Day 9, March 30, Miltenberg, Germany

Think fairy tales.  Think Swan Lake.  Think cobblestone streets.  Medieval timbered houses on narrow streets.  All of this is set against a background of Mother Earth awakening from a Winter's Chill.  Now, add in the aromas of your grandma's kitchen.  If you can imagine these things, you have an idea of the beauty we experienced this day.

The morning is passed by sailing along the springtime shores of The Rhine.  All nature is alive with the spirit of springtime.  With mild weather the sliding window is open in our stateroom.  The sounds of water and bird calls mingle in my ears.  These are interrupted by my camera clicking.

Birds are collecting nesting materials while the geese preen and parade.   A single egret watches over one of the thousands of rows of grape vines.

Mallards swim together near the swans along the shores as the ship waits its turn to advance through the locks.  The locks are quite entertaining at this point in the trip.  Inside the locks there is a world of water, water dripping, motors roaring as water is pumped and mossy walls.  Those walls are close enough to reach out and touch.

We will now sail toward the heart of Bavaria on the Main as we just changed rivers.  A gentle rain further moistens the earth.

Another lovely lunch in the observation lounge. And soon it is time to go ashore in the old rivertown of Miltenberg.

The skies are still heavy with moisture and the temperature is cool enough the Hot Blooded Hubby wears a light hoodie for the walking tour.  And the umbrellas are carried along as a light rain begins to fall.

The small museum on the hill will not be visited during the guided tour but we can do the walk up if we want to later.  With D, our new friend, and Hubby we determine that we will probably not do that trek.  There is coffee to be drank and strudel to sample.

The tour guide tells the history of this old river town. Its location made it very pleasing for the Romans to make a settlement.  Portions of the wall are still intact.

One can see that folks were smaller at the time of the Romans as Hubs is standing by a walled up door.  A change in stone color will help you see the difference.  Hubs is 6'2" shrunk to 6'1".


As we walk the cobblestone streets and walkways the guide notes the chalk marks on buildings.  These are blessings placed there by youths during different religious holidays.

 One of our group asks for what were these stairs use?  They were access to the water supply in centuries past.  There was a saying that was credited to this sight but my memory fails me >: (

There are butcher shops, coffee shops, bake shops and a fabric store.  After the completion of our guided tour we three avail ourselves of some of these wares.


First a stop at a cafe with lovely pastries in the front window.  And a sign for toiletes.  A warm cup of coffee, a little rest for tired feet and a pastry for energy to finish the free time is perfect.  D needs postcards.  I need to get to the fabric store and Hubby just is willing to do anything so long as we go slow.  D and I even pop into the butcher shop for a little of this and that.  All that when sampled are quite tasty.  A small bag of a bit of 'this and that one' fits nicely into my backpack.

I select a bright floral sort of '60's looking fabric.  It is 100% cotton that feels almost silky with its high thread count.  Much nicer that fabric found at most stores in the US.  Of course 3 meters should make a pleasant lounging garment for me.  My happy suit from Germany.

One must be cautious on the sidewalks as they are seen as parking places.  We walk wherever just constantly being aware of autos.

A few more photos of the half timber buildings.  One yellow building with its intricate carvings and half timber shapes is amazing.  I have always been drawn to the half timber look in homes.





But we cannot linger long as the time nears to return to the long ship.  We bid goodbye to this little river town with Roman roots.  That was not bombed out during WWII.  That holds firm to the local butcher, baker and possibly a candle stick maker or two.

The ship had locks to pass while we are in Miltenberg.  We board a tourbus for the short ride to catch up to the boat.  This gives a chance to see a little of the countryside.

We arrive in Wertheim am Main.  A short stop and a chance to wander around for a few photos.  More of the lovely half timber architecture.  And there has to be a castle/fortress to protect this Roman outpost, too.

Sweet Tamyra, Ingvi concierge  

Now it is time to board our Viking Ingvi and sail on to another day peeking into a full size and functioning fairyland.  Even if the roofs are a little crooked.