AnhaltER1960

Hello pacmom, from what I read, plannings for Christmas markets in eastern Germany go ahead as in any normal year. This is unlike last year, when many markets had already been called off by that time of year. Of course Covid is not over, though the figures are relatively low in Germany an especially in the eastern part at the moment. On many sites you read that some hygiene concepts are being developed and will be put in place depending on the figures. So be prepared that anything can happen from wearing masks (no fun to drink mulled wine through masks) to limited access by number or vaccinated/recovered guests only up to cancellation altogether on short notice, if the situation requires.

Actual figures seem to suggest that the fourth wave is running dead, maybe against the rising number of vaccinated people. So I dare to place a bet, that at least some markets will take place.

Please be aware that no market will start before Nov 21st - most will start in the week before first advent. Also take a look at medium sized or smaller places, which often have more romantic settings markets than the big cities. Meissen, Annaberg, Seiffen, just to name a few in the vicinity of Dresden.

@notamermaid, definitely things in your region are much worse. Here in the Middle Elbe area we do have a much wetter summer than average, contrast to the dry summers in previous years. The Elbe has got healthy water levels, a bit higher than standard, but far from flood levels. And that disastrous low-pressure weather is moving finally. It left some floods, severe floods, in some side valleys of Saxon Switzerland and the Ore Mountains upriver, but not for the Elbe in general. It would be perfect cruising conditions here.

There is only one catastrophe county in my neighborhood: The county of Anhalt-Bitterfeld suffered from a ransomware-attack on their servers, which are down now. Administration forces to stay idle, no registration of cars, no payout of welfare, no construction permits, no nothing

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

No problem. Actually, it is just a fun thing, saying "over to you" or your turn" or something.

 

Props? A nice idea to commemorate the important event, it really looks kind of official.

 

Sorry, my photo was not taken in Alsace.

 

notamermaid

 

To me it looks like some vine village at the Moselle. But no idea which one.

On 6/13/2021 at 8:58 PM, dogs4fun said:

I love Dresden's Elbe promenade. Do you mind sharing at which hotel you stayed?

 

The description sounds like the "Bellevue". Ran by different hotel chains over the years. It was Maritim earlier, Westin as well. Now it is Bilderberg. Look here https://www.bilderberg-bellevue-dresden.de/

3 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

I think these are merely German & English translations of the Russian inscription. 

I think youre right. After remembering the place I recall these inscripts were added in different languages. Next to a famous bridge, which survived the war, but not the post-unification construction boom.

4 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Hm. Nice one.

 

My first thought was the Dnieper but Chris says the text is Russian, not Ukrainian. So next I went to Crimea but I don't find this statue in my pix from either Yalta, Sebastopol, or Odessa.

 

The Russian text certainly doesn't rule out Ukraine and the Dnieper but I don't know where this statue is.

Yes, the text is Russian and talks about the eternal glory of the victorious Red Army in their fight against faschist Germany. Could be anywhere between Berlin and Wladivostok. I cannot read the writing on those dark stone plates though. Flat landscape in the background cannot narrow it down, too, as this is frequently met in eastern Europe.  No guess from my side yet.

On 4/12/2021 at 10:21 PM, gnome12 said:

Is it going to be another year of decent water levels but no sailing on the river due to Covid?

 

I tend to answer "yes". The water levels are still quite healthy and it keeps raining upriver. So no problems from this side.

The federal states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt lifted their ban on river cruises recently with the lover covid-infection figures, so at least in Germany Elbe cruises are possible again. But of course no one was able to plan in advance across two countries, Germany and Czech Republic, let alone international travel. I still do not see Elbe cruises announced by Viking or Croisieurope until September. Viking have planned the bus variation "Cities along the Elbe" anyway  until September and Croisi have announced a sailing in October.

6 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

 Try and get to Niederwald-Denkmal for the huge statue and amazing view. If you have the stamina, hike over and down to Assmannshausen, a more "sophisticated" village and quieter.

 

notamermaid

 

and enjoy a well deserved meal at "Die Krone" in Assmannshausen 🙂

I have never heard complaints of engine noise by Astrild clients, but complaints about scratching river bottom on on low water levels. But water levels are somewhat hard to predict.

Just be prepared to jump quickly, if a big one gets out of control:

On 5/26/2021 at 12:22 AM, ninaks said:

Thank you for the offer of help.  In Baden Baden, they have these choices: 

Choice of 

Festspielhaus guided visit

Caracalla Thermal Bath

Sea Salt Grotto

 

In Speyer

 

Choice of 

Speyer walking tour

Private Doktorenhof Vinegar Estate visit and tasting

 

in Boppard

 

Choice of 

Boppard village stroll

Let's Go" Rhine biking, 

"Let's Go" Rhine hiking

Rheinstein visit

Rüdesheim walk with local treats

Rheinweinwelten visit - The best Rhine Rieslings

I did not do any of those excursions, but know most of the destinations from land visits.

* Baden-Baden: If your tour allows a bit of time for the spa experience, then I would go for Caracalla Thermal Bath - they are great. If its just "looking at", then the Festspielhaus is more interesting.

* Speyer: I dont know the vinegar estate, but vinegar tasting does not sound appealing to me. Speyer is a lovely town and the cathedral is among the grandest church rooms you will ever see.

* Boppard. The place itself is not all too exciting, so I support hike or bike trip, esp., if you get to Vierseenblick.

* Rüdesheim: I support the idea to do a DIY with the gondola up to Niederwald-memorial and walking back though the vineyards. Rüdesheim itself is pretty, but veeeeery touristy.

Of course, it can become warm in Germany and in northwest of France in July/August. But if you have survived Florida heat, you will do fine. Not that bad here. Also, consider that you will automatically have a breeze, while the ship is moving. So it might be worth to look for an itinerary with lots of daytime cruising.

Try to avoid excursions with long bus rides/many stops. Expect the buses to be airconditioned, but they are usually not allowed to have the engine running, while waiting and thus can heat up.

Back to the original question: The Rhine flows in northerly direction from Basel to Amsterdam. Means starboard cabins have morning sun, port cabins have evening sun. Docking ports are on either side of the river, so it is a coin throw, whether you see a quay wall or the open river (and another coin throw to see a rafting ship alongside or not).

The really interesting landscape of the Middle Rhine valley you will want to see from the sundeck with a 360 view anyway. Other parts of the Rhine are pretty boring, dykes or canal, so the cabin view does make a difference. If morning or evening sun make a difference to you, chose. Otherwise toss a coin.

17 hours ago, Renmar said:

OK here is the next one. I had to crop the picture otherwise it would be too easy because the name of the place was on the picture. It is probably still easy for some who have been to this place.

Name the place, city & river to win the right to post the next picture.

 

Theo

 

 

Poland is not lost yet ... remembering some partition of Poland ? But no idea where

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

Bockenheimer Warte station Frankfurt. CA

Yes, thats the one.

Concrete lovers go ahead ... This is a shot shown on wikimedia commons

12 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

Nice photo @jpalbny

Don't you just hate it when you have a couple of centaurs fighting over a fish? 😊

As a customer I dont mind who caught the fish - given they caught it. Danish or German - the fish does not care.

June is an easy answer now: Its not happening. Look here https://www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk/my-trip/current-sailings/index.html

Further out, there are still many hurdles, as steamboats has mentioned. There is no prospect of sailings on German rivers iun the near future and there is not prospect for international travel between the US and Europe for touristical purposes.

My glass bowl says, river cruises cross-border in Europe+travel into Europe for touristical purposes+travel back to the US without quarantine will not happen until autumn, and probably not at all in 2021.

According to the Viking website as of April 6th, Viking have cancelled all their Russia and Ukraine sailings in 2021. Look here: https://www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk/my-trip/current-sailings/index.html

11 hours ago, Canal archive said:

No it’s definable a winery.

Winery or refinery ?

7 hours ago, Coral said:

I have friends who tried to buy a Volvo locally - it was more expensive locally. It was cheaper to order a new one through the same dealer, they included 2 Business class flights over to Sweden and they drove around Sweden and Denmark for a week and then flew home, waited 2 months and their Volvo arrived. They loved the experience and the tour of the Volvo plant.

 

My guess is Audi is the same. Another friend looked at buying a Porsche when they were spending a semester there and then having it shipped home. They didn't and I am not sure why.

Something well worth looking at. I remember some 40 ys ago, my parents living in Germany bought a new Volvo and found out it was way cheaper then to order the car in the US and do the self-pickup at the factory in Gothenburg. Required some side-orders like a km-tachometer instead of mileage and it was some fun re-entering Germany ("anything to declare? - yes, the whole car"), as they were not prepared for this, and wouldnt have noticed themselves. But even allowing for import-duty the price difference paid a one week family holiday and there was still something left. And a car dealer in Providence RI (whom we never met, a friend did the paperwork there) sent christmas cards for many years.

@notamermaid, here youve got a picture of the Oder river 🙂 Many houses in far easter Germany look like this.

But in contrast the gardens and hedges are accurately shaped. Si I'd rather suggest some romantic ruin as part of some stately park. But no idea, where this may be.

9 hours ago, ljandgb said:

I have a lot of pictures of random artwork of faces I find interesting.  Not sure why they grab me.  As to who painted it, or usually even who they are, I usually have no clue.  If you do know, I'd love to know who the man is.

Here you go: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Witte_Ivan_Osipovich.jpg

4 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

I'll give it a go just to get things moving.

The photo depicts the Judensau on the facade of Pfarrkirche St. Marien (famous church where Martin Luther preached) in Wittenberg, Elbe River.

If correct, I declare a wild card.

 

Absolutely, yes, that is correct.

Later I will write a bit more about that object.

13 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Here is an article from the Times of Israel about this sculpture and the issue generally.  It seems that a consensus has developed to keep these in place as that is the only way to explain the historical context:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/bavaria-to-leave-medieval-anti-semitic-jew-pig-sculptures-on-churches/

 

Indeed, looks like a great majority. No consensus though, as the article ends " He has taken the case to a federal court." That is the next level on the agenda. European court would be level 4.