We arrived in Frankfurt early this morning. We had an early breakfast since we needed to take a bus trip to Heidelberg Castle. Once we got to Heidelberg, we rode up to the castle via a curvy, tight road. And then we stopped for a restroom break before starting our tour. Mom and Dad’s bus arrived later, and so we had to hold up the yellow group while we waited for Mom and Dad to use the restroom.
Bathroom breaks are proving rather hilarious here in Europe. Tineke says that she could write a book about them, and I believe her. We’ve already had some issues. First of all, most of the toilets in Europe are pay toilets, and so you have to either pay to use them or tip the attendant when you leave, etc. It’s a bit of a hassle. Vantage tries to work ahead of the system and pay for everyone to use it, but there are always kinks in the process. 
Finally, everyone had used the facilities, and we were off – using our headsets to keep up with our guide. Most of Heidelberg Castle is in ruins, but the structure is still rather lovely. And the views of the city below were spectacular!
Looming over the red-roofs and Neckar River is Heidelberg’s famous castle, the castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demolition in the 17th and 18th centuries.
We got to walk across the top of the world’s largest beer barrel. It is massive all right. Unfortunately, I guess it leaks as well, and so it is not used any more.
We rode another type of cable car back down to Heidelberg, and our guide Rinata walked us around historic Heidelberg, with parts dating back to the 12th century. Because Heidelberg escaped damage throughout World War II, many of the buildings in the Old Town are intact and are noteworthy examples of 18th-century baroque architecture.
We walked across par t of the “Old Bridge” (1786), which offered spectacular views of the town as well.
Rinata led us to our lunch location where we had a 3-course meal at Hotel Zum Ritter. After lunch we were off again to explore the town for ourselves. We toured the Church of the Holy Spirit on our own. The church was bright and cheerful inside. Afterwards, we did some shopping.
I had been looking at the cuckoo clocks since we had arrived in Germany, and I opted to buy one for myself that day in the square. I love it. It was made in Bavaria and is made from Bavarian wood, and the price was within my budget.
We then rode the bus back to Frankfurt. Mom, Aunt Peggy and I decided to set out on our own and explore Frankfurt. So we got a couple of quick directions from Tineke, and we set off on our adventure. We walked along the river and reached an old town square with a fountain in the center. We found an optical shop with the name “Weiss,” and so we stopped to take pictures.
Then we walked to through the 13th-century Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew (also known as the Frankfurt Dom). There was some type of service or rehearsal going on inside the church, and so we didn’t stay long. We then walked halfway across a pedestrian bridge, which offered some good views of the city of Frankfurt. Then we hurried back to catch dinner onboard the ship.
After dinner, we spent time on the sun deck watching the city lights of Frankfurt go by, and then we proceeded to go through another set of locks. After the locks, the other captain asked us to please leave the sun deck since we were coming up on some lower bridges, and so we headed down the stairs and to our cabins for bed. It was getting late anyhow!
Favorite Thing or Funny Moment
- Me: At Hotel Zum Ritter, Aunt Peggy asked me to take a picture of her and the tin man in the entrance of the restaurant. I was surprised to see that by “tin man” she meant a knight figure in armor. AHEM!
- FEELING: Hurried! I wish we had more time at each location.
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