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Sat 12th – Romans and wine.
Jul. 14th, 2008 07:02 amBreakfast notes - rose-hip tea is nice.
Leaving Trier and trying to take pictures of the medieval cranes on the way out. Well, they're good enough to show people what they look like.
Up the Mosel valley. Shirley can't believe how steep the vineyards are, and we all try to take pictures to prove it. (Most get deleted that evening.)
Spot a Roman galley moored across the river! A few frantic long-range snaps, then Dave finds a bridge and a side-road and we go to find it. There's a complete weinship fest going on, and I learn about Roman wine-making, Roman cross-bows and that "bundle" I was discussing with Gregory. The crossbow had a ratchet mechanism that looks ridiculously modern. It was accurate to 100 - 150 yards, max. range about 300. Roman wine was regulated and illegal in this area until about 300AD (25 years before Constantine), then for 75 years there were lots of little wine factories up and down the valley, up till when the Romans left.
Onward up the valley, with a pause at a wine cellar. White Burgundy is nice...
And so to Berncastel, a lot of narrow cobbled streets and medieval buildings, far too many photos, and lunch (schnitzel, for me). Also a cake shop, and despite the low prices, I'll pass on the huge, sweet, sickly, cream-laden things.
And over the mountains to Bacharach, and the Am Markt.
Will try to upload piccies later and link them in - on slow paid-by-the minute WIFI here, and this was pre-written.
Leaving Trier and trying to take pictures of the medieval cranes on the way out. Well, they're good enough to show people what they look like.
Up the Mosel valley. Shirley can't believe how steep the vineyards are, and we all try to take pictures to prove it. (Most get deleted that evening.)
Spot a Roman galley moored across the river! A few frantic long-range snaps, then Dave finds a bridge and a side-road and we go to find it. There's a complete weinship fest going on, and I learn about Roman wine-making, Roman cross-bows and that "bundle" I was discussing with Gregory. The crossbow had a ratchet mechanism that looks ridiculously modern. It was accurate to 100 - 150 yards, max. range about 300. Roman wine was regulated and illegal in this area until about 300AD (25 years before Constantine), then for 75 years there were lots of little wine factories up and down the valley, up till when the Romans left.
Onward up the valley, with a pause at a wine cellar. White Burgundy is nice...
And so to Berncastel, a lot of narrow cobbled streets and medieval buildings, far too many photos, and lunch (schnitzel, for me). Also a cake shop, and despite the low prices, I'll pass on the huge, sweet, sickly, cream-laden things.
And over the mountains to Bacharach, and the Am Markt.
Will try to upload piccies later and link them in - on slow paid-by-the minute WIFI here, and this was pre-written.
