By Eileen Ogintz
Not an unusual occurrence—two teenaged brothers thinking they were in love with the same girl. In this case, the boys were the sons of a German count when a pretty cousin had come to live with then in a castle on the Rhine River.
Our AMAWaterways ship AMASerena is cruising in the Rhine Gorge where there are some 40 hilltop castles erected over a period of 1000 years as well as steep terraces planted with grapes.
“The views never get old,” said John Joy, enjoying his fifth AMAWaterways river cruise.
As for the two brothers, the story doesn’t have a happy ending, our always engaging cruise director Rachel Couto Gomes tells us as she narrates the story and others as we pass castle after castle with villages below and camper vans parked river side.
Though the young cousin preferred the younger brother Henry, the older brother, Konrad proposed first. But then Konrad left to fight in the Crusades, returning years later with a pregnant Greek wife.
Angela never recovered and died of a broken heart; The brothers never spoke again lived in two nearby hilltop castles, Sterrenberg and Liebenstein. The Greek wife took their children and ran off with a Hungarian.
Of course, there are many versions of this tale including one where the two sons cheated their blind sister out of her inheritance. Liebenstein is now a hotel as are some of the other historic castles, many with stories about them. Burg Katz (cat castle) and Burg Maus (Mouse castle) are on opposite sides of the river, and the owners were known for their historic rivalry. “Cat and Mouse” are said to have originated from the legend of their conflict.
Couto Gomes tells us to keep an eye out for the gardens of the homes along the Rhine. “Germans are all about having weird and funny characters in their gardens,” she says.
We are served a famous coffee concoction with black coffee, sugar, brandy, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles called Rudesheimer Kaffee that actually was invented in 1957 by German TV Chef Hans Karl Adam.
After lunch, we visit Rudesheim, famous for Riesling wine and the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Falley. The town dates back to Roman times, and its old town boasts a medieval lane with flowers, taverns, and shops.
Again, we can choose an active or not so active excursion. My husband and our friends opt for a six-mile hike up through the terraced vineyards. I take the gondola above the vineyards to see a monument, Niderwalddenkmal that was built in 1883 to celebrate the union of Germans. Some guests opt to walk up rather than take the gondola or walk down through the vineyards. Others bike.
Since this is Riesling country, we are treated to a wine tasting in a cellar dating back 400 years. We learn there are 320 different families producing wine here with its perfect combination of fertile vineyards and mild climates.
There is also Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet, a collection of automated robotic and self-playing musical instruments dating back centuries including a band of 27 dolls.
Nashville lawyer John Rogers says he is enjoying his first two-week vacation in 36 years—prompted by his daughter Lara’s study abroad program. It is Amy Rogers’ first trip to Europe, she said, all the better to share with her daughter who will graduate from college next year. “We aren’t big travelers,” Amy Rogers said. “We have saved for this big trip and there is no better way than to celebrate Lara’s accomplishments.”
“We’re all loving it,” John Rogers said,
“So much fun,” added 21-year-pld Lara Rogers, adding that she likes hanging out with her parents and doesn’t mind at all that there are few aboard her age.
We return for what else—schnitzel and apple strudel for dessert.