Movement in the Moselle - Mar 18, 2023

When we boarded our ship yesterday, it was time for dinner and then too late to get any sightseeing done, so today we began with a tour of our first river port, Trier.  The city has 110,000 residents and is Germany's oldest--founded in 16 BC--so there are all sorts of historic sites to see.

We started early (for Fe) at about 8 am with a bus trip to the top of a hill with great views.  It really gave us a good overview of where things were, and our guide was great about explaining things.

View of Trier

The Kaiserthermen (Imperial Baths).  As seen from the bus.

We headed back down to town and then began a walking tour.  The first stop was the Electoral Palace where the Bishops of Trier resided.  Completed in the 17th Century, it was used as the bishops' residence until revolutionaries pulled the bishops out in 1779.

The Electoral Palace.  Revolutionaries ruin everything.

Inside the Aula Palatina, built in 310 AD by Constantine.  This  was right next door.

Next was the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

Outside view

Stained Glass Windows

Column

Some pictures from the Town Square

Fountain

This is Europe's oldest McDonald's, according to our guide.

Karl Marx was born in Trier on May 5, 1818.  An ever-increasing number of tourists from China who came here because of that wondered why there was no monument to him. So, in 2018, China "gifted" the city with this statue.

Karl Marx Statue

Karl Marx's childhood home, which is now a EuroShop.  The irony.

The last sight of the walking tour was the Porta Nigra, or Black Gate.  It was built by the Romans in the 2nd Century with blocks that weighed 6 tons.

The Porta Nigra

Back to the ship and sailing to the next port.  The Moselle River is a tributary of the Rhine and we will be on it until we reach Koblenz.  The trip from Trier to our next port of Bernkastel took most of the day and we went through two (down) locks.

Bottom gate opening when we reached the lower level.

After the ship docked we got out and just explored the town on our own--it was one of the best times of the trip so far.

Some photos:

The bears are important symbols of the town

I was practically hyperventilating at everything I was seeing here.  I kept thinking, "How can anyone live a normal life with all this around them?"  But of course, they do--it's just what you are used to.  

Viking Joke #6:  What do you call a cycling Norseman?  Viking biking