The Wonders of Germany, Part I
So I went to Germany on a choir trip sometime in early June. And as expected, it was fun, but busy. Between all the concerts, trips to McDo, and gaming that went on, I had little time to do things like buy souvenirs, write down all the places I've been, or take pictures. I've got a couple (160) and I'll post a few each day tell the story behind them.
So let us begin!
This is a castle. It's on a hill near the Rhine River, which is a river on which the whole choir took a boat tour. It's a pretty alright castle. But what this picture doesn't tell you is that there are fourteen flippin' castles on a 26-kilometer stretch of water. (I know that it is 26 km because I took a picture of each marker. Maybe that can be a subsequent story.) So anyway, there are lots of castles in Germany, for those who did not know that.
Here's another:
This is a castle. I think. Judging by the cars that repeatedly came flying out, that opening you see is part of a tunnel. So the inventive Germans, needing a road and not wanting a castle, turned the castle into an opening for a road.
And finally, because being on land is too mainstream for castles:
Yeah. It's just there. In the middle of a river. I believe that on the other side of that tree there is a walkway to a dock of sorts, where boats land and people go in and out.
So that's part one of my "The Wonders of Germany" series. Updates may not be daily, as there are other things in life to talk about, but updates will be regular and will continue for a long time, seeing as I have 157 more photos to get through.
Cheers,
Isaac
One reason there are so many castles on the river is that the rivers were the major roadways, especially for transporting goods, for many hundreds of years. Germany was a collection of little kingdoms long after other European nations formed themselves into nations. So, the boats going up and down the river would have to stop and pay a fee to each and every castle they passed, which is why some were so close to the river, or even in it!
ReplyDeleteNice pictures and nice post, Isaac.
Great pictures and commentary, Isaac! Four years ago, I traveled up the Rhine, too. Same boat trip! And you're right, castles, castles everywhere. But beautiful! I'm looking forward to subsequent posts. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you got to go to the magnificent Cologne Cathedral. If not, good excuse to go back!
Janie
Thank you! We did indeed visit the Cologne Cathedral on our trip, although it was a shorter visit than I would have hoped. Pictures may be up soon.
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