River Cruise Oct 8/14

On Oct. 8, we left the boat at 8 a.m. to take the buses to Trier, Germany, a very ancient city, probably the oldest in Germany, dating to about 16 BC.  It was a lovely ride, though overcast and sometimes drizzly, and when we arrived in Trier, there were 3 local guides waiting to give us a walking tour.  A highlight of the tour was the ruins of the ancient Roman baths, the largest Roman baths north of the Alps.

 This gigantic bathing facility, known as the Imperial Baths, was  very elaborate about 1600 years ago.

This is a model of what it probably looked like then.

Not quite so impressive now, but lots of interesting stories abound concerning them.

Some of the underground tunnels were service tunnels, some were for run-off, which took the used water in a tunnel to the Moselle River.             

This huge foot, standing 1.5 metres tall and 2 metres long, is a replica of the marble foot of the 12 metre high statue of the seated Constantine.  The original foot, head, and other fragments have been housed in Rome for centuries.

 This is the Palace of Trier, dating back a few centuries, and attached to it at the back is a building called the Constantine Basilica, dating to the 4th century.

 This amazing structure, once the Constantine Basilica, built around 305 AD, is now a Protestant Church,  owned by a congregation within the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland.

By this time it was 11 a.m., and all three groups gathered in zum domstein, a restaurant in the market, for coffee and 3 kinds of cake.  It was pretty much a meal!  This old winepress was one of many antiquities to fascinate in this underground, very old building.

 When we went back out, it was POURING rain, and we made a bee-line for this cathedral across the square.  It is known as Trier Cathedral, or St. Peter's Dom.  The building in the next picture seemed to be attached, but they also seemed to be totally different buildings, and I do not remember what all we were told about them.

 
Possibly St Gangolf Church, a Roman Catholic Church, the city's market church, which rivaled the Trier Cathedral. 

 
A beautiful ceiling in the cathedral.

Another beautiful ceiling in the other church.

There were amazing stained glass windows in both churches.

By now it was raining so hard, we kind of lost interest in the walking tour, went to a Claires store to buy 2 umbrellas, then went to a McDonalds to put in some time and have a hot chocolate.

Easy to see that it has been raining hard!

We met the buses at the Porta Nigra (Black Gate), a city gate built in the 2nd century of gray sandstone.  In the middle ages, because of its blackened stone, it began to be called  the Black Gate.  It is known to be the best preserved Roman gate north of the Alps.

 

A lovely view from the bus window.

 


And yet another lovely view.

 

I think these are like cousin Sid's cows.

 

A huge castle near where our boat was docked.

 


And the castle at night.

That night we had dessert in the lounge, and the crew entertained us.  It was lots of fun!