3 June ’04, Thursday. Quite honestly I didn’t know anything about Trier that I could remember prior to today. But this town has one heck of a long history behind it. It was founded by the Romans as “Augusta Treveorum” in 16 BC!!! Over 2000 years of history !!! Without a doubt it is Germany’s oldest city. Trier also boasts one of the most colorful markets in Europe with it’s outstanding ensemble of historical buildings and also being located right on the Moselle River. Louise and I will attest to the quality of the food at the cafes of the market square as well. Mmmm Good !!! The Dom “Trier Cathedral” is the oldest bishop’s church in Germany and was founded by Emperor Constantine. On the 20th anniversary of his administration he ordered the construction started around 326. It is a beautiful example of Roman Architecture. The cathedral also houses a most precious relic. Empress Helena discovered on a journey to Jerusalem what is believed to be the tunic of Christ. It has been retained in the Trier Cathedral every since. We found out at the tourist information center that if we tell them we are “Senior Citizens” we get special perks…will now we tell it to everyone that will listen. Budget, Budget, Budget. For $3.10 Euro ea. we got our passes for 6 different venues that we knew we wanted to see anyway. It was a great deal. The town isn’t too very large so we were able to walk from the campsite, into town, and to each of the attractions we had time for today. As it was, when we finally got back to the van we were wiped out. We found all the sites that we went to today not only beautiful to look at but, absolutely bowled over with the history behind them. We visited the Gothic church The Basilica of Our Lady, The Imperial Throne Room, The Roman Imperial Baths from the 4th century, the Electoral Palace and gardens, The Porta Nigra, which is one of the Roman city gates, and the Roman Amphitheater. Once we walked into the Amphitheater I remembered seeing Rick Steves standing in the center of this amphitheater and speaking to the small crowd around him. This amphitheater was so well designed that you can talk with a normal voice and be heard everywhere you might be sitting above. We also had an opportunity to go down into the lower chambers (under the dirt floor). We could only imagine who and what was kept under there and had to make their way up to fight for their life in front of the Roman crowds. Tomorrow….Oil Change for Bumble Bee !!!
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2 June ’04. Wednesday. Please notice our St. Christofer for safe travel. Our trip down from Köln to Trier was filled with beautiful scenery once again. We definitely are in the “rolling hill” areas of Germany. Great road systems that are built for those who want speed and for those of us that just want to enjoy the view. We enjoyed the view and in traveling about 100 miles it took just about 5 hours. On the major roadways I have maintained 80-85km and for those who have the Porsche or Mercedes they have the fast lane that is ffaaassssttttttt!!!! Otherwise, stay RIGHT !! For this trip we stayed with the major highway system pretty much all the way. We will take the Moselle River roadway back up toward the Rhine, and I am sure will make a lot of stops along this beautiful pathway. As it is, we arrived in Trier about 4pm and found our campground waiting. We had stopped at a grocery store to re-stock the refrig and shelves so we had what we needed to make a great dinner. Smoked pork chops with all the trimmings. Again we are right on the river bank and enjoy all the river traffic as it meanders by. A new thing for us is the shop next door to us. It’s name is Bootshaus Ruderverein Treviris….otherwise, it is a rowing club. They are really very busy putting in and pulling out the rowing shells all day long. They do make a beautiful site gliding up and down the river. They have been running from 1 to 8 people per shell and when they come back the shell gets a complete rub down. Tomorrow…Trier. 1 June ’04, Tuesday. Let me tell you, it’s hard to believe it’s already the 1st of June. Time has really flown bye this last 8 to 9 months since we decided to sell the house and get started with our journey. Louise and I mention it everyday that we are really having the time of our life and wish that all of you could be here with us. Each day and moment is special. The one thing that we have to be careful of is not to become complacent. Yesterday about 1:30 we drove across the borders of Belgium and Germany. Today we walked across a bridge crossing the Rhine River and caught a tram into Köln to do a little sightseeing. As we approached downtown we were looking out of the windows to keep an eye on the Cathedral. This is always a landmark in the center of the towns and cities. Well just when we thought we might be getting close, the tram went underground and started going into right and left hand turns underground. Well to say the least we started to panic and jumped off….too early. As you come up out of the underground, all the tall buildings around you make it impossible to see the bell towers of the cathedral. No idea as to were you are…. The first direction we were given was completely opposite of what we wanted. Our second choice sent us directly to the Dom (Cathedral). Of course it was through a huge shopping area so we had a chance to catch up on some window shopping. Our first goal was to find an internet café. We found one and spent just under 2 hours on-line. Then onto a guided tour of the Köln Dom. This is Germany’s most visited sight. It also houses “fat Peter” which is the largest free swinging bell in world. It also houses the “Golden Shrine” which is said to hold relics and some bones of the Three Kings. The construction for the Dom started in 1248 but, wasn’t completed until 1880. Köln (Cologne) was made famous around the world by what started out as a medicine but ended up being one of the best known perfumes (Eau de Cologne). How’s that for a tidbit? Tomorrow…Down the Rhine to the Moselle and Trier, Germany. |
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