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Arrival in Amsterdam. We arrived by train from the airport to the train station shown here.
In Amsterdam, we visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House.
Vincent and I ...
View of Amsterdam from our hotel room. One of the few colorful sunsets.
The Dutch have more bicycles than people! Some commuters leave a bike here and one at home.
Odd sight, the pink pride boat! The tall building behind it has swings on the roof that go out over the edge. NO WAY!
We had to wait for the Anne Frank House, so we explored. This is a monument to LGBT consisting of 3 triangles
View of the canals.
Two of my traveling companions.
A cheese store. We also saw a cheese museum (didn't explore, though).
Doorway detan on the church next to the Anne Frank House.
Newer church than steeple. These combinations are seen where part of something was destroyed by war bombs and it was decided to keep what was left, use it in the reconstruction.
The ship we started in. We'd been told it was the Affinity, but we started out in the Velicity. More on this story later.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam canals with the ever-present bicycles parked on bridges.
The public transportation was wonderful in most of the cities we visited.
Occasionally houses sink or lean in Amsterdam's wet ground. These are called "Dancing Ladies" and apparently are holding each other up.
More bicycles. Takes much less area than car parking and is environmentally friendly.
On the walk home, I looked up and noticed people in that swing on the building roof. Yikes!
We are in Cologne now. In the background is the Great Saint Martin Church, Romanesque Catholic. Its foundations is on remnants of a Roman chapel, then on an island in the Rhine.
The wonderful and incomparable gothic Cologne Cathedral.
Cologne Cathedral, every detail is fabulous.
Hosts of people are carved in just the doorway of Cologne Cathedral.
Amazing stained-glass windows throughout the cathedral.
Cologne also has these small beer glasses - that they just keep refilling!
We are off up the Rhine River for the continuation of our cruise.
Next morning in Koblenz, which has a great old town and a huge castle/fort overlooking the city. Get there by funicular cable car.
Walking through Old Town Koblenz, which lies at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers.
Statue in memory of the spitting boy, a prankster who at random intervals spits on unsuspecting visitors. You can see him spitting in the photo.
Next morning we went through the Rhine Gorge - twice. Our ship ran too deep for the water level, so we were bused to the other end and rode back through it on a ship with a shallower draft. We saw all of the castles twice!
Small town on the Rhine in the Rhine Gorge, with an impressive church.
This whole area is dotted with steep slopes with grapes growing for German wines. All of the vines are planted with the rows verticle, not terraced at all.
Colorful buildings in this town. The churches are amazing. I was surprised to see some fall color in the trees already.
An old castle with a modern addition sits above this town.
Another beautiful town and church.
Gorgeous modern church looking a little like the ancient castle on the hilltop.
Castle on a hilltop, which is where many of them are located, but not always.
I love this colorful castle with the modern brick building integrated into the ancient castle.
Lovely castle still being used sits above this sweet town that has a mixture of old and new.
Same castle from a distance showing all of the wine growing areas around it.
Closer view of the same castle showing the unbrellas and a newer section built into the ancient.
This one is falling apart and clearly hasn't been used for a long time. Interesting juxtaposition to the modern windmills! Germany is aggressively moving away from coal and nuclear.
This town has a castle very close, barely above it. Castle owners used to stop ships on the Rhine and collect taxes before letting them pass on.
Beautiful castle apparently in use - based on the flag and the van climbing towards it.
Another castle quite close to the river. Note the train passing below the castle.
Same castle as the last photo, but from a different angle showing that is is more extensive, and had interesting decorations.
Wine grapes growing on the slopes, with finicular cable cars going to a castle above.
Continuation of the finicular cable cars. We didn't stop for a ride, unfortunately.
This one is deteriorating and obviously hasn't been used for many years.
Same castle from a different angle showing all of the wine grapes being cultivated on the slopes.
Hmm, based on the decoration, we might have seen this one before from a different angle. Interestin how it is so integrated into the rocky outcrop. I just notice the person in the photo.
Quite a large castle above this highly decorated church.
Apparently still in use - and oddly, a mobile home camp appears to be at its feet.
I think we saw this one on the way upriver on the bus, so hear it is again from the ship.
Falling apart (or perhaps bombed in a war).
Not castles, but appears to be two old churches, one in town and one on the hilltop.
The view of this castle from the river. I have several more of this one.
I think Swans are a symbol of the area.
Here it is again. Wish I knew what was going on under the umbrellas.
And one more time - shown above the town of Bacharach, which has some very old buildings as well.
This one has become a hotel.
Ah yes, the one I like with the red brick building added later, as seen from the ship this time.
Beautiful cathedral (or church) in this small town. Lots of mobile home vehicles also.
One last view that shows how neatly the building is integrated into the rocky outcroppings and the shape of the hilltop.
Beautiful, but looks huge compared to the size of the town. I'd love to see the inside.
Another melding of the old and the new. Apparently the tower survived the war and was used in the reconstruction.
Great view from the ship of the huge new cathedral that sits below the ancient castle.
View from the ship of the melded building.
We had a cloudburst at the end of the ship ride through the gorge. Here we are back in the bus (and a little wet).
Next morning, from the other ship (Affinity) we pass a highly industrial area.
Heavy electricity use in the area, and lots of generators.
Familiar sight, except for the lime green tractor. A lot of corn is grown in the area we are approaching.
Schloss Heidelberg: Entrance to the Heidelberg Castle high above the town.
Heidelberg: This guy stands guard.
Friedrich Building façade - Building done a little later, mid-16th century.
Friedrich Building façade - Impressive guy, but I can't remember who.
Friedrich Building, another view.
View of Heidelberg from the Schloss.
View of Heidelberg from the Schloss. That's the Neckar River.
View of Heidelberg from the Schloss.
View of Heidelberg from the Schloss showing the huge cathedral.
Different view of cathedral and neighborhood.
Lovely plaza for relaxing, with a lot of restaurants surrounding and providing lunch.
We started lunch here, but the bees drove us inside. Flowers everywhere!
On a walk after lunch, typical shopping street in Heidelberg Old Town.
Huge houses line the Neckar across from Heidelberg Old Town.
Visual relief from buildings!
A few more of the houses on the opposite side of the Neckar.
Flowers are the main method of decoration and they are beautiful!
Crossed a line somewhere and now in France! Intro to Strasbourg via the canals.
Half-timberred houses in Strasbourg as seen through the windows of the canal boat - in the rain.
End of the canal trip, again from the canal boat in light rain.
Strolling along the Strasbourg canal admiring houses and flowers.
First view of the amazing details of Strasbourg Cathedral. Seen hrough streetcar wires.
Strasbourg street leading to the cathedral.
Elaborate decorations and flowers!
The city bird is the stork, so here is a huge flock of them.
Whoa, what an amazing sight! Including the nun on a segway.
The detail is unbelievable and goes all the way to the top.
SO many people, and I don't know any of them.
OK, well, I do know who this is! Look at the detail around her!
Fighting my impulse to put many more photos of the outside, but time to go in.
Fabulous colorful windows everywhere.
Such colorful detail!
Takes your breath away!
Beautiful rose stained glass window.
Awesome!
Notice the beautiful organ on the right. I'd love to hear it!
One of the most interesting things is the astronomical clock. Years, months, days, moon phases, eclipses, and so much more. Scaffolding is for the window behind it :(
Another view of the organ and many windows.
Oh yum! Sorry about all of the reflections. Sorry about all of the pounds!
I think these fresh markets are there every day.
Fresh market is very familiar.
Strasbourg Opera House.
Bad photo but only one I took of the transport vehicles. Very efficient and effective.
Strasbourg Janus (two faces) Fountain created in 1988 by Tomi Ungerer
Can't leave Alsace without going to the wine areas!
The Leipp-Leininger winery hosted us, explained the process, and gave us glasses of several varietals. Mostly white wine is grown here.
Afternoon light rain on this lovely little street.
The vineyards are at the bottom of the slopes of the Vosges, just above the plains leading down to Rhine and form a long thin strip.
Impressionist view (I just focused on the raindrops on the window).
We took a quick look around the charming town of Obernai, with half-timber houses and a fortified wall.
Main square of Obernai in light rain.
Houses and businesses in Obernai showing off the half-timbered structures and LOTS of flowers.
On the way back to the ship from the vineyards, I realized that this is also corn country.
Small town of Breisach in southeastern Germany.
Breisach's colorful houses below the church on the hill.
Better photo of the huge church on the hill.
View of the charming town of Breisach.
In the afternoon, we walked around the old town area of Colmar, known in the US as the home of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the creator of the Statue of Liberty.
Some charning street scenes in Colmar.
Some charning street scenes in Colmar.
Colmar is also called "Little Venice" because of all of the canals.
Colmal street. Most of the city was jumping with people.
I'm not sure where this was pointed, but I walked over several of them.
Beautiful open area in Colmar.
Flower pot in Colmar. They were everywhere.
This is more like what the Colmar streets were like. Lots of people out!
Beautiful store.
Curious about prices in Colmar?
I keep pulling this one out of the web, then notice again the man carved at the corner of the building.
The stork is the bird symbol of this area. They require a large high area for nests, so these are placed on buildings.
Nice street scene in Colmar.
Yes, I gained weight!
She stands rather ignobly (I think) in the center of the roundabout leading out of town.
Not only corn country, but center pivot country!
Yes, OK, last corn and center pivot photo.
We are upstream from this - I picture some locks in our future.
And here we are, having dinner as the ship moves in the lock - lovely view of the walls.
Basel pool with lots of mechanical water squirting and spraying sculptures.
Not sure what it is, if anything, but it chugs and squirts.
Basel also has a good tram and bus transportation system. (although "we love the auto")
Basel also have a lovely large church (not sure if it is a cathedral, which would imply a bishop lived there).
Street scene in Basel, showing that they also use a lot of bikes.
Included this one because Lincoln, NE has a Novartis plant, apparently headquartered here.
Largest department store in the area: Migros.
Basel Kunstmuseum (Art Museum) in Basel. Statue Burghers of Calais (original in Calais).
And finally in Zurich. Streetcars wires are not a photographer's friend!
Lake Zurich
Lack Zurich and a structure that was once a nunnery.
Lake Zurich right up to a good shopping district. Lots of Swans.
Zurich: Cathedral guarded by Hand Waldmann.
Again, very efficient transportation throughout the city.
University building wall meant to inspire!
Limmat River in Zurich
On the side of a concrete drum - suddenly just inches from me on the bus.
Uetliberg: We took the usual train up the side of the mountain above Zurich.
Uetliberg: we managed the final walk to the top.
Wonderful views! This is looking away from (south) of Zurich.
My traveling companions with Zurich in the background.
Total strangers enjoying the view.
The four of us with Lake Zurich in the background.
