Day 15, April 10
On Cruise - Nuremberg
In Nuremberg we feel a heaviness. It has a medieval history, but is, of course, much better known for its connection to WWII, the Nazi rallies and the post-war trials.The Germans have struggled over the decades with deciding whether to demolish all the Nazi relics or to memorialise them as a warning to the future. The latter has won out along with a program to use the venues wherever possible for "good" purposes including documentation of the atrocities.
The sombre feeling at the Nazi rally site kept my finger off the shutter button. Photos somehow didn't feel appropriate and wouldn't have shown the hugeness of the site anyway.
Medieval Nuremberg Castle was never breached due to its strong defences
An uphill and curving bridge across the empty moat put would-be attackers in a very vulnerable position.
The immense moat has never contained any water.
There just isn't enough water available up here.
The Schwanstetten lock is one of the biggest we pass through (and the biggest at a convenient time of day to take lots of photos). We will be lifted nearly to the level of that gap in the top.
Instead of swinging aside, the massive gate lifts up for us to pass under.
The lock gate!
Now that's a ladder I'm glad I don't have to climb.
Captain's position while driving through a lock.
Up here on the canal, there is no river to feed water. It's all pumped up from the Danube, so these massive gravity-fed tanks are used to shuttle water back and forth saving 60% on each operation.
Now that the lock is filled, the exit gate lowers into a slot and we go over the top.
Another cool feature of the canal is an aqueduct.
The canal passes over roads and other canals.
The Main/Danube canal goes over the European Divide. The monument marks the spot where water to the right runs down to the North Sea and water to the left runs down to the Mediterranean or Black Sea.
Tonight we are now cruising downhill for the first time, heading for the Danube and Regensburg
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