Last Night Onboard

   We cruised further up the Rhine into southern Netherlands today. The river passed through green countryside with cows and horses grazing right down to the waterline.

   We stopped to tour some working windmills with a lecture about coastline, dikes and how the country manages being mostly below sea level.

   We had a wonderful last dinner onboard the ship. The meals were all so good as well as everything else aboard the Viking longship, Tor. 

   In the morning we transfer ashore for three nights in Amsterdam. Still some fun ahead before we return home on Tuesday. 

Cologne

   We spent Thursday in Cologne, northwest Germany; the locals spell it Köln. We toured the old city in the morning and the biggest thing to see by far is the Cologne Cathedral. It's so big and so close to the major parts of the city that it's hard to get a picture of it all unless you're far enough away.

   When we went inside I couldn't believe how high the ceilings are, higher than even in Rome from what I remember. It was started in the 1050's and took 600 years to complete. It was the tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel Tower was built.

   Today was a holiday for Ascension Thursday; it was also Fathers Day locally. This difference here is that Fathers Day is a drinking holiday and all the local pubs were overflowing with guys out the doors, even at noon when we toured by. We had a great lunch in town with Ted and Theresa and  a couple of beers to celebrate Ted's birthday.

   After a great dinner onboard the ship I took a twilight stroll along the river walk in town. It was a great visit, wish it were longer but tomorrow we're off and will cross into The Netherlands.

Wednesday - Koblenz

   This morning we got underway at 9:00 and cruised the middle Rhine passed old towns and castles. We sailed by the famous Lorelei Rock just before we tied up in Koblenz, The German Corner where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet.

   The four of us went on a tour of Marksburg Castle, a 700 year old hilltop fortress that we sailed by earlier in the day.

   Dinner onboard was "Taste of Germany" night with all the beer, schnapps and accordion you could handle. It was one laugh after another. Close to the ship's dock is a statue of Kaiser Wilhelm, the biggest bronze statue I've ever seen.

   Thursday we sail at 9:00 again for Cologne. The week has been terrific and it is flying by.

Heidelberg

  Today the ship stopped outside Heidelberg and we took a bus tour into the city up narrow winding streets to the ruins of the old castle.

   The castle overlooks a scenic old university town on the Nektar River and the bus drivers were very skilled at making narrow turns up the castle hill and parking within inches of one another. 

   After the castle tour we walked through the small main streets looking at the shops; Theresa and Mary found a used bookstore with old maps.

   The ship moved downriver while we were ashore and we met up again in the town of Rüdesheim for a relaxing dinner aboard.

   Tomorrow we cruise during the morning to sightsee on the middle Rhine. We dock in the afternoon at Koblenz. 

Strasbourg, France

  The ship docked today outside Strasbourg, on the German side of the river. After breakfast we took a bus into the old city for a guided walking tour.

   We walked along a number of canals and finished the tour at the cathedral of Notre Dame which was built over a 250 year period starting in the 1100's. I got a good shot of Theresa and Ted in Gutenburg Square, Theresa at the carousel and Ted under a statue of his patron saint (Gutenburg).

   The city had changed hands five times in the last two centuries between the French and Germans with much distress and hardships for the residents. These days the city seems comfortable with it's dual citizenship and school kids learn both languages from the very start.

   After the tour we had lunch in the square outside the cathedral, Theresa and I had a yummy local dish of Salmon, sauerkraut and potatoes.

   After dinner onboard I took a stroll over a walking bridge across the Rhine, changing countries and then back again. It was still light enough after 9:00 pm to get some nice pics of the river and ship .

   It was anither great day, tomorrow we stop at Heidelberg.

Black Forrest

   Today we stopped in the town of Breisach in southwest Germany and took a tour bus through the wine growing region into the Black Forrest. Weather was perfect for a morning tour and I managed to avoid the temptation to add to my coukoo clock collection.

   The town of Breisach is a very old fortification on the Rhine, established by the Celts long before the Romans took over. The Rhine serves as the border between France and Germany. It seems strange to look at the opposite riverbank as another country. Tomorrow is Strasbourg, France

Basel, Switzerland

   We had an uneventful couple of flights getting to Basel. Our first flight was squeezy and full and we changed in Paris to a smaller prop-hopper for a smooth ride into Basel where we picked up our ship.

   Basel is a border town right next to Germany and France and is the southernmost leg of our trip. We cruise north (down river) on our 8 day trip to Amsterdam.

   The ship is new and has around 200 passengers, our first night aboard was smooth and relaxing. On Sunday we stop for a tour in the Black Forrest, weather looks perfect

Late flight out of Philly

   Our Delta flight departs PHL at 9 pm and gets into Charles DeGaule airport in Paris at 10:55 Saturday morning. We were really lucky with the checkin and security lines.

   We stopped for a sandwich while waiting for our flight to start boarding. Ted and Theresa posed just before dinner.

Toby’s trip to Aunt Becky

  Toby heads off for 12 days with Gayle at Aunt Becky's while Mary and John fly to Switzerland for the start of a Rhine River cruise. The cruise ends in Amsterdam where we'll spend an extra three days exploring the city.

   We'll be traveling with our good friends Theresa and Ted and it promises to be much fun. We fly tonight from Philly to Paris and change planes for Basil, Switzerland to pick up the ship.

   Weather so far looks good so I hope to post lots of sun filled pictures. More from me in a day or two when we get there.

   Happy Memorial Day weekend to all.