Author: Kelli Rocha

Today was all about the Protestant Reformation. Wittenberg is where Martin Luther famously nailed his “95 Theses” to the church door. A fire destroyed the original door in 1760, but the bronze-covered door (pictured below) replaced it and displays the theses in Latin. The church, now Lutheran All Saints’ Church, was built on the palace grounds of the duke around 1340. It was (of course) originally a Catholic church, which has been stripped down but still contains the original confessionals. Martin Luther is buried near the front altar.

Our tour guide explained that Martin was originally a Catholic monk who later married a former Catholic nun. One in our group asked if that was a common practice in the 1500’s. He obviously hadn’t been paying attention. Our guide wasn’t the best person to describe Catholic theology or biblical scenes. In a painting, she named Paul as one of the disciples with Jesus at The Last Supper. (He wasn’t there.) In another painting, she said, “In this image, Abraham was going to kill his son Isaac but killed a sheep instead.” Maybe something got lost in the translation, but there’s more to the story. I’m pretty sure Martin Luther would agree.

We disembark from the ship tomorrow morning, so we’ve begun the process of our goodbyes to the staff and passengers we’ve met along the way. I’m trying to talk Stuart into starting a YouTube channel with me called “Ask Stuart,” or “Stuart in Steerage,” where Americans can submit their questions about the UK, British people and British life, and Stuart will answer them on video. I think it would be a smashing hit. I’d do anything to hear him talk. He loves to talk and is a great storyteller. We will make it happen. We’ve created a lifelong friendship during this adventure. They have helped make this trip unforgettable.

We deviated from the schedule a bit this morning and went off on our own instead of joining the tour of the porcelain factory. It was raining when we docked in Meissen (after leaving Dresen two hours before), but it cleared up, and the sun came out to make it a glorious day.

We walked into Messien (after traveling down the Elba River from Dresden) and wandered around a bit. We found a lovely paper/stationary store that sold fountain pens. I aimed to purchase a German fountain pen while I was here, and Leroy bought me two. The store owner spoke no English, but we figured it out with the help of Google Translate. This store even carried fountain pens for children learning to write. (Fountain pens are still used to teach cursive in schools.)

We climbed the hill to Albrectsburg Castle and toured the Meissen Cathedral. It was originally a Catholic Church, and building began in 1250 but wasn’t completed until 1410. The diocese was dissolved, and the church was converted to a Protestant church in 1581. Getting to the top of the hill by stairs was a hike, but coming down in the glass elevator was a treat.

I participated in my first “Afternoon Tea” with my British buddies. There were tea sandwiches, scones, macaroons, clotted cream and apricot preserves. But the highlight was learning how to make and drink a proper cup of tea. (Milk first, then tea.) Our British friends pointed out the differences between their rituals at home and what we were doing. They also explained the different protocols for the various regions of The United Kingdom. (The Brits are a bit territorial.)

Speaking of the British, I’ve caught myself speaking and writing in a British accent for the last few days. We’ve been conversing a lot, and their accent is rubbing off on me. I’ve kept a list of some of my favorite sayings, including (but not limited to) “Blot yer copy book.” (which means you’ve done a bad thing or made a wrong impression.) Or “Tara A Bit,” which means goodbye for now. If I’m not careful, no one will understand what I say when I return home.

In the afternoon, we docked in Torgau, Germany, and Leroy went on the walking tour with the cruise director, Kieron. He visited Castle Hartenfels (including the Torgua Bears that live where the mote used to be.) He also saw the monument commemorating the location where Ukrainian and American soldiers met up on April 5, 1945.

Once again, dinner was delicious, but the best part was the company and conversation. They set a seventh place at our table for our friend Jessica from LA. We listened to more of Stuart’s stories and teased him incessantly. We asked for a photo of our table, and our waitress, Vanda (from Fatima, Portugal), included herself.

We began the day with another panoramic bus tour of beautiful Dresden, but I could not stay awake. I started dozing off in the first 10 minutes of a three-hour tour. Leroy feared I would begin to snore so we bailed on the rest of the tour. (I only remember the tour guide telling us that milk chocolate was created first in Dresen in 1838 and contained donkey’s milk.) So when we made our first stop in the city center, we told our tour director we were leaving and set off on our own with Curtis and Linda. We only missed a museum tour that houses an extensive jewelry collection.

There is a magnificent church in the city center called Die Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in the center of the square. The call to worship bells rang as we approached, and we realized that Mass was beginning. It has been difficult to find Catholic Masses since we left Poland. We found one scheduled in Polish at a different location, but it seemed our timing couldn’t have been better to be in the right place at the right time. We walked in, and we were blown away by the beauty inside. We waited patiently for the service to begin and even lit a candle for our (and your) prayer intentions. We were counting our blessings that the Holy Spirit had inspired us to get off the bus at that time and at that location. A trumpet accompanied the organ for the opening hymn, and I got chills. It was awesome.

The Holy Spirit has a tremendous sense of humor because it didn’t take long to realize some significant differences once Mass started. Everyone looked at us funny when we genuflected as we entered the pew. There was no sign of the cross, no kneelers, and the “priest” was not wearing vestments. And once we started paying attention, we realized there was no crucifix. Yes, you guessed it. The Church of Our Lady in Dresden, Germany, is now a Lutheran Church. (I thought it was ironic there was a giant statue of Martin Luther nearby, but I guess the joke was on me.) Come on, how many Lutheran churches in the US are called The Church of Our Lady? It seems odd to go from the most religious country in Europe (Poland) to the least religious country (Czech Republic) to the primarily Lutheran country (Germany) thanks to Martin Luther.

It is hard to believe that this city was flattened in World War II. They have done an exceptional job reconstructing the landmarks in their architectural form. They’ve even aged the stone to look like it’s ancient. I genuinely admire the commitment to rebuild instead of replace. It seems at home, we would build another Starbucks. Since Dresden was considered Europe’s capital of art and culture before World War II, many luxury homes surround the city. It is very green, with lush parks, beautiful bike paths, and gardens. Curtis took an e-bike excursion this afternoon and loved it.

After lunch, Leroy went for a walk while I napped. Later, we joined Stuart and Deb in the lounge for more stories and laughter. We’ve become quite popular, with many singles asking to sit with us. We’re the fun table, to be sure.

I have been receiving lots of kind feedback on these posts and emails. Thank you all for following along. It made the trip memorable. It’s easy to keep writing when you know someone is enjoying the content. Trying to gather, process and write my thoughts each night has become a cathartic practice.

I have had a few questions come up along the way.

1. What’s the weather? BEAUTIFUL! I mean, really beautiful. It is unseasonably warm here after a mild winter, so everything is blooming too. I’ve never seen more beautiful daffodils, tulips, lilacs (more about those later) and cherry blossoms. The only rain we encountered was during the transfer from Warsaw to Krakow, and we were safe, warm and dry on the bus.
2. What are the people like? We have been fortunate to be surrounded by great people. Our travel group is mainly made up of Americans. (Actually, I’ve only met Americans and one British couple.) Everyone has been great besides the irritating couple I told you about yesterday.
3. The guides and staff at Viking have been extraordinary! It’s incredible how knowledgeable they are about the area and its history. Well, most of them. I have disagreed with them a few times, but no one is surprised by this revelation.
4. The locals are unique in each location we visit. I thought the Polish in Warsaw were a little shy and even avoiding. They rarely made eye contact and seemed intimidated. But the Poles in Krakow were different. They didn’t pay much attention to us at all. They were much more relaxed and engaging. Prague was too full of tourists to evaluate. The staff of the hotel and restaurants were kind, but I guess they have to be. We just got to Germany, so I don’t have an opinion yet, but I will tell you that I found the Frankfurt Airport staff incredibly intimidating. I’m unsure if I told the story, but the police officer berated a young (early teen) child for taking a photo. Of course, the harshness of their language doesn’t help.
5. How is the food? We haven’t had a bad meal, but there are some we’ve enjoyed more than others. We’ve only been in Germany for one day, and I can already tell you this is my least favorite. But there is always something to eat, and the food at the hotels and on the ship has been excellent. I am finding it extremely difficult to find cookies. There are many bakeries and sweet shops in each country, but no cookies. (And everyone knows how much I like my cookies!)

Today’s adventure found us docked at Bad Schandau, a small spa village on the River Elba. After breakfast (the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever eaten), we took a 30-minute motor-coach ride to The Bastei, a National Park in Germany. It was magnificent. We took a short hike to the historic bridge, which offers many panoramic views.

After lunch and a safety muster, we continued down the Elba towards Dresden, Germany, where we will dock tonight.

We’ve become very attached to our British friends Stuart and Deb. We’ve been sitting together during meals and excursions. They are so much fun. Stuart is an excellent storyteller; we’ve heard many these last few days. We still haven’t sat down for our afternoon tea, but they did encourage me to try the Marmite at breakfast. (We think it’s similar to Vegemite.) Yuck. I don’t need to try it again.

This ship is designed for 98 passengers, but only 81 of us are on board for this trip. There is a crew of 31 who come from 11 different countries. There is one couple that is quite irritating. (The wife in particular.) We’ve taken to making fun of each other when we get stuck next to them in line or in a conversation. I guess there’s always one in every group, right? The key to life is to ensure you’re not the irritating one in every group!

After lunch, I napped while Leroy enjoyed the sun on the top deck, watching the countryside pass by. I finished some writing and enjoyed a few FaceTime calls with the kids. I interrogated my British buddy some more about the royal family. We agreed The Princess Royal (Anne) is a badass. He said, “She’s just like her dad.” And everyone loves Sophie.

After dinner, we took a stroll through Dresden’s city center. (Just a short walk away from our boat.) I’ve learned much about this historic city in the past year and look forward to tomorrow’s tour. Allied bombers virtually decimated the city during the war, with the English bombing at night and the US bombing during the day. Our new friend’s father was in the RAF and a part of that controversial bombing raid. Every time we talk about this bombing, Stuart points in his wife’s direction and says, “Deb’s dad.”

I have been receiving lots of kind feedback on these posts and emails. Thank you all for following along. It has made the trip memorable. It’s encouraging to keep writing when you know someone is enjoying the content. Trying to gather, process and write my thoughts each night has become a cathartic practice.

I have had a few questions come up along the way.

1. What’s the weather? BEAUTIFUL! I mean, really beautiful. It is unseasonably warm here after a mild winter, so everything is blooming too. I’ve never seen more beautiful daffodils, tulips, lilacs (more about those later) and cherry blossoms. The only rain we encountered was during the transfer from Warsaw to Krakow, and we were safe, warm and dry on the bus.

2. What are the people like? We have been fortunate to be surrounded by great people. Our travel group is mainly made up of Americans. (Actually, I’ve only met Americans and one British couple.) Everyone has been great besides the irritating couple I told you about yesterday.

The guides and staff at Viking have been extraordinary! It’s incredible how knowledgeable they are about the area and its history. Well, most of them. I have disagreed with them a few times, but no one is surprised by this revelation.

The locals are unique in each location we visit. I thought the Polish in Warsaw were a little shy and even avoiding. They rarely made eye contact and seemed intimidated. But the Poles in Krakow were different. They didn’t pay much attention to us at all. They were much more relaxed and engaging. Prague was too full of tourists to evaluate. The staff of the hotel and restaurants were kind, but I guess they have to be. We just got to Germany, so I don’t have an opinion yet, but I will tell you that I found the Frankfurt Airport staff incredibly intimidating. I’m not sure if I told the story, but there was a young (early teen) child being berated by the police officer for taking a photo. Of course, the harshness of their language doesn’t help.

5. How is the food? We haven’t had a bad meal, but there are some we’ve enjoyed more than others. We’ve only been in Germany for one day, and I can already tell you this is my least favorite. But there is always something to eat, and the food at the hotels and on the ship has been excellent. I am finding it extremely difficult to find cookies. There are many bakeries and sweet shops in each country, but no cookies. (And everyone knows how much I like my cookies!)

Today is the last day in Prague. We visited the Jewish Quarter in town and walked through three synagogues and several museums. There is a rich Jewish history in this town, but all of it is darkened by the anti-semitism that has existed here for centuries. There are memorials for World War II everywhere, but there are also new, temporary reminders of the current conflict in Gaza. They have photographs of the current Israeli hostages and victims attached to the wall in the district. It is quite profound.

One of the synagogs has all of its walls covered with the names of victims of The Holocaust, and the names are audibly read continuously. Another museum that we visited displayed artwork from children in the Terezin Concentration camp, where most of the Jews from Prague were transferred. There are memorials set into the sidewalk marking the homes of Jews who lost their lives in The Shoah (the Hebrew word for catastrophe.)

There is also a monument to Franz Kafka, born in this section of Prague to a middle-class Jewish family.

“He who seeks does not find, but he who does not seek will be found. So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being. You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” – Franz Kafka

On our tour last night, we walked by many foreign embassies with their flags out front. We didn’t know many of them, but I knew who would. I took pictures and sent them to Sierra to show to Jameson. He didn’t have to consult his map: Ukraine, Estonia and Belgium. When Sierra asked where Estonia was, he said right next to Latvia and corrected her pronunciation. That kid is going places.

In the afternoon, we transferred from Prague to Decin (still in the Czech Republic) to board the boat. It should have taken about 90 minutes, but it took almost two hours. There is lots of traffic in this area of the country. (Just like at home.)

We were so excited to finally board our ship, the Viking Beyla, sailing on the Elba River. We were shown our room and invited for snacks and cocktails before the welcome meeting and dinner. We’re all unpacked and ready to begin the next adventure.

We continue getting prayer requests as we travel, which are pretty humbling. It has been a privilege to intercede for friends and family. Prague is full of old churches, but many are now concert halls and music venues. The Czech Republic is the least religious country in Europe—about 20% Catholic, 5% other and 75% atheist or agnostic. Many churches charge an entrance fee to go inside, and very few Masses are scheduled. But they hold the record ratio of people to dogs, 5 to 1, so the news is not all bad.

Our hotel is in the “New Town,” built in the 14th century. We started the day with a tour of Prague Castle in “Old Town,” built in the 9th century. This castle complex is the largest in Europe. We saw the outside of the St. Vitus Cathedral, which took over 1,000 to complete. I tried to take a photograph in the Basilica of St. George (built in 930) but was kicked out because I didn’t have a ticket. We then crossed the famous St. Charles’ Bridge to go into Old Town near the Astronomical Clock. The buildings and architecture are stunning. Almost everything in Prague is named after a King Charles (there were many.) But the best fun fact is that the father of Charles IV was Good King Wenceslaus (of Christmas carol fame), born in Prague.

We then left the tour group to walk to The Church of Our Lady Victorious, which is under major renovation, but we could still go inside and see The Infant Jesus of Prague. This church is another primary Catholic pilgrimage site. The interior was beautiful, but the exterior is undergoing renovation.

Another rest in the afternoon. Leroy went back to the pool while I wrote. We met Curtis and Linda for dinner at the hotel and headed out for the “Prague by Night” tour. It wasn’t dark yet, so we didn’t get to see the vista view with lights, but the lights were beautiful as we drove and walked around in the “Lesser” (as in smaller) city.

I was afraid I wouldn’t have anything exciting to write tonight because it was a transfer day. We left Krakow and traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, by motorcoach. It was a perfect day to travel due to the change in the weather. (It was much cooler and a little rainy.) It was a long bus ride, but the countryside was beautiful. It was primarily agricultural land with rolling hills. (My favorite.) Leroy even spotted deer several times. We made a brief stop in Olomouc, Czechia, for lunch.

Once we arrived in Prague, we said goodbye to our tour guide (Pavel) and bus driver (Sharka) and met our new crew. We took a brief tour of the places around our hotel. I overheard someone ask the guide for a recommendation for a good steakhouse. He told the couple he had a favorite spot and guaranteed it would be the best steak they had ever eaten. I knew Leroy would be all over that idea, so I asked for the recommendation, too. He sent us to LaVie.

The tiny restaurant is family-owned, with only three people doing all the work. We were seated in the kitchen and could watch all of the action. They raise the beef cattle themselves and cook only dry-aged meat. They even had one of those cool cabinets where you can choose your meat. Leroy and Curtis were in heaven.

Upon the chef’s recommendation, we ordered a Tomahawk and Filet Mignon. We watched him cut and cook the beef to absolute perfection. The meat was served with sauteed vegetables and four dipping sauces: pepper, mushroom, beef and honey. (Yes, honey.) Dessert was a fried pancake with warm fruit topped with caramel sauce. It was delicious.

We shared an Uber to the hotel with the other couple who ate with us. We hit it off immediately, and she recommended and offered to take our photo. (And I’m sure glad she did.)

Only one couple on this leg of our tour is not from America. Meet my new British Buddies, Stuart and Deb. I knew we’d be best friends the moment I met them. They’ve graciously answered all of my burning questions. Here are a few examples.

1. Do they dislike Meghan Markle as much as I do? Yes.
2. Are they Royalists? Yes.
3. Have they ever met a member of the Royal Family? Yes.
4. Who did they meet? Prince William. (I even got a copy of the picture.)
5. Was he nice? Extremely kind.
6. What do they think of Camilla? Split decision. Debbie is not a fan.

We’ve enjoyed spending time with Stuart and Debbie this week. They’ve even agreed to share an afternoon tea with me before we go home. In the meantime, I talked them into posing for this photo!