Nuremburg to the Continental Divide – European River Cruise

Our first stop this morning was the Zeppelin Field. The Zeppelin Field was constructed to provide a large area for Nazi political rallies and mass parades.  Participants in rallies numbered up to 100,000 with such large numbers being deemed necessary by Hitler for mass hypnosis and suggestion. Nuremberg was then indeed a city of Nazi Rallies.

We were disappointed that the area had been cordoned off for rally of a different kind – there was a motorbike race on later in the day and all we could do was drive around the area. Still the stories of how Hitler and his generals used to hype up the troops here gave us goosebumps.  The visit to the Justice Palace was also a spine-chilling experience as our guide recounted stories of Nazi attrocities… it did not help with the morning temperature being cool as well.  We got to see Court Room 600 where the trial was held.

Today, Nuremberg has transformed itself into an industrial town, with 30% of German toys produced here.  Nuremburg town square was pretty shut and all we could do was to peer into shop windows.  We saw the Gingerbread (Lebkuchen) shop dating back to 1610. Apparently gingerbread has been produced in Nuremberg for over 600 years.

This afternoon, onboard actvity included a lecture on locks by a guest speaker. We go through 68 locks on this cruise and this section contained the biggest and most interesting ones. Seeing the road pass under your boat as you cruise down the canal is quite an experience! At approximately 6.00 p.m. we passed over the Continental Divide.  What an experience.

Helen