Würzberg

Marc's Journal

While Di was still asleep, I went up on the deck for a coffee and bumped into some new friends from SoCal, Marcia and Bob. Marcia asked if I was going on the Würzberg hiking tour, an excursion I didn't plan on. It was a 3-hour hike rated at a “difficult” level. (I'm assuming this is to discourage those with mobility needs.) Since I haven't been running for a week, I decided it would be a good idea. Diane didn't go.

We took a bus from the boat through some small towns until we reached Würzberg. We hiked through some churches, Grottos, overlooks, and then up to the Marienberg Fortress. 

Like much of the land along the Main (pronounced: mine) the Fortress also cultivates grapes on steep inclines. The workers would clean out the rows between the vines with special equipment.

Miguel was our local guide, originally from Portugal. He was incredibly charming, but was an odd choice. He had a German accent with pronounced hints of Portuguese and Spanish. He’ll be getting married to a Costa Rican soon. Yet, he said he does not know German. In one church the kind-hearted priest comes out and cheerfully greeted us in German and started talking up a storm. Miguel says to the group through a plastered grin, "The priest does not know English, I do not know German, so we are at an impasse and pleasantly nodding to each other but not having a clue what was said!" We all laughed, but it must have been at a point where the priest thought it strange because he looked at us quizzically, nodded, smiled, and scurried out.

The Fortress and its history was fascinating but the views of the countryside are what spoke the loudest to me. (See below for some of the shots). Finally the group hiked out and back into town and crossed the Old Main Bridge which is lined with statues of the saints. The guide encouraged us to sip wine at the end of the bridge. I did so with new friends, Bob and Marcia.

This was my first year with no Fourth of July activities. As a consolation, after dinner the crew marched in a procession carrying sheet cakes decorated with American flags. Unfortunately they ruined the moment by singing "Happy Birthday to America" (in a Heinz 57 mix of accents!) It was a hoot. Ironically, dinner included showing off our cake patriotism with our new friends - half who were not American: Bob and Marcia (from the US) and Brad and Caroline (New Zealand), Peter and Kay (Australia).

Diane's Journal

It’s Independence Day, but without our traditional celebrations. Our chef made large cakes frosted with an American flag on each cake. During dinner, the waitstaff paraded around the dining room, proudly carrying these cakes while singing "Happy Birthday America." It was a unique and memorable way to mark the Holiday. As the evening unfolded, it dawned on me that back home, the fireworks would ignite in our early morning hours of July 5th.

This morning, Marc disembarked at Karlstadt to take  a hike through the Würzburg Hills. Meanwhile, I opted to continue aboard the boat and we met in Würzburg.

In the afternoon, we took a walking tour of the  Würzburg Bishops' Residenz. This architectural marvel was commissioned by Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz. The opulence of the building was both awe-inspiring and unsettling. To think of the wealth used just for show. The entrance stairway caught my  attention—it was designed exclusively for receiving guests. Horse-drawn carriages would deposit visitors, and depending on the intricacy of a woman's attire, ascending to the top could take up to 45 minutes.

Drawing a comparison between the stairs at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and the guest stairs at the Bishops' Residenz, I couldn't help but notice the contrast that wealth bought.

On our way back to the boat we stopped to do the popular thing and sip a glass of wine  on the medieval statue-lined Old Main Bridge.  

Tonight, we received news that up ahead there is a section of river where the  water level is too low for the boat to pass. Consequently, we will pack our bags, leave the Vali and move down the river via bus passing this shallow area and board another Viking that will be awaiting.