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.