Basel is located in the northwest of Switzerland in the border triangle between Germany, France and Switzerland. Basel is Switzerland’s third most populous city. The city on the Rhine is considered the country’s art and culture capital. Basel is a city with three official languages: French, German, and Italian.
Basel’s old town is filled with picturesque alleyways and over 200 fountains.
Swiss chocolate, of courseFrom the year 1367Who said the Swiss were stoic?
Highlights include the town hall and the cathedral. Basel Minster is a religious building in the Swiss city of Basel, originally a Roman Catholic cathedral and today a Reformed Protestant church.
The original cathedral was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic styles.
The Basel Town Hall is a 500-year-old building dominating the Marketplace. The Town Hall houses the meetings of the Cantonal Parliament as well as the Cantonal Government of the canton of Basel-Stadt.
Daniel Bernoulli, a famous mathematician and physicist was a native son of Basel. Bernoulli’s principle is a key concept in fluid dynamics that relates pressure, speed and height. The resulting Bernoulli Equation is often written as:
P + 1/2ρv² + ρgh = constant, where
Pressure (P): The force exerted by the fluid per unit area.
Velocity (v): The speed of the fluid.
Density (ρ): The mass of the fluid per unit volume.
Elevation (h): The height of the fluid above a reference point.
Gravity (g): The acceleration due to gravity.
The majority of my graduate work in engineering involved Bernoulli’s principle.
Guide and plaque honoring Daniel Bernoullil
We spent our “downtime” in a small plaza, Basel’s Petersplatz, watching cultural dances and children riding on the beautifully decorated, illuminated Frankfurt horse carousel. The antique carousel has a “horse” made by Peter Philip Schneider in Frankfurt, Germany, around the late 19th century. The horse is a rare, hand-carved and painted example from the golden age of carousels. It is a standing style carousel horse, intricately detailed and professionally restored.
Strasbourg is eastern France’s largest city in the historic region of Alsace. and the official seat of the European Parliament. The city has about 300,000 inhabitants; Strasbourg’s metropolitan area had a population of 860,744 in 2020, making it the eighth-largest metro area in France. Strasbourg is one of the de facto four main capitals of the European Union (alongside Brussels, Luxembourg, and Frankfurt), as it is the seat of several European institutions, such as the European Parliament, the Eurocorps and the European Omsbudsman of the European Union. Strasbourg is such a lovely city.
Together with Basel (Bank for International Settlements), Geneva (United Nations), The Hague (International Court of Justice), and New York City (United Nations World Headquarters), Strasbourg is among the few cities in the world that is not a national capital that hosts international organizations of the first order. Strasbourg’s historic city center, the Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. It is home to the largest Islamic place of worship in France, the Strasbourg Grand Mosque. It is also Albert Schweitzer’s hometown (see first photo below).
Statue of Albert SchweitzerVery old half -timber houseMacarooms
Strasbourg has become one of my favorite cities in the world, along with Prague, Paris, and San Francisco.
Speyer, historically known in English as Spires, is a city in the western part of the Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer lies 13 miles south-west of Heidelberg. Founded by the ancient Romans as a fortified town on the northeast frontiers of their Roman Empire, it is one of Germany’s oldest cities. Speyer Cathedral, a number of other churches, and the Altpörtel (“old gate”) dominate the Speyer landscape. In the cathedral, beneath the high altar, are the tombs of eight Holy Roman Emperors and German Kings. The landmark that has loomed large and powerful for 1000 years ranks as the largest preserved Romanesque church in Europe.
Bishop’s House
The city is famous for the 1529 Protestation at Speyer. One of the cities which formed the cultural center of Jewish life in Europe during the Medieval/Middle Ages, Speyer and its Jewish courtyard was added as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2021.
For complete disclosure, I did not participate in today’s shore excursion due to a head cold that has been ongoing for several days. Kay made the photos.
Our walking tour of Mainz focused mainly on the Old Town and its many historic assets.
Mainz’s Old Town is a charming area known for its historic buildings, picturesque squares, and vibrant atmosphere. It features winding streets, half-timbered houses, baroque churches, and is a place where history and modern life intertwine. The Old Town also offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and wine taverns, making it a popular destination for both locals and tourists. The Old Town is the oldest part of Mainz, with a history dating back to Roman times. It boasts a mix of architectural styles, including half-timbered, baroque, and rococo façades, creating a unique and picturesque streetscape. The Wood Tower is a mediaeval tower in Mainz, Germany, with the Iron Tower and the Alexander Tower one of three remaining towers from the city walls. Its current Gothic appearance dates to the early 15th century. It is so named because wood used to be piled next to it on the bank of the Rhine.
Many smiling locals were enjoying coffee and pastries at the several outdoor cafes in the Market Square. Market Square is Mainz’s most popular square and is dominated by the iconic Mainz Cathedral. The square became a popular trading place when the cathedral was built in 975. Traditionally, merchants offered wool, cloth, fur, baked goods, and fruit and vegetables. Products were set out in large baskets on the floor. The Renaissance market fountain was built in 1526. The water fountain was an important source of fresh water for nearby residents. In 1889, a Madonna figure was added to the fountain. Most of the houses in the square date to the 18th century. World War II bombs heavily damaged Market Square. In 1975, Mainz celebrated the thousandth anniversary of the cathedral and committed to re-designing and rebuilding the square. Many of the buildings were rebuilt with historical facades. The market takes place Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and we were fortunate enough to have visited on a Friday. Also, as an aside, Market Square hosts a vibrant Christmas Market during the Christmas holiday season.
Mainz also has some quirky traffic lights.
The magnificent Mainz Cathedral, or St. Martin’s Cathedral, dominates the skyline and is a major attraction in the Old Town. It is situated near the historical centre and market square.
This Roman Catholic cathedral church has stood witness to more than 1000 years of history and is the site of the Episcopal see of the Bishop of Mainz. Together with the cathedrals of Worms and Speyer, the Mainz Dom represents the summit of Romanesque cathedral architecture seen in Germany. Predominantly Romanesque in style, the cathedral has however had later additions to it, making it a wonderful blend of architectural styles from various eras. It is a beautiful experience to see the six red sandstone towers of the St. Martin’s Cathedral rise above the Mainz cityscape with half-timbered houses. To give you an idea about the historic importance of this cathedral, it is enough to say that through the centuries, seven coronations were hosted here. During the World War II, almost 80% of Mainz was destroyed by bombing, but the cathedral had stood unharmed. It is almost completely surrounded by buildings. The largest dome shows a blend of Roman and Baroque styles and beneath it is the transept separating the west chancel from the nave and smaller east chancel. Many supporting pillars in the nave are adorned with carved and painted statues.
The Gutenberg Museum is one of the oldest museums of printing in the world, located opposite the cathedral in the old part of Mainz, Germany. It is named after Johannes Gutenberg, a native son of Mainz and the inventor of printing from movable metal type in Western Europe and focuses on him and his inventions. The museum’s collection includes two original Gutenberg Bibles that date back to the middle of the 15th century and are widely regarded as some of the finest books of all time.
The reconstruction of Gutenberg’s workshop is another main attraction, and our guide demonstrated what the printing process would have been like in Gutenberg’s day.
The Collegiate Church of St. Stephan, known in German as St. Stephan zu Mainz, is a Gothic hall collegiate church located in the German city of Mainz. It is known for windows created by Marc Chagall. St. Stephan was originally built in 990 at the order of Archbishop Willigis, who also initiated the building of Mainz Cathedral. The current church building dates from the late medieval era; construction of the main area of the church began in about 1267 and was completed in 1340. St. Stephan was heavily damaged in the bombing of Mainz in World War II. The Chagall choir windows in St. Stephan are unique in Germany. Between 1978 and his death in 1985, Russian Jewish artist Marc Chagall created nine stained-glass windows of scriptural figures in luminous blue. The figures depict scenes from the Old Testament, demonstrating the commonalities across Christian and Jewish traditions. Chagall intended his work to be a contribution to Jewish-German reconciliation, made all the more poignant by the fact that Chagall himself fled France under Nazi occupation.
Finally, the record heat that has enveloped this part of Europe has disappeared and temperatures are now more “normal” with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s—a welcome change indeed.
This is our second visit to Koblenz, having toured here August 17, 2015. Koblenz, a major German city, is at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine Rivers. Koblenz was established as a Roman military post in 8 BC.
The Rhine Gorge was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, with Koblenz marking the northern end because of its beauty as a cultural landscape, its importance as a route of transport across Europe, and the unique adaptations of the buildings and terraces to the steep slopes of the gorge. Some of the sites we visited are discussed below.
The statue of Kaiser Wilhelm rises imposingly here, at 37 meters high.
The Electoral Palace in Koblenz is one of the most important palace buildings of early French classicism in southwest Germany and is one of the last residential palaces built in Germany immediately before the French Revolution. Elector Clemens Wenzeslaus had the Electoral Palace built between 1777 and 1786. From 1850 to 1858, the Prussian Crown Prince and later Emperor Wilhelm I resided here as Prussian military governor. In 1944, the Electoral Palace was destroyed down to the outer walls and rebuilt in 1950-51.
The St. Castor Basilica is the oldest preserved church in Koblenz. The collegiate church, consecrated in 836, was the scene of significant historical events. The monastery of St. Kastor was the meeting and arbitration place of emperors and kings as well as their descendants. In 842, the Romanesque church was the venue for the negotiations of the sons of Emperor Louis the Pious, which led to the partition of the Frankish Empire in the Treaty of Verdun the following year. The building in its present form dates mainly from the middle of the 12th century. On July 30, 1991, Pope John Paul II elevated the Castor church to the status of basilica minor. Together with the Liebfrauenkirche and the Florinskirche, the St. Castor Basilica shapes the silhouette of the Koblenz old town.
On the highest point in the Old Town stands the Romanesque Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche), also known as the Notre Dame Church.
Although what’s seen today dates from the 12th century with later 15th-century additions, there’s evidence pointing to a much older 5th-century place of worship having been built here by the Romans. Notable features include its splendid Gothic choir and the attractive onion-shaped Baroque towers with their four bells, famous for tolling the “Reveler’s Bell” at 10pm each evening.
We also toured the 12th-century St. Florin’s Church (Florinskirche), notable for the old cannonball above the baptismal vault — a reminder of the destruction of the city during earlier wars — and its picturesque setting overlooking an attractive public square.
The Old Town (Altstadt) district of Koblenz has been painstakingly restored after the devastation of WWII. Highlights of our walking tour included the Town Hall (Rathaus), built between 1695 and 1700, in front of which is the humorous Schängelbrunnen, a monument designed in 1940 by Carl Burger and dedicated to poet Josef Cornelius, who penned the lyrics for the city’s “hymn” (watch out for the spitting boy!).
The town clock in Saint Florin’s market in Koblenz contains more than one face. It’s adorned with an image that according to local lore represents Johan Lutter, a 16th century robber. Though he was sentenced to death and lost his head in 1536, his visage still keeps watch over Koblenz’s Old Town from beneath the clock. The face’s eyes roll back and forth as the pendulum moves, marking the passage of time. When the clock strikes the hour or half hour, the whimsical sheet metal man sticks out his tongue to mock the good citizens of Koblenz. This depicts the gruesome yet morbidly comical expression Lutter supposedly made in his final moments. Some legends even say he continued to roll his eyes and wiggle his tongue after his head lay severed from his body.
Today’s upstream sailing took us by castles at almost every bend of the Rhine River.
Today’s excursion included a delightful wine tasting at the Weinhaus Schlagkamp in the small village of Senheim.
For more than 400 years, Weinhaus Schlagkamp has proudly embodied the diversity of wine growing in the Mosel region. The steep slate hillside vineyards of the Mosel are renowned the world over for their Reisling wines. These historical vineyards have south/southwest aspects, inclines up to 60 percent, and excellent aeration among the vines providing ideal conditions for the cultivation of premium grape varieties. In addition to their Reisling wines, the winery featured a red peach liqueur and jam.
We also did a walking tour of Cochem, a quaint municipality on the left bank of the Moselle River. The small city is most noted as the location of the Imperial Castle.
The Imperial Castle is the largest castle on the Moselle. The medieval castle, heavily damaged while in the possession of the electoral princes of Trier during a war of succession, was bought and lovingly restored in the neo-gothic style associated with German castle romanticism in the 19th century. Notable are the impressive interiors of rooms such as the Knight’s Hall, the Dining Hall, the Trophy Room and the Bower.
One of our favorite things about cruising with the Viking is their easily accessible, espresso, cappuccino, and/or latte at any time of the day. Kay and I awoke relatively early, 5:00 AM, and I went to the cappuccino machine and made us each a cappuccino and picked up a couple of muffins for a pre-breakfast snack. The coffees were very tasty.
After catching up on news and mail, and hot showers, we went to breakfast and enjoyed eggs Benedict with a few sides and, of course, fresh coffee. And then it was off to catch the bus for both a bus and walking tours of Trier, Germany. Trier is Germany’s oldest city, dating back to Roman Times. Trier is a southwestern German city in the Moselle wine region, near the Luxembourg border. Founded by the Romans, it contains several well-preserved Roman structures like the ruins of Roman baths, an amphitheater just outside the center and a stone bridge over the Moselle River.
Among the best preserved Roman structure is the Porta Nigre Gate.
The Porta Nigra Gate was built in grey sandstone after 170 AD. The original gate consisted of two four-storeyed towers, projecting as near semicircles on the outer side. A narrow courtyard separated the two gate openings on either side. The gate was used as a town entrance for centuries until the end of the Roman era in Trier. In Roman times, the Porta Nigra was part of a system of four city gates, one of which stood at each side of the roughly rectangular Roman city. It guarded the northern entry to the Roman city
The Archaeological Museum displays Roman artifacts, including The Trier Gold Hoard. The gold is a hoard of 2516 (or 2518) gold coins with a weight of 18.5 kg found in Trier, Germany, in September 1993 during construction works. It is described as the largest preserved Roman gold hoard worldwide..
Among Trier’s many Catholic churches is Trier Cathedral.
Because of its significance during the Roman and Holy Roman empires, several monuments and cathedrals within Trier are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today was the hottest day of the year in Trier—22 degrees above normal with accompanying high humidity.
We each had difficulty sleeping, so the 5 am alarm was not needed. We reorganized our suitcases, tagged them, and moved them to outside the hotel room door for delivery to our day’s tour bus and ultimately to Viking’s long boat Herja.
Breakfast at the hotel buffet was preceded by long lines to be seated, at each of the four coffee machines, and at the eggs preparation counter. With an infected tooth cavity, soft foods were the order of the morning for me while Kay sampled a number of dishes.
After boarding the bus and suffering through Monday morning’s rush hour traffic, we were transported to Reims where we toured the Reims Cathedral.
The cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims meaning “Our Lady of Reims“), known in English as Reims Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in the French city of Reims, the seat of the Archdiocese of Reims. The cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was the traditional location for the coronation of the kings of France. The cathedral is considered to be one of the most important works of Gothic Architecture. A major tourist destination, it receives about a million visitors annually. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Reims Cathedral is renowned for its magnificent stained glass, particularly its rose windows and the modern additions by Marc Chagall.
After leaving Reims just after lunch, we were driven to Luxembourg American Cemetery to honor those Americans from WW II.
A short drive later found us boarding the Viking Herja where we would spend the next several days.
Our luggage then arrived and we met with the other passengers in Herja’s lounge for an introduction to the crew leaders, a welcoming and orientation meeting, and a champagne toast. Dinner included a bacon based appetizer, pork tenderloin medallions with fried cabbage, patty, and delightful pudding cake (similar to crème brûlée).
At 6 o’clock Sunday morning, we were in queue for the hotel’s breakfast buffet, just as the restaurant was opening. First order of business was a cup of latte for each of us, followed by select items from the simple but very good buffet. And then after a return to the room to prepare for the day’s activities, we gathered with folks from several tour groups to await instructions for our morning tour, Panoramic Paris. The bus tour included windshield views of iconic landmarks such as the Champ-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and Les Invalides.
Champ-ElyseesArch de TriompheLes Invalides
The excursion also walking tours of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame-de Paris areas.
Eiffel TowerNotre Dame Cathedral
One of the interesting places driven by was a bullet-riddled building from WWII. The guide mentioned several times the relationship between France and the US, particularly the liberation of France in 1944, and discussed aspects of their democratic republic.
Upon returning to the hotel, we rested, and then Kay went shopping for snacks while I edited photographs, downloaded videos, and worked on this blog.
While Kay was “locked and loaded”, I procrastinated until the last minute early Friday morning to pack for our next adventure, Paris to the Swiss Alps. Amazingly, things came together on departure day morning, with fifteen minutes to spare. After loading the car, we prayed for travel mercies and left the Village, driving towards the national airport via long term parking.
Departing homeLeaving the Village
After checking in and slowly proceeding through airport security, we arrived at the gate about an hour before departure.
Checking in at DeltaWaiting at the gate
The flight to Atlanta was without incident.
Aboard Delta plane to Atlanta
Departure from Atlanta was another story, with a 45 minute delay. The British Airways crew did a good job of making up the delay as we arrived at the Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris just 15 minutes late.
Aboard British Airways flight to Paris
De-boarding, French customs, and baggage pickup were smooth, despite shoulder to shoulder crowds. We were met by a Viking representative and a driver and experienced a bumper to bumper hour drive to our hotel.
In the hotel room, we had a couple shots of espresso, and immediately took a midday (Paris time) nap to mitigate the almost 24 hours without sleep.
Our room in the Pullman Hotel
After a bit of unpacking and then showers, we were fit to face civilization again. A short walk led us to a food court where the hamburgers and fries were mediocre, but expensive.
And then we returned to the hotel and hung out in a cafe near the lobby, drinking a latte, and watching people milling about. Many of the hotel guests were in town to support Toulouse for the top level rugby championship between Toulouse and Bordeaux at Stade de France for the Top 14 Grand Final (similar to our Super Bowl); the hotel was the team hotel for Toulouse. The Toulouse players were huge, like our professional football players. Afterwards, we retired to the room fighting to stay awake. Sleep came easy.
Collection of trails and greenway quotes, terms, acronyms, tools as well as trail publications and presentations and 100s of photos from my bicycle and hiking adventures. .
This journal was begun several years ago, and reflects an accurate record of each day fished. Please enjoy it, and remember that fish are too valuable to be caught just once, and the places they live are too valuable to be mistreated.
Dunngone's Photos and Blog 