Sunday 16 April 2017

The fourth day on board the Viking Idi - Scenic Mittel Rhine.

Views of Rudesheim - before casting off.



Moving off from our overnight moorings travelling up river......



.....before turning round again to head north (down river).



Vineyards and statue near Rudesheim.



Castle Klop at Bingen.



Ehrenfels Castle ruins.



Mäuseturm Toll Tower



Rheinstein Castle.



Reichenstein Castle



Sooneck Castle.



Niederheimbach.



Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary and Heimburg Castle.



Fürstenberg Castle Ruin



That really is the sun!



Heimburg - at kilometer 542.



Stahleck Castle



The town of Bacharach.



The Toll Station at Pfalzgrafenstein - with Gutenfels castle on the hill behind.    



Trains and boats and..............



Schönburg Castle



The Church of Our Lady at Oberwesel.



Looking back at the church and Burg Schonburg.



Even the railway tunnels are castles!



St Martins Parish Church



Ochsenturm (Ox Tower)



By river, road and rail.



Approaching Lorely



The Loreley statue.....



....zoomed in as best I can.



Castle Katz



A closer view of Castle Katz (Cat).





Loreley Ferry.



Rheinfels Fortress
 


There was a vintage car rally taking place on the far bank.....



.... I managed to snap a couple of the participants......



.... at extreme range.



Maus (Mouse) Castle



I'm not sure what this is called???? - linky.



Arriving at Koblenz - with Fortress Ehrenbreitstein on the hill.



We had a coach excursion to Marksburg Castle - in which Kay took a great interest.



Approaching Marksburg Castle.



Fancy building a tower in the middle of a busy road!



The castle keep being invaded by a load of Vikings!



Looking up at the battlements.



Can you crochet one for me Kay???



At last - our groups turn to go through the entrance door.



Inside Castle Marksburg.......



.... to see the heraldry....



.... and the upperworks.



The castle is in a strategic position to control the Rhine traffic.



Pay your tolls or.......



....we'll get the enforcer out.



This is the privy - you hang out over the outer wall - and do your thing! Watch out for blowbacks though.



Wine cellar.



The oven.



The kitchen.



The freezer.



The bedchamber.



A place to relax.



Remember that privy? - this is the inside. A real 'hole-in-the wall'



Painted murals on the bedchamber walls.



The castle had a small museum of armour through the ages - this is Trojan.......



... Roman, medieval etc....



.... and the rest.



What passed for Eastenders in those days ???



A room for guests who can't pay.



The forge room.



Back in Koblenz - this view from the cable car up to the fortress.



Passing traffic.



Viking Idi at her moorings.



Our cable car (No 17) had a glass bottom.



The confluence of the rivers Rhine and Moselle - called Deutsches Eck (German Corner).



Stylistic viewing platform at the top of the fortress.



Looking down from the viewing platform.........



.... and back up from the shore. Note the route of the old funicular railwayy up to the fortress.



Strolling on the 'German Corner'.



Equestrian statue of Wilhelm I - the first German Emperor.



The Circle of Life??



What happens to passengers who don't pay their bar bill!



Some of the crew dressed in Bavarian costume for a 'Taste of Europe' evening.