Thursday, May 18, 2017

Europe Trip 2017: Part 8: 7th and 8th June





Wurzburg  &  Miltenburg

I finally get to do a bit of birdwatching, and at the same time meeting up with a German bird-watcher who was able to identify some birds for me even though  our bird books were in different languages. Also in the same park in Wurzburg, I came across what I considered to be one of the unexpected highlights of the trip, but more of that in the photos. We did not do the optional excursion to Rothenburg. 
In Miltenburg we have a fairly relaxing time to wander on our own (not always together though, my theory is you can cover more ground this way and compare notes later on) and take in what this  charming town had to offer. In the afternoon we enjoyed some local hospitality when we went off to the private home of Marita Langer for coffee and cakes.
But now, it's onto a bus and we start this episode with a visit to the grand Wurzburg Residence and Garden .............. 




Videos have to be watched on this page 
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 click / tap on photos to enlarge.


(PbL) Photo by Lynn         (tbw) taken through bus window



Click here to go to Part 1






Wednesday 7th



Today, if you get lost, look for the 3 chimneys of the combined heat and power plant.............

.....as that's where the boat is parked.     Museum building on the left.


One of the GT-N type trams in Würzburg.     
(tbw)

Looking across the Old Main Bridge.   
(tbw)

Wurzburg Lock (left), Old Main Bridge (centre) and the 3 chimneys of the power plant.     
 (tbw)

Wallfahrtskirche Mariä Heimsuchung  -  Pilgrimage Church Visitation of the Virgin Mary.
1700's church & pilgrimage site featuring opulent rococo architecture & artwork.       
(tbw)  (PbL)

Residence Square

Franconia Fountain in Residence Square.

Looking down Hofstraße from the square to Würzburger Cathedral (left, 4 towers),
Neumünster Church (centre, grey dome and green-topped tower) )


Someone left the gate open so we just walked in.         
 (PbL)

Residenz Wurzburg. Residence and Court Gardens.

Court Gardens     
(PbL)

Court Gardens

The owner (I don't think so) spending some quality time in the garden.

He's given this one a short back and sides.
Or as Angus Stewart would say, "man-pruned".




Napoleon visited Wurzburg three times and once stayed overnight in the northern wing of the residence.     
(PbL)

(PbL)

Residenz Wurzburg. Residence and Court Gardens.

There's a bit of age in these well trained conifers.

Wurzburg Residence and Court Gardens


(PbL)

The baroque church of St. John is dedicated to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist.
 (PbL)

(PbL)

I nearly posted a postcard.







"Anyone want to buy a woman?"

Janice was also enjoying her visit to the Wurzburg Rezidenz.

Hanselmann Bakery. Established in 1932 and has a staff of 21. They have delicious
little baked goods, party pastries and make a fruit and noodle 'healthy snack salad'.         
(PbL)

Würzburger Cathedral


Bishop's Palace. This Episcopal Palace, formerly known as Hof Conti,
was built in 1588-1609 and restored after its destruction in World War II. 
(PbL)

             "OK, I know the group is here somewhere".         
 (PbL)

Würzburger Cathedral, a renovated Romanesque Catholic cathedral with baroque stucco interior.

Würzburger Cathedral   
(PbL)

Lusamgärtlein. The entrance to a small walled inner courtyard
where the minstrel Walther von der Vogelweide was buried around 1230.         
(PbL)

Should have been on our tour, we had plenty to eat.

'Resurrection and Falling'
by Michael Morgner in Kiliansplatz.

Würzburger Cathedral side door.

Neumünster Church.

Looking down Domstrasse, over the Old Main Bridge to the Art Gallery (clock).

Neumünster Church.   
Baroque façade dating from 1710–1716. Erected at the site of the grave of
Saint Kilian and his companions, missionaries who were assassinated here in 689 AD.


         Marienkapelle - Marian Chapel.       
 (PbL)

Marienkapelle - Marian Chapel. 
A 14th-century Gothic church with a tall steeple and historic sculptures. 
On the right is the Falkenhaus.

The Falkenhaus , also called 'Haus zum Falken', was built at the beginning of the 18th century.
This was also destroyed in WW II, with reconstruction starting in 1947.

               I enjoyed a ‎€2 Wuzrburger Bratwursts from the shop with the yellow stripes (right).         
(PbL)

         Entrance to Marienkapelle - Marian Chapel.       
(PbL)

This 15-metre high obelisk, in the market place, was built in 1805
as a backdrop to the French Emperor, Napoleon, campaigns in Egypt.

Maypole in the market place.

The Ratskeller restaurant is distinguished by Franconian food.
(no, I don't think this includes 'rats')

GT-E type tram, number 206.

Tram number 208 going up Domstrasse towards Würzburger Cathedral.

Wurzburg's combined heat and power plant. The Schlosshotee,
Castle Hotel, is at the top left.

You can pick the tourist, look at the bloke on the left, ...... hey, that's me.   
(PbL)

Spillway under Old Main Bridge.

Fortress Marienberg.
A reconstructed, 13th-century fortress housing art & history museums.

"Taxi"

Old Main Bridge. 
Wurzburg's oldest stone bridge, featuring statues of Saints & other icons.
Wurzburg's Old Main Bridge.

St. Burkard , also called Burkarder Church, is the second oldest church in Würzburg. Contruction started around 1040.   Pilgrimage Church is on the hill behind (left). The white building (bottom left) is the Waterway and Shipping office and control center for the Würzburg lock.

After the morning guided walk we had some free time, so I thought I would head for the Ring Park,  a planted green area where ​​the former fortifications were that circled the old town, to do a bit of bird-watching.    I'm glad I did, for in this park I came across, what for me, was one of the highlights of the trip. This highlight was a memorial, first dedicated to fallen German soldiers of the First World War.  The Warrior War Memorial was created between 1925 and 1931 by the sculptor Friedrich Heuler but now additional crosses have been added around it to remember the fallen in WW II.  I did manage to get some bird-watching in , even meeting a fellow German bird-watcher who knew enough English to describe the two woodpecker species that I had seen. Another reason why I was glad that I met him was that he was able to show me the way back to the boat. At the time I thought I was in a different part of the park, close to the boat, when in fact it was a 3.3 km walk back.


They also lost loved ones.     Warrior Memorial War Memorial.

Six soldiers carry a fallen comrade.

One of seven crosses with the year numbers of the Second World War (1939-1945) have now been added.

'The City Their Sons'

I have seen it  suggested that visitors have coloured in the red.





"In memory of the victims of both world wars and the
expulsions from the city and county of Trautenau"
(Battle of Trautenau June 27, 1866)

"In memory of the gymnasts and athletes who fell in the world wars 1914-1918
and 1939-1945 and the victims of the expulsions and those people from
the Riesengebirge region who died [here] in their new home since 1946".

Ring Park.




Great Spotted Woodpecker







At last, a European Red Squirrel, in Ring Park.

Manhole covers, Wurzberg.

Würzburg bus station (right).
The tall building is a DHL packing station for Deutsche Post.
(I use to work for DHL)

The 'Old Crane' from 1773.     
 (PbL)

The art ship ARTE NOAH, the "floating gallery" of the
Kunstverein (Arts Club) Würzburg, on opposite bank.

Greg making sure Roland has everything 'ship-shape'. Roland has his
'land-bag' over his shoulder and his round-up bike ready leaning against the railing.
The small boat, like the ones I saw in Bamberg, belong to the Museum we are moored next to.

Schlosshotel  -  Castle Hotel         
 (PbL)

                St. Laurentius in Retzbach                 
(PbL)

We've already seen the Mississippi, now here's the Rio Grande.    "LOOK OUT SWAN"             
Highway St 2435 road bridge at Karlburg.

Some of the birds seen today. Top left c/w:    Middle Spotted Woodpecker,  (Red) Robin,  Blue Tit,  Black Kite,  Wood Pigeon


St. John the Baptist at Karlburg.

There were always trains travelling beside the river.

And around the bend the sun sets.

Harrbach Lock.     9:23 PM, 1 hour to supper time.


Thursday 8th

8:50 AM, peak hour traffic on the river.

I think we were told that the Romans quarried the red stone from these cliffs.

The lock at Freudenberg.

One of the dangers of being distracted by a radio call.

Egyptian Goose, on nest above the Freudenberg lock.



Freudenberg.     
(PbL)

Castle ruins of Freudenburg.
The castle was built between 1330 and 1337 by King John of Bohemia. 
St. Laurentius church below (right).

I don't recall seeing a lot of cattle from the boat.



Loading from the Fritz Weber Gravel Plant.

I have never seen a tow-bar on a boat before.
Can you see the fellow (no, not the good-looking bloke bottom right) in blue,
 near the top left of the vineyard? So, how long ..............


........do you think it will take him/them?

We arrive in Miltenberg, a town that has kept it's medieval half-timbered houses because they
couldn't afford to replace them due to the economic decline after the 30-years war in the 17th century.
So here is a town that is benefiting from those who suffered a economic depression some 500 years ago.
We have until 12:30 to wander the town then it's back to the boat (for us anyway) for lunch.

The photo-crasher (right) now has an  assistant.


Any opportunity for a flower-foto.

If you try and steal his painting you have take him as well.

I should have used more colour.


The 'Main Bridge', Miltenberg, is an arch bridge first constructed in 1900 in
natural stone and was rebuilt in reinforced concrete after its destruction in 1945.

Pee Boys Statue, Miltenberg.

     I didn't mean to pull his head back, I was just trying to keep the sun out of his eyes.   
(PbL)



Miltenburg




'Lawn here is not a dog toilet'  but......................

..........the jetty is the goose toilet.

Street scene, Miltenberg.   
Parish Church of St. James the Elde (right).

I saw the book case (left) from the boat and then found this one in the town.
If you have a key you just borrow and put back when finished.

Street scene, Miltenberg.   
(PbL)

Just a reminder that we were overseas.



And another one.

         Solona, its been good to know you.             
(PbL)


Get closer, it doesn't have teeth.




Look out, reinforcements are coming.

            Bridge Tower made of sandstone, from 1900.           
 (PbL)

Does that mean that 'A', 'Z' and 'B' all equal (I'm guessing) 1752?

Lynn found a door in her size.

Restaurant banner.           
(PbL)

They don't make it easy to understand. Is it 1788 or 1588?

Former Inn to the Angel.       
 (PbL)

Town house of two-storey hipped roof construction, plasterwork with worksteads
and middle Risikit with gilding gables and halbrund Freitreppe, baroque, 1712.
From 1832 to 1968 it was a post office.    (PbL)


I thought it was a pretty good impression of a mannequin, so I dropped 5 euros in the bag................

........ I gave 2 euros to the other one.

Covers in Miltenberg

Catholic monastery church of the Immaculate Conception.

This was next to the church.

Street scene, Miltenberg.

Doors of Miltenberg.

Another window-box.

I just thought they were different.


I don't think the 'new reno' fits in with the original building.


Street scene, Miltenberg.

Evangelical Church

Part of the Old Castle wall and Main Bridge.

Old Jewish Cemetery, Miltenberg, dates from the 15th century to 1904.

Former Villa Winterhelt

The stairs back down to town from the villa.

More covers of Miltenberg.

Street scene, Miltenberg.

The groupset (pedal attachment) looks more like a circular saw.


The famous Inn of the Giant, the oldest pub in Germany,
where both King Gustav of Sweden and Elvis have stayed.     
(PbL)

Street scene, Miltenberg.

They could be coming to a door near YOU.

More doors of Miltenberg.

Some local felines.

Street scene, Miltenberg.

Parish Church of St. James the Elder.

Old Market Square with the old Renaissance well from 1583 and timber-frame houses.   
(PbL)

The so called 'Black Quarter' of Miltenberg.
It is called this because it is a place where the sun never, supposedly, shines.


'Guntram's Painter'   Center of painting and drawing art.         
(PbL)

Some of the Art-work.


Street scene, Miltenberg.

I think Lynn has been eating too much elastic.

Backyard scene, Miltenberg.

Not sure which is the oldest, the door or the blinds.

Very narrow lane-way, Miltenberg.

Old water-pump,  Miltenberg.

More doors of Miltenberg.


Listening to Led Zepplin's  'Kashmir'
helped with the editing process.

Schwertfegertor .........  but it is from the 14 - 15th century.

I could see the 'whitewash', on the cliff-face from the boat, highlighting this Peregrine Falcon on a nest.

I also saw these Falcon nest-boxes on the cliff-faces along the river.


After lunch it's time to go and eat some more, this time with the friendly (ours were) locals for Kaffeeklatsch (coffee and gossip/noise, with some cake as a bonus).  We are on the 'blue' bus with Doris and we volunteered (with  Lenore, Margaret the 2 Gregs and others) to get off at Marita Langer's house in Burgstadt. I say volunteered because this was one of the two gluten and lactose free houses and it seemed there weren't that many takers, hey, it's still food.  Details are a bit blurry but there was Marita, a young girl (not her daughter) and her son who turned up after work. The coffee and cake we had for afternoon tea was delicious and the 'gossip' free flowing and enlightening. Marita was very proud of her loverly flower and vegetable gardens.



        Marita with helper.         
(PbL)

(PbL)







(PbL)

(PbL)
I think all the pots are moved to a warmer spot in winter.

Family photo with Marita.

Heubach Lock    

Office for Digitization, Broadband and Surveying at the Klingenberg Lock.

Rustic vintner's huts in the vineyards.

A lesson for dry-wallers.

Sunset at the Main Bridge.




The Main Bridge (Niedernberg to Sulzbachwas) built between 2000 and 2001 for 16.5 million euros.
 A NATO ramp can be seen entering the river on the right bank.

Looks like a full-moon tonight.

9:33 PM Good Night.

Click here to go to Part 1

Scroll to bottom of page, Click on 'Older Posts' to go to Part 9.



Cameras:  Canon PowerShot SX60 HS,   Sony DSC-W690  and  Samsung S5 (phone)








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