Gargoyles: stone photos

Gargoyles, original caricature art!

You can find these unusual stone portraits in many cities across Europe.   They have always fascinated me .

                        What is the stone carver telling the audience?  What is each face telling us?

                         As part of my walking tour in London, courtesy of Context Tours, I
                          visited a church with amazing carving...............the photos of the day

This one shows a little fear?

Let me whisper in your ear?

Photos were obtained during a complementary tour with Context Travel.

People You Meet on the Road: QMII

ON trans-ocean trips the ship will offer to seat you with other solo travelers.   It is a gamble if you will get along or as happened on my April crossing, most people did not show up for dinner after the first 2 night......

A special crossing on the Cunard line several seasons back was a different group who attended every evening.   And I credit it to the two most interesting people I have met on my yearly crossing to work in Italy.   Mary and John were engaging, interesting and a joy to sit with.

Being a story teller and asking questions that others do not, I was very interested in John's military history.   He was kind to share some of it with me and I hope he does write his book in the future.

Even though the video was only about John, I believe Mary could write the book on how to speak to strangers and make them feel at ease.

Germany: off the beaten path, a 2 week adventure, summary

April 2015

German Towns off the beaten track
that should NOT be missed:  
Munster, Koblenz, Oberwesel, Augsburg and more


Munster
Famous for bikes, great beer, churches and the woman in the tower, not the cheese.
A very friendly town with great walks and bike trails as well as a solar boat ride  Enjoy the lively farmers market in the church square, a cafe on the main pedestrian street or the great cakes in the oldest cafe in town.

Koblenz 
A compact town along the Rhine river you have train or boat access to more towns  where you can hike, bike visit castles and sample wines.   Traveling solo in Koblenz, take the cable car to explore the fortress, stroll the river walks and stop at a cafe.  Part of a designated region by the World  Heritage site, Koblenz has an amazing interactive museum located at the tourist office in town,   A visit to the Romanticum  museum will give you a great understanding of the history of this are and you can leave with an embedded 'card' that allows you to read the information you downloaded from the many displays in the museum.

Oberwesel  home of the wine witch, the Lorelei,  a walled city with towers, the commanding castle overlooking the town.     Do not be fooled by the river view of Oberwesel.  There is much to do, see and learn.   The perfect part of the Rhine river to explore the other river front towns via bike, train or boat.   The interactive Stadtmuseum is a great place to start your tour of Oberwesel and learn about all there is to see and do.   There is a great tourist office just off the market square and close to the boat dock.  Hop a train and arrive across from another must see stop,  the Church of Our Lady.  

Augsburg:   A short stop in Augsburg showed me there was a great deal more to see!   Visit the City Hall to see the golden ceiling, the Fuggerei, relax in the center square, stop in a cafe and do not miss visiting some of the amazing churches.

Heidelberg:   In the old town, I learned about brezels, visited the oldest candy store and a visit to the castle.   Some towns you may want to spend more time exploring.  Heidelberg offered so much to see and do.   This University town seems to be busy all day but there are many quiet spots to stop and have a coffee or brezel.

Wiesbaden  An easy solo travel destination where you can walk to most of the city sites and enjoy the long pedestrian shopping lanes.   Enjoy the hot springs fed spas and the great cafes and cake.  Don't miss visiting the Russian Church overlooking the city.

Regensburg   Many surprises and solo traveler tips.  Be sure to try the sausages, take a tour of St. Peters, cross the bridge, see one of the towers, take one of the tour boats and see the underground excavations.   A very easy solo city:  transportation, touring, eating and shopping.

Trier  The perfect size town, transportation, location, and  a wide range of great things to see and do. This University city has Roan ruins, UNESCO sites, the St Peter cathedral, river cruises, and lots of restaurants and shopping to keep you busy.   But don't forget the great museums.  My last stop on this magical trip.

Other Off the Beaten Track Stories you might enjoy:
Stumble Stones
Brezels
Billboard Artist
Munster:  The bike capital
Woman in the Tower
Castles, Cruises and Cake


Solo travel can teach you much.  Not just the history of a city but what makes a country original.
I learned about traveling via train in Germany
How to manage on Sunday when most businesses are closed

I shall return to Germany to finish research on river travel.   If you have traveled in Germany via river, share your experiences.


Thank you Historic Highlight of Germany for a well planned adventure and your hospitality.
The photos and opinions on each visit are my own opinions.