The Last Post: Bavaria to Trier

Our friends Trish and Paul left Bavaria before us to catch an earlier crossing home. It feels strange being just the two of us. We have shared so much together and been such good companions since meeting up on 31^st March, nearly 3 month ago.
We now head for Trier, the oldest town in Germany, on the Luxembourg border. Our campsite is on the river Mosel 8 miles from Trier and is run by a couple whose real business is importing marble from Italy. It’s a lovely setting.

The Mosel here is large enough to take the biggest freight barges of 1500 tonnes, that’s about the size of the one in the photo above. The riverbanks are lined with vineyards on impossibly precipitous slopes. They still manage to maintain the vines immaculately and even use mechanical devices. We saw small tractor-type vehicles driving up and down the rows. The next photo gives an idea of the angle they have to work on. But maybe picking the grapes is then easier as they can roll them down to the bottom for collection.

There’s plenty of wildlife, too. Next is a selection of what we came across on our walks near the campsite. Clockwise: honey buzzard, Egyptian geese, pine marten, field mouse.

Now on to Trier. The Romans were here in force, and the 2^nd century AD Porta Nigra is one of the best preserved Roman gatehouses anywhere. The extraordinary thing is that it has survived, not that Roman buildings don't last for 2,000 years, rather that the stones weren’t pillaged by later generations for their own building projects as often happened. 

Keeping with the Romans, we walked on to Constantine’s Throne Room, also known as Constantine’s Basilica. Constantine was Roman emperor from 306 to 337. In 313 he allowed full tolerance of Christianity in the Empire and was himself converted before he died.

This is a huge hall, originally lavishly decorated with marble and tiles as befits a throne room. It was much altered through the ages but has been restored since the last war, when it was extensively damaged, to original specification (but excluding all the marble). Somehow it doesn’t seem quite the part on the outside: it looks more like a public library.

The market square is a wonderful mix of medieval buildings in different colours. It’s still a market place today and we bought some tasty cherries and apricots there.

From the same era is the Dreikönigenhaus: the Three Kings’ House. It’s 800 years old and was originally accessed by a wooden staircase to the first floor. The style reminded us of Morocco, having seen many such buildings there last year, and the façade had the appearance of one of those false fronts they sometimes put on buildings when they’re carrying out repairs.

The cathedral is dedicated to St Peter and is built on the foundations of a very large Roman Christian church complex. The Church of our Lady next door is built on the same base. In the photo, the cathedral is on the left and about half of the church on the right. With its solid design and turrets it could pass for a castle, and the interior is equally functional but very atmospheric.

The focal point of the interior is a reliquary containing the robe worn by Christ. Religious relics were big business in the Middle Ages for attracting pilgrims, so their authenticity should be viewed with caution; it is said that there are enough pieces of the true cross in the world’s churches to make a Noah’s Ark. It is, nevertheless, magnificently presented, as you see.

Not forgetting the importance of the Mosel River trading to the city of Trier, here is a crane dating back to 1413. They’ve clearly reclaimed some of the riverbank margins over the years because the jib of the crane doesn’t quite reach the river. Doesn’t it have a wonderful fairy tale appearance, and should be made of gingerbread!

Trier gave us a really interesting day out. This was our last stop before Calais; one day’s drive away, and then home. Sometimes we’re not sure which is home- Alconbury or the caravan?