Germany's Oldest Town
Blue skies greeted us when we woke this morning. We stayed docked at Trier last night and the river was calm and the reflection of houses in the river was beautiful.
Trier, Germany's oldest town was once the home of an Assyrien prince who arrived around 2000 BC and named the place Treberis, after himself. In 16 BC the legions of Julius Caesar set up a simple camp which eventually became a great city. It became one of the four great capitals of the Roman Empire, second only to Rome in importance. The Apostle Matthias's tomb is here, and his missionary activities increased the city's importance as a center of early Christianity.
This morning we toured the old city of Trier with its many squares, shops and historical locations. There are many Roman ruins all around the city - walls, baths and entrance gates. It was here in 1818 that Karl Marx was born and raised. Trier is celebrating his death with 150, 4 ft tall red plastic Marx statues at the Porta Nigra. They are cute and fun to move around and quite a hoot even if you don't appreciate his philosophy.
Another interesting fact is Trier is known as a city which produces some of Germany's finest wines. There are cellars beneath the streets that can store nearly 8 million gallons! After a short bus tour we went on a walking tour of the town. We were pleased to finally see a protestant church for a change. It is in a magnificant building that is mostly the ruins of Constantines throne room. It is very simple compared to all the Catholic churches we have seen. It was great to see that the place that once housed the room where people paid homage to an emperor is now the place where people worship the King of Kings. This area of Germany is predominately Catholic and they were very resistant to the Reformation. After that we broused around the shopping area and then back to the ship.
After lunch we departed cruising through beautiful gorges and on the meandering river. Sitting here in the lounge, watching as we go so smoothly listening to the piano is quite relaxing. Along the way there are several camp grounds allowing city dwellers to enjoy the country side as well as small towns and villages.
The head chef joined us in the lounge later in the afternoon and he and his pastry chef showed how to create a Black Forest cake and afterwards, our afternoon tea included the cake, and yes it was goooooood!
During dinner we arrived at our next ports-of-call, Bernkastel where we will overnight. After dinner (9:30 pm) we went up on the deck to see a beautiful castle all lit up directly in front of us. What a gorgeous site as is the town we will tour tomorrow.
Trier, Germany's oldest town was once the home of an Assyrien prince who arrived around 2000 BC and named the place Treberis, after himself. In 16 BC the legions of Julius Caesar set up a simple camp which eventually became a great city. It became one of the four great capitals of the Roman Empire, second only to Rome in importance. The Apostle Matthias's tomb is here, and his missionary activities increased the city's importance as a center of early Christianity.
This morning we toured the old city of Trier with its many squares, shops and historical locations. There are many Roman ruins all around the city - walls, baths and entrance gates. It was here in 1818 that Karl Marx was born and raised. Trier is celebrating his death with 150, 4 ft tall red plastic Marx statues at the Porta Nigra. They are cute and fun to move around and quite a hoot even if you don't appreciate his philosophy.
Another interesting fact is Trier is known as a city which produces some of Germany's finest wines. There are cellars beneath the streets that can store nearly 8 million gallons! After a short bus tour we went on a walking tour of the town. We were pleased to finally see a protestant church for a change. It is in a magnificant building that is mostly the ruins of Constantines throne room. It is very simple compared to all the Catholic churches we have seen. It was great to see that the place that once housed the room where people paid homage to an emperor is now the place where people worship the King of Kings. This area of Germany is predominately Catholic and they were very resistant to the Reformation. After that we broused around the shopping area and then back to the ship.
After lunch we departed cruising through beautiful gorges and on the meandering river. Sitting here in the lounge, watching as we go so smoothly listening to the piano is quite relaxing. Along the way there are several camp grounds allowing city dwellers to enjoy the country side as well as small towns and villages.
The head chef joined us in the lounge later in the afternoon and he and his pastry chef showed how to create a Black Forest cake and afterwards, our afternoon tea included the cake, and yes it was goooooood!
During dinner we arrived at our next ports-of-call, Bernkastel where we will overnight. After dinner (9:30 pm) we went up on the deck to see a beautiful castle all lit up directly in front of us. What a gorgeous site as is the town we will tour tomorrow.
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