December 15
The boat did, indeed, set off at 3:00 am and we went through our first lock around 9:00am. At 10:30 they had a Frühschoppen, an additional breakfast consisting of weisswurst, similar to bratwurst, sauerkraut, something translating to Bavarian meatloaf, German sausage and, of course, beer. After lunch we docked in Regensburg and boarded busses for Nuremberg, a 1 hour trip that took closer to 2 hours due to traffic. We opted for a tour of sights related to WWII which included the Zeppelin field where Hitler held mass rallies and the complex which housed the Nuremburg Trials and prisons for the top Nazis. About 95% of the city was destroyed by Allied bombing but the medieval city center was spared. Most of the medieval wall still stands and it is the most complete in Germany. We finished the tour at the massive Christmas market where we had 1 ½ hours to explore the market stalls and enjoy the gluwein and sausages before boarding our busses to return to the boat. We were about 1 hour behind schedule returning and dinner was being served as we arrived. A duo playing guitar and accordion were playing traditional Bavarian songs in the reception area and continued in the restaurant while we ate. For their final piece they played the traditional Christmas song “Feliz Navidad”.