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Published: October 18th 2013
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Lock wall
Close enough to touch but temptation resisted. After our leisurely breakfast, Deirdre and I attended a Power-point presentation about the Danube Canal linking the river-ways together. Yvonne’s light approach to the history helped bring to life what I had brought from Wikipedia. Plus her explanation of what they call “thrift locks” helped me better understand the new ones being built in Panama. About 60% of the water is saved by emptying the lock into three side-by-side chambers and re-using the water. The deepest locks are the height of an eight storey building. We will see them tomorrow evening. Because the water pressure is so strong, the gates are lift style.
The morning was sunny so we joined Ian and Barbara on the (lower) Sun deck for tea (beer for Ian). After one cup, the crew served warm onion pie (similar to quiche) and beer. Barbara and I stayed on to chat, eventually forced in by the sun.
After lunch we were bussed into Bamberg, universally acclaimed for its medieval beauty – one of three cities not bombed by agreement of the Allies. Our guide, Erhardt, spoke clearly, calmly and intelligently throughout. In the town centre the local summer festival was being celebrated with throngs of partiers;
Austrasse
Medieval throughway but he first led us to the great originating church and monastery, which was also the foundation of the University of Bamberg. We didn’t go into this church, but we did visit the tranquil courtyard formed by the stone buildings. Bamberg, nick-named the Rome of Frankonia, has seven great churches on seven high hills.
We walked slowly down the street, admiring the stone carvings and decorative signs on the medieval plastered townhouses, most about 3 – 4 storeys. This led to the river on the banks of which were many, many people milling around, anticipating a wet competition in which men in boats bat each other. We were a bit too early for the competition but people were eagerly lining the bridge and terraces. We walked by on the cobblestone narrow streets. Only one woman I saw was in Bavarian dress, and it was a fine example, well tailored and fitted.
Our next stop on this well-paced walk was the bishop’s residence (huge) and the cathedral. It was built by Henry II and his bishop, both of whom are interred there. We visited the interior on our own, and Erhardt asked us to take note of the statue
Bamberg Rider
King Stephen of Hungary? of a knight mounted on his horse – the first full-sized human statue since Roman times. (So many of these things I’ll need to look up on the internet.) The statue was in a “clean” style, i.e., simple – oddly similar to the modern sculpture in Assisi I liked so much.
Across the wide cobbled plaza and behind the Bishop’s Residence was the Bishop’s rose garden. A wide long terrace overlooked the city centre and was filled with perhaps a thousand rose bushes of over a hundred varieties.
In the streets we watched the festivities as we slowly moved downhill to a brewery (Zehnthaus 1533). In the half-timbered hall (once a barn) we sat on long benches at long tables already bearing plates of traditional pretzels. A server brought around a tray of large beer glasses about two-thirds full of a “black” beer. The flavour was rougher, thinner and more bitter than Guinness, but I liked the taste. Together with the very salty pretzel it all made a great refreshment. Then the server came around again with an amber beer – also good! Some people left on an early bus; we stayed to enjoy our beer and the
Beer sampling at Zehnthaus
No! No! It's the camera that is not focussed! atmosphere until 5:00. Great fun was had on the walk out of the town centre because one of the Aussie men made a great play of “leading” the group. Plus we were all very happy by now, as were many of the people on the street.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
What a lovely photograph
Amazing architecture