Tag: germany

Once a Viking…

A moment from our Amsterdam to Basel cruise in 2022. A shipboard view of Pfalzgrafenstein Castle, built in 1327 as a toll-booth on the Rhine.

As we’re on our way to the starting point of our next cruise with Viking, let’s take a look back at a moment on a prior cruise. In 2022, we took a cruise from Amsterdam to Basel with Viking, which was our first cruise experience. It was amazing! From the guided tours to the service, everything was perfection, even when things went wrong.

Here’s a view from the ship as we travel up the Rhine…

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle

This picturesque castle was in essence a toll-booth on the Rhine river. King Ludwig had the castle builtin in 1326/7 to increase his toll revenue. After all, all that water doesn’t flow without the king’s permission! And yes, that means it is coming up on its 700th anniversary soon!

How did they ensure toll collection you ask? Massive chain booms were raised across the rather narrow river passage by the castle. Upon payment the chain was lowered. Otherwise the ship and cargo were seized and the crew thrown into the dungeon. Those were tougher times!

Wednesday Window – pt.4

Combining form and function, a window captured in the picturesque town of Speyer in Germany.

In last week’s post on Wednesday Window – pt.3, we looked at the effects that the weather might have on the window and building. Today, let’s take a look at a window from a bit more in the past, which combines form and function; let’s visit Speyer in Germany!

The town of Speyer is a lovely, picturesque city on the Rhine river with a rich history dating back to its founding by the ancient Romans as part of their fortifications on the northern frontiers of the empire…

Stadthaus Fenster

Speyer was one of the cities that my wife and I visited as part of our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel in 2022. We spent time sauntering through the old streets, admiring much of the architecture and taking in the great variety of periods represented throughout.

This image is a detail of the town hall, presenting some of the decorative aspects of windows, as they often will have a flower box to enhance their look. I also wonder if flowers were put in windows, so that they could enhance the smells coming into the house, as during olden times there may have been less than pleasant scents emanating from the streets…