Day 8 Tues. May 31/11 To Bamberg

Before I forget I want to mention the difference between "berg" and "burg." Not that this will really clarify it but we were told that if it ends in burg it has a castle on a hill and if it ends in berg it is just a town a hill.  Argue if you want to! 

Now below you will see the picture of 2 good students.  We sailed in the morning toward Bamberg and to be honest the break was nice after busy days of touring.  But just to keep us entertained and informed we had the choice to go to a lecture in the lounge called "Germany in the 20th Century:from WWII to Cold War."  We did not want to miss this since tomorrow we will going to Nuremberg.

Now Bamberg! By 1:30 after lunch we were on the bus for a short ride to the town centre with tour guide #4 Stefanie.  First impressions told me we finally had a dud but I couldn't have been more wrong!

Stefanie and Rik helping with the "gadget."  This was a voice box we used on all tours to hear our guide.  It was wonderful! 

At first I wasn't sure if I liked Stefanie's dramatic style and rrrrrrrollling r's but it did not take long to appreciate her.  Off we went through charming city streets and a market to .... you guessed it... the cathedral and residence on the hill.  I have not been able to determine exactly what is a castle, what is a palace, a residence or even a monastery.  They are all huge and ornate and I would have to study this more carefully to get it all straight. A castle is a fortress and the other types of residences often have a castle with them for protection. 

Stefanie is beginning to mesmerize the crowd. 

Makes our market look puny. 

I just liked it. 

Typical bike parking. 

A beggar with high aspirations?

This was a common technique.  We saw this 3-d aspect in other frescos but you really had to look for them! 

Half timbered. 

Gorgeous Cathedral

Incredible alter

Residence Garden

How could I do this at home?

Now!  Onto Bamberg Beer Experience!  We signed up for this optional excursion after the walking tour.  By this time we were pretty excited to hear that Stefanie was also doing this tour.  And, I am not kidding.  Bamberg is still in Franconia (now largely part of Bavaria) and it is famous for its excellent beers.  One dark ale Rauchbier, also know as smoke beer or bacon beer sounded particularly intriguing.  The adventure began with a stroll back down to the bridge to meet Rik with our "tasting" tickets and then off through back streets with Stefanie to Klosterbrau, a working micro-brewery. 

Kind of a sad looking crew but really we were in serious anticipation of the "beer experience."

At last...our first testing site. 

Proud helper holding a test sample. 

Our guide explaining what we would be tasting. 

These are our "samples"!  No kidding and this was the last of 3.  Full pints.  This tour is not for wimps! 

 Stefanie is a serious beer lover.  She grabbed her "muffin top" at one point and proudly pointed out that it was her "life preserver."  It was hilarious. She had us convinced that she would never sink.  Also, all the talk about red wine being good for you can hardly be matched with the benefits of beer.  Beer actually expands your intestines making food easier to digest!  Now that I believe!  

After 3 pint tastings going from light to dark we headed to a pub to taste the famous "bacon" beer, Rauchbier.  Little did we know it was going to come with a full helping of brats and kraut!  Of course we decided to end this experience with a taste of "Willie Schnapps".  Remember Willie from Heidelberg?  His favourite. Now back to the boat for dinner.  Are you kidding?  Stefanie is also a Franconian and like Florian she does not fit the stereotype of sour and dour.  Not even close!  What a great day.