Excursions in Breisach

click images to enlarge

One Large Cuckoo Clock

We departed the ship by motor coach for a drive through the Black Forest to a local woodcarver's store, where we got to see his handiwork.  Even before entering the building, we were treated to some specialty liquor of the region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) which is distilled from tart cherries, as we watched a life sized cuckoo clock in motion.   Enjoy this video.

BLACK FOREST EXCURSION

We enjoyed the picturesque drive through the forests, which consist mainly of pine and fir trees.  Here is just a sampling of what we saw during this excursion.

Black Forest Gateau 

This German region is well known for its Black Forest cake,  Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte which literally translates as "Black Forest cherry-torte".  The dessert consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.

After enjoying a piece of cake and hot chocolate, we browsed through the shop, admiring the cuckoo clocks and other carved items.   We made our purchases and returned to the bus for our return trip to the ship. 

Some of our fellow passengers had opted for the other included excursion to an Open Air Museum.  Both tours returned to the ship just in time for lunch, after which, we'd head for our optional tour to Colmar.

^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page}

Breisach - Black Forest

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Princess Cruisetour to Oberammergau Passion Play

See Famed German Production, Only Performed Every 10 Years

Princess Cruises has announced a rare opportunity for 2010 European Cruisetour guests to see the famed Oberammergau Passion Play, which is performed only once each decade in this small Bavarian village in Germany.

The new 18-day “Oberammergau & Highlights of Germany” tour features two nights in the southern German town of Oberammergau, and includes tickets to the event. Passengers will also visit a variety of other top German destinations during the eight-day land tour, including Frankfurt, the Black Forest, Munich, Nuremberg and Berlin. In addition, the tour will connect seamlessly with a 10-day Scandinavia/Russia cruise aboard Star Princess. Two departures are offered on August 2 and August 12, 2010.

The Oberammergau Passion Play has been held every ten years since 1634 in thanksgiving for deliverance from the Black Death in 1633. The play is now performed in years ending with a zero (except 1984 which was the 350th anniversary), and involves more than 2000 actors, singers, instrumentalists and technicians, all of whom are residents of the village. All cast members have lived in the village at least 20 years and must be amateurs of high moral and ethical principles. Villagers also make all the costumes for the production and, as no wigs are used, participants must grow their hair and beards for several months prior to the performances.

Fares for the 18-day Oberammergau cruisetour begin at $5,319 per person, based on double occupancy. Capacity is limited on these special tours, and could fill quickly. If you are interested in this historic event, I strongly encourage you to contact me immediately to book this cruisetour.