Nuremberg & Locks

Internet is indeed iffy at times! I think we are quite lucky to have any at all while floating down the Danube River in Germany!

The riverboat life is delightful, with only 190 people aboard, I'm beginning to recognize faces. The ship is all English speaking, so the passengers are from the US, England, Scotland, and a few Aussies.  The tables accommodate more than four, so we've met new people at every meal, all interesting. Most are veteran cruisers, but most are on their first rivers cruise. The food is delicious, always offering us some local specialties as well as old fashioned chicken.  Frank is relieved to see chicken on the menu at all times! Jane & I however, are on a quest for the best beer and sausages. We must be diligent and persistent, and we take our job seriously.

Nuremberg had many delicious sausage & beer options and we tried 3 in one day.  Sausages are finger sized, and usually come in plates of 6, 10, or 12 , and are on top of the freshest saurcrout I've ever eaten.  The beer is rich and flavorful, with a low alcohol content that luckily allows us to take quite a variety!

We toured Nuremberg with a guide, driving to the Parade grounds of Hitler. It's a huge cement expanse, with the familiar podium you've seen in all the films still eerily sitting desolated in the center.  It's all pretty creepy, the locals can't decide what to with it.  Do they refurbish it all and risk memorializing such a heinous time in German history? On the other hand, it Is a part of history- just look at the 6 other tour buses also here. Another problem- they will have to raise taxes to fix it up, but if they don't, it will completely crumble within the next 10 years.

Original stones are used to rebuild the walls.

We finished the tour with a more detailed look at the Imperial Castle, one that was mostly destroyed during the Allied bombing. The reconstruction is quite interesting- they took the original stones and embedded them within new sandstone and mortar.  Since the sandstone is pinkish, you can see here and all over town what has been rebuilt and what is original.

View from our balcony to the edge of the locks!

We rise!

We finally set sail! We sat in the front of the boat on the outside patio (I'm sure there is a more nautical term) but going through the locks of the Main-Danube-Canal is quite fascinating. The locks are only about a foot clearance on either side of our longboat, and we glide into the opening with no hesitation.  The massive door behind us closes, and slowly we rise.  We went through about 10 locks and each one was as impressive as the other.  We were so close we could've touched the slimy wall had we a mind to do so. Jane has lent me her laptop when the Internet signal is strong enough, so I'll add photos when I can.

We are so close I can touch the lock from my balcony!