September 6

Good-bye To Prague / The Bastei / Welcome Aboard The Bayla

Yet another FULL day and maybe THE BEST day of the adventure.  We began bright and early (again) by joining the "Jewish Prague" excursion at 8:30 am.  We headed down to the Jewish Quarter of the city which has been there since the 14th century.  We went inside three synagogue buildings - two are not active, the third was and walked through the ancient Jewish Cemetery.  It was amazing, astonishing, heart-rendering and really a great experience.  Inside the first synagogue we learned alot about the history of the Prague Jewish community since ancient times.  One interesting story which I didn't know - which honestly surprised me since I taught World History and alot of it had to do the Jewish history....we saw an authentic hat worn by medieval Jews, and it was yellow.  Why the color yellow we were asked?  I knew that during the 1930's and 40's many Jews were forced to wear yellow stars by the Nazi's but what I didn't know was that (a) the Jews in Europe and this region in particular had been persecuted since the third century, and (b) that the color yellow was used because it has "always" symbolized shame.  Even medieval prostitutes were forced to wear yellow skirts. 

The second really interesting experience in the next synagogue was that this had been turned into a Holocaust museum.  On the walls inside was handwritten EVERY name of every Czech Jew who'd been killed during the Holocaust - that's more than 76,000 - yes, seventy-six thousand.  They were divided by region (in yellow), family name (red), and first name (black).  Making this even more remarkable was that during the Communist era the walls were painted over white, but after the Czechs broke free from that regime all the names, ALL were repainted in their original places.  AND then in 2002 a flood covered nearly a quarter of the walls on the first floor and AGAIN they were repainted.

We then went upstairs and there was a display of children's drawings that were made by Jewish boys and girls who'd been sent to the concentration camps.  And many of the displays had photographs of the children.  

The third synagogue was the one still practicing the faith.  But what was remarkable, and THE most amazing part of the morning, was the cemetery outside which were privileged to walk around.  The graves were so squeezed in there and they dated back to the 1300's.  WOW.

We returned to the hotel and within forty minutes we were boarded on the busses and headed for Germany, and a two hour bus ride to our excursion.

Swiss Saxony Germany - The Bastei

In doing research for this trip (I always do that so I'll know what I'm going to see, understand the history and significance of each stop and sight) I had read about and watched videos of these sandstone mountains.  In fact it is officially called the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.  And the most significant feature of this area is the Bastei Bridge - a natural rock that has been carved into a stone bridge.  Now, as you look at the photos below I know....I KNOW you cannot possibly really appreciate our experience.  First, very unique and so unexpected.......as we got off the bus and walked to the main area where there are restaurants and a hotel are.  But to reach the mountain paths and this bridge we headed....DOWN.  Yes, down, some 100 plus steps to reach the formations.  But what you cannot, CANNOT appreciate is how high - not high, however high you are thinking, it's ten times higher!  We were over 600 feet up in the air, looking straight down into the valley below at the Elbe River.  But to be honest, walking down and crossing the bridge where THE PHOTO OF THE TRIP (see the top of the page) was taken wasn't that bad.  But after the bridge we explored the Cliff Fortress which required following a series of very, VERY narrow bridges (which were metal, the kind you can see through) with two-bar railings combined with rock steps.  Higher and higher then crossing from one ledge to another.  And it's a ONE-WAY trip, no turning back you have to keep going until you return to the end.  Several people were apprehensive but nearly every guest made the trip.  Everyone was very proud of theirselves and it was of course another 100+ steps back up to the hotel area!

Heading down to the Bastei Bridge

Walking the Bastei Bridge

The Elbe River from the Bastei

Viewing the Elbe in the other direction

Made It!

Ready to head off the bridge, through the cavern, onto the cliff fortress

Yes, that's where we are going....straight down, 600 feet over the railings

Approaching the top - well the first of the open bridges across the mountain tops

Just big enough for one, MAYBE two people - only one way to the other side!

Looking at the bridge from a lower level

Looking across from the cliffs to the Bastei Bridge

We were here about 2 hours and change before returning to the buses.  It was another forty minutes to Dresden, Germany where we found the Viking Beyla waiting for us.  This will be our home for two nights.  But, if you read the very first journal you already know this, then we will move up river to the sister ship the Viking Astrid because the water levels are so low.  We were told in our "Port Call" meeting tonight that the ship is literally nearly sitting on the river bed.  We were checked in within minutes and moved into stateroom 224 (we will have the identical stateroom on the Astrid).  We quickly unpacked and headed upstairs for Happy Hour where I enjoyed my traditional cruise drink, a frozen mudslide!  After the meeting we went downstairs for dinner where we sat with a lovely couple from England (we'd met on the Bastei where she was just terrified the entire walk through the fortress, I'd tried to talk to her frequently to soothe her anxiety - which she mentioned at dinner and was very appreciative).  Another big day tomorrow!