Pocket Hearts

Day 4

Berlikum to Giethoorn today.

Giethoorn a picturesque village with many canals formed after years

of peat harvesting.

No cars! Just boats and bridges.

Known as "The Venice of the Netherlands".

This village, in former times, was mostly Mennonite as late as 1838.

Here we had free time to relax and float down the canals in a

guided boat while sipping a cup of coffee.

Our "captain" was himself a Mennonite and took great pleasure

in pointing out thatched roof homes, Giethoorn life, and a Mennonite Retreat Centre.

He was funny and very entertaining ...

We did not encounter any goats but apparently the name

Giethoorn translates into Great Horn because of many goat horns

discovered in the mud in this area.

Suddenly we were in Germany!

It's so amazing how close all these countries are and that one can

easily travel from one country to the other so quickly!

After lunch, the bus took us to Münster, Germany for an interesting walking tour

in the old town centre.

Here is where the creepy cages hang on St. Lamberts Cathedral.

3 Anabaptists were hung here to their death as an example to

what would happen to you if you were arrested.

Do you see the 3 cages on the tower?

The Historic City Hall

Caught a quick picture of this beautiful white asparagus

and secretly hoped we would have a feed of it somewhere soon.

We did - eventually, in fact.

Aw Terry - I think he's looking at Marie as he points to this!!

Next stop - Dortmund for dinner at our hotel.

Sleep came easily by this point.

Day 5

Early Breakfast (breakfasts at the hotels were always

delicious and nourishing - all we really needed till dinner)

On the bus and off to Cologne ... on the Rhine!

The stunning cathedral and City centre held it's old world charm.

The cathedral was absolutely beautiful.

We wandered through the city square and down the main street

to grab some lunch and window shop.

Was tempted to buy some cologne - 4711 anyone?

Does anyone still wear cologne?

Off we went to St. Goar for a leisurely cruise down the 

castle studded Rhine River.

It was chilly but did not disappoint - castles everywhere.

Not only that, but we cruised past Bacharach where Jim and I had been

in 2006.

I have to admit, I shed a tear or two as I remembered ...

I deeply missed him on this whole tour and carried my small pocket hearts

made from some of his shirt material (left over from the quilts I had made

that first dreadful winter). 

He was with me in spirit and heart. 

I know how much he would have loved this!

Rhine Castles - just some of them!

Fellow "cruisers" ...

And then, voila - Schnitzel and White Asparagus for Dinner

in Worms, Germany.

Gute Nacht!

Till next time ... thanks for travelling along.

My pocket hearts