This morning we met our guide and headed out for a walking tour of Speyer. The Speyer Cathedral is the second largest Romanesque building in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is laid out in the form of a Latin cross. The Emperor Conrad II ordered its construction around 1030 with the aim of creating the largest church in the Western world. Outside of the cathedral, we saw the cathedral bowl which is located in the square. With a capacity of 411 gallons, it was filled with wine by newly elected bishops for all of the townspeople to drink. This tradition still holds true today.
Around 1090, the Bishop of Speyer established a Jewish settlement right next to the cathedral. The focal point of the settlement was the Jewish Courtyard, the center of worship and the location of the men’s and women’s synagogues, as well as the mikvah (ritual bath).
After the walking tour, we returned to the ship for lunch and then boarded a bus to Heidelberg, a preserved Baroque city nestled on the Neckar River Valley along Germany’s Castle Road. Our tour began with a walk up to the Heidelberg Castle ruins into the castle’s courtyard. After the castle visit, we boarded the bus again and rode down to the Old Town, where after a walking tour, we had some free time to roam around.
Tonight we enjoyed a special “epicurean” dinner. The chef explains each course and pairs a wine from the region. The wine served every night was excellent. Each evening, depending on where we were, they would serve one white and one red from the area that we were visiting.
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