Five more locks under our belts by the time we arrived in Bamberg in the morning. This is Franconia, a part of Bavaria. Bamberg is also known as Bergstadt, the City on the Hills.
We had thought we might take a morning off from the guided walking tour routine. But then we learned that we were docked in an industrial area and not in walking distance of the town. We also read that Bamberg's entire Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So we scampered to get ready and catch the morning bus for a 20-minute ride to the town.
We spent the next hour and a half walking through parts of the city. We started in the main pedestrian area of town. There was a harvest festival occurring, and people were busy setting up tables and booths.
We walked through the old fishermen's houses and crossed over a bridge for our first view of the oh-so photogenic Old Town Hall.
We then climbed the hill to the cathedral, or the Dom. We couldn't get inside this day, because there was a large ordination of priests occurring. We walked by the Bishop's Palace and rose garden.
We then descended a steep stairway to the lower town, filled to the brim with charming old buildings.
We had some time to wander in the town and share the festival vibe. There was a little train taking families through the main area, and there was a funky little carousel. We saw a choir singing and a guitar and drum duo. There were games of chance and many, many tables filled with people with their steins of beer (at 10:30-11:00am). There were people selling items, and of course food stalls. There were some fabulous porcini and chanterelle mushrooms. A fall festival in full swing.
At 11:30am, we headed back to the ship. We expected to sail immediately, but our departure was a bit delayed. Then we were off. We learned later that someone had missed the bus transfer and hence our departure. He had to take a taxi to meet us at our first lock, but the taxi driver couldn't find the right spot and he had to go to the second lock, by which time we were on the Main River (no longer on the canal). Bet that was a tense (and expensive) ride. The captain was very clear from the beginning that it is our responsibility to catch the buses and the ship departures, which are very clearly and repeatedly announced. The ship cannot afford to wait for us and lose position for the locks. This is a well-oiled machine, and we have been warned to stay alert and keep with the schedule. Each day as we leave, there are printed slips of paper with the address of our docking location (if we need to get there by taxi rather than bus) and local phone number if we need to communicate with the ship. I've made a habit of taking this information, but this was a potent reminder of why one has to pay attention to the stated times.
After lunch on board, we had a presentation on the European Union by the same historian who had talked about the canal the day before. Very interesting background and thoughts about what is and isn't working
Jerry and I had signed up for a tour of the galley in midafternoon. It's amazing what the crew can do in such a small space. It was a brief tour and talk, but a nice behind-the-scenes opportunity.
Our chef explaining how they do the expediting and plating for 150 people in a short time.
The rest of the afternoon was spent peacefully gliding down the narrow, leafy Main River, with the occasional lock to entertain us. We have many locks to navigate before our next stop, but most will occur during late evening and overnight.
Out comes one boat...
...and in we go.
It was a very pleasant sailing day, with views of towns and buildings along the way. Just another day on the river.
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