9-Bernkastel

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Bernkastel

Sunday, 9 August. The morning in Bernkastel was cool and overcast, but at least it wasn't raining. The yellow group went on a walking tour of the town at 9:00. We first went to the Doktorkeller wine cellar (actually a large cave cut into the vine-covered hillside) because that was to be our meeting place later for a wine tasting. It was just outside the Graach Gate, the only remaining medieval town gate. We passed through the gate, walked by the Bear Fountain. (Apparently the "Bern" in Bernkastel is from the German word for bears, and there are legends associating the town with bears.)

Entering through the Graach Gate

Street inside the Gate

The Bear Fountain

We continued through the center of town until we came to St. Michael's Church (14th century). Its tower looks more like a castle keep than like a church spire, and in fact was once incorporated in the city defenses. There were remarkably well preserved medieval stations of the cross in the rear of the church.

St. Michael's Church (tall gray tower)

Inside St. Michael's

Medieval stations of the cross

From the church we walked to the Marktplatz with St. Michael's fountain in the center, surrounded by old half-timbered houses as well as the Renaissance Rathaus (1608). On a narrow lane next to the Rathaus stands the tiny Pointed House (1416).

Marktplatz: Jane at St. Michaels Fountain

The Pointed House

The Rathaus in Marktplatz

Jane at entrance to Doktokeller

We then had about half an hour on our own before we walked back to the Doktorkeller for the wine tasting at 11:00. The temperature in the cave was in the low 50s, but we'd all been advised to bring jackets. We sat on wooden benches as our host served us four wines in ascending order of quality, the last a riesling auslese. Then we returned to the ship for lunch.

Landshut Castle ruins above Bernkastel

About 2:00 I went back into town while Jane rested. I walked across the bridge into Kues, once a separate village but merged with Bernkastel since 1905. There was a much better view of Bernkastel from here, and especially of the ruins of Landshut Castle. The castle was built on a hill above Bernkastel in 1277 but burned in an accidental fire in 1692. I was back on board the Rhapsody shortly before it sailed at 3:00.

Jane with Faisal in costume

Supposedly a roast suckling pig

Dinner that night was one of the special meals. The theme was European food, and all the waiters were wearing folk costumes of the various countries. After two appetizers, a suckling pig (it looked a bit large for that) was carried in with great fanfare. Then the tables were called randomly to go through the buffet line. Later we were invited to the dessert table. I mentioned earlier that reasonably size portions were served in the dinning room. Unfortunately, that did not apply to the buffets, where we were our own worst enemy. Jane and I both felt stuffed by the time we finished eating.

We were supposed to arrive in Trier around midnight but, reservations notwithstanding, no berth was available for the ship until morning. So the Captain made arrangements to tie up at Issel, about ten miles short of Trier. We got to Issel around 10:00 p.m. It was a lovely night, slightly cool, and Jane and I decided to take a walk along the river to work off some of that huge meal. We wound up walking several blocks in the town as well. It was not a tourist town. People walking their dogs and an uncrowded beer garden near the river were the only signs of life.

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