Grevenmacher to Trier

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Early Morning Arrival

Artistry II arrived in Grevenmacher around 4 AM.   It served as a base for our visit to Trier which was a 30 minute drive away.  The town Grevenmacher is not too exciting.

Scenic Overlook

Our complimentary tour of Trier began with our bus departing the ship at 8:30 AM.   We made a stop at a scenic overlook with a fabulous view of Trier.   Along the way, we past several of the Roman ruins.   We'd had a choice to tour Roman Trier, but since we've seen other Roman ruins, opted for the Trier City Tour instead.

Arriving in Trier

For the newly arrived guest, the Porta Nigra is the best place to begin a tour of Trier. The gate dates back to a time (about A.D. 180) when the Romans often erected public buildings of huge stone blocks (here, the biggest weigh up to six metric tons).

Trier is Germany’s oldest city. Some say Trier is even older than Rome and that it was populated over a thousand years before the Romans arrived. Many Roman remains have survived, including a 20,000-seat amphitheater; the Porta Nigra, the only surviving fortified gate from the original Roman settlement, which still gives access to the town’s center; imperial baths; and the Roman bridge, Germany’s oldest bridge with stone pilings dating from 144-152 AD—all evidence of this once grand Roman city. Trier also offers pleasant market squares, Germany’s oldest Christian church, and a cornucopia of architectural styles—Roman, baroque, neo-classicism, renaissance, and gothic.

Porta Nigra

The Porta Nigra is a large Roman city gate in Trier, Germany. It is today the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The original gate consisted of two four-storied towers, projecting as near semicircles on the outer side. A narrow courtyard separated the two gate openings on either side. For unknown reasons, however, the construction of the gate remained unfinished. We will continue our tour of Trier in additional posts.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Grevenmacher to Trier

Porta Nigra

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Avalon Artistry II Chef's Dinner

On Board Chef's Dinner

Bernkastel

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Artistry II's very own chef gave a personal twist to our dinner in Bernkastel. This Chef's Dinner, which is featured once each sailing, was very special indeed.  As usual, there were regional wines paired with the meal.

Appetizers

Everyone was served an extra course, seen here in a spoon.  "Amuse Bouche" - Trout Filet with Horseradish Dip. 

Additional appetizers were "Vitello Tonato" - Slices of Boiled Veal with Tuna Dressing, Olives, Lemon, and Capers.  The Final choice was Caramelized Goat Cheese with Honey Peanut Vinaigrette.

Soup Selections

The two soup choices were Chicken Broth with Lemon Grass and Wonton and Cream of Green Beans Soup with Cheese Croutons.

We really enjoyed the soup selections at both lunch and dinner time.  Despite the warm temperatures outside, they still were a great addition to our meals.

Main Course

The choices were Filet of Pork "Wellington" on Madeira Sauce Served with Sauteed Leak and Basil Potatoes or Broiled Filet of Talapia on Walnut Butter Sauce Served with Yellow Endives and Violet Potatoes.

Both choices were excellent.  Of course, you had the standard alternatives to pick from if desired.

Dessert

Last but not least, we opted for the Small Chocolate Cake with Warm White Chocolate Sauce. 

Alternate selections included an ice cream creation and a strawberry smoothie.

Despite this being a special dinner, unlike on ocean cruises, you don't need to dress any differently, unless you want to.

Check our other posts for lunch and dinner selections throughout the cruise.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Artistry II - Chef's Dinner

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Bernkastel Wine Tasting

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Avalon Waterways 

River Cruise

Provided Front-Row

View to Wine Country

A short 15 minute walk over the bridge from where our ship was docked and we were at a local Vinothek for a complimentary wine tasting event.   This wasn't your typical wine tasting with just a few varieties.

VinoThek

Upon entering the VinoThek, we were given a German Pretzel (bretzel), handed an empty wine glass, and directed to the wine cellar downstairs.

Bernkastel and the surrounding Moselle River valley is most noted for Riesling wines, so those were predominantly the wines we tasted.  There were a few red varieties for those that prefer red wine.

As you can see in the picture, the wines were displayed in bins with descriptive signs overhead.   Each variety was numbered and a chilled barrel contained one bottle for each variety.

You could pour as little or as much wine into your glass for tasting.   It was best to cleanse the pallet between tastings by taking a bite of your pretzel.   We quickly lost track of how many wines we tasted.   I think there were more than twenty that we sampled.   Someone would ask if we tried number 25, and we'd have to try that of course.

Finally, we narrowed down our search to two different bottles.   We opted for the high-residual sugar varieties which were very sweet.   Not being able to make up our minds, we bought both bottles.   Avalon allows you to bring them back on board and consume them in your cabin without charge or you can bring them to the dining room and pay a corkage fee.

We almost skipped this complimentary event because we had a long day and thought about relaxing before dinner.   Do not miss this wine tasting event - it was one of the cruise highlights.

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

Bernkastel - Wine Tasting

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Taste of Bernkastel

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Enjoy Shopping in Bernkastel

The beautiful historical buildings of Bernkastel-Kues invite you to come and take a gentle stroll through the streets and cobbled lanes. Another incentive for exploring the town is to discover its various shops, which tempt passers-by to come in and take a look at the fascinating and diverse ranges of items on offer.

 Relax in One of the Shops

When we walked into one of the local bakeries, we knew that we had to try one of the pastries.  As we expected, it was quite tasty.

We suggest sampling the local foods when you are on walking tours.  If you aren't hungry, you can always bring something back to the ship for an afternoon snack (as if you can't get enough food on board).


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

Bernkastel - Walking Tour

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Good Morning Bernkastel

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Arriving in Bernkastel, Germany

Artistry II arrived in Bernkastel around 8 AM giving us the opportunity to capture some images as we first saw this beautiful region.

Walking Tour 

A local guide would meet us at 9 AM for a walk around the small but pretty village.   Because the other guides were running late, we were divided into two groups.  The other guides would join us during the tour in progress.

 Market Place

The entire Moselle Valley is famous for its beautiful and tranquil scenery, and in the middle of this region is the charming wine village of Bernkastel with its well-preserved half-timbered houses that have stood since the Middle Ages. We enjoy a guided walk from our ship that included the beautiful marketplace with its renaissance-style Town Hall and the “pointed house,” built in 1416.

Rathaus (City Hall)

Today's City Hall facade is a magnificent work of the late German Renaissance of the Trier sculptor RH Hoffmann (built 1608).

St. Michael's Fountain

The heart of the market place dates back to 1606, and is dedicated to the archangel Michael, who, standing with one foot on a dragon, holds a sword and scales in his hands. St. Michael is the patron saint of the town.

During our free time in Bernkastel, we had some unexpected entertainment. First there was a couple playing Alphorns and then a Yodeling Group performed in the Market Place. We take you to Bernkastel market place live in this video:

   

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise (Play all videos)

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

 
Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Bernkastel - Walking Tour

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Visit to Landshut Castle

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Optional Touring:
Cycling Along the Moselle

Avalon offered an optional cycling tour after lunch, but we opted to see the Moselle River from high ground instead. Those that went on the bike ride enjoyed themselves, so if that is of interest to you, we'd suggest including it in your plans.

Moselle River On Our Own

The ruins of Landshut Castle loom over Bernkastel. If you pay visit to the castle, which dates all the way back to the 9th Century, you will be rewarded with a captivating view of the awe-inspiring Moselle valley and the vast expanse.

Getting to Landshut Castle

The easiest way to get to the castle is by the Burg Landshut Express. You can reach the castle ruins in just under 20 minutes for a cost of 7 Euro round-trip per person. The Burg Landshut Express buses were designed specifically for making this round trip, making them truly unique. The shuttle bus service runs daily from April to October. Buses depart every hour from the starting point across from the Doctorbrunnen, Bernkastel Doctor fountain.

The return or downhill journey takes you past the youth hostel and though the Tiefenbach valley back to the starting point in the Moselle car park.

View from Castle

Once the shuttle drops you off at the foot of the castle hill, you'll want to make your way to the top which involves climbing stairs and a ramp.
It is well worth the effort, if you are able to do so.  You'll notice that I used my walking stick to get up to the top and was rewarded by these views.

You have about 20 minutes on top before the shuttle returns.   You can optionally wait for the next shuttle bus, but that will be an hour later.

This is the heart of wine country - vineyards were everywhere.

Watch this short video to see the view from the walkway leading up to Landshut Castle ruins.

   

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise (Play all videos)

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

 
Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Landshut Castle

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Patriot Day 2015

President Proclaims Patriot Day, Day of Remembrance  
By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day,” and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, the Congress has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized “National Day of Service and Remembrance”. President Obama officially proclaimed September 11, 2015, as Patriot Day.

In his remarks, the President said "On September 11, 2001, America experienced the worst terrorist attack in her history when nearly 3,000 men, women, and children were taken from us, leaving their families and our Nation with a void that can never be filled. But those who brought hate to our shores and smoke to our skies did not expect our country to emerge stronger, and our beacons of hope and freedom to shine brighter as a result. In the years since, we have stood strong as one people ‑‑ determined to further embolden our country's character with acts of endurance and strength; rebuilding and resilience; renewal and progress. In remembrance of the innocent victims who lost their lives and in honor of the families they left behind, let us continue to answer these heinous acts by serving our communities, lifting the lives of our fellow citizens, and spreading the hope that others tried to dim that day."

He continued, "As we reflect on the lives we lost and pay tribute to the families who still live with extraordinary pain, let us resolve to continue embodying the American spirit that no act of terror can ever extinguish. I call on all Americans to observe this National Day of Service and Remembrance with acts of selflessness and charity. In doing so, we prove once again that the power of those who seek to harm and to destroy is never greater than our power to persevere and to build. ”

View our WTC Memorial Album on Shutterfly

During our pre-conference stay in New York in 2013, we decided to revisit the site of the World Trade Center.  The site was quite different from the last time we were there.   Rebuilding of the towers was moving along nicely.  The 9/11 Memorial fountains had been completed.  Click on the link above to view the album.

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Remembering 9/11/2001

Each year we recall where we were when learning about the terrorist attacks.   We were on the inaugural voyage of Norwegian Sun, thousands of miles from home in Paris, France.   Our tour bus was filled with our fellow passengers, the majority of whom lived in New York.  The transatlantic cruise, we were on, was originally scheduled to conclude in New York but ended in Boston instead.

What was to have been a celebration of our 25th Anniversary, quickly became a very unique experience as we observed the hospitality and caring from so many people across the globe as our journey home continued.

See our article from 2011, FDNY May We Never Forget, on the 10th anniversary, as we recalled our journey back to New York to visit the site of the World Trade Center attacks.  Should your cruise vacation plans include New York, we recommend spending some time at the WTC Memorial and other historic sites in the city.