Returning Home from Egypt

Our flight from Rome to New York was uneventful and actually fairly comfortable, largely due to the nearly empty flight.  Being so unaware of the impending problems with the rapidly spreading threat of COVID-19, we had no idea at the time why there were so few travelers from Rome to New York.

When we arrived at JFK in New York, we had to make the very long walk to get through customs.  Everyone was hustling to get through the process, and we guessed that we probably walked about a mile to get to customs.  When we got there, we saw a tremendous line of travelers entering the US and waiting to get through customs.  We saw the place for Global Entry card holders and diplomats.  There was no line at all.  We scanned our passports and had a biometric photo taken.  A slip printed out that we carried to the agent who asked if we had anything to declare, then stamped our passports and sent us on our way. The process took only seconds making us very happy that we opted to obtain Global Entry status, and this one trip made the $100 fee and the trip to the TSA facility worth it.

We had plenty of time at JFK to walk around and stretch before our short flight to Cincinnati.  We made our way to the correct terminal, found some recliners looking out over the gates and relaxed as we did our German lessons, checked email and made calls to home.  Text messages and emails from Cindy indicated that their travel wasn’t quite as trouble free as ours, but they arrived home safely and on time. 

The flight from JFK to Cincinnati was not as empty as the one from Rome to New York but certainly wasn’t full.  By that point we were just anxious to get back to our own beds and to get our biological clocks on Eastern Time which would change to Daylight Saving Time in just a few hours after we arrived home.

After deplaning in Cincinnati, we picked up our bags and walked the short distance to the pick-up point for the Hilton shuttle van taking us to get our car through the OneStopParking.  We called the Hilton to assure that the van was still making rounds, and the shuttle arrived to get us in less than 30 minutes returning us to our car.  As with many shuttle drivers we have had in the past, this driver was a character, telling us how ancient aliens assisted the ancient Egyptians and other cultures in the constructions of their cities.

Since we knew that we would be arriving in Cincinnati after 10 pm and that we would be exhausted from the flights, we had considered booking at room at the Hilton or other nearby hotel then returning home after a good night sleep.  However, because the flights weren’t terrible and we were both longing for our own bed, we opted to make the hour drive south on I-75 to Georgetown arriving home around midnight.

We slept well then started to learn about the dramatic changes that were taking place at home and all around the world because of the coronavirus.   We would be entering a time of “social distancing” and quarantines for an undetermined period of time.

When we travel, we like to make note of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites that we visited.  On this trip we went the following four UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur
• Historic Cairo
• Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
• Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae

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Great Wall of China

We boarded the bus at the Beijing Ritz Carlton Financial Street at 7 am for our visit to the Badaling section of the Great Wall. We had gone to breakfast in the hotel dining room at 6 am. This breakfast was much more Western than our previous stays. Although most of the hotels offered eggs of some sort, the breakfast was largely Asian in influence. Here just the opposite was true. Most of the items on the buffet were to US and European tastes with some Chinese choices. We had some of the shrimp dumplings (bao), fresh fruit (melons, dragonfruit, pineapple) and Chinese noodles.

With traffic in Beijing it took nearly 90 minutes to arrive at the location to visit the Great Wall. The highway to access the visitor area is on the major route north from Beijing. That and the upcoming national holiday means that traffic was very heavy even at the time we left the hotel.

Mary at the Great Wall of China

We arrived at the Badaling section of the Great Wall around 8:30 and noticed immediately that the air temperature was much cooler. We were pleased that there didn’t appear to rain clouds in the sky but there was a slight breeze so we all took jackets. Patrick gave us tickets for the funicular rail up the mountain and we went up the incline. At an altitude of over 6000 feet we could feel a much cooler air temperature. The major issue was the wind. The howling wind made the air seem very much cooler. We were all bundled up to keep the wind from freezing us.

Our group at the Great Wall of China

We walked down the Great Wall in the steeper direction until we came to a section that we thought was too steep. Since we liked the view from that spot we decided to take a few snapshots then walk the other direction. We turned around and started walking the other way passing the point where we started. As we approached the end point for this section of wall several in our group told us that a Chinese couple was fighting up on the wall. As we approached we saw a Chinese lady really smacking a man around. He was making little attempt to defend himself. He was scratched and red from her smacks and scratches. Someone eventually got security to separate the two.

We took a number of snapshots of the wall and surrounding countryside then walked back to the interpretative trail just below the Great Wall. There was some signage indicating the UNESCO World Heritage Site status but there really wasn’t enough information that either of us would consider it an interpretative trail. We stayed bundled up as much as possible in the strong wind then made our way down the mountain on the funicular rail around 10:30.

Great Wall of China

We took the bus for a 40 minute ride to a company that makes jade, jadeite and nephrite carvings and jewelry. A speaker talked to us about the three materials and what each was best suited for. She also taught us how to recognize genuine materials from reproductions and how to determine one grade of jade from another. She discussed the art of carving jade and the various shapes of jade carvings and what each shape symbolizes. After a quick walk around the store we went upstairs to lunch which was the common family style lunch. Most items on the table were familiar from previous meals but we thought it was good. We went back to the sales area after lunch and bought some jade jewelry items for family and friends.

Statue of a Ming general along the Sacred Way

We finished our day by going to the Ming tombs which is the area where the emperors from the Ming Dynasty are buried. We walked along the Sacred Way admiring the stone statuary from the 1300s depicting generals, warriors and animals. Since the day was beautiful and sunny we enjoyed the walk. We took a lot of photos of some of the more interesting statues. On the way back to our hotel our bus passed by many of the sites from the 2008 Olympic Games. We got back to the Beijing Ritz Carlton in the Financial District around 4:30 to rest after our travels.

We elected to not have the optional Peking duck dinner with the group.  Instead we went into town with a group of about 30 from the group who made the same decision. We had eaten duck on several occasions over the past few weeks, and we just wanted a more low key evening. Because our guide, Patrick, took the 30 or so visitors to the duck dinner we got in David’s bus to ride into the restaurant.

Our bus let us off in an area of inner city Beijing where a lot of small shops and restaurants catering to local residents are located. We walked down an alley (Hutong) to the entrance of the small restaurant. We were in a room with the four of us as well as Keith and Krystal from Greenville, SC. We enjoyed chatting with Keith about some of their recent travels to Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and the Yucatán. Krystal shared her enthusiasm for essential oils with us. Because she has a very limited diet she was unable to eat any of the plated dinners we were served but planned to eat some of the snacks in the hotel bar after we returned. The name of the restaurant cracked us up, Grandmas Kitchen! It was obviously for local Chinese despite the name.

The restaurant staff did not speak any English but David did a great job of communicating our needs to the waiters and cooks. We had a choice of meat loaf, chicken cordon bleu or a vegetable roll. The meal started with vegetable tomato soup followed by a garden salad with Thousand Island dressing. Everyone in our room had the chicken which was not a typical preparation for chicken cordon bleu but was really quite good. The chicken was pounded thin and stuffed with a mix of chopped ham, cheese and mashed potatoes. It was rolled in a light crumb coating and baked perfectly. There was broccoli and garlic bread on the side. Dessert was a very good slice of apple cake. We enjoyed our meal and chat with Keith and Krystal very much.

We returned to the Ritz Carlton after dinner. Mary and Cindy played cribbage while Mark and I read. We turned in early since had a busy day planned for tomorrow in Beijing.

Dazu Grotto

Entrance to Dazu Grotto

We woke at 5 am and put our bags out for the porter to load into the truck for our trip to Chengdu. We went to breakfast with Mark and Cindy around 6:15 and had a very good meal of mostly local breakfast items. Bacon, eggs, toast and cereal as well as other Western breakfast choices were available but we usually ate Chinese as much as possible.  Mary has really come to enjoy the bao which are dumplings filled with meats or bean paste.  I look forward to the steamed black rice and the Chinese yams and sweet potatoes.  Although the terms yam and sweet potato are used interchangeably in the US, they are very different foods from different types of plants from different parts of the world.  Fortunately, we had access to both at most breakfasts here in China.

The light rain had gotten heavier and we knew that our rain gear was in our checked bags, but Cindy and I were able to catch the porters before our bags were loaded onto the truck and retrieved our jackets. Patrick wanted to get an early start because holiday traffic was expected to be heavy, and we wanted to be at the Dazu Grotto in time to see the carvings.

After about a two hour drive in the rain we arrived at the Dazu Grotto. We walked a short distance then boarded golf carts to go to what would be called a hollow or canyon in the US. We were treated to hundreds of elaborate carvings in the limestone. The carvings were started over 1400 years ago but have continued by faithful Buddhists over the centuries. Detailed panels depict Buddhist gods, prophets and disciples. Interpretations of Heaven and Hell teach the consequences of good and bad behavior. Carvings illustrate how good Buddhists should live.  There are also depictions from Confucian and Taoist teaching. This illustrates the blending of these belief systems that is so common throughout much of China.

The beauty and craftsmanship of the panels were amazing enough but considering that the panels have been in place for over a millennium is even more impressive. During the Cultural Revolution Communist Chinese soldiers destroyed religious artifacts and locations on orders from Chairman Mao. However, farmers in the area who realized the importance of Dazu Grotto did not tell the soldiers about it. The remote location of the carvings in the hollow did not let the soldiers have a clue that they were there.

We were amazed with the detail and size of the carvings.  We thought there would be a few old statues, but we were treated to over 50,000 statues in the rock walls of Dazu Grotto.  Although the carvings started around 650 AD during the Tang Dynasty the work there continued until 1911 in the Qing Dynasty.

The Dazu Grotto was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Until then the site was closed to all foreigners. Only Chinese Buddhists could come here to worship before 1999. Even when we were there most of the visitors were Chinese. Many visitors kneeled down to pray before the carvings. It was quite impressive and was one of the highlights of the trip. Even though we had to walk around the grotto in a steady rain, it was still a memorable visit.

We walked back to the bus in the rain then rode for three hours to get to Chengdu. This city of over 16 million is probably best known to westerners because of the Szechwan or Sichuan style of Chinese food from this area. Although there are several things that we want to learn about Chengdu, we certainly want to try the local Sichuan cooking.

We arrived at the St. Regis Chengdu at 5:30. Patrick needed our passports to check us in and he had our room keys ready for us when we arrived. When we got to the rooms our bags were already in the rooms which were spectacular. We have a huge bedroom with a king size bed, two desks, a multidirectional shower, a fully automated bidet, a television with Bose sound that sinks into the desk and automated lights and curtains. Our corner room looks out on a beautiful view of the city.

We dressed for dinner but decided to step over to the McDonald's across the street. They had a number of local Chinese and Sichuan choices available. Mark and Cindy tried some popcorn chicken and fries to see how they are different from McDonalds in the US.

We went to dinner at the St. Regis a little after 7 pm and had a large array of Chinese and specifically Sichuan choices. We had several meat and vegetable choices as well as fruits and cheeses. Mary and Cindy finished with a coconut crème brule. We all enjoyed our meals. We went up to get some sleep since we leave for a visit to the museum in Chengdu at 8 am.

Leaving Amsterdam

Since our bus to the Amsterdam Airport leaves at 4:45 we awoke around 4 am to prepare for the return trip home.  We had put our bags outside our stateroom door before midnight they could be taken out to the bus by morning.  Since we were still 6 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Savings Time, we were leaving the ship at 10:45 pm on Tuesday back home.  Because of the darkness we were unable to see anything of Amsterdam on the bus to the airport.  It didn’t take long to get to the Delta Airlines check-in and get our boarding passes with the automated kiosk.  We also used the automated bag check fairly easily.  Security was detailed but fairly easy since we were there early and that the airport had plenty of agents.
There was a fairly heavy rain as we waited on the tarmac at the Amsterdam Airport.  That was a bit disconcerting for me since the airport sits more than 3 meters below sea level.  On takeoff the water really sprayed from the runway but the liftoff was smooth and easy.

The flight from Amsterdam was over seven and a half hours but the flight was fairly comfortable.  Although we tried to snooze, I don’t think that any of us really got much sleep.  Mary watched a few episodes of a new Muppets TV show.  I watch The Revenant which stunk and Good Will Hunting which would have been much better without the profanity.  The rest of the time we listened to music on the in-flight entertainment system that is now free on Delta international flights.  We had a breakfast and a snack on the flight both of which were good by the standards of airline food.

We arrived in Detroit on time and had lunch at Popeye’s Chicken (Ian, Emily & I) and Qdoba (Mary).  We used to the free WiFi at the Detroit Airport to check in then caught the short one hour flight back to Lexington, Kentucky.  We picked up the car from long term parking, dropped Emily & Ian off in Georgetown then drove home.  We stopped for gas in Mt. Sterling and made it home by 6 pm.  We had used up most of the perishable food before we left so we made a pizza on the grill for dinner.  We wanted to stay awake until at least 9 pm so we would start getting back on our time schedule.  Both of us would be going in to work the next day.

In reflecting on the trip we all had a great time.  We were so happy that Emily & Ian could join us.  Having them on the trip made everything so much more fun.  We saw a number of attractions that we had seen when we were in Germany in 2010.  However, it was late December then and everything looked so much different this trip.  In addition, we saw so many things that were new to us.  At dinner the night before we had a discussion of the favorite things that we did and saw during our time there.  Each of us had different favorites or different reasons for the favorites but each of us has some great memories.

For me, the best parts of the trip were when we were not on one of the Viking excursions but were just out on our own.  The included trips were very good but we interacted very little with locals other than the guides that were hired to assist us.  While I am certain that having the cruise passengers somewhat isolated would be desirable to most, we would far rather be more unrestrained in our travels.  If we were in a less culturally friendly part of the world we would have a different opinion perhaps but we would be very comfortable travelling through Switzerland, Germany, France or the Netherlands on our own using rail and other public transit.

It was interesting that we visited a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Cologne Cathedral – Cologne, Germany
• Upper Middle Rhine Valley – Koblenz, Germany
• Strasbourg Grande Île – Strasbourg, France
• Kinderdijk Windmills – Kinderdijk, Netherlands
• Heidelberg Castle – Heidelberg, Germany (tentative)

The photo album that includes many snapshots from our trip is at - https://goo.gl/photos/oGi16dkTjMBd6kbP8

Kinderdijk, Netherlands

We awoke early on our last full day in Europe.  I suppose the ship casting off at 1 am is what woke us.  We napped off and on for the duration of the night but didn’t get the usual deep sleep.  Around 7 am we walked into the lounge for a view of the widening Rhine River as it flows through The Netherlands.  It has been to see the changes in the topography along the river from Lucerne in Switzerland through Germany and France to here in The Netherlands.  Initially the landscape was very mountainous then became hilly.  Now the area surrounding the Rhine is as flat at the delta at the mouth of the Mississippi. We saw a lot of grazing land with cattle and a few sheep.  Many local people camp and fish along the river although the cool temperatures and light rain this morning may be keeping them in for the time.

Our German/Californian friend, Trudy, joined us again for breakfast.  We really enjoy her stereotypical German perspective.  In fact, while serving herself some cream of wheat from the breakfast bar she was informing the crew of more efficient ways to organize the placement of meal items.  She entertained up with stories of her meetings with Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was California’s governor. 

There was a departure briefing at 10:30 where the cruise director, Chris, gave us details of the procedures for departing the ship and getting to the airport.  Like other aspects of the trip, it seems well organized and efficient.  We also received our satisfaction surveys to provide feedback on our trip.  We were very positive with only a few comments that the onboard entertainment was directed toward people who are older than us and have different tastes.  Even if the entertainment changed it is doubtful that we would have taken part.

Ian, Emily & Mary played Yahtzee in the lounge area as Ian watched for unique birds of the area.  The cool light rain kept us inside.  We were fortunate to have had excellent weather for all of the trip except today so we really can’t complain about a little rain on one day.  It seems very counterintuitive to comment on the cold weather in early August but we were all wishing that we had brought sweatshirts along. 

We opted for the informal lunch on the Aquavit terrace which was lasagna, hamburgers with optional mushrooms, cheeses, bacon and other toppings.  Trudy was in line ahead of us and was scolding the staff for not providing the best and most efficient implements for serving the lasagna.  After lunch the Yahtzee game continued in the lounge.  The temperatures stayed in the mid 50s throughout the afternoon although we are hoping for a clearing by the time we arrive at Kinderdijk, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Viking Kvasir moored at Kinderdijk at 3:30 pm in a light rain.  We donned our rain jackets and walked out into the very small Dutch town to see the sights.  While I found a nearby geocache, Ian & Emily visited a gift shop and purchased some “wooden shoe” slippers for his sister and a Christmas ornament for themselves.  I was happy to drop off a geocoin that I have carried for far too long and am happy to have given it such a long ride but I am certain that it go far as a free coin. 

Since the rain was steady and cold, we came back to the boat fairly quickly and warmed up before our guided tour at 4:30.  The guide was a fourth generation resident of Kinderdijk and was very well informed about the history of the town and the beautiful historic windmills.  He took us to the brick windmills dating to the mid 1700s on one side of the canal as well as the wood windmills that were built a few years later since the shifting wet earth caused instability in the brick foundations.  He even took us inside one windmill to see the inner workings including the main beam that connects the propellers to the water pumps below.  These main shafts are giant oak beams that are original to when the windmills were built in the mid 1700s.  The thatch roof on each windmill must be replaced about every 20 years and the windmill required regular maintenance.  Historically the miller gets free rent and a small stipend in exchange for caring for the windmill.  Unlike mills in many areas, these windmills do not grind grain but only pump water from the town into a canal that empties into the Rhine River. 

We were fascinated to learn how the miller can control the speed and pumping of the windmill by adjusting the amount of each vane that is covered by the cloth.  

We also learned how the position of the windmill vanes communicated to other millers whether they were prepared to pump water.  It turns out that the position of the windmill vanes was used as a way to communicate to allied pilots regarding the positions of German troops during World War II. 

We enjoyed this visit as much as any stop that we made over the trip, mostly because of our guide. The only negative was that the rain was persistent throughout our time at Kinderdijk.  Our guide took a lot of time to answer all of our questions about the importance of pumping water since the town and much of Hollard is below sea level.  He also answered questions about wooden shoes and the dikes along the rivers. 

I don’t know what I expected about the dikes but they were very much like the earthen floodwalls that surround Huntington, WV.  The dikes allow the Rhine to rise for several meters without getting into the homes in the low land of Netherlands.  As the area continues to sink by a centimeter or so each year and sea level continues to rise, the problem of keeping Hollard above water continues. 

After the tour we returned to the ship to shower and dress before the Captain’s celebration.  We enjoyed a glass of champagne to toast the passengers and crew and had a chance to say our goodbyes.  From there we went to the dining room for the final dinner of the cruise and joined our friends from a few nights earlier from Northern California whose daughter, Brooke, now works for Ikea in The Hague.  Chef Mario outdid himself once again.  I had the salmon tartar with bitter greens as an appetizer.  Mary had the roasted forest mushroom veloute while Emily & Ian had the tandoori chicken.  We had kir royale as a palate cleanser before the main course, a deconstructed beef Wellington, Napoleon style with sautéed vegetables, pommes duchesse and Cognac sauce.  Ian opted for the sautéed prawns and saffron beurre blaume with sides of potato soufflé and sautéed fennel.  For dessert we all had crisp dark valrhona chocolate tart which was quite good.  Since yesterday was Brooke’s birthday the maître d, Paul Daniel, brought citrus cheesecake to our table with the same sparkling candle.

Since we have an early flight and a 4:45 disembarkation from the ship we visited the main desk to take care of our bill and leave gratuities for the staff.   We were very pleased with the quality of service that Viking provides.  Although as seasoned European travelers we didn’t need that level of care here it was nice that Viking took care of all of the details.  We just had to show up and enjoy ourselves.  While we didn’t need that care in Europe it will be very welcome on what we hope is our next Viking River Cruise to China.

Cologne, Germany

We made our way to breakfast in the dining area at our usual time and in our usual table.  Our usual server, Kate, made sure that we were all well satisfied.  We did have a very pleasant and interesting breakfast guest.  Trudy is a widow who now lives in Costa Mesa, California but grew up and spent much of her life in Mannheim, Germany.  We enjoyed her German accent that sometimes drifted into complete German especially when discussing one of the many topics on which she is passionate.  Trudy’s late husband was once mayor of Costa Mesa and she is still very active in politics as an elected official as well as serving on local committees.  She is quite a character.

The morning excursion was a walking tour of Cologne and the Cologne Cathedral, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We were on a bus with a guide who was very witty and was teasing the driver about how many Smart Car’s he has crushed with the bus.  Although we were initially disappointed that he would not be our city guide, we learned that the German guide, Ute, who was assigned to us was just as amusing but in quite another way.  On our walk around the cathedral she was telling us how easy going and liberal the citizens of Cologne are when compared to most other areas of Germany. 
About that time a bicyclist came riding past and she thrust her guide sign (lollipop) out at the cyclist and shouting in German that he was riding in a pedestrian only area. Later in the cathedral a man was leading a group of tourists who apparently did not have a license to guide from the Bureau of Tourism. She let him have it with a tirade on how it is illegal for him to act as a guide without the proper credentials and how his group should get out of the way of groups who were there legally. As we approached the crypt that is reputed to hold the remains of the three wise men, an American tourist, not with our group, was drinking coffee in the cathedral. Our guide soundly scolded her that she was not in a biergarten and should not bring beverages into a church.

Crypt that is reputed to contain the remains of the three wise men

The Cologne Cathedral is really magnificent.  It is good that Cologne is one of our last stops since if we had visited this cathedral first all of the ones to follow further up the Rhine would have been a letdown.  Although Cologne is a large city, the cathedral spires tower over everything.  Finding the towers of the church make it impossible to get lost in Cologne.  Despite being near 900 years old, the cathedral is still an active and working church. 

Ian with one of Cologne's Kolsch beers

After leaving the church the guide took us along the banks of the Rhine River past the fish market area where many good restaurants and biergartens are located.  She also pointed out directions to places for shopping and other area attractions that we may wish to visit in the afternoon.  We had been to Cologne in 2010 including to the cathedral but since it was in late December, the city looked very different.  There were many more people in the cathedral, the biergartens, shops and on the streets this time of year.

We took the 12:30 shuttle back to the ship and had lunch in the informal grill area of the Aquavit lounge.  We had sliced flank steak, soups, salads and apple beignets for lunch.  We left lunch to walk into the city to spend the afternoon visiting some of the locations in Cologne that we like to see.  We stopped by a shop that sells locally made fragrances and bought a cologne from Cologne for Gran.  We walked along the river and sampled several brands of Kolsch Bier which is only made in the Cologne area. 

Emily, Mary & Ian at ruins of Roman settlement

We made it to the Lindt chocolate factory and visitor center.  Mary, Emily & I had been here in 2010 but it is a very good visit.  There is a lot of signage on the history and making of chocolate.  You can also see chocolate being made into hollow shapes as well as small bars.  The process is very interesting and requires many steps to prepare what we know as chocolate from the raw beans. 

After leaving the Lindt factory we walked across the street to the Mustard (Senf) Museum.  This is actually just a store that sells a wide variety of mustards and has some interpretative displays on mustard.  We had several samples of the mustards including a special Cologne style as well as one made with Riesling wine.  Ian & Emily purchased several as gifts for family and friends. 

Mustard Museum in Cologne

We enjoyed the walk back along the Rhine since the temperatures were back up in the 70s by that time in the afternoon.  These cooler European temperatures seem very pleasant after leaving the upper 90s of home nearly two weeks ago.  We stopped at another biergarten for a final Kolsch and hunted a geocache or two along the way then made our way back to the ship.  Since we were all pretty tired we read, relaxed and just rested for an hour or so until dinner.  I even managed to doze off a little.

We had the daily briefing at 6:45 then dinner at 7:00.  A group was leaving for one of the optional tours that was a tasting of local Kolsch Bier from several of the area pubs.  The charge for the excursion was an additional $90 per person.  We were able to stop by several Biergartens earlier in the afternoon and sample local Kolsch Bier for only about $9 with each of us having sips to compare.  While we like Viking very much we do not think that we would recommend the optional tours as a bargain or even a desirable choice, at least not for us.

Ancient crucifix in Cologne Cathedral

Once again, Chef Mario prepared some excellent choices for dinner.  Appetizers were egg rolls or French onion soup.  The main course choices were roasted chicken, seared sea bass or porcini mushroom ravioli.  Dessert was ice cream, sorbet or a chocolate cake.  Most of us had the sea bass although Mary said that the porcini ravioli was quite good.  We ate with a couple from New Jersey who had lived outside Albuquerque for a number of years.  They were quite pleasant so we chatted with them well past dinner.

Around 9 pm we went up on the sundeck and looked out over the city of Cologne. As the temperature cooled and the wind picked up we decided to return to our stateroom for the night.  The ship leaves for Kinderdijk around 1 am and should arrive in midafternoon on Tuesday.  We have a tour to see some restored working windmills at 4 pm.

Koblenz, Germany

I woke up at 5 am and went out in the small park in Rudescheim to get some fresh air.  I was back on board well before the 7:30 am breakfast.  I have really been enjoying the cheeses here.  I had Limburger, goat and brie cheese this morning along with some heavy German bread.  As we were finishing breakfast the ship pulled away from the dock at Rudescheim am Rhine and turned downriver toward Koblenz. 

Since the morning was very cold we all wore jackets to sit up on the sundeck and watch the landscape of the Middle Rhine go by. 

Because of all of the historical structures, this 65 km stretch of the Rhine has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The number and beauty of the old castles and ruins amazed us.  We all had binoculars and were able to see details of the structures along the way.  As we went through the countryside and small villages Ian spotted several interesting birds.  At one point we floated by the Lorelei which is a very narrow and deep point in the Rhine River.  Legend has it that sailors who attempt to sail through this passage will be dashed to their death on the rocks.  A beautiful maiden, Lorelei, lures the sailors close to the rocks as they crash.  Local superstition prohibits passing through the Lorelei at night.

We opted to have the informal lunch in the lounge which was shrimp Po Boys and English style fish and chips.  There were also soups and salads as well as lemongrass tea which was quite good. 

By the time we were finishing lunch we were pulling up to the dock at Koblenz just a short distance from the “German Corner” where the Mossell River joins the Rhine.  We all decided to take the guided tour of Marksburg Castle.  This is one of the few castles in the area that was never destroyed in the nearly 1000 century of the castle.  Our guide was a local resident and had a lot of knowledge about the castle and took us to see a lot of the old structure.  It just astounded us that the timber supports that were put into place over 900 years ago are still able to support the building.

As we were leaving the castle we had the first rain of our trip.  The shower didn’t last very long but it felt very cold to us.  We made a dash for the bus for the ride back to the ship.  We dropped off a few things and went for a walk around the “German Corner” or “deutsches Eck” that includes a gigantic statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I who was the German ruler of the late 1800s and early 1900s who brought the separate Germanic states together into what we know as Germany today.  Ian went up into the Kaiser Wilhelm I memorial and posed for some snapshots.  We also walked around some of the area near the dock and found a couple of interesting statues as well as a few geocaches. 

At a cache by the Rhine River we met a group of three geocachers from the Netherlands who were searching for the same cache.  Like most geocachers, they were a very pleasant group.  Fortunately, Emily made the find on the cache.  After we walked into town, I met with a geocacher from Koblenz who helped me make the find.  It was very nice to meet other geocachers.  We walked into the Altstadt and found a really funny statue that portrays a “Rascal of Koblenz” or Schangelbrunnen in a public square.  Each panel surrounding the fountain pictures one of the boy’s many transgressions.  While reading the bronze sign in front of the statue, the boy will spit water on unsuspecting visitors. 

We returned to the ship to dress for dinner that was a celebration of German culture.  The problem was that most of the décor, traditions, music and food were from Bavaria which was not visited by this tour.  That being said, it was all in good fun and everything was good.  The servers and many of the kitchen staff were in traditional Bavarian Lederhosen and dirndl dresses.  Local musicians were hired to play an accordion and mechanical crank organ during dinner.  The menu was a buffet of pork, kraut, pig knuckles, German meatballs and wursts.  Desserts were gelato, kirsch tort, and Apfel tort.  A dry Riesling was offered as was a local Kolsch bier.  Many of the staff came to each table to have shots of cherry schnapps with all of the diners.  After we ate we took a tour of the kitchen with Chef Mario which was nice to see how such meals came from a very small space.

After dinner we changed back into walking clothes and walked back into Koblenz.  We strolled up the Mossell River and through part of the city of Koblenz.  We found a few more interesting statues and a display of three panels from the former Berlin Wall. From our previous trip to Germany, we knew that the town shuts down after 9 pm so we started back to the ship around 9:30 since darkness was setting in.  We had some decaf tea and headed for our rooms.

The ship departs for Cologne at 4 am and we should arrive by 9 am for a guided tour into the city. We will have the afternoon to explore the city on our own.