Day 05 - Worms, Rhine River Cruise, Rudesheim, Mainz

We got on the bus super early this morning! Our eyes barely open we gobbled down a good breakfast in less than 1/2 hour, but it was hot!

On the bus Erik shared Galatian’s one, where we could see why this would have been Luther’s favorite book as he likely had the experiences Paul had in relationship to the early church. Singing Praise to the Lord the Almighty, lifts it all back to God, our Creator and Sustainer. ‘Oh let ALL that is in me adore Thee’!

In the city of Worms, we saw the Peter and Paul Cathedral which was turned into a Lutheran Church and the inside was much more austere without the reliefs, statues and ornate stained glass windows (although they DID have colored glass in the windows…) of the Roman Catholic Church across the way, filled with beautiful statuary which helped parishioners understand the gospel stories as they were all ‘preached’ in Latin.

There was a beautiful display of all the reformers, including those who came before as well as those who came after, across from the RC cathedral which impressed us all.

Our next experience, floating on the Rhine, takes me back fifty years to when I graduated nursing and with a classmate (who was also a good friend and a bridesmaid eventually) we travelled across Europe using a Eur-rail Pass which also allowed a trip on the Rhine!

To see the large ancient castles, many now in ruins due to high maintenance costs, up high on the hill sides, see the vineyards growing in the golden sun hoping to produce a wine that will compete with the huge bier production of Germany and see the high traffic of heavily laden barges moving up the Rhine towards Switzerland from Rotterdam and the Noordzee.

We just missed floating past the Lorelei, at marker 555, whose song hoped to lure many a ship’s captain to go closer to the rocks she sat on in the middle of the Rhine, thereby combining both the wealth of today and the mysticism of days gone by, dating back even to the era of Luther and the Reformation.

Speaking with a Bavarian ‘frau’ I heard we would pass a tower in the river where the children of of Hamelin were lured by the Pied Piper after the villagers refused to pay him for ridding their village of rats! Ah, yes, you also recall that tale from your childhood.

Our boat took us to Rudesheim where we had 1/2 an hour to explore this unique small town filled with eateries and gift shops, the best of which was Drosselgasse according to our guide, Ursula.

Then back on the bus for an hour to Mainz where a guide took us to visit the Gutenberg Museum. Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 14th century after many attempts with alloys.
His invention changed the world. God designed it so that as the Bible was translated to a readable version for all the world, the printer was available. Before this books were reproduced by hand.

Margaret