We left home several years ago in the wee hours of a January morning to attend a 10:00 funeral that was 3 1/2 hours away. On the drive we passed a beautiful farm where the morning fog was just beginning to lift. Last week we made the same trip for yet another funeral and we passed the farm again, but this time it was a bright summer’s day. I took both photos through the car window with my cell phone. Same farm, different season, years apart!
The following is a re-post of a story I wrote the first time I saw the farm:
THE QUIET BATTLE
Morning fog invades a lovely Kansas farm in the pre-dawn hours of a clear winter day. The fog will lie low for a spell, transforming rest into stubborn courage for the fight that looms ahead: an inevitable skirmish between Fog and Sun.
As Fog hunkers down, it blankets winter wheat and hugs the stubble of last year’s corn which lay dying in the field. It settles itself along the fence that separates the farm in stately fashion and it laces haunting fingers through the trees. It covertly surrounds the silo, the barn, the shed; and forms a luminous halo around the single light left burning to ward off possible dangers tempted to lurk in shadowed corners.
At sunrise, the battle begins. Fog is brave and refuses to yield, but the fight does not rage for long. Sun is a strong and formidable enemy. Flanked on all sides with no place to hide, Fog is swiftly defeated. Forced to surrender, a virtual white flag is waved as it retreats.
When the farm is fully bathed in golden rays, you would never suspect that a quiet battle had ever taken place here.
I knew it would come – the final day of exploring and cruising the Rhine! At 8:00 AM we arrived in Breisach, Germany; a town known for its sweeping views of the Rhine valley. It was a difficult decision, but rather than tour Breisach in depth, we took an optional trip to the Medieval village of Colmar instead. Turns out Colmar was one of my favorites!
The Viking brochure calls Colmar, France “a canal-lined Medieval gem”, and rightly so. With its 9th-century streets, 13th-century churches and original Old Town, it’s a storybook come to life. I’ve never seen such a colorful and charming place! In every direction was a photo waiting to be taken. My camera and I were very busy!
The ship cast-off from Breisach at 6:00 PM and headed for our final port of Basel. The evening was filled with celebration, starting with the Captain’s Cocktail Party and a final farewell from our Program Director, Emilie. Emilie was wonderful… always a smile, always a kind word, and always THERE! Dinner was also a celebration. It was a chance to say goodbye to the staff and crew, and to the friends we had made on our shared journey. After a final walk around the upper deck at sunset, we headed to our room to pack for home.
We spent the morning at Marksburg, the only castle in the Rhine River Valley that was never in some way destroyed. Because it was built with such strong fortification in 1117, this stately structure has been watching over the region as a fortress since the 13th century. It has survived many ancient conquests, the 30 Years War, Louis XIV’s campaigns, Napoleon’s rule, two world wars and decades of erosion; yet firmly it stands 550-feet over the tiny town of Braubach.
We seemed to have stepped back in time as we toured the mighty castle! Although it was used for protection rather than a royal residence, it had typical rooms such as a kitchen, a dining hall and bedchambers, plus a chapel, an armory, a wine cellar and battlements with slots built-in for bow and arrows. It also had a torture chamber with gruesome instruments from the middle-ages on display.
By 5:00 PM we had docked in Rudesheim, a charming river-side town with a medieval feel in Germany’s Rheingau wine region. We spent the evening in town instead of onboard, and I’m so glad we did. Locals and tourists alike flock to the Drosselgasse, a narrow cobblestone street lined with shops, wine bars and taverns. Our optional tour group enjoyed a festive full-course dinner served with unlimited local wine and lively oom-pah-pah music. There was singing and dancing and a hearty “Prost” (Cheers) all around!
We were busy, busy, busy in Cologne – the largest city on the Rhine! The second day of our river cruise started shortly after breakfast which was always delicious, by the way. (My favorite: made-to-order omelets, home-made yogurt and fresh fruit!) It was a gorgeous morning for our walking tour, the highlight of which was Cologne’s magnificent 14th-century Gothic cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With twin spires and beautiful stained-glass windows, this impressive church received little damage from Allied bombs during WWII while the rest of the city was hit hard.
Cologne City Hall is known by art historians all over the world for its Renaissance facade built by Wilhelm Vernikken, but most tourists know it as the place where a grotesque wooden face sticks out its tongue when the tower clock strikes the hour.
After a quick lunch on the ship (which had a perfect docking location) we were off for our afternoon excursion to the Bruhl UNESCO Palaces. We toured Augustusburg Castle and Falkenlust Hunting Lodge, both lavish 18th-century residences which were extravagantly decorated and beautifully landscaped. Having already seen several of Europe’s finest castles, we were only mildly impressed.
We got back to the ship with just enough time to freshen up before our evening out in “Beer City”. We wanted to experience the Brauhaus culture and sample the Kolsch – a light, crisp beer brewed only in Cologne. Our fun Viking guide led us to three different brewhouses where we sipped Kolsch poured fresh from the barrel into 7-ounce glasses, small enough to finish the beer while it was still cold. Of course, the moment the glass was empty, it was quickly refilled unless you placed a coaster on top of your glass to signify you’d had enough.
Next post: Beauty on the Rhine Day Three – Marksburg Castle, Scenic Sailing and Rudesheim
