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Saturday, 3 June (continued). The drive to the castle was mountainous and very pretty. We could see Marksburg from a long way off because it sits on top of a small mountain. It was built in the 12th century and is the only castle along the middle Rhine that was never captured or at least partially destroyed. The last stretch of road to the castle was very steep and had only one-lane. Then there were many steps up to the castle. At the top the stones on the steep inclines were so eroded that it was like walking on the edges of ax blades. It was a tribute to Jane’s new knees that she was able to manage it.
We visited several rooms in the castle. One of the more interesting was the dining hall or Knights’ Hall. The long table was topped by unattached planks. After each course, servants could remove the plank and replace it with another, already set for the next course. The room also had an outhouse that simple projected out from the castle wall.
Leaving Marksburg at 15:15, the bus took us to the Maximilian Brewery, a boutique brewery only a few years old. We toured the brewery and had a lesson on the brewing process, followed by a delicious mug of dark beer and some German sausage. They had an interesting “toilet” in the men’s room for those who imbibed too much. We left the brewery at 17:00 and were back at the ship in an hour. The rest of the evening was uneventful. The ship left Koblenz during the night.
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