Showing posts with label Uniworld European River Cruises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uniworld European River Cruises. Show all posts

6/21/2017

La Petite France: Strasbourg, Alsace Region, France



Welcome to Strasbourg, France! This is our fourth country on this month-long journey with J. Christina.  Currently, traveling along the Rhine and Moselle rivers with Uniworld, onboard the River Queen.  Strasbourg is the capital and largest city of the Grand Est region of France, and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Strasbourg is located close to the border with Germany in the historic region of Alsace. We find the  Alsace region to be filled with impressive cities such as Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse.

We arrive onboard Uniworld's River Queen, gliding in on the longest and most important river in Europe, the Rhine. Our ship sailed overnight from Speyer, Germany reaching Strasbourg on Thursday, June 22, 2017.  The Rhine river has huge economic activities, as it is indeed the most developed and active part in Europe with industries of all sectors. No other river in the world has so many old and famous cities along its banks: Basel, Switzerland, Strasbourg, France, along with Worms, Mainz and Cologne, Germany - to name a few.

We start in La Petite France the most picturesque district of old Strasbourg. Especially the Maison des Tanneurs, where fishermen, millers and tanners once lived and worked in this part of town. The magnificent half-timbered houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries, where sloping roofs open-out onto lofts, where animal hides were once dried. This district is filled with stylish wooden houses adorned with colorful flowers, gabled roofs, and chimneys - sometimes topped by stork nests.
Scribbles and Smiles by J. Christina
La Petite France - half-timbered houses along the historic canals
The city center, the Grande Île,  was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988, the only time such an honor was placed on an entire city center.  Strasbourg is immersed in the Franco-German culture but has been in a tug-of-war throughout history. The city is a cross-cultural bridge for France and Germany, especially through the University of Strasbourg, currently the second largest in France. And where the Cathedral of Strasbourg is the second most visited after Notre-Dame in Paris.

Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina
View of La Petite France, Les Ponts Couverts and the Strasbourg Cathedral spire from Le Barrage Vauban

About J. Christina:
J. Christina is the author and hobbyist photographer behind  Scribbles and Smiles, writing a personal travel blog from the Midwest. Christina (Christie) is married to John, a.k.a. Mr. Christie. Where Mr. Christie is right on-board with their travel jaunts around the world - sharing in their blogging endeavors. He supports, encourages, handles gadgetry and embraces the role of in-house editor - hence, their bespoke pen name, J. Christina.

J. Christina’s blogging journey began before the word blog was trending, writing about European travel destinations on share-sites, forums and online journals. After many years of intrepid travel, they thoughtfully opened their treasure-trove of European travelogues, artfully sharing with a worldwide audience. Intentionally sharing the joie de vivre through their words and images, so others can travel vicariously. J. Christina believes smiling with your eyes is a beautiful thing.

You can read their most recent dispatches from aboard an elegant European river ship, sharing the allure of Europe’s great rivers and their capital cities. Or, follow them through serendipitous discoveries in the Cote d’Azur, where J. Christina captures the essence of a perched medieval village.

J. Christina’s work has been featured on France Today, Bonjour Paris, The Good Life France, and Perfectly Provence.

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6/20/2017

Speyer Cathedral, Helmut Kohl: Speyer, Germany

Speyer is a 2027-year-old city, along the banks of the Rhine river in southwest Germany, in the Rhineland-Palatinate state. The town is dominated by the Speyer Cathedral, which is named Imperial Cathedral of Speyer.  It is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer, and to St. Stephen.  In 1925, the cathedral was raised to a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 198l.
This is day nine of our European river cruise. Our Uniworld river ship arrived in Speyer on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 8:30a.m. Where we are met by Herman the German, our tour guide, for our half-day walking tour.  Herman shares historic information about his city. Telling us the city of Speyer was liberated by the Americans during WWII, and then became part of the French zone from 1944 to 1989.  Herman is old enough to recall seeing Charles De Gaulle lead the French troops through the city at the end of the World War II.


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6/17/2017

Christ's Holy Tunic: Trier, Germany

Trier lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the west of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, near the border with Luxembourg and within the important Moselle wine region. Uniworld's River Queen  docked overnight  near Trier Harbor, along the head of the Moselle river.  Where we begin on Sunday, June 18, 2017, with a city tour of  historic Trier.

As the oldest city in Germany, Trier blends the old and new history together seamlessly with the Moselle river.     Trier was the largest Roman settlement north of the Alps, and had no less than six emperors ruling this Roman City.   Remnants of the old Roman city still stand, and is designated as a UNESCO protected site. Other Roman remnants are the Amphitheater, the Imperial Bath, and Porta Nigra (the Black Gate).

Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina
The Porta Nigra is a large Roman city gate in Trier, Germany. It is today the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps.
We start our visit at the Basilica of Constantine, one of two basilicas built by Emperor Constantine in 306AD.  This church was destroyed in WWII, as was 40% of Trier. The other basilica is St. Peter’s Cathedral - home of the Holy Tunic, a sacred relic donated by Constantine’s mother, St. Helena.

On Friday of Easter Week, in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI’s special envoy Cardinal Marc Ouellet, presided over a ceremony opening the pilgrimage to the Holy Tunic, preserved in the Cathedral of Trier in Germany. The relic, piously believed to be the ‘seamless garment’ worn by Christ at the Passion, was exposed for the veneration of the faithful, for only the fourth time in the last hundred years. According to legend, the Holy Tunic was brought to Trier – at the time when Gaul was the capital.


Notably another important fact, Trier is the birthplace of Karl Marx.
The Karl Marx House museum is a writer’s house museum in Trier. In 1818, Karl Marx, the father of modern socialism and communism, was born in the house. It is now a museum about Karl Marx's life and writings.
J. Christina is a personal travel blogger, writer and amateur-hobbyist photographer at Scribbles and Smiles.  Living happily in the USA, married to John, aka, Mr. Christie.  J. Christina is our bespoke identity in the blogosphere.  Scribbles and Smiles by J. Christina is a  means for others to travel vicariously through our blog posts,  Instagram and Facebook.  J.Christina has contributed to Bonjour Paris,  FRANCE Today,  The Good Life France.


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6/16/2017

Half-Timbered Houses, Castles and Cobble Stone Streets: Cochem, Germany

Our boutique river ship arrives in Cochem early on June 16, 2017, and we begin with an 8:15a.m. walking tour of the village of Cochem and a shuttle ride up to Reichsburg Castle.

Cochem is situated between Trier and Koblenz along the Moselle river. Few towns in Germany can match its charm with its picturesque beauty. Offering legends, folklore and a rich medieval history - woven into every curlicue street. Situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty surrounded by high elevations, steep vineyards and storybook wine villages.

Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina
view of the village of Cochem from the Moselle with the Reichsburg Castle on the hilltop @Flickr
Cochem boasts some of the most enchanting sights along the 250Km stretch of the Moselle River wine region. There are more than 4000 wine makers,  and a population of only 5800 - an area once settled by the Celts,  nearly 2500 years ago.


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6/15/2017

The German Corner: Koblenz, Germany

Uniworld's boutique river ship the River Queen sailed overnight from Cologne, Germany reaching Koblenz, Germany at 8:a.m on Thursday, June 15, 2017. We are docked within walking distance of  the heart of Koblenz.  We  begin the morning with a leisurely walking tour into the heart of Koblenz. Koblenz – Germany’s most beautiful corner. We are met by  Homeira, nicknamed Mira, our tour guide, who was born in Afghanistan.  Her family re-located to Germany when the Russians invaded Afghanistan, in 1979.

Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina
Monument  to Wilhelm the great, he was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was the eldest grandchild of the British Queen Victoria.
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3/04/2017

Portugal: Castelo Rodrigo



Castelo Rodrigo is a hilltop medieval village in central eastern Portugal. Throughout its history, the castle has been conquered and occupied by many, including Romans, Moors, Spanish, and  Portuguese. To see more images of these beautiful and colorful doors from this quaint village follow our link: http://bit.ly/2mKlArZ or see more about Portugal on Scribblesandsmiles.

Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina

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10/22/2015

The Belvedere - Vienna, Austria



Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina
Vienna, Austria  - The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables follow us from Vienna to Bratislava here
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10/09/2015

Vienna to Romania: Uniworld European River Cruise

European river cruising on the beautiful Danube River from Vienna to Romania with Uniworld River Cruises; with a land extension in Istanbul, Turkey. Celebrating our travels with a finale in Paris, France. November 2015

Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina

Travel vicariously with us below

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7/15/2015

"Les Baux" - Arles, France


Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina
2009-Ancient ruin "Les Baux" near Arles, France
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