2018 Bucharest to Amsterdam

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August 1, 2018. Würzburg, Germany. We travelled by bus from Bamberg to Würzburg where we got off along the Main River near the medieval Old Main Bridge, made of stone and lined with statues of historic figures. Across the river the Fortress Marienberg sits atop a hill. We were given a brief walking tour of the old city center and into the St. Killian Cathedral, a large Romanesque church with Schönborn Chapel, a Baroque side addition. The ship's tour ended at the Würzburg Residence, a palace built between 1720 and 1744. Palace interiors considered masterworks of Baroque/Rococo or Neoclassical architecture and art include the grand staircase, the chapel, the Imperial Hall and Tiepolo frescoes. Simon and I took the required tour to enter, were forbidden to take photos but managed to sneak a few. After lunch we visited a couple of other churches and admired the city's architecture. Simon was fatigued and so went with a member of the cruise staff along the river to board the River Rhapsody, the riverboat that had come up from Amsterdam and like our first boat could not complete its journey due to low water levels. It's passengers continued on our former boat while we sailed back downstream on theirs. I crossed the river and climbed the hill on foot to visit the Fortress Marienberg, an ancient fort that later served as a home for the local prince-bishops for nearly five centuries. It offers great views of the city, river and surrounding hills.

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