JUNK BOAT TRAVELS

16 November 2012

Oct 16 MS Amadeus Princess Strasburg France

This morning we cross into France and may choose to join an optional tour of the fascinating Alsatian capital of Strasbourg. Or there is an optional excursion which takes you on a tour of the scenic Alsace wine region, complete with the chance to taste some of the region's excellent wines.

Originally we were supposed to spend the day in Strasbourg, which we were really looking forward to. That way you could do the city tour in the morning and then the wine tour in the afternoon. However, according to the tour director the locks going towards Basel were under repair so they had to arrange both tours for the morning with departure for Basel at 1PM. This was very disappointing as we had looked forward to stopping and dining in town.

Strasbourg, in eastern France, is the seventh largest city in France. Strasbourg has a rich architectural history - the entire city center of Strasbourg is classified as world heritage. Strasbourg makes a fine center for exploration of the Alsace region of France.
Strasbourg is the ultimate European city. It has flavors of both France and Germany, and sits right on the border of the two countries.

We began our tour of the city around the home of the European Parliament and the seat of the Council of Europe, something I was not aware of.
We finally had a bright sunny day a little on the cool side.

We did a quick tour of the town and then we were dropped off and taken on a walking trip into the old pedestrian part of town.

The Kammerzell House is a magnificent 15th and 16th century Renaissance house which has the most richly decorated half-timbered panels in the city. Built by cheesemonger Martin Braun, its medieval ground floor is made of stone and its upper floors, of Renaissance style, are made of sculpted wood. Its façade features 65 bottle-bottom windows, whose sculpted frames depict both biblical and mythological scenes.

The corner post sculpted in wood represents the three virtues: on the first floor, Charity (surrounded by two children and a pelican), and on the second and third floors Hope (a phoenix) and Faith (a griffin).

This often-overlooked and surprisingly cosmopolitan destination hosts France's oldest Christmas market and features a stunning cathedral. In fact, Strasbourg has often changed hands between the French and Germans over the centuries.

Germany or France?

It can be hard to discern which country you are truly in while visiting. The signs are in both languages. Beer and wine are both tremendously popular. It's common to find dishes like sauerkraut, but spelled in French ("choucroute").

The architecture is distinctly German, yet the Ill River winds a Venice-like path through the city, and plays host to many cruise tours of the city.

Strasbourg is so huge, one could spend days exploring it. There are certain attractions here you don't dare miss, however, such as:

Strasbourg Cathedral is one of Europe's most beautiful example of gothic architecture. The stunning pink sandstone facade is quite unique and breathtaking. Be sure to wander inside, where intricate carvings captivate. Each day at 12:30 p.m., visitors can see the circa-1800s astrological clock with its lengthy show.

Click here for more photos.

Check out the shoes I bought in Heidelberg!

The cathedral is also a hub of activity, with shops and restaurants nearby. The courtyard out front hosts the city's immensely popular Christmas market.

Our city tour included a canal ride. The boats are enclosed which is a good thing on a cool day but leads to terrible photos due to the reflection.

La Petite France is easily Strasbourg's prettiest and most enchanting neighborhood, and arguably one of the best neighborhoods in all of France. Stroll along its streets, along bridges over the Ill River. Breathe in the scent of fresh-baked gingerbread or the inviting aromas from the restaurants. Gaze at the timbered buildings, bursting with blooming plants that earned this city the prestigious four-flower ranking.

Back on board and we have lunch as we set sail for Basel. Later in the day we were given our instructions for disembarkation tomorrow in Basel. We will be staying for a couple of nights there.

The Captain's Farewell Dinner was held tonight with the requisite Baked Alaska that every cruise line seems to serve on the last night.

12 November 2012

Blue Monday

I'm linking up at Blue Monday today.

Portrait in a Muslim house in the Islamic district in Xian China - May 2012.

05 November 2012

Blue Monday

I'm linking up at Blue Monday today.

Display at Beijing Enamel Factory and Chinese Cloisonné in China May 2009

04 November 2012

My Recipe Box - Ground Pork with Green Beans

I learned this recipe many years ago in Montreal when I took a Szechuan cooking course. I do not like green beans but will eat them this way. I have made this so many times that I know the recipe pretty well by heart.
I don't serve rice with it but you could, however, there is no sauce left over for the rice.

Recipes evolve over the years, I now add siracha sauce to spice it up, sesame seeds for crunch and a squeeze of lemon for freshness. I often also add red chili peppers and use jarred garlic/ginger/chili mix.

UPDATE - Use spicy sausage!

UPDATE - broil beans under the broiler on a cookie sheet for about a minute to crisp them up.

03 November 2012

Oct 15 - Mannheim - Heildelberg - Speyer Germany

Oct 7 -8 Toronto to Amsterdam

Oct 9 - Amsterdam - Delft - The Hague - Madurodam

Oct 10 2012 - Amsterdam - MS Amadeus Princess

Oct 11 MS Amadeus Princess Amsterdam - Volendam

Oct 12 MS Amadeus Princess Dusseldorf - Cologne Germany

Oct 13 MS Amadeus Princess Cologne - Cochem Germany

Oct 14 MS Amadeus Princess Koblenz - Ruedesheim Germany

Oct 15 MS Amadeus Princess Mannheim - Heildelberg - Speyer Germany

According to the itinerary:

Arrive into Mannheim early today where you may join a city tour. Alternatively, there is an option to visit the ancient university town of Heidelberg, before continuing to Speyer. During the afternoon there is an optional walking tour of Speyer. Return to the ship in the early evening and prepare for the Captain’s Gala Dinner with a show performed by the crew.

We chose to take the Heidelberg optional tour. As we drove there we had a mini overview of Mannheim.

MANNHEIM

Mannheim, a university city on the banks of the Rhine and Neckar rivers, has produced important inventions to keep us on the move. In 1817 Karl Drais built the first two-wheeled draisine, and Carl Benz's first car took to the streets in 1886. The legendary Lanz Bulldog tractor followed in 1921 and Julius Hatry developed the world's first rocket-powered aircraft here in 1929. Inquiring minds clearly feel at home in Mannheim.

The 'chessboard' city centre

Maybe it is the city's clear structure that helps them think. Mannheim is a 'chessboard' city, whose streets between the Neckar river and the castle were laid out in a grid formation in the 17th century. Locals talking to each other about 'C5' or 'E7' are not referring to a game of battleships but where they live or where they are headed.

And they have plenty of places to choose from. Mannheim offers a wealth of sights, culinary hotspots, nature and culture, traditional and modern architecture, events and parties, vibrancy and tranquillity. Say checkmate to boredom! All tastes are catered for, whether opera, plays and ballet at the National Theatre, concerts ranging from classical to pop or readings, or a host of other events in independent theatres and venues both conventional and not so conventional. Sights not to be missed include Europe's second largest baroque castle and the water tower, which is set in the middle of one of the loveliest art nouveau architectural ensembles in Europe. Mannheim is also the Rhine-Neckar region's mecca for shopaholics – there is nothing you cannot buy here.

Bertha Benz's husband, Karl Benz, patented the first automobile designed to produce its own power in January 1886 (Reich Patent No. 37435).

In early August 1888 without her husband's knowledge, Bertha Benz, with her sons Richard and Eugen, fourteen and fifteen years old, drove in one of Benz's newly-constructed Patent Motorwagen No. 3 automobiles from Mannheim to Pforzheim, becoming the first person to drive an automobile over more than a very short distance The distance was about 104 km (65 mi). Distances traveled before this historic trip were short, and merely trials with mechanical assistants.

Although the ostensible purpose of the trip was to visit her mother, Bertha Benz also had another motive: to show her brilliant husband – who had failed to consider marketing his invention adequately – that the automobile would become a financial success once it was shown to be useful to the general public.

On the way, she solved numerous problems. She had to find Ligroin, a solvent available only at dispensing chemists' shops, to use as fuel. Thus the still existing Stadt-Apotheke (Town Pharmacy) in Wiesloch, some kilometres south of Heidelberg, became the world's first filling station. A blacksmith had to help mend a chain in Bruchsal. Brake linings were replaced in Bauschlott/Neulingen north of Pforzheim. And Bertha Benz had to use a long, straight hatpin to clean a fuel pipe which had become blocked, and a garter to insulate a wire.

Bertha and her sons left Mannheim around dawn and reached Pforzheim somewhat after dusk, notifying Karl of their successful journey by telegram. They drove back to Mannheim three days later.

Along the way, several people were frightened by the automobile and the novel trip received a great deal of publicity – as she had sought. The drive was very helpful for Karl Benz, as he was able to introduce several improvements after his wife reported everything that had happened along the way – and she made important suggestions, such as the introduction of an additional gear for climbing hills.

HEIDELBERG

We drove to the Castle where we had a tour of about an hour.

Nestled in the hill 300 feet above the city of Heidelberg stands the breath-taking Heidelberg Schloss (castle). The castle is a combination of several buildings surrounding an inner courtyard, put together with a haphazard look. Each building highlights a different period of German architecture.

The castle has a history almost as old as the city itself. The first parts of the castle were constructed around 1300, but it until Prince Elector Ruprecht III (1398 – 1410) that the castle was used as a regal residence. Until it was destroyed by lightning in 1764 leaving it permanently uninhabitable, the castle was the residence for most of the Prince Electors. In 1800, Count Charles de Graimberg began the difficult task of conserving the castle ruins. Up until this time, the citizens of Heidelberg had used the castle stones to build new houses.

The Heidelberg Tun, or the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel”, was built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor to house the wine paid as taxes by the wine growers of the Palatine. It stands seven meters high, is eight and a half meters wide, holds 220,000 liters (58,124 gallons) of wine, and has a dance floor built on top of it. The court jester who guarded the cask during the reign of Prince Elector Carl Philip, a Tyrolean dwarf nick-named Perkeo, was supposedly known for his ability to drink large quantities of wine. Legend has it that he died when he mistakenly drank a glass of water.

Just as breath-taking as the castle is from the city, so too is the city from the castle. From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, one has an amazing view of Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the Neckar valley far into the Rhine plain. On a clear day, Mannheim is even visible on the horizon.

We then had an opportunity to wander around town. The view of the castle from the town is spectacular.

The market is situated outside the church during the week.

It was quite chilly so we popped in for an Irish coffee.

This was a very cute little pub which had a wood oven for making pizzas. We wished we could stay for lunch.

It was a rather old pub founded in 1752!!

Then it was time to regroup and head back to the boat.

SPEYER

We left Meinheim at 1PM and arrived in Speyer at 3:30. We walked into town on our own.

The Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen

Begun in 1030 under Conrad II, with the east end and high vault of 1090-1103, the imposing triple-aisled vaulted basilica of red sandstone is the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries.

Philip I of Rosenberg was a member of the Franconian noble von Rosenberg family. His father was Erasmus of Rosenberg. Erasmus was in the service of the Principality of Ansbach as bailiff of Uffenheim. He was the founder of the von Rosenberg line in Uttenhofen.

In 1479, Philip studied in Heidelberg and was canon of Worms. In 1480, he was appointed canon in Speyer. In 1480 and 1481, he continued his studies in Ingolstadt, where he received a doctorate in canon law.
In 1509 he commissioned the Mount of Olives, a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture. It was erected in a cloister on the south side of Speyer Cathedral. The cloister was destroyed in a fire in 1689; the Mount of Olives was damaged and a roof was added to protect it from the elements.