnes who was under the weather, as it was raining pretty heavily when we started out on the walking tour.  

The first stop was the stone bridge into Regensburg which was built around 1000 AD and has been in continuous use ever since.  As the tour stopped to take pictures I looked off to one side and there was a beer garden which Jim and I and a couple of others had beer back in 2008 when we rode our bikes through Regensburg.  World Cup was on, Germany was winning and the place was just going crazy.  I recognized it instantly.  

Regensburg was not destroyed during WW2 and therefore  the entire town is all gothic architecture.  Most of the buildings date back to the 1200's.  The Wurstkuche is the oldest restaurant in all of Germany.  The tour continued though the Jewish quarter of the city which was a very thriving area and consisted of a lot of  large towers, that were constructed by wealthy traders.  The Jews where exiled out of Regensburg in the 1500's after the Holy Roman Emperor died.  

The Regensburg cathedral is a very typical gothic cathedral.  Constructions started in 1275 and was completed in 1675.   It is so dark that when you step inside it looks pitch black.  After your eyes adjust the details of it come out.  It is very unusual in that it does not have any gold leaf.  Even the main alter is silver.  The ceiling is plain white which is in direct contrast to the baroque painted ceiling frescos.  It was so dark that getting pictures was very difficult.  Like all of the cathedrals it is under going restoration.  

After the ship left Regensburg the ship seemed to be sailing east rather than west.  We passed this copy of the Parthenon which we had passed in the early hours of the morning.  Then there was an announcement "All passengers to the lounge for an important announcement"  It didn't sound good. Yes we are now sailing back to Passau.  Due to the heavy rains the river is rising fast and we will not be able to get under several of the low bridges which lie between us and Nuremburg where we enter the Rhine river. I will keep you posted as how this plays out.  

Terry