Tue 5 Aug- Cochem and Reichsburg Castle, Koblenz

Tue 5 Aug- we awoke early to have buffet breakfast and be ready for the 8:45 departure of our tour of Cochem and Reichsburg Castle. We have a radio receiver and earphone that picks up the guides's voice, so it's much easier listening to the commentary. The castle has been on top of the hill for at least a thousand years, but was razed by the French about 350 years ago, and eventually rebuilt by a German millionaire using drawings and paintings of the original. It's a great tourist attraction, and lots of people visit each year. Only seven rooms have been re-furnished; the original furniture was sold when the owners were forced to sell it to the German Republik in 1942; but gradually the castle is acquiring items from the periods, and someday hopes to open more rooms to tourists. Then we were taken through the cute "old town", which was also razed by the French, so the oldest buildings are less than 350 years old. The town is characterized by shops for tourists: shoe stores, souvenir shops, restaurants of all cuisines, wine shops (selling Reisling, what else?) and hotels. Food and lodging seem quite reasonable after France.
Back on the ship, we had a light salad and BLT for lunch, and for dessert a frappicino. The ship departed for Coblenz, our next stop, at about noon.
We cruised down the river with rather steep hills on both sides, one side dedicated to vineyards, the other side mainly forest with dozens of trailer parks filled with campers, interspersed. Then there is an occasional cute town with church and castle. We see lots of swans, including some cygnets still grey color, but now bigger than ducks. We arrived at Koblenz, with its huge statue of Wilhelm I, at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine. Now we're on the Rhine river.
For dinner, we tried the salmon moussse and sliced beef appetizers; a draft Beck beer and last night's wine; cream of white asparagus soup; duck and fish main course; very nice desserts.
After dinner we took a leisurely stroll thtough Koblenz's old town, led by Monique. We noticed all kinds of cuisines offered, just about evertyhing we have in Palo Alto. Lots of hotels, beer gardens, wine cellers, stores of every kind. It's a big city, and we just briefly walked through a few streets.