Overnight the ship docked in Regensburg on the Danube River. We woke this morning in Regensburg shrouded in a heavy fog. After breakfast - a walking tour of the old town. During WWII only an aircraft factory outside Regensburg was bombed and therefore the old medieval aspects of the town have remained in-tact. Regensburg started as a Celtic settlement, called Radespona, around 500 B.C. The Romans later took it over, renamed it Castra Regina, and made it their ce...

We arrived in Nürnberg (Nuremberg in English) early this morning. Today a guided tour of medieval Nuremberg including the castle which was never attacked. It has been beautifully maintained and is used for accommodation today. Another highlight was The Church of Our Lady which is in the city centre and we were lucky to be there at midday for the carillon and the movement of the characters around the clock. We also went to the big markets in the square near the ...

A later start today so we had a bit of a sleep in. Our Hotel Manager hosted a traditional German Fruhschoppen - bretzen, sausages and beer. We enjoyed cooked German salami and liver sausages with various breadsels and Bitburger bier. Sinfully excessive but delicious. Mid afternoon buses took us to the heart of Bamberg for a tour of the city, particularly the ancient section ending with a Smokebeer at the historic Schlenkerla. First mentioned in 1405, the Tavern...

This morning we woke up in Wurzburg surrounded by hills covered by vineyards. After breakfast we boarded a bus for a short 30 minute trip to the medieval town of "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" meaning, in German, "Red fortress above the Tauber". The town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River in Bavaria. Again, this medieval walled-town has been untouched by war and it is generally in good condition and almost all the buildings remain functional. We v...

Ship docked at Freudenberg about 2:00pm after sailing all night. Woke this morning to a cold and wet day. After breakfast a master glass-blower (Karl Uttig) from Wertheim joined the cruise and gave a presentation and a history lesson of the craft. He is 7th generation glassblower in his family, with a predecessor establishing the industry in Wertheim after escaping from East Berlin in 1949. Karl was entertaining and created some beautiful pieces. He had for sal...