The Germans really have perfected the art of quaint little towns. Today we saw two cute specimens which were overflowing with charming half-timbered houses. The weather was still grey and cold but the rain held off for us as we cruised along the Main river during the morning. ( We had passed from the Rhine to the Main overnight)
The area we visited today is famous for its glass production and in the morning a local glass artist was demonstrating the art of glassblowing in the lounge. I decided to give it a miss and relax in our cabin but Neil went down to watch. Our first stop for the afternoon was Miltenberg, a small town with a really gorgeous old town area and then we took a short bus ride down the road to Wertheim , another quaint town whose main claim to fame is its large derelict castle. There was a special option today for energetic types who could choose to miss the guided tour of Wertheim in favour of a steep hike up to the castle. Our group split in two – Neil, Gae, Greg and Steve opting for the hike while Jo,Therese, Bob and I went for the more relaxed tour. This put us into different groups for the guided tour of Miltenberg as well.
Miltenberg really was lovely with pretty squares and narrow cobblestoned streets.
The Main Street in the old town of Miltenberg
Neil at the Town Square fountain
The town is very proud of having the oldest tavern in Germany and after our tour we linked up with the others to sample the local brew and pretzels. It was a big relief to get in out of the cold for a while too!
Faust Tavern, oldest in Germany
Not enough pretzels to go around!
Back to the buses we drove on the Wertheim, which was a lot smaller than Miltenberg. When we saw the castle we realised that the cruise director’s interpretation of a ” very strenuous hike” was probably pitched at the more senior passengers on the boat! We started with the guided tour but shortly afterwards the four of us decided to break off from the guided tour and just wander around on our own until the climbers returned.
In Wertheim
Another fountain in another Town Square!
I told Jo to look hungry! Some very tempting choices at the town bakery.
The boat had to catch up with us so we waited in the dock in Wertheim and watched it as it cruised in to collect us all.
Our ride
As we pulled away from Wertheim I snapped Neil with the castle he’d climbed in the background
Then we only had a short time to tidy up for dinner and tonight’s entertainment in the lounge, Disco Night. We’d had our doubts initially about this one but it was great fun! The music was great, Neil and I particularly happy when Reno worked his way through half of the songs from the Blues Brothers. We danced , flopped on the lounges for a drink and danced some more.
