“How do you fancy a river cruise?” asked my dear friend and
graphics designer, Cathy Helms one day way back in 2016 during one of our Skype
calls.
“Um…” was my reply, “what do you have in mind?”
In mind, was joining Cathy, her husband Ray and her mom, Lynn on
an eight day cruise down the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam.
Fast forward several months to August 2017….
There I was at 6.15 a.m outside a Premier Inn hotel near Heathrow’s
Terminal 5. (Comfortable, nice hotel) I
was awaiting the arrival of the regular and efficient hopper bus to take me to
the airport. A couple of hours later – and with the kind, also efficient help
from the Assistance staff, my B.A. flight took off heading for Zürich (with equally as helpful cabin crew who took
care of me because of my fading sight. Most impressed.)
Landing was fine, passport control was fine, baggage reclaim,
ditto – again all with very helpful assistance. Now for the Big Test. Cathy
& co were due to land at Zürich from
North Carolina (via a transfer at Munich) just five minutes or so after me… and
would you believe… they did! What timing!
So we boarded another (included in the trip) hopper bus to the Moevenpick
Hotel, Zürich, dumped our baggage in our rooms (I was sharing with Lynn)
grabbed a bite to eat – and the US contingent went to bed. Yes it was only
about 3pm but there’s this irritating little thing called Jet Lag… Actually, I confess, I went too as I was also
shattered.
Lynn and I toddled down for a wonderful dinner in the outside
Restaurant – oh that Black Forest Gateau was to die for, although
just as well we shared one between the two of us – it was enormous!
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| All photos ©CathyHelms |
Next day we were not due to join the boat until early afternoon,
so we signed up to go on a coach trip to the Rhine Falls.
‘The falls are located on
the High Rhine on the border between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich,
between the villages of Neuhausen am Rheinfall and Laufen-Uhwiesen/Dachsen,
next to the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland. They are 150 metres (490 ft) wide and
23 metres (75 ft) high. The falls cannot be climbed by fish,
except by eels that are able to worm their way up over the rocks.’
Very impressive, even given the long walk down dozens of steps and
then back up again.
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| Me and Lynn |
My only comment about Switzerland, though: it is very expensive.
Day 1. August 5th 2017
So, after collecting our luggage, into the coach again and off to
Basel to find our home for the next week: Avalon Tours Tranquillity II.
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| Tranquillity II |
Slightly disconcerting to discover when we got to the docks that
the boat was double-moored alongside another cruiser (this happens a lot,
apparently). Our cabin (mine and Lynn’s) was number 102, small but very clean
and very comfortable. It was on the lower level, so no State Room with those
great big ‘patio-door’ windows, but the slit windows were fine, and as I
discovered that night there was one lovely (for me) delight at being near the
water level. I could hear the water gurgling along the hull – just as my Jesamiah
Acorne would when aboard Sea Witch. I tell you, that sound is the best for being soothed to sleep!
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| Folded bunny towels! And the daily newsletter |
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| Ray, our waiter, Danny, & Lynn |
First night dinner (and indeed every meal) was delicious, wine (or
beer or soft drinks) included with the meal. I had red wine, of course, but it
was really good to be offered a different wine each evening. Have to say here,
the only one I wasn’t keen on (and I’ve found this at home as well) was the
Shiraz. The best wine was the Regent 2016.
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| dinner is served! |
There was a very comfortable coffee bar at the rear of the boat
where tea, coffee, fruit juice and cakes and biscuits were available as
self-service. We spent much of our time there, very pleasant viewing of the
river and a fairly quiet spot as most passengers tended to congregate in the
bar lounge at the bow.
Day 2 Breisach
Cathy and co went off on a coach trip through the Black Forest, (I didn’t – already seen
it). In the afternoon we set sail for the next stretch of the Rhine…
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| Blackforest Gateau |
Sitting reading on the sun deck while travelling downriver was
glorious. (Incidentally there are quite a few low bridges at the higher end of
the Rhine, so check with your tour operator before booking because the sun deck
has to be lowered for the boat to sail beneath them – which on some cruises
means several days without use of this upper, open, deck.) There are also many locks, which were
efficiently negotiated and very interesting!
Day 3 Strasbourg, France
‘Strasbourg is the capital
and largest city of the Grand Est region of France and is the official seat of
the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany in the
historic region of Alsace, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département.
Strasbourg's historic city centre, the
Grande Île (Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage site by UNESCO in
1988, the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre.
Strasbourg is immersed in the Franco-German culture and although violently
disputed throughout history, has been a cultural bridge between France and
Germany for centuries.’
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| Strasbourg Me Cathy & Ray |
We had our own excursion into Strasbourg, wonderfully navigated by
Ray and Cathy (including a trip into town via the tram!) Apologies to any
French readers, but as I have often founded before, almost everyone we stopped
to ask if they spoke English (in my poor French) shrugged & said no. One
chap was helpful, and one lady but the tram driver… I mean not even the basics?
Hrrmph. Anyway we had a lovely cool drink a Starbucks (!) sitting outside in a wonderful
open square watching a display of bubbles!
‘Heidelberg is situated on
the river Neckar in south-west Germany. Located about 78 km (48 mi) south of
Frankfurt, Heidelberg is the fifth-largest city in the German state of
Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University is Germany's oldest
and one of Europe's most reputable universities. Heidelberg is a popular
tourist destination due to its romantic cityscape, including Heidelberg Castle,
the Philosophers' Walk, and the baroque style Old Town.’
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| Heidelberg |
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| the Castle |
Again I did not join the official tours today – a lot of walking
involved, unfortunately, which is beyond my poor old knees. My friends went
off, though, and viewed the Gutenberg museum with the famous very first
printing press, designed circa 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg.
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| The first printing press |
‘Mainz is the capital and largest city
of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It was the capital of the
Electorate of Mainz at the time of the Holy Roman Empire. In antiquity Mainz
was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed
part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire; it was founded as a
military post by the Romans in the late 1st century BC and became the provincial
capital of Germania Superior. The city is located on the river Rhine at its
confluence with the Main opposite Wiesbaden, in the western part of the
Frankfurt Rhine-Main region; in the modern age, Frankfurt shares much of its
regional importance. The city is famous as the home of the invention of the
movable-type printing press, as the first books printed using movable type were
manufactured in Mainz by Gutenberg in the early 1450s.
Lynn and I strolled to the main shopping centre – very interesting
to see the German branches of UK shops, and we took shelter in a bookshop when
it suddenly decided to rain. Again, interesting to see familiar book covers
with German text!
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| The Rhine |
then the Rhine Gorge
and Koblenz: Rhine valley wine country!
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| Rudesheim |
The excursion to Rudesheim was fantastic! In particular, Siegfried'sMechanical Music Cabinet, a Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments. Fabulous! Situated in the Brömserhof, a knight's manor of the 15th century. Just above
the Drosselgasse in Rüdesheim am Rhein, with about 350 mechanical music
instruments out of three centuries, an eventful 45 minute tour with music.
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| I love gallopers! |
This
was followed by the German equivalent of Irish Coffee…
The cruise through the Rhine Gorge,
viewed from the sun deck,
was fabulous.
‘The Rhine Gorge is a
popular name for the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65 km section of the River
Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen in Germany. It was added to the UNESCO list of
World Heritage Sites in June 2002 for a unique combination of geological,
historical, cultural and industrial reasons. The region's rocks were laid down
in the Devonian period and are known as Rhenish Facies. This is a
fossil-bearing sedimentary rock type consisting mainly of slate. The rocks
underwent considerable folding during the Carboniferous period. The gorge was
carved out during a much more recent uplift to leave the river contained within
steep walls 200 m high, the most famous feature being the Lorelei. The gorge
produces its own microclimate and has acted as a corridor for species not
otherwise found in the region. Its slopes have long been terraced for
agriculture, in particular viticulture which has good conditions on
south-facing slopes. The river has been an important trade route into central
Europe since prehistoric times and a string of small settlements has grown up
along the banks. Constrained in size, many of these old towns retain a historic
feel today. With increasing wealth, many castles appeared and the valley became
a core region of the Holy Roman Empire. It was at the centre of the Thirty
Years' War, which left many of the castles in ruins, a particular attraction
for today's cruise ships which follow the river. At one time forming a border
of France, in the 19th Century the valley became part of Prussia and its
landscape became the quintessential image of Germany. This part of the Rhine
features strongly in folklore, such as a legendary castle on the Rhine being
the setting for the opera Götterdämmerung.’
The Rhine Gorge
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| ships that pass in the night - well, OK, day |
‘Koblenz, is a German city situated on both banks of the
Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German
Corner) and its monument (Emperor William I on horseback) are situated. As
Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the
city celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1992. The name Koblenz originates
from Latin confluentes, confluence or “(at the) merging of rivers". Subsequently,
it was Covelenz and Cobelenz. In the local dialect the name is Kowelenz. After
Mainz and Ludwigshafen am Rhein, it is the third largest city in
Rhineland-Palatinate.’
We docked at dock number 4, and waiting there was a
dear friend, Carolin, who I was delighted to say, I could invite aboard. A
fabulous couple of hours was spent together in the coffee lounge with non-stop
chatter and laughter, sadly, she had to leave Tranquillity II before we sailed. My big regret – Carolin – we forgot
to take a photo of us together!
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| Tranquillity II |
‘Cologne is the largest city in the
German federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth-largest city in
Germany (after Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich). Cologne is located on both sides
of the Rhine River, near Germany's borders with Belgium and the Netherlands.
The city's famous Cologne Cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of
Cologne. The University of Cologne is one of Europe's oldest and largest
universities. Cologne was founded and established in Ubii territory in the 1st
century AD as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, from which it gets
its name. The city functioned as the capital of the Roman province of Germania
Inferior and as the headquarters of the Roman military in the region until
occupied by the Franks in 462. During the Middle Ages it flourished on one of
the most important major trade routes between east and west in Europe. Cologne
was one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League and one of the largest
cities north of the Alps in medieval and Renaissance times. Prior to World War
II the city had undergone several occupations by the French and also by the
British (1918–1926). Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in
Germany during World War II, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) dropping 34,711
long tons (35,268 tonnes) of bombs on the city. The bombing reduced the
population by 95%, mainly due to evacuation, and destroyed almost the entire
city. With the intention of restoring as many historic buildings as possible,
the successful post-war rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique
cityscape. The Cathedral, however was mostly avoided, where possible, by the
bombers – not because of any religious reason, but because it provided a
distinctive landmark.’
Personally, I found the Cathedral to be a little O.T.T. with its
architecture, but then I’m not a cathedral fan anyway. Lynn and I had a nice, short
easy walk while Cathy and Ray went off exploring.
We sailed through the night and woke up to find ourselves docked in the Netherlands.
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| Amsterdam's Canals |
‘Amsterdam is the capital of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands, although it is not the seat of the government,
which is The Hague. Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of a
dam in the river Amstel. Originating as a small fishing village in the late
12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world
during the Dutch Golden Age (17th century), a result of its innovative
developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading centre for
finance and diamonds. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th
century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Famous
Amsterdam residents include the diarist Anne Frank, artists Rembrandt van Rijn
and Vincent van Gogh. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange
in the world, is located in the city centre.’
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| some of these houses are a little lop-sided - the whole of Amsterdam is supported by stilts (its basically a man-made island) and sometimes the stilts sink... |
Our canal boat trip was most interesting...
Something like 10,000 bicycles are removed from the Amsterdam canals every year. Because of so many bicycles, there is a rather good joke about them and the canals:
The canals are 9 metres deep.
3 metres are mud.
3 metres are water.
3 metres are bicycles.
Something like 10,000 bicycles are removed from the Amsterdam canals every year. Because of so many bicycles, there is a rather good joke about them and the canals:
The canals are 9 metres deep.
3 metres are mud.
3 metres are water.
3 metres are bicycles.
... the afternoon excursion to see some windmills and how clogs are made was equally so – although very much a ‘tourist trap’.
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| clog making - alas, by machine, not hand |
Mind you, I'm not sure that my friends were impressed by my (bad) singing of I Saw A Mouse... (with clogs on...) an Amsterdam nursery rhyme.
Day 8
Alas, homeward bound. Have to say, I don’t think much of Schiphol
airport. Initial assistance, pre-security was appalling, as was information. I’ll
avoid the place in future! Sadly also, because of the poor service I didn’t get
to say goodbye to Cathy, Ray and Lynn. Still, goodbyes are never good, so maybe
that was just as well…
I heartily recommend river cruising, but pick and choose which
rivers and from/where to!