Cathedrals and Castles around a Circle Grand Indeed!

by Dick Matulis

It was an impromptu decision for us to commit to a sixteen-day river cruise of Europe. The adventure began with a postcard from Grand Circle's International Headquarters in Boston, only steps from the Federal Reserve where I had worked for many years. Counseled by Travel by Judie's Terry Curran and Judie Leon, my wife Joan and I were convinced that this was a dream trip. Thanks to Terry and Judie, we decided to go and now we would like to share some of our experiences with you.

On Father's Day, June 17, less than a month from when we received our invitation, our son John was driving us to Logan International Airport on the first leg of the journey. Our Lufthansa flight took us to Frankfurt, Germany where we boarded another plane for Vienna, Austria. Here we were met by a tour guide who escorted us to the bus that took us to the River Rhapsody, a ship that would serve as our hotel for the next two weeks. No more unpacking and all meals were included! The 135-passenger vessel was captained by Ivan Galic, a multi-linguist from Croatia who would serve as an inspiration to the crew and passengers with his duende, charisma, and nautical ability.

We spent the afternoon of our first day in downtown Vienna where we visited St. Stephen's Cathedral and later saw a tour bus from Lithuania which reaffirmed that the land of my roots was once again truly free. That evening most of us were on deck as the ship began to sail the Danube to the strains of “The Blue Danube Waltz.” We hoped to witness the ship passing through a lock, not realizing that there would be 66 of them on the trip.

On our first day ashore, we visited the Benedictine Abbey of Melk with its 365 windows and extensive library containing thousands of carefully crafted books and manuscripts. The next day we crossed into Germany and the city of Passau located on three rivers. We attended an organ concert at St. Stephen's Cathedral which houses an organ of over 17,000 pipes, one of the largest in the world. We opted to dine in-town, and the waitress lit a candle on our table to supply a little romantic glow. Back on the ship, an experienced school teacher gave us an excellent lecture on German lore and customs.

In Regensburg, famous for its cuckoo clocks, we visited St. Peter's Cathedral in this town world-renowned for its sausages. We then took an optional tour in which Rev. Leopold, a Benedictine monk, provided us with a historic discourse on St. George's Church, named after the famous dragon-slayer. We had a chat with the priest who gave us a special blessing on the grounds. The monks are also known for their world-renowned brewery, which is almost 1,000 years old and is located in the Town of Weltenburg. We then proceeded by excursion boat to the Memorial Tower in Kelheim, saluting the various states that contributed to the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 19th century.

That afternoon we departed by bus for Belingrasse in Bavaria where ten of us visited the home of Hans and Emma Paulus. This most hospitable couple literally opened their beautiful house for a guided tour. Hans, a retired school teacher, also played in a local band. We toured his music room where he provided us with an impromptu serenade, using several musical instruments. That evening he was hosting twenty of his musicians. The tour concluded with a sumptuous spread of meats, cheeses, condiments, homemade pastries, and beverages. We treasured the trip and the charming hospitality of our host and hostess who also gave us mementoes of our visit upon our departure.

By now it was Saturday, and we departed by bus for Nuremberg where, with guide Andreas, we visited the vast parade grounds on which crowds had once assembled to listen to Adolph Hitler. We then visited Courtroom #600 in the Ministry of Justice Building, the site of the famous war crimes trials held in 1947. Finally, we went to the town square to see the marionettes performing at noon from the Tower of the Church of Our Lady. Nuremberg is world famous for its gingerbread and for its toys that bring visitors from all over the world during its lengthy Christmas season. It is also immortalized in Wagner's opera “The Meistersingers of Nuremberg.” We were invited to touch the brass ring on its 60-foot statue for good luck.

On Sunday, after a talk on Bamberg, a town in Bavaria, given by an American soldier who married a German national and settled there, we climbed a steep hill to attend Mass at St. Peter's Cathedral. We also paid a visit to an amazing castle featuring a unique staircase, and had a chance to sample a smoky beer that is the liquid trademark of the town.

On the following day, we visited Wurz-burg and by chance came upon a resident, pruning the brush around a memorial tablet commemorating a visit by Martin Luther to a Benedictine monastery centuries ago. He told us that he was present as a little boy on March 16, 1945 when Allied bombers virtually leveled the city with incendiary bombs in a retaliatory raid, which he fortunately survived. As a sign of goodwill, he left us his business card upon completion of our chat.

Our next stop was Rothenburg, one of the most visited cities in Europe. We rode on horse-drawn wagons through its ancient cobblestone streets, toured a Christmas Museum similar to Boston's renowned Enchanted Village, and walked along the walls of this picturesque city. We passed a vocal group from Indiana that was on a musical tour.

On the following day, we attended a glass-blowing demonstration aboard ship prior to visiting the charming town of Wertheim where the actual glass-blowing venture has its showroom featuring many attractive gifts. That evening some of us opted for an optional piano concert in a nearby castle, which featured a husband and wife team playing works by Bach, Dvorak, and Brahms, along with encores featuring tunes by Scott Joplin and “The Star Spangled Banner,” which most of us joined in singing.

After a brief trip to Offenbach, we finally arrived at the city of Mainz on the Main River. Here we visited the Cathedral of St. Martin of Tours, France and the Gutenberg Museum where printing had its formal birth with the reproduction of Bibles from set-print lettering. This surpassed the primitive system used earlier by the Japanese.

Next was a tour of a winery in Rudenheim, the wine capital of Germany. The visit included a trip to the wine cellars followed by a tasting for those wishing to sample the wares. We then ascended a steep incline to view the huge statue of Germania, a tribute to von Bismark's victory over France in 1871. This part of our journey ended at a downtown restaurant, with a four-piece German band playing for our listening and dancing pleasure.

As we reached the Rhine River, we were surprised by the heavy barge traffic and the plethora of ancient castles that for centuries had exacted tolls from the many water merchants. In this area is Lorelei, the rocky shoals where legendary sirens lured sailors onto the rocks and to their watery deaths. We passed a monument to Remagen Bridge which had served as a focal point during World War II.

Delayed by heavy berthing traffic, our ship finally arrived at Koblenz, a user-friendly city that even included a Woolworth's. The city featured manhole covers with decorative designs and several statutes to unsung local heroes. Then we visited a Jesuit church that now belongs to a different order.

As we approached the Cologne Harbor, evening drew near for the Captain's Farewell Dinner and the crew's entertainment. The fourth largest city in Germany and a major transport center, Cologne was greatly damaged during World War II, but its majestic twin-towered Cathedral remained unscathed. Shortly after his installation, Pope Benedict XVI visited the city for the World Youth Day hosted there.

By Sunday morning we had reached Amsterdam. We celebrated with a canal tour (where we learned the trivia fact that over 20,000 bicycles are retrieved annually from the canals), a trip to a diamond factory, and a choice of either the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum. We opted for the latter because it houses the major works of Rembrandt, along with other noted artists.

On Monday, we boarded busses for our trip to the airport, and were escorted by guides. Joan and I were members of what was termed the “Red Brigade,” shepherded by Brigitte Haase, an Austrian national, who greatly resembles our Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan. Airport security was tight and the lines were long, but they seemed to operate with thorough efficiency.

This was one of (if not the) best trip(s) that we had the pleasure of experiencing. The size of our vessel seemed ideal for negotiating ports of call not deemed navigable by larger ships. If ever we hear the old song, “I Hear a Rhapsody,” we'll know that they are playing our tune. It certainly was a Bon Voyage.