Train Travel to Trier

Train to Trier

We rode the train to Trier today. The last hour of the trip was on a double decker train, and the sites from the second level were pretty amazing. Trier may be the oldest city in Germany (around 16 BC), and the entry gate is a UNESCO world heritage site. There used to be four entry gates, but the rest were destroyed. The only reason this one survived is because it was used as a church.

Porta Nigra

Speaking of churches, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Peter is the oldest cathedral in Germany. It has held services for over 1,700 years and is also a UNESCO site. In places it is 86 feet tall!

Cathedral of St. Peter

 

Side altar

Main altar

 

View from front to back of the church

 

Entry doors

Our Roman tour guide

Elephant Parade

 

Another of the 40 elephants

Metal worker

 

Some of his wares

Street performer?

Unfortunately the day was cool, windy and rainy so we did not spend as much time exploring this historic city as we probably would have normally. Instead we found a place to grab a hot drink to warm up before getting back on the train to Boppard. On the first leg of the journey I met a couple of nice young men from Iowa, who are here on vacation. Not only do they live in Ames, but they also graduated from Iowa State. Small world, and that hour passed quite quickly while I chatted with them. Wednesday is a free day as half of our group will travel to their home towns for a visit. Depending on the weather, the rest of us will decide if we want to go to a different town. It will be nice to have a little down time.