Monday, April 21, 2014

Rhine Getaway: Cruising to Rüdesheim (4/21/2014)

Still Monday, April 21, 2014
Lunch appetizers: Avocado cocktail and melon, and sautéed mushrooms.
Entrée: Roast Leg of Lambwith green beans, potatoes, and rosemary jus.
Sandwich: Grilled Focaccia Sandwich with prosciutto and fontina cheese.
Soup: Cream of Celery with new potatoes and paprika spiced chips.
Pasta: Fusilli alla Genovese with pesto and Romano cheese.
Desserts: Maraschino Sponge Cake with banana and peppermint sauce, or Viking Coupe with vanilla ice cream, fresh blueberries and eggnog liqueur.
The Viking Gullveig ship set sail at 13:45 to continue down the Rhine.
Bicyclist and hikers stop to watch and wave
Motacilla alba alba/White Wagtail
Glider
Trying to putt on a ship deck is tricky
St Killian's Church in Nierstein
Scrap metal barge
At 14:30, wheelhouse tours were available.
At 15:30 we had a presentation on Rüdesheimer Kaffee/Rüdesheim Coffee (made with Asbach Uralt brandy and sugar cubes, sprinkled with chocolate flakes). The volunteer was generous with the brandy and whipped cream.
Rüdesheimer Kaffee/Rüdesheim Coffee
Our coffees were not so well endowed, so I was able to drink mine.
Mainzer Dom/Mainz Cathedral and Easter fair
Bastion von Schönborn
Kurfürstliches Schloss zu Mainz/
Electorate Prince Palace of Mainz (1627-1678) and
Christuskirche/Church of Christ (1989-1903, rebuilt 1948-1954)
Wiesbaden with Oranier-Gedächtniskirche/
Orange Memorial Church (1902-1905)
Schloss/Palace Biebrich (1702) in Wiesbaden  
Private vineyard?
    Kurfürstliche Burg/Electoral Prince's Castle (14C) in Eltville
      Eltville Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul
      Parish Church of Sts Peter and Paul
        Erbach Kirche St. Markus/Church of St Mark (15C)
        Hattenheim World War I Memorial
        Hattenheim Hotel Kronen Schlösschen
        Hattenheim Kirche St. Vincentius/Church of St Vincent
        Hattenheim Schloss/Palace Schönborn
        Schloss Reichartshausen 
        Oestrich Pfarrkirche St. Martin/Parish Church of St Martin
        Oestrich-Winkel Oestricher Kran/Crane (1652)
        for loading wine
        Oestrich-Winkel-Ingelheim Ferry
        Schloss Johannisberg (1716) on hill top
        Geiisenheim garden plots with little shelters
        Geisenheim Pfarrkirche Heilig Kreuz/Parish Church of the Holy Cross
        (1510-1518) called the Rheingauer Dom/Rheingau Cathedral
        Camping-Platz
        Hindenburgbrücke/Hindenburg Bridge abutments
        (bridge destroyed WWII)
        Kempten boatyard
        Kloster Eibingen or Abtei/Abbey St Hildegard
        above Rüdesheim
        Rüdesheimer Rottland vineyards
        Rüdesheim train
        Rüdesheim
        Rüdesheim Rheingauer Weinmuseum Brömserburg
        Rheingau Wine Museum in Brömser Castle (10C)
        Adlerturm/Eagle Tower (15C)
        The Viking Gullveig arrived in Rüdesheim at 18:00, just as the Daily Briefing started.
        We did not go on the optional excursion which used the mini-train to take you to Drosselgasse for a dinner at the Rüdesheim Schloss Restaurant. We heard from others that the service was slow and not everyone got all the courses. Also there was no folkloric dancing. In fact, the band played mostly American tunes, and the only local flavor was with a couple drinking songs.
        We had the dinner provided on the ship.
        Dinner amuse-bouche: Salmon roll.
        Appetizers: Pan-seared Crab Cake in Corn Espuma with shaved fennel and pickled red onion salad, or Fresh Asparagus with Black Forest Ham and herb-tomato vinaigrette.
        Salad: Baby Spinach and Blue Cheese in Brick Cup with bacon and shallot dressing.
        Soup: Cream of White Asparagus with Bresola ham.
        Entrées: Roasted Tenderloin of Pork with green pepper sauce, fresh asparagus and mashed potatoes, or
        Honey BBQ Fillet of Salmon with polenta spring roll, grilled leek and asparagus, or
        Organic Vegetable Chili with black & white beans, avocado & pea guacamole and corn chips.
        Desserts: Dark & White Chocolate Mousse with vanilla crême sauce, or
        Pistachio Ice Cream, or
        Mango Sorbet or
        Strawberry Sponge Cake.
        Fruit plate: Fresh oranges.
        Cheese plate: Munster and Cambozola.
        Suggested wines: Riesling, Winery Ohlig, Rheingau, Germany and Blauer Zweigelt from Winery Mörwald, Wagram, Austria.
        After dinner we went for a walk in Rüdesheim, walking past the pruned trees along the river bank.
          Columba palumbus/Common Wood Pigeon
          Hanging bottle ornament?
          Anser anser/Greylag Goose family
          Well, well, Goethe was here as well.
          Goethe plaque
          Pfarrkiche St. Jakobus/Parish Church of St Jacob
          "Pankgraf" statue on Marktbrunnen/Market fountain
          Rüdesheim mini-train
          Outside the Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett/Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum, there was a small display with a mechanical band requiring a Euro coin to make it perform. We put in one Euro, and nothing happened. Meanwhile a crowd had gathered, so we put in another Euro coin, and it began to play.
          Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett/
          Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum
          in 
          Brömserhof (1292)
          A large mechanical item, c. 1931 Nash Ambassador Sedan
          Nash logo
          Ancient wine press
          Grape vine and dandelions
          View of Boosenburg/Boosen Keep (9C)
          Drosselgasse, the alley of wine bars
          Paul, Brynne, and Kent
          Top of Drosselgasse (Viking)
          Glockenspiel/Carillon
          Having found the famous Glockenspiel/Carillon, we sat at the bar beneath it for drinks (Paul's treat) and to wait for it to ring. We happened to be at the Rüdesheim Schloss Restaurant, and could hear the drinking song in progress.
          Viking passengers participate in drinking song (Viking)
          Brynne & Paul at Drosselgasse
          While the bells played,
          the wooden figures danced in a circle
          Meanwhile the restaurant was rolling out the awning!
          We returned to the boat, having missed the glass-blowing demonstration, but we were in time for the sale of glass items! Browsed before going to bed.
          Next: Rhine Castles.

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