September 21, 2019: Exploring Mainz & Boarding The River Splendor

September 23, 2019 cjbishop@yahoo.com

We broke the rules! Normally when we arrive tired after an overnight flight we try to sleep a few hours and then force ourselves to stay up as late as possible in an attempt to adjust to the new time zone (9 hour difference). Well, that did’t happen. We were at our hotel in Mainz by 3:30PM. Yvonne wanted to nap and I decided to walk around and survey the surrounding area. When I tried to wake Yvonne at 5:30 to go grab some food she said she was not hungry and simply wanted to sleep. I agreed I was not hungry and worked on my blog before falling asleep around 7:30. Although we had both taken a sleep aid (Aleve PM) we both awoke “ bright eyed and bushy tailed” at 2 AM! Oh, no! We both read for awhile and luckily fell back asleep around 3:30, finally awaking at 7:15. We lucked out!

Of course by now we were famished. The hotel offered a typical high priced (30 Euros each) buffet but I wanted a local cafe experience. Luckily Trip Advisor came through with several highly regarded cafes nearby in old town, a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We were not disappointed when we chose a little cafe called “Wilma Wunder”. It was a great way to start the day.

Walking to Mainz old town under an ancient grape arbor

Inside the Wilma Wunder restaurant- a modern look inside an ancient building.

Pancakes, fried eggs, bacon and lingonberry compote.

Tidbit for the day: I was pleasantly surprised at the current Euro to US dollar exchange rate. The Euro is currently valued at $1.10 which is a screaming bargain. I remember when it was in the range of $1.30 and higher. It is a good time to visit Europe!

The restaurant was located right in the middle of the Mainz cathedral square. Last night the square was empty. This morning it was packed with stalls and people as it was a farmers’ market morning. What a sight-young people with kids in strollers, old ladies with their pull carts, young professionals doing their grocery shopping! There were dozens of booths selling every produce you can think of- vegetables, fruits, flowers, honey, jam, cheese, fresh meats, breads, pastries and fish. They literally filled the square outside the cathedral. Besides the normal booths common to such markets there were unique motorized vehicles selling products- basically food stalls on wheels. I have never seen that before. It was quite a spectacle, one I wish we would see more of in the USA. When we arrived at 8:30 for breakfast the outdoor cafe seating was empty. By 11AM there was not a seat to be had! I was also surprised at how much beer and wine was being consumed by the locals at 11AM in the outdoor cafes and standup bars. It was truly a perfect picture of daily life in a European city.

Look at the color palette created by these items.

Huge grapes. One of many varieties I saw.

All the sidewalk cafes were busy by early morning.

Vegetables of all types, shapes and sizes.

One of the many powered food booths that sell meat, bakery, cheese, etc.

Ornate building in the market area. The people in the picture are at the wine bar which was hopping at 11AM.

On a previous visit to Mainz we had toured the Gutenberg museum so we did not need to see it again. We did stop to quickly visit the Mainz cathedral located in the square. This church initially dates back to the year 975 AD. Sadly it burned down the day of its dedication in 1009, but it was rebuilt. Its history is laced with multiple destructions over the centuries, but it still remains standing today.

Mainz Cathedral, also called St Martin’s Cathedral, first built in 975 AD.

Inside the Mainz Cathedral that dates back to 975 AD.

Stations of the cross inside the cathedral.

Each church leader since 975 has a stained glass memorial.

Each of the bishops who oversaw the cathedral are buried here and have “modest” memorials dedicated to themselves placed on the walls of the church

My major goal of the morning was to visit St Stephan’s Church which is famous for its Marc Chagall designed blue stained glass windows, that gives the entire church a blue glow on a sunny day. We missed it the last time we were here. It was only about a ten minute walk from where we were and Google maps easily led us to it. It certainly is unique. Unfortunately the camera does not capture the true nature of the color; you have to see it to appreciate its splendor.

The Marc Chagall stained glass windows behind the main altar. Each panel depicts important aspects of the life of Christ.

More stained glass windows on the side walls of the church, resulting in a blue glow inside the church.

A small glass representing the sun as it shines during the day. There are others that represent morning, evening and night.

We retraced our steps back to the hotel to meet our checkout time of noon. A short cab ride then took us to the pier where the MS River Splendor, our home for the next two weeks, was docked. Rooms were not yet ready so we were asked to relax in the lounge until lunch was served at 12:30PM. By the time we finished we were notified our rooms were now ready for occupancy. The rooms are well-appointed with tons of storage space. Yvonne was pleased.

MS River Splendor, launched in 2013, 442 ft long, 5 foot draft with a passenger capacity of 176 and a crew of 46.

Nice firm twin beds with a duvet coverlet. AC that works! Strong WiFi signal.

Biggest shower we have seen on a riverboat.

Yvonne rested and I wandered off to a nearby museum of ancient Roman sailing vessels. It turns out the Germans found 5 partially intact hulls of Roman vessels when building a new hotel on the riverfront in the 1980s. It turns out the Romans had a sizable navy stationed in this region of Germany in the 1st-3rd centuries AD. The museum used these remnants to construct several full-scale models of these Roman ships, which are on display in the museum along with the remnants of the original hulls they found.

The remains of one of 5 Roman ships found in Mainz.

Replica of a Roman war ship, based on remnants of ships they found

Another type of Roman vessel found in the area.

What Roman ships of the early 1st-3rd century looked liked.

As I walked back to the ship in late afternoon I was amazed at how many people were lounging along the riverfront, riding bikes, walking and drinking wine (mostly) at the many establishments lining the streets and shore. These people know how to relax and enjoy life!

At 4 PM our room phone rang and we learned that our travel companions, Bruce and Jan Bender had arrived from Colorado and were already on board the ship. At 5 PM we all went to the orientation meeting where we met the captain and the head staff on the ship. Champagne and some hot appetizers were offered during the meeting where we were given information about the ship and the activities that will be offered during our two-week journey. There are approximately 140 people on board for this trip.

Our captain, Peter, on the left and hotel manager, Robert (who happens to be from Croatia) on th right.

Our Tour Director, Alina IIic, who is from Romania.

A variety of hot appetizers were served during the welcome get together.

Dinner was served at 6:30. I was a bit disappointed in the menu and wine selection this evening but the food was tasty and the wine acceptable. Most people arrived today, including our travel companions, Bruce and Jan Bender, so everyone wanted to call it a night.