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Published: September 20th 2013
Oberwessel
Like looking back into history!Our whole morning was spent sailing along the Rhine seeing castles every few kilometers or less. The day was sunny, starting windy and cool but finishing with a warm afternoon. Yvonne, the Cruise Director, delivered a live commentary so we could follow the list she gave us and get good photos. Fortunately I ceded all the videoing on the cruise to Ian, so Deirdre and I were free to concentrate on still photos. (My Pentax camera is in AE-lock and I can’t remember or discover how to unlock it, so I have to take auto photos, a bit frustrating. The little Nikon is working well, however.)
An early lunch started immediately after the last castle, and we soon docked in Rüdesheim. Little tourist “trains” took us a short way into the town to the museum of mechanical musical devices (Siegfried’s Musical Instruments Museum). One man started it and still adds to this marvelous collection. We saw a player piano that also houses eight upright violins played by the machine; a silver snuff box with a delicate feathered bird which sang like a nightingale (350 moving parts, the size of your palm, and replicas at €1100-2800 in the shop); a barrel
Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett
One man's marvellous collection of clockwork music machines street organ – when asked for volunteers, I stepped up and played (long way to come not to try it); and, an historic player piano that both recorded and played - we “heard” Liszt playing Mendelssohn.
Then we walked along the narrow cobbled streets of the town – a sort of Banff for the Rhine valley (3 million tourists annually and only10,000 residents) - and arrived at the entrance to the cable cars. After a bit of lining up, we paired off to sit in narrow cars for the ride up the wine-vine-covered hill. The views were spectacular. At the top were more beautiful views, and with a stiff walk uphill we came to an outrageously large monument visible even from the valley. We think it commemorates one of the unifications of Germany, but I have to check it out on the Web. (Niederwald Monument was built to commemorate the formation of the new German empire in 1871.)
Down again on the gondolas, Ian and Barbara went back to the ship, and Deirdre and I went to shop for special brandy cherry chocolates (Asbach). To get directions, we returned to the musical instrument museum, because the guide told
Player Piano
Dozens of instruments, none of which have to be played by human fingers us to ask questions whenever we needed to during the day. She told us to go down the nearest side street and then to the left to find the store. She wrote the name of the store. First, though, we were tired so we stopped for coffee and shared a very large piece of Sachertorte, which is chocolate cake with ganache between the layers and on the top. The coffee shop was the perfect Rhine-land setting: red and gold décor, cakes along one counter, coffee and drinks at another counter, and small tables for customers.
I asked the waitress for directions to the store and she pointed out the way (to the right). We walked as far as the riverfront road took us, well past the main tourist area. It was getting time to return to the ship, so Deirdre suggested we go in each store along the way. Sure enough, after about six stores, we came to a confectionary that sold all sorts of chocolate, including the brandied cherries. I bought about €21 worth, some for me and some for thank-yous. We walked the rest of the river-front road at a brisk pace to get to the pedestrian
Rudesheim
What a wide view of the Rhine Valley! crossing for the railway. Lots of people were waiting to cross, stopped by rail barriers handing with steel mesh to the ground – no cheating at this crossing! I had a short worry about how often the gates were lifted, but they did shortly afterwards, and we were back on board on schedule.
A good rest was in order before the port talk and the special fish buffet. On offer were raw oysters (not to our taste), a whole poached salmon, a salty crayfish with only tail shell removed (good presentation, not much to eat), several fish terrines that were too bland for me, and delicious shrimps in a mango-pineapple chutney. Fish (John Dory) was also a choice for the main but we all had a (large) braised lamb shank. I enjoyed it but Barbara found it insufficiently spiced. During supper we entered the Main River – much narrower.
A while after dinner, a professional zither player performed in the lounge. His music was lovely, but eventually at our end of the room people were talking too loud, even though they were “shushed”. We went out to the forward deck where we were amazed at the captain’s ability
Schonburg
Princess castle? No, aggressive defence! to steer into a lock with only a few inches to spare on either side. He even stepped off the ship, to check the draft, he said. What’s surprising is how fast we rise in the lock.
On our way out through the lounge again, we were able to huddle around and see a demonstration by the zither player. With his left hand he strummed a guitar-like set of strings as well as maybe fifteen others for “second rhythm”, while with his right hand he played the melody as you do with a Hawaiian guitar – and it sounded like a balalaika.
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