Saturday, November 2, 2019
This morning we walked off the ship and met our guide for a walking tour of Speyer. Our first stop was the Speyer Cathedral, which is over 1000 years old. It opened in 1106 and was added as an UNESCO World Heritage list in 1981.
Looking at the town after visiting the cathedral.
We also visited the Trinity Church that was built in the 1700s. The organ is in the middle in the front altar. The paintings in the church were done by local artists. The pews were double so you could see the front and switch sides and see the back of the church.
One of the trees I noticed with unusual fruit is called a mispel or as the local’s call it “dog’s ass”! The fruit is used to make schnapps and jam!
The Jewish Quarter was one of our stops. We saw the remains of a Romanesque Synagogue. It was built of sandstone in the late 13th century. There were two areas: the woman’s prayer hall and the men’s synagogue and it was used until 1490.
In the courtyard was a subterranean Jewish ritual washing baths.
Some free time was built into our day so we could explore the city on our own before returning to the ship and then sailing to Mannheim.
Lunch was on board as we traveled on the Rhine and it was raining. We’re hopeful that it clears up for our afternoon explorations.
This afternoon we visited the town of Heidelberg, Germany which is a university town. Our first stop was the Heidelberg Castle. Below are pictures of Heidelberg as we drive up to the castle!
Our guide was full of great stories as we walked around the castle grounds.
The arch pictured below was built in 1615 for Elizabeth as a birthday present by her husband Frederick. The arch was built in sections and erected overnight!
There were spectacular views from the castle looking down on Heidelberg.
After touring the grounds of the castle, we then went into town.
Many tried the Vetter Beer. We walked in but it was very crowded and warm. Instead we walked across the Old Bridge which expands the Neckar. On the right bank is the 2 km path on high ground which we could see from the castle.
We visited the Jesuitenkirche which is a Baroque style Jesuit Church. It was built during the 18th century.
After we visited the Jesuit Church it was time to meet our bus for our ride back to the boat!
