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.