{"id":90,"date":"2012-09-30T15:45:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-30T19:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/?page_id=90"},"modified":"2014-10-25T11:51:29","modified_gmt":"2014-10-25T15:51:29","slug":"rhine-and-mosell-rivers-cruise-2012-page-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/rhine-and-mosell-rivers-cruise-2012-page-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhine & Moselle Cruise – Page 02"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Day 3 of our trip we visited the State Museum (Rijksmuseum).. \u00a0The museum is undergoing renovations and, fortunate for us, during this time The Night Watch can be seen in the Philips Wing together with a lot 17th-century masterpieces of the museum.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0We were allowed to take photos of the paintings. \u00a0Here are a few of their masterpieces:<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Here is Vermeer’s “Milkmaid” painted around 1660.The picture \u00a0shows a kitchen or housemaid \u00a0in a plain room carefully pouring milk into a squat earthenware container (now commonly known as a “Dutch oven<\/span><\/a>“<\/span>) on a table. Also on the table are various types of bread. She is a young, sturdily built woman wearing a crisp linen cap, a blue apron and work sleeves pushed up from thick forearms.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>There is little bit of a “Mona Lisa<\/span><\/a><\/em>\u00a0effect” in modern viewers’ reactions to the painting,\u00a0\u00a0There’s a bit of mystery about her for modern audiences. She is going about her daily task, faintly smiling. And our reaction is ‘What is she thinking?’<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is a self portrait of Rembrant Van Rijn pained in 1629 at age 22. It is painted in a\u00a0Chiaroscuro style.\u00a0\u00a0That is\u00a0an Italian term which literally means ‘light-dark’. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal\u00a0contrasts<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Rembrant is generally considered one of the greatest painters and\u00a0printmakers<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0European art history<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and the most important in\u00a0Dutch history<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the\u00a0Dutch Golden Age<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0painting<\/span><\/a>,<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is one of Rembrants most famous paintings:\u00a0The Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq. Painted\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0between 1640 and 1642. This picture was called the\u00a0Nachtwacht<\/em>\u00a0by the Dutch \u00a0because by the 18th century the picture was so dimmed and defaced by time that it was almost indistinguishable and it looked quite like a night scene. After it was cleaned, it was discovered to be a daytime painting of a party of\u00a0musketeers<\/span><\/a>\u00a0stepping from a gloomy courtyard into the blinding sunlight.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rembrant showed a militia readying themselves to embark on a mission (what kind of mission, an ordinary patrol or some special event, is a matter of debate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This is a painting by Franz Hals called \u00a0”\u00a0Portrait of a Young Couple<\/span><\/a>“.\u00a0<\/em>Franz Hals the Elder<\/strong>\u00a0(c. 1582 \u2013 1666) was <\/span>a\u00a0Dutch Golden Age painter<\/span><\/a><\/span>. He is notable for his loose\u00a0painterly<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0brushwork, and helped introduce this informal lively style of painting into Dutch art. Hals was also instrumental in the evolution of 17th century group\u00a0portraiture<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This is “The Skaters” By Hendrick\u00a0<\/strong>Avercamp\u00a0(1585 – 1634, He is the most famous exponent of the winter landscape. He was deaf and dumb.\u00a0As one of the first landscape painters of the 17th-century Dutch school, \u00a0His paintings are colorful and lively, with carefully observed skaters, tobogganers, golfers, and pedestrians.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you click on the painting and examine it closely you may find “Waldo”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our group broke into the Green, Yellow, and Orange Groups (We were in the Orange Group) and boarded canal cruise boats for a tour of Amsterdam by water.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>This is a view of the\u00a0Oude Schans Canal and the Montelbaanstoren Tower. It was\u00a0built in 1512 and is a piece of the protective wall that still stands today; one of just a few small sections that remain throughout the city. The tower housed Amsterdam’s military guards, stationed there in order to spy any approaching armies who may be trying to overtake the city, making their way towards the port.\u00a0Historians say the tower was also a gathering place for sailors who would meet at the base of Montelbaanstoren before heading off to far-away lands on long sea voyages. (Note also the canal house boats.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

On our canal cruise we passed this replica of a 1749 dutch cargo ship named “The Amsterdam”.\u00a0The ship started its maiden voyage from Texel to Batavia<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0on 8 January 1749, but was wrecked in a storm on the English Channel\u00a0on 26 January 1749. \u00a0Short trip, eh…<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

The\u00a0Amsterdam<\/em>\u00a0was an\u00a0East Indiaman<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0built for transport between the\u00a0Dutch Republic<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0and the settlements and strongholds of the\u00a0Dutch East India Company<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0in the\u00a0East Indies<\/span><\/a><\/span>. On an outward voyage these ships carried\u00a0guns<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0bricks<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0for the settlements and strongholds, and silver and golden coins to purchase Asian goods. On a return journey the ships carried the goods that were purchased, such as\u00a0spices<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0fabrics<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0china<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> In both directions the ships carried victuals, clothes, and tools for the sailors and soldiers on the ship. On an outward voyage of eight months, the ships were populated by around 240 men, and on a return journey by around 70.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Life boat drill on board the ship.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>When they announced the drill I was on the pot in our “Stateroom” and didn’t hear the call. \u00a0There was a knock on the door and I had to hurry up and get my life vest on and join the group. \u00a0I was the last one there and everyone was having a good laugh. \u00a0(TMI?)<\/strong><\/p>\n

After a while, we got underway and headed down the Rhine Amsterdam Canal headed for the Rhine River. \u00a0Here is a nice post card shot of our ship.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here we are underway. \u00a0There was a nice sitting area on the top deck where we could watch the canal traffic.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the sun deck looking aft was the pilot house. \u00a0This was a neat structure: It could be lowered to the point where the pilot house windows we even with the sun deck. \u00a0This had to be done several times to be able to pass under low bridges.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>We cruised down the canal in the afternoon and enjoyed the “Captains Welcome Dinner”. \u00a0The entree was “Pink Roasted Veal Loin on Sun Dried Tomato Sauce , Basil Risotto, and Seasoned Vegetables”<\/em>. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometime during the night we left the canal and entered the Rhine River. \u00a0Our first stop on Day 3 was Cologne (Koln). Here is an aerial view (post card) of Cologne. As you can see, the most outstanding landmark is the C<\/strong>athedral.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is what the Cathedral looks like now.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is what it looked like in 1945. \u00a0It was almost untouched by Allied bombing. You can see the destruction around the Cathedral. \u00a0All signs of the damage are gone and new building have been built.\u00a0<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>The\u00a0German<\/span><\/a>\u00a0city of\u00a0Cologne<\/span><\/a>\u00a0was bombed in 262 separate air raids\u00a0by the Allies\u00a0during\u00a0World War I<\/span><\/a>I.\u00a0It was expected that the devastation from such raids might be enough to knock Germany out of the war or at least severely damage German\u00a0morale<\/span><\/a>.The number reported killed was between 469 and 486, of whom 411 were civilians and 58 military. 5,027 people were listed as injured and 45,132 as “bombed out. Quite a mess!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The name of the Cathedral is the High Cathedral of St.\u00a0Peter<\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0Here is a picture of the interior. <\/strong>\"\"<\/a>Construction \u00a0began in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. It is 474\u00a0ft long, 284\u00a0ft wide and its towers are approximately 515\u00a0ft tall.\u00a0The Cathedral is the largest\u00a0Gothic<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0church in Northern Europe and has the\u00a0second-tallest<\/span><\/a>\u00a0spires<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0and largest facade of any church in the world. The\u00a0choir<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0has the largest height to width ratio, 3.6:1, of any\u00a0medieval<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0church.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0This is a detailed look at<\/span>\u00a0 “The Adoration of the Shepherds and Kings”\u00a0stained glass window in the Cathedral made by the\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Munich Workshop<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0in 1842<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>Note that all three of the Magi are present.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Above the altar in the Lady Chapel there is a triptych, “The Adoration of the Magi”, painted between about 1440 and 1445 by Stefan Lochner, an outstanding painter of the Cologne school. This is the center panel.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>Note that only two of the Magi are present. \u00a0I asked our church art guide: “Where’s the black guy?”. \u00a0He said “He hadn’t been invented then.” \u00a0No Comment…<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the reliquary in the Cathedral that is supposed to contain the bones of the Three Wise Men or “Magi”.<\/span><\/strong>\"\"<\/a>The shrine is a large gilded and decorated triple sarcophagus<\/span>\u00a0placed above and behind the\u00a0high altar<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Cologne Cathedral<\/span><\/a>. It is considered the high point of\u00a0Romanesque art<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and the largest reliquary in the western world. If the black guy “hadn’t been invented” who is in the box?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One thing we both thought was quite interesting was the Cathedral floor tiles. \u00a0Many looked exactly like quilt designs that Mary Ann had made. This is one of them. It’s called an “Amish Pinwheel” according to Mary Ann.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We walked around Cologne for a while and it started to rain so we headed back to the ship. \u00a0On the way, I did get this picture of a whimsical bridge sculpture:<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We left Cologne in the evening after a dinner entree of “Rheinischer Sauerbraten \u00a0served with Potato Dumplings and Red Cabbage<\/em>” \u00a0and on the morning of Day 5 of our trip we sailed for Cochen on the Moselle River. To get to Cochen, we sailed up the Rhine River, passing many quaint towns and villages. Here are a couple of photos:<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Ehrenbreitstein Fortress\u00a0is a\u00a0fortress<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on the mountain of the same name on the east bank of the\u00a0Rhine<\/span><\/a>\u00a0opposite the town of\u00a0Koblenz<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the German\u00a0state<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Rhineland-Palatinate<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong>\"\"<\/a>The fortress was built as the backbone of the regional fortification system \u00a0by Prussians\u00a0between 1817 and 1832 and guarded the middle Rhine region, an area that had been invaded by\u00a0French troops<\/span><\/a>\u00a0repeatedly before. The fortress was never attacked.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

On the point where the Moselle Rive enters the Rhine River at Koblentz stands the \u00a0Monument to\u00a0Emperor<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Wilhelm I<\/span><\/a>\u00a0was erected right below the Fortress, but on the west side of the Rhine.. Both fortress and monument were considered as symbols for the “Guard at the Rhine”, as in the song “Die Wacht am Rhein<\/span><\/a>“.<\/span><\/strong>\"\"<\/a>We entered the Moselle River here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had to keep an eye on things to be sure we made it past Koblentz.\u00a0<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Upstream on the Moselle from Koblentz, we passed the remains an ancient (2000 year old) Roman built bridge. Our Captain: Lazlo Frey guided us expertly under this bridge \u00a0from his control station on the starboard side of the ship.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>Roman troops commanded by\u00a0Julius Caesar<\/span><\/a>\u00a0reached the Rhine and built a\u00a0bridge<\/span><\/a>\u00a0near here between Koblenz and\u00a0Andernach<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We passed many campground on the Moselle and Rhine. Most of the campers were small RV’s and most were quite new. \u00a0Judging by the number of campground (mostly full) we saw, riverside camping is quite popular here.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the Hochmoselbr\u00fccke<\/em>\u00a0(High Bridge) across the Moselle near Urzig<\/span>. It is 519 feet high. Note the vineyard on the hilside.<\/span><\/strong>\"\"<\/a>Opposition to the building \u00a0project was based on questions of its economical necessity and the negative ecological impact on the Moselle wine region.\u00a0More importantly, perhaps, is the concern that the “ungainly”\u00a0bridge would destroy a historical cultural section of major significance within the\u00a0Moselle wine region<\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0The section is home to some of the finest and most historical vineyards of Germany.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Below are four pictures of one of the 38 locks we passed through\u00a0(some twice)<\/strong> as we went up and down the Moselle and up the Rhine.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Tight squeeze!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>While we were passing through the lock, Mary Ann was on one of her many visits to \u00a0the ship’s fitness center working off some of her excellent breakfast.<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I stayed on deck to look at the scenery.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Go to Page 03<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Day 3 of our trip we visited the State Museum (Rijksmuseum).. \u00a0The museum is undergoing renovations and, fortunate for us, during this time The Night Watch can be seen in the Philips Wing together with a lot 17th-century masterpieces … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-90","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":757,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90\/revisions\/757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}