A new day and a new port.
We had moved overnight, and by the time we woke up, we were alongside in Traben-Trarbach. It was a lovely, bright morning, but there was a residual chill in the morning breeze. We had an early breakfast because our tour was due to start at 9:30. We left the ship and were allocated to one of four guides. Ours was a lady of middle age with a wicked sense of humour. She kept up a running commentary as she walked us through the twin towns (one on each side of the river).
This twin town flourished at a narrow bend in the river, the two sides being linked by a bridge since 1898. It became so affluent that it was regarded as the richest place on the Moselle for nearly 200 years. Like so many towns along the river, its history dates back to Celtic and Roman times, as evidenced by the many archaeological finds made in the region. From the 1300s, the Grevenberg Castle, overlooking the town, served as the seat of government until it was destroyed by French troops. Many of the newer buildings in the town were built with a strong Art Deco influence. It was the first town in Germany to introduce electric street lights, and Goethe famously stayed there in 1792.
It was a leisurely tour, and finished as we approached the boat, and the guide got a fit of the giggles. Jane, Trevor, Di and I walked back to the square and found a coffee shop, then sat in the square nursing our caffeine fixes. It is worth noting that today was May Day; as such, it is a public holiday, so very few places were open, and even our coffee shop was scheduled to close at 11:00. Di and I returned to the ship while Jane and Trevor went to explore the churches above the square.
The boat set sail again at lunchtime. We have a long trip all the way to Wittingen (near Koblenz), and are not expected to arrive until late evening. That’s fine. It gave us a chance to sit up on deck in the sunshine and read our books while the world drifted silently by.
There was a "Disembarkation" talk, mid-afternoon. This was a briefing regarding what would happen on Sunday morning. It seemed to be well thought out and very clearly explained for the hard of thinking.
At the end of the afternoon, we had the farewell event, where all of the staff were introduced to the passengers. It's always nice to see the people who are beavering away behind the scenes and get a chance to say "Thanks". The Chefs and Waiting Staff always get the biggest cheers, and today was no exception. After the farewell, we went down to dinner. (Di had Filet Mignon, while I enjoyed sole in a Madras sauce).
After dinner, we returned to the lounge for an evening of entertainment from Glen Williams. He used to be a member of the 70s pop band "Sweet" but now has an incredibly wide repertoire of songs and tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. He interspersed the songs with some very funny "Dad jokes" which elicited groans and laughter. He was really very funny, and it was a brilliant evening.
