November 11 and 12, 2019

We arrived in Rudesheim in the evening of November 11 and we had the opportunity for a late stroll into town. Our destination was the Drosselgasse, the tiny street that is the heart of the historic center.  It is a narrow traffic free street in the old town. It was originally built in the 15th century to allow boat owners to move items from the river to their homes in the town.  It is now home to taverns, gardens and restaurants.

It was a bit drizzly but we found a restaurant/bar open.  A group from a Viking cruise was there having a great time with the band.  We had the famous Rudeshimer Caffe which is made with their Asbach German Brandy which is flambeed, coffee added and topped with whipped cream.  Yum!

The next day, November 12, I went on the town tour and the walk and discovery outing and Norm chose the train ride to the Siegfried’s Mechanisches Musikkabinet which is a mechanical music museum that’s home to a superb collection of 350 intricate antique musical instruments and musical boxes from all over the world.  Many are still in full working order.  The exhibits are from four centuries. Norm found it fascinating!

Here are some of his pictures:

My tour was a 5 mile walk to the Niederwald monument and temple.  We passed lots of vineyards which have flourished since the 14th century.  This is the heart of Riesling country and the terraced vineyards are truly beautiful.

The Niederwald monument is a 12.5 meter high statue of Germania, symbolizing the “guard of the Rhine”.  It is a tribute to the establishment of the German Empire immediately after the Franco-Prussian war.

We had a walk through the town too, and saw the streets and restaurants we visited last night.

Love the mailboxes!

This afternoon we will sail through the Rhine Gorge.  It is a World Heritage site and Jessie will narrate as we pass through the gorge and observe the many castles. Later we will be in Boppard and will have time to see this small town on the looping s-bend of the Rhine.