The #Viking River Cruise on the Rhine River has been a great experience. Tonight was Trivia Night with Nick Hale (Cruise Program Director). For the people who remember "The Love Boat" TV show Nick is "Julie" from the Love Boat. We had so much fun. Out of 20 questions we got 6 correct.
One of the questions no group got correct was - "What is Penteraphobia?"
The most popular answer was "fear of number 5".
I have added a link to the correct answer...You would not believe it. Pentheraphobia
I have started at the end of the night instead of the beginning of the day.
It was another early morning, because I want to see everything on the way up the Rhine River. I woke up in Kehl, Germany. Crossing over the bridge I was in Strasbourg, France. Why is a French city have a German name? Well, the city was part of Germany for many years, then went to France for many years. The city and region was annexed by Nazi Germany and now is in France. The city has so many flavors. We crossed a bridge called Torture Bridge. During the Medieval Times, if a woman was caught being unfaithful to her husband she was lowered into the river in a cage. The river was so polluted during this time with the butcher's waste. The bridge is so beautiful with flowers with the colors of the rainbow in the flower boxes. The river is no longer polluted.
As we were walking towards the Cathedral of Notre Dame at Strausbourg (The Cathedral, Terri our guide told as about some of the history. Prior to the annex of the area by German the stain glass windows were removed to be hidden from the German. The Germans did take the windows. They were found in a salt mine and returned. We attended Mass, but had to leave because the priest had a long homily. The buses were leaving to get back to the boat before lunch. This building is the tallest during the Medieval Times. There is only one spire because in the 1500's the people of the town were tired of the corruption and did not want to give money to the Catholic Church.
The French Foreign Legions headquarters is in Strasbourg. Any foreign man in good health and under the age of 40 can join. They need to be adventurous and willing to server anywhere in the world. No one knows the number of men enlisted. The Europe Union is headquartered there as well. There is so much history.
After lunch we were off to the French Wine Country. As we were driving through the small towns to Barr, France the homes along the route were so colorful. The coach bus we were traveling in was so wide you touch the homes in the towns. The flower boxes are used for mosquito control. The flowers planted deterred mosquitoes. There are no window screens. Most of the towns were fortified with walls and gates in the Medieval times. Many of the gates are still existing and the bus barely got through each of them. When entering and leaving each town there is a Crucifix. Even after the Protestant Reformation the Crucifix are still standing.
The vineyards were throughout the countryside and in the towns. The vines are growing in the back of homes. It is so beautiful. The winery we went to is being run to the 6th generation. The cellar room dated back to 1620's. We tried 4 different wines and bought 3 wines. It was a warm day 90F/32C. The sun was very warm. After the winery we drove to Obernai, France. It is a wonderful little hamlet. There is a Cross with 3 whites clothes at the top of the hill in the town. This represents the men who were part of the French Army which were forced to enlist in the Nazi military. Many were killed. Some were captured and put into Russian prison of war camps. The conditions were so horrible. Russia did not notify the men in the camp World War II was over. In 1950 the men from the camps returned home to Obernai by walking. The history of this area is amazing. I have read so many books and seen so many movies are the history. Now I am walking in the towns.
One of the questions no group got correct was - "What is Penteraphobia?"
The most popular answer was "fear of number 5".
I have added a link to the correct answer...You would not believe it. Pentheraphobia
I have started at the end of the night instead of the beginning of the day.
It was another early morning, because I want to see everything on the way up the Rhine River. I woke up in Kehl, Germany. Crossing over the bridge I was in Strasbourg, France. Why is a French city have a German name? Well, the city was part of Germany for many years, then went to France for many years. The city and region was annexed by Nazi Germany and now is in France. The city has so many flavors. We crossed a bridge called Torture Bridge. During the Medieval Times, if a woman was caught being unfaithful to her husband she was lowered into the river in a cage. The river was so polluted during this time with the butcher's waste. The bridge is so beautiful with flowers with the colors of the rainbow in the flower boxes. The river is no longer polluted.
As we were walking towards the Cathedral of Notre Dame at Strausbourg (The Cathedral, Terri our guide told as about some of the history. Prior to the annex of the area by German the stain glass windows were removed to be hidden from the German. The Germans did take the windows. They were found in a salt mine and returned. We attended Mass, but had to leave because the priest had a long homily. The buses were leaving to get back to the boat before lunch. This building is the tallest during the Medieval Times. There is only one spire because in the 1500's the people of the town were tired of the corruption and did not want to give money to the Catholic Church.
The French Foreign Legions headquarters is in Strasbourg. Any foreign man in good health and under the age of 40 can join. They need to be adventurous and willing to server anywhere in the world. No one knows the number of men enlisted. The Europe Union is headquartered there as well. There is so much history.
After lunch we were off to the French Wine Country. As we were driving through the small towns to Barr, France the homes along the route were so colorful. The coach bus we were traveling in was so wide you touch the homes in the towns. The flower boxes are used for mosquito control. The flowers planted deterred mosquitoes. There are no window screens. Most of the towns were fortified with walls and gates in the Medieval times. Many of the gates are still existing and the bus barely got through each of them. When entering and leaving each town there is a Crucifix. Even after the Protestant Reformation the Crucifix are still standing.
The vineyards were throughout the countryside and in the towns. The vines are growing in the back of homes. It is so beautiful. The winery we went to is being run to the 6th generation. The cellar room dated back to 1620's. We tried 4 different wines and bought 3 wines. It was a warm day 90F/32C. The sun was very warm. After the winery we drove to Obernai, France. It is a wonderful little hamlet. There is a Cross with 3 whites clothes at the top of the hill in the town. This represents the men who were part of the French Army which were forced to enlist in the Nazi military. Many were killed. Some were captured and put into Russian prison of war camps. The conditions were so horrible. Russia did not notify the men in the camp World War II was over. In 1950 the men from the camps returned home to Obernai by walking. The history of this area is amazing. I have read so many books and seen so many movies are the history. Now I am walking in the towns.
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