Our Long-Awaited Journey Part 5: Colmar, France and the Ship Swap

Previously I mentioned that we were in for a ship swap along the way. When we reached a point where the water level on the Rhine was too low for our ship to pass through, the cruise line had to adjust and make a change in plans. While we were traveling north on the Rhine, a sister ship was traveling south. To make sure that everything was in place for the ship swap the next day, a tour of Colmar, France was added to our itinerary.

Located in northeastern France, it feels as if you have jumped into a fairy-tale once you step into Colmar. It is one of the quaintest places in Europe and is known for its beautiful historic districts which feature buildings that date back about a thousand years. The city is renowned for its well-preserved old town, its numerous architectural landmarks, and its museums. The museums not only feature serious pieces of historical information, but also toys and chocolates.

Colmar is the birthplace of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor and painter who designed the Statue of Liberty. You will come across several sculptures and fountains by Bartholdi as you walk through the quaint Medieval streets. The buildings and canals will take you to another place and time as you imagine what life was like so long ago. It is easy to get lost in the beauty of Little Venice lined with flowers and love locks on an iron fence. One of my favorite things in the old town were the detailed shopkeeper signs that had images depicting what the shop sold.

St. Martins Church was built around the year 1000, and the principal architectural style is Gothic. Due to its large dimensions, it is also known as Cathedrale Saint Martin. At the time of our visit, they were engaged in an archeological dig to remove remains that were buried inside part of the church that had been removed.

Following our tour, we returned to our ship to prepare for the next day's ship swap. Once again, we packed our bags for an early morning pick up by the cruise line. By the time we arrived at the new ship our bags would be safely in our stateroom. Since the new ship was a "sister" ship it was identical to the one we were leaving making things a bit easier to face.



Statue of four women holding up the world in the Courtyard of the Museum Bartholdi





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