We are one week into a two week river cruise that will take us from Amsterdam, the Netherlands to Budapest, Hungary … or one could say from the Rhine to the Danube … or one could say from Western Europe to Eastern Europe.
If we were on a land tour of Germany, we would be in Berlin or Munich. If we were on an ocean cruise, we would not be anywhere in Germany. On a river cruise, we are visiting smaller cities and towns in out-of-the-way places … Bamberg … Miltonberg … Nuremberg. These towns all have a cathedral, an old town that dates back to the 1100s or so, and a specific way of brewing a local beer that won’t make them sick , like the brews of the next town up the river.
On the topic of beer, Miltonberg’s local breweries display the sign of the Giant. The star at the bottom means there is fresh beer brewed that day..
Another interesting historical and cultural tidbit: After WW II, many Germans wanted to totally forget the Nazis and expunge them completely their memory. But over time, they have completely reversed their attitudes. They seem to go out of their way to remember Jewish atrocities. In Nuremberg we were told that it is illegal to say out loud that the Holocaust did not happen. And German children are indoctrinated into their history beginning at age 13 in school. This is a far reach from the current USA position of avoiding anything that puts our country in a bad light, to say nothing about the conspiracy theorists who have questioned the occurrence of the Holocaust!!!
I noticed that there are very few SUVs in this part of Germany. Instead, they have many hatchbacks and station wagons. I asked about this, and the feedback was that SUVs are seen for what they were intended to be: off road vehicles and these Germans don’t live in the country. A logical response…
In Bamburg, the local brew is called “ Smokey Beer.” There were many stories about how this beer was first made, and almost all versions involve a fire altering the brewing process. After our tour of the city ended, I asked our guide where I could try this local fare … I must admit to ambivalence as beer that has an aftertaste like bacon did not sound very appealing. I was told where to find a cluster of pubs that featured this concoction and followed the directions. And then I found my savior … an Irish Pub with a Guinness sign. I went in and was told that this pub did not serve the Smokey Beer. I had their offering of a local fare, followed by a Guinness!! The tidbit here was not just the Smokey Beer avoidance, but also the only Irish Pub I’ve seen in Germany.
Another tidbit involves the Stumble Stones… these are gold plated names and histories of Jews who lived at the residences were the plates are found. An agency researched the plight of these former inhabitants and verified their plights. It must have taken a lot of effort to finalize these stories. I am not sure why they are called stumble stones, but you have to look down to see and read them. One of our guides that pointed them out to us did not like them … she felt it was disrespectful to the people to have us step on their Stumble Stones. She pointed out that the intention was that people bow and show respect when reading them, but I see her point. I do think it is wonderful that these communities are remembering those who were cast out.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 