25-Aug – After arriving in Wertheim, Germany, via the Main River (a tributary to the Rhine River) we stopped for a morning walking tour and shopping on our own. Wertheim is the most northerly town in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is situated at the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers. Most people have heard of the leaning tower of Pisa, but your probably have not heard of the leaning tower of Wertheim (Spitzer Turn [Pointed Tower]). The tower’s noticeable lean is due to 800 years of flooding rather than any architectural defect – a hazard of the town’s susceptible location on the banks of the Main and Tauber Rivers. Markers on the tower itself and other old buildings in Wertheim show just how high the water has reached over the centuries. Built in the 13^th century as a lookout tower, the Pointed Tower also served as a prison for drunkards and quarrelsome wenches. If two women were deemed to be shrews due to their fighting and bickering with each other, they were locked in the tower for up to six weeks. Since the only entrance to the tower was located 30’ off the ground, the women had to climb a ladder and then be lowered to the bottom of the tower with ropes. We were then off to Miltenberg for a short stop.

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24-Aug – We arrived in Wurzburg, Germany after breakfast. Here we took a shore excursion that included touring the Wurzburg Residenz and walking around the town. The Würzburg Residence (German: Würzburger Residenz) is a palace. Balthasar Neumann, court architect of the Bishop of Würzburg, was the principal architect of the Residence, which was commissioned by the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn and his brother Friedrich Carl von Schönborn in 1720, and completed in 1744. The Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, assisted by his son, Domenico, painted frescoes in the building. Interiors considered masterworks of Baroque/Rococo or Neoclassical architecture and art include the grand staircase, the chapel, and the Imperial Hall. The building was reportedly called the "largest parsonage in Europe" by Napoleon.  It was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II, and restoration has been in progress since 1945. Since 1981, the Residence has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its outstanding Baroque art, design, and architecture. Photography inside the building was not permitted.

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23-Aug – We arrived in Bamberg, Germany this morning and what a special treat we had in store for us. A long-time friend of both Annie’s and Dave’s in Kansas City had friends that were tour guides in Bamberg. Our friends contacted their Bamberg friends and as a result, we had a private tour of the city with Chris and Dirk. Bamberg is situated on 7 hills. We did not get to see all 7, however, we did see much more than what the Viking tour provided. Chris & Dirk even provided the .50€ (50¢) for each of us to use the public restrooms on multiple occasions, and not to be undone, we stopped a local pub and they bought each of us a pint of Schlenkerla Rauchbier which had a flavor of smoke and bacon. Actually, it was pretty good. They say if you don’t like it at first, drink 3 of them and you will love it. The smokebeer is a dark, aromatic, bottom-fermented beer with an alcohol content of 5.1%. The Viking Skirnir was only dropping us off for the morning so the tour with Chris & Dirk was only about 4 hours but we were introduced to a beautiful city which was not destroyed by World War II bombing. Bamberg has the largest repository of retained medieval structures in its’ remarkably preserved Old Town; because of this, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Google Bamberg, Germany for more information on the city. Many thanks to our Kansas City friends, John & Marlene and our new Bamberg friends, Chris & Dirk!

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