Set Fire to That Lot: Koblenz

The Peasants are Storming the Castle!!!!

We departed Cologne after our cathedral tour and headed to Koblenz, where we stayed the night in a lovely small hotel.  After a quick check-in and spruce up, we set off in search of dinner. We're not storming the castle, but we are setting off on an adventurous walk through the vineyards by the light of real torches!   We began our walk right behind the Flugplatz Koblenz-Winningen, the local airport, and walked through the vineyards to the small town of Winningen. Koblenz and Wnningen overlook the Rhine from opposite sides of the river, and are ideally suited for growing the grapes on the steep hillsides. The steep valley acts like a greenhouse keeping the warm moist air in the valley.

Ivo, our fearless leader and Co-head of our program.

Sleeping Beauties; the vines in winter.

We made it back to civilization with only a few wrong turns and one or two torches still alight.

Biergarten!!!

Spring is in the air.

Our final destination, the Winzer Wirtshaft, 
or Vintners House.

White wines rule in this kingdom!
We started with a champagne-like white wine, and then tried three more starting from dry and headed to sweet, although we never quite made it to dessert.  They were all lovely and we settled on a bottle of the medium sweet for dinner. 

1st and 2nd year classmates with Ivo our Sommelier!

Dinner started with a selection of breads served with cheese spreads and DRIPPINGS! We had 4 varieties of Flammenkuchen, similar to a pizza without the tomato base, including a dessert Flammenkuchen with apples and cinnamon. 

Lights on the Rhine

Room with a View.
The view from Koblenz across the Rhine.

On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again!
Another early morning and we are off to Nuremberg!

Dizzy Miss Lizzy: Cologne Cathedral

A much anticipated study trip to Germany began in Cologne Germany, where we spent the afternoon visiting the Cathedral. We were fortunate to have a private tour of the inner triforium walkway, to get an up-close look at the stained glass windows, followed by an adrenaline inducing ride to the top of the cathedral in a service elevator, which is suspended on the side of the cathedral for ongoing conservation of the windows and stone work. The pictures are worth a thousand words... 

Cologne Cathedral; 'twas a grey day...

The Tympanum

The main doorway through the west facade.

Medieval Glass follows...

Medieval heraldry surrounds the figurative panel.

Glass painting takes on the look and feel of an oil painting.

A medieval window celebrated for the exquisite painting of the drapery and clothing. Notice the figure on the left,  kneeling before of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The red tunic is painted to look like velvet and covered by a luxurious gold brocade. 

Victorian Glass.

A controversial modern window uses only squares of color with no lead net. 
The glass is attached to  clear glass panels with silicone. 
Contemporary German artist Gerhard Richter designed the 65-foot-tall work
 to replace the original, destroyed by bombs in World War II.

In medieval times, cathedrals would have been full of colorful paintings, altars, and statues. Many more survive in Germany than in England, due to the influence of a politically strong merchant class, who refused to allow destructive iconoclasm to the works of art that they had donated to the churches as family memorials.

We ascended to the triforium, which is the walkway that circumscribes the entire
cathedral, at the base of the stained glass windows.

The high altar.

A view of the city through the Richter window.

A wall mosaic.

The ride to the top in the service elevator, suspended on the side of the cathedral.

Catching our breath after the hair-raising ride to the top!

Double flying buttresses.

A view over the city.

Another perspective on stained glass windows, featuring isothermal protective glazing.

The inner roof space, reinforced with Victorian steel.

The Rhine from the bell tower.

Scaffolding suspended from the south tower for stone conservation work.

The highest heights.

Feet firmly planted on solid ground once more.

Show me the road to Nuremburg!

This was just the first day of a 7 day journey through the heart of Germany. Stay tuned for visits to Nuremburg, Waldsassen, Regensburg, Augsburg, and Munich!