Sat 9 Aug- Bamberg, Rauchbier

Sat 9 Aug- after our nice buffet breakfast, we attended the disembarkation briefing, a reminder our cruise is nearly over. It seems like we just started - how time flies!
After a nice buffet lunch, the ship arrived in Bamberg, where we had a walking tour of the city, admiring the architecture which has evolved over the past 1000 years, still visible since the city was not damaged in the various wars that destroyed many other areas of Germany (and other European countries). There was a nice rose garden outside the Residenz, which we enjoyed, and a nice view of the city with its characteristic steep roofs and many church spires.
One of the unique products of Bamberg is Rauchbier[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rauchbier], a speciality since 1678 when a granary burnt down but they used the somewhat charred ingredients to make beer. The beer looked normal, but had a smoky taste, people say like bacon. So we stopped by the brewery, which is also a pub, and had some. It was actually pretty good, and got better the more you drank. We talked to a local couple at our table, and found they come here to spend a relaxing Saturday afternoon. They pointed out that the draft beer is tapped from small barrels, so a constant supply of very freshly tapped beer is ensured. We enjoyed talking to them, getting their perspective on various topics.
Back at the ship for dinner, we enjoyed Czech night: asparagus wrapped with ham, stuffed egg with vegetables, garlic soup (YUM), chicken soup, pan fried trout, broccoli quiche with batter-fried zucchini and potatoes, plum dumplings and melon ice cream.