Last Day A Sailin'

Day 6-

Well, not really. We cruised all night again (boy, we're covering some miles here), not arriving in port till 6:30am.  As it was, Karlstadt was just a pit stop to herd us off the boat and onto the tour buses.  We had a long day touring ahead and would not be able to accomplish it all if we sailed all the way to Wurzburg.  So for the very last bit we were underway, we were under our sheets!

By 9am we were winging our way through Bavaria to Wurzburg to check out the Prince Bishop's Residenz.  It's a humongous palace featuring frescoes by Tiepolo, and enough Baroque to rot your teeth.  We weren't allowed to take pics inside, not that that stopped one of the men from trying and thus getting deservedly reprimanded by a tour guide (that's why we get labeled Ugly Americans!)

Then, we tripped down the Romantic Road to Rothenburg, a jewel box confection of half-timbered houses, cobbled-stoned streets, pastry shops and souvenir stands.  Actually, we really liked it.  We wandered the castle gardens, which overlooked town walls to the valley below; strolled along the covered ramparts; shopped (yes, Sheila shopped!  Allison bought, but Sheila shopped!); and had the best tea & kuchen of the trip.

We returned to the ship at 5:30pm, not quite enough time to both pack our suitcases and make it to the Captain's Farewell Cocktail Party by 6:30pm.  We glided in in our finery just 5 mins before the dinner bell, but that was enough time to nab our dining companions for the evening - we had sat with Janet & Sharon the very first evening, so we thought it fitting to wrap up the cruise in the same fashion.  Something about the "Loose Ladies".....

The ship's cooks outdid themselves for the dinner.  A little amuse bouche on the table when we sat down, then opening with a Thai chicken with tomato and parmesan foam starter; followed by an amazing tiger prawn and risotto 1st course; with a forest mushroom cappucino soup next; a crusted beef tenderloin as a main; topped off with a flaming Baked Alaska; and because enough is never enough, a cheese course and hand-dipped chocolate concoctions to wrap things up!!!  I took some photos but believe me, they do not do the food justice.  It's going to be water and crackers next week in England for sure!.

It's a 7am departure from the boat Saturday,  for Phase 2 of our Adventure continues in England......

Sailing Along

Day 4 & 5 -

Just a quick little voyage this morning, from 5-7:30am.  We were so busy sleeping, then eating, we hardly knew we were underway!   We docked right in downtown Mainz, so technically in the middle of things, but there was a Fair set up so our view was blocked by a ferris wheel, bratwurst stands and gypsy caravans.  It was quiet as a churchyard though, as today was an important catholic holiday;  I think the fair folk were waiting in eager anticipation for the special mass procession to finish so they could open up shop and start raking in the euros.  It made rather dreary sightseeing as absolutely nothing was open and therefore the streets of town were soul-less; we're not shoppers, it is fun to look around town and people-watch.  The ship's female crew were especially disappointed as this was the 2nd time the town was shut down on their visit - they wanted to spend their tip money! 

We suffered another excruciating tour guide, this time in Mainz, which was unfortunate as I was very interested in seeing the Gutenberg museum and viewing 2 of the remaining 48 bibles left in the world.  As it was, I just stood there, stupified by boredom, trying to drag up some interest in the rare historical tomes.

a cruise pax helped print a page on a replica press

Things picked up when we left the guide and trotted up to St. Stephens church to look at the stained glass windows.  Our initial impression entering was that there was such a calming atmosphere of ethereal blue light that spilled in from all the high windows.  Every one in the gothic building is a new window, created by Marc Chagall (and his proteges); such a dichotomy to see the modern work of a Russian Jew in a classic German catholic church.  The pics can't do justice to the utter beauty of the windows, but here's a sample...

Even I could sit thru Mass in a church like this!

 Mainz was our only stop today, and it also marked the entrance to our 3rd river, the Main.  Not nearly as scenic as the Moselle or the Rhine, the banks of the gentle Main showed us fields, farms, houses, small villages, and industrial plants.  A perfect afternoon for reading and napping.

We sailed all afternoon and night, not docking till we reached Miltenberg at 8am Friday.  Miltenberg itself was not of special interest but serves as the gateway to Heidelberg, a 1 3/4hr bus ride away.  This was our biggest tour day so far.  Both mom and I had been there before but of course I don't remember a thing about it so I was quite interested to see the town.

There was a huge ruin of a castle:

Not WWII this time but destroyed by the French in 1693!

A lovely terrace with grand views of town:

And the biggest wine barrel ever! 221,700 litres:

Koblenz > Rudesheim

Day 3 -

The first question asked when meeting new people onboard is always:  "Where are you from?"  Interestingly, the 2nd is usually:  "Is this your first river cruise?"  We've learned that most are repeaters, many having cruised China as their first Viking trip.  It's easy to pick out these expert cruisers:  they have the timing down on exactly when the buffets open, what seats in the lounge are best, when to line up for the excursion tickets.  And they know the dining room shuffle.  Sheila and I tend to look for a unoccupied table beside the window but the professionals look first for stimulating dining companions.  They'll happily choose the middle seats of an 8-top if the other occupants look interesting enough.  Better to chose before being chosen, I guess.  We tried this method this morning.  We landed a German/French college professor with 34 years teaching experience and a slight dictatorial bent, so not entirely successful, but we sure learned a lot!

By the time we recovered from our lecture, I mean breakfast, we'd docked in Braubach and the ship had a quick organized trip up to see the little castle perched just above town.  It's the only castle in the region that's been continuously occupied, therefore never ruined nor abandoned, though it had been taken over a few times.  It dates from the 1200's, so it's pretty cool to visit. The steps into the castle were extremely rough hewn,  tortured even, from the rock base; the kitchen was outfitted in medievel period furnishings and had a fireplace large to roast an ox; we saw the knights' dining room that included a toilet, an little room jutting out from the building, literally an arm's reach away from the table (and the lock was on the outside of the door, in case their enemies decided to clamber up the slimy wall and invade the castle from poop room); and a kick-ass view.

the guide is explaining how the toilet works



that's our ship docked way down there



No time to see the town as the boat's engines were fired up and most lines cast off when we returned to ship.  The crew take their scheduling very seriously, when we leave at 12:00, you better be on by 11:55 or S.O.L.!

We came aboard to find a German village set up in our lounge....

Buffet lunch of German tasties: various sausages, sauerkraut, roast pig, pretzels, potato salad, mustards, etc.  The staff got dressed up in leiderhosen and barmaid dresses, and the piano man pounded away at rollicking tunes like Roll Out The Barrel.  Good fun.  The crew really do a good job of entertaining us.  Hard on such a small ship (and full! 107 pax out of possible 120), but there's been talks, poetry contests, afternoon teas, German dancing, etc. 

After lunch thunderstorms and driving rain kept us inside staring out at the gloomy scenery.  The middle Rhine is supposed to be the most beautiful section of our trip but the weather is making this challenging to believe.  The cruise director valiantly broadcasts each important castle and town, and we dutifully turn our heads to look, but enthusiasm for sightseeing is lukewarm  this afternoon. Gradually the skies dry, and one by one the passengers creep up to the sundeck to test the fresh air and presto! 5pm = Happy Hour, sun out and mom bathing on lounge chair.  Fingers crossed this will be the end of it...

Tonight's destination was Rudesheim, which we docked at right as dinner started.  The dining room emptied out by 8pm as everyone wanted to have a little wander around town before dark.  We're only here till 5am so it's a self-guided tour or nought else.  The town had one really bustling narrow lane chocker-block full of restaurants, bars with live bands and dancing.  I think several passengers enjoyed town very much as I heard them struggling with their cabin doors at 3am!

Cruzin'

Day 2 –

There’s nothing like the gentle rocking of a ship to lull you asleep.  We sailed thru the night and I think Sheila and I slept thru most of the night.  Our neighbours were enjoying CNN at 6am, so we decided that since we were awake, it was a decent time to get up.  What to do – morning exercise class?  Nope. Coffee in the lounge? Check.  Buffet breakfast?  Twist my arm.   By this time we’d docked in Cochem, so I toddled off the ship for a quick stroll along the river bank to get in some good castle-viewing before our morning tour. 

The tour was a delight, especially in comparison to Brumhilda's of yesterday.  Marie-Louisa was wonderfully cheery, full of good stories, and entertained us while still educating us on Cochem’s history.  I won’t bore you with all the details but it’s a terribly old town (866 AD) and not only had feudal lords trying to one-up the other, it had to deal with WWII bombardments and periods of biblical flooding , yet it survives to this day, capturing every tourist dollar it can.  It’s got an 11^th C. castle at the top of a steep hill that a Berliner bought in 1866, and restored it from ruins to a wee summer villa(!), and is now the prime attraction.

Beer is thought to be Germany’s national drink, but in the Moselle valley it’s Riesling, Riesling, Riesling.  The Romans first discovered that this was the place to grow the white grape, and it’s been the beverage of choice ever since.  Shoot, in the Middle Ages the monks were each given five litres of wine, per day; and that takes a lot of grapes.   And vineyards are what this river valley has in abundance.  Every inch, no matter the steepness nor terrain, is covered in vineyards.  Plot by plot, each angled slightly differently from the other to gain maximum exposure to the sun, it’s grapes,  grapes,  grapes.

The weather cleared in the afternoon so we could actually sit outside and enjoy the fresh air as we cruised from Cochem to Koblenz.  I now have zillions of photos of vineyards and vistas (ha ha, that’s the name of our cruise!), both dripping wet & in glorious sun so a little editing is in my future... 

Koblenz is where the Moselle River(R) meets the Rhine(L),  

and there’s a great big statue of Kaiser Wilhelm to commemorate this (?!?)

 There just so happened to be a huge flower festival going on in Koblenz, and we docked right in the middle of it.  We received special passes so we could exit the facilities if we so chose, as well as free tickets to use the cable car that swings up over the Rhine to the fortress on top of the cliff on the other side.  With only an hour to dinner, we hopped aboard and went to smell the roses.

my wingspan isn't quite long enough!!!

our ship from cable car

After dinner the ship had some live entertainment in the form of  a local troupe performing Rhenish/Moselle  folk dancing.   It was nice.

The Adventures Continue...

My solo wanderings have temporarily morphed into a family affair - I'm off on a
3-week European adventure with my mom (aka Sheila).  Leaving from Vancouver, Canada we'll spend a week cruising the Moselle River in Germany from Trier to Wurzburg, then jet off to Manchester, UK for a 2-week drive around the Yorkshire Moors & Dales (with a little Peak District thrown in).  Here we go...!

Mom and I boarded the river vessel Fontane in Trier on Sunday after a long day of traveling.  The flight over had the potential to be tortuous: we had bulkhead seats beside 2 tiny infants but shortly after takeoff the purser announced that seats were available in Comfort Class for those who wished to upgrade - I couldn't even see mom's hand pressing the attendant call button, she whipped it out so fast!  Soon we were cocooned in the peace and luxury of reclining seats, down pillows and real metal silverware.  We were even presented with a rose at dinner time, “to set the table”, said the attendant!  Mom said it was my birthday present but that
isn't actually till November...perhaps she won't remember ....:-)

We had a representative of Viking River Cruises meet us at Frankfurt airport, and after 2 hours waiting for another group to arrive from Atlanta, and a 2 hour bus ride to Trier, we were walking aboard our new home for the next week.  We only paused long enough in our cabins to give it a cursory glance and slap on some
lipstick before joining the pre-cruise briefing already in progress and then headed right into dinner.  A bit punch-drunk from jet lag, I think we managed to pull off some semblance of coherent conversation with our tablemates during the 6-course meal, at least they were still talking to us the next morning!

Monday morning we were bussed off to the old town for a walking tour of Trier, known as the city with the "Oldest --" in Germany.  Oldest city, oldest cathedral, oldest city gate, blah, blah, blah, went our tour guide.  Maybe I was tired; maybe it was the grey, drizzly weather or the ho-hum tourist sites;  or just maybe it was the non-stop monotone buzzing in my ear of the cranky guide but I wasn't overly impressed.  Luckily soon after I ripped out the ear bud of the tour listening device the lady finally ceased & desisted.  We then had our obligatory one hour free for shopping, which we judiciously used to find the nearest McDonalds (toilet) and grocery store to load mom up on 7-UP for our in-room Happy Hour.

Back to the ship for lunch and a 5 hour cruise to our next port-of-call, Bernkastel.  Jet lag had me napping a bit on the voyage, but mom suffered hers just as we arrived in B. so she snoozed while I dashed around town in the 45mins we had free before our Daily Briefing & Dinner.  What a charming, charming little village.  Fancifully painted half-timber buildings, lots of colorful window boxes, and narrow cobble-stoned streets.  I dragged mom out after dinner for a wander – we decided we wouldn’t be able to stand it if all the villages were to be so beautiful!!