Rhine River Cruise
Rhine river 3rd Anniversary
Rhine River Day 1-2: We embarked on a two-hour drive 🚙 to Raleigh, making only a pit stop at Bojangles for lunch 🍗. Our journey began with a short flight ✈️ from Raleigh to Charlotte, then the 8h flight ✈️ from Charlotte to London. The final stretch of our travel took us to Switzerland 🇨🇭. Upon our arrival, Viking Tours greeted us at the airport and chauffeured us to the Hyperion Hotel, where our room awaited. To our pleasant surprise, just across the street, a vibrant fall fair was in full swing. Intrigued, we explored the fair and indulged in some delicious food, savoring beef wraps 🌮 and bratwurst 🌭. Later, we treated ourselves to a mouthwatering chicken ratatouille dinner. As the day wore on, jet lag began to catch up with us, and we wearily made our way back to our rooms to rest.
Rhine River Day 3: Our day began with a delightful breakfast buffet featuring a wide array of pastries, fresh fruits, and assorted meats. Following this, we embarked on a guided tour of Basel, Switzerland. We commenced the tour with a scenic tram ride 🚃, explored historic churches ⛪, strolled through the bustling marketplace, and delved into the city’s rich history and culture. For lunch, we savored a stop at Brasserie Baselstab, where Amanda indulged in porcini risotto 🍚and I enjoyed some delicious ribs🍖. After this satisfying meal, we walked to Spalen Gate 🚪 and then headed to the zoo, where we had an enjoyable time with a memorable animal encounter despite a bit of rain 🌧️ . Returning on the tram, we decided to make a dinner stop at the carnival, concluding our day with a taste of fair delights.
Rhine River Day 4: Kicked off our anniversary with a delightful breakfast buffet, the same as the previous day. Next, we hopped on transit 🚃number 10 to Merian Garten. On our way to the park, we spotted ducks 🦆and a massive dinosaur 🦕 . We then explored scarecrows, flowers, orchards, and gardens, before returning to the marketplace. We visited a 7-floor mall (Coop), had dumpling ramen 🍜 for lunch, picked up some Swiss chocolates 🍫 , and I even tried a local McDonald’s burger 🍔 and fries 🍟 , noticing the absence of the typical American chemicals. In the afternoon, we took the bus to our Viking Cruise ship 🛳️ , Njord, and walked to the Dreiländereck statue, where Switzerland 🇨🇭, France 🇫🇷 , and Germany 🇩🇪 converge. We wrapped up the day with a delicious dinner, enjoying steak and veal, and indulged in plum tarts and key lime pie 🥧 for dessert. Lastly, we went on a pumpkin hunt to see all the silly carvings around the ship surrounded in candy 🍭. Happy Halloween 🎃!
Wednesday Nov 1st 2023
Rhine River Day 5: Awoke early for an icy hot 🚿- temperature fluctuates a lot when there are so many showering at the same time! Then had a breakfast buffet on the boat before catching a scenic bus ride 🚌 to the Black Forest 🌲🌲🌲. We watched the giant cuckoo clock 🕰️ declare the hour and embarked on a short hike to a little waterfall💧. Back in the forest cillage, we explored the glass maker shop 🔮 and cuckoo workshop 🕰️. Next was a lesson in making the Black Forest Cake 🍰. On the way back to the ship, Amanda won candy 🍬 for getting the most quiz questions right. For lunch we had penne 🍝 and an energy bowl followed by floating island (pistachio meringue) and chocolate sundae. Refreshed, we explored the city of Breisach by foot, visiting the only open store, an interesting art machine, and beautiful cathedral. After a brief nap 😴 , dinner was phenomenal, consisting of herb crusted pork tenderloin and spicy bean chili for dinner with black forest cake and ice cream for dessert. We finished off the night watching the water sink and lower the boat in the lock for the next segment of the river 🏞️.
Thursday Nov 2 2023
Rhine River Day 6: Following our cruise buffet breakfast🥓🍳, we embarked on a tour of Strasbourg Island, a place where the Rhine River splits and reconnects, formerly a network of canals. We marveled at the captivating architecture, featuring half-timbered buildings, observed the functioning of mechanical bridges 🌉, and visited the Notre Dame Cathedral ⛪️. The video captures the striking church clock chiming on the hour 🕰️ – showing the various stages of life passing death 💀. After our tour, we indulged in a delightful lunch: Amanda opted for potato pancakes 🥞, while I savored sauerkraut paired with four different meats 🥩, along with a taste of flammkuchen (pizza). Subsequently, we explored the local shops, took a spin on the merry-go-round 🎠, and picked up some souvenirs. We also delved into the history of lederhosen and learned the art of making flammkuchen 🍕under the guidance of Chef Martin. To cap off the day, we relished a Taste of Germany sampler for dinner, featuring roast pork, sausage, sauerkraut, red sausage, fried chicken, and delectable German pancakes with plum jam for dessert.
Friday Nov 3 2023
Rhine River Day 7: We embarked on a walking tour of Speyer, delving into the intriguing history of Emperor Konrad 👑and his three excommunications from the church ⛪️, all while taking in the grandeur of Speyer Cathedral. Our path then led us through the bustling market square🛍️, where Amanda found an adorable pink knitted cap 🧢. Later, we regrouped with our tour guide and hopped on a bus 🚌 for the return journey to our ship, passing the technical museum (topped with a plane ✈️ ) en route. As we set sail for Worms, Germany 🇩🇪 , we enjoyed a satisfying lunch on board: Amanda opted for Rigatoni pasta 🍝 , while I savored a classic cheeseburger 🍔 . Post-lunch, we unwound with a quick nap and a movie 🍿 . Upon our arrival in Worms, we disembarked, and Amanda had a delightful encounter with a friendly (Hund) dog 🐶 before we strolled through the market, exploring various shops, taking photographs 🤳, and learning a lesson in not touching the souvenirs. While making our way back to the ship, we couldn’t resist the temptation of indulging in spaghetti ice cream 🍨 . Our appetites remained undiminished, and we relished Spundekäs as an appetizer, followed by a delectable main course of steak 🥩 and eggplant 🍆 for dinner. The sweet conclusion to our day included apple tart 🍎and matcha cake 🎂 for dessert. Before retiring for the night, we were treated to a captivating live glassblowing 🔥demonstration, and we acquired a wealth of knowledge about quartz crystal 💎.
Saturday Nov 4 2023
Rhine River day 8: Today was unique as our tour was conducted right on our ship. We indulged in some extra sleep, enjoyed a leisurely late breakfast, and had the pleasure of witnessing the breathtaking sights of twenty-one castles 🏰 lining the Rhine as we journeyed towards Koblenz. Following this scenic tour, it was time for lunch, where we both started with the creamy broccoli 🥦soup as an appetizer. Amanda relished the cannelloni 🍝, while I opted for the ribs 🍖, and we wrapped up with a delightful banana 🍌 split for dessert. Our next adventure was a guided tour of the city of Koblenz, despite the chilly 🥶 , windy 🌬️ , and rainy ☔️weather. We explored several remarkable landmarks, including the National Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, glass chameleon, Giant Thumb 👍 , Koblenz history statue, Lady Hygiea ⚕️, and the mischievous Schängel, also known as the spitting boy ⛲️. Post-tour, we walked around in the mall and market stores 🛍️ before returning to our ship 🚢 . For dinner, Amanda savored a delightful pumpkin 🎃 soup, followed by spinach and mushroom ravioli, and a delightful carrot cake for dessert. As for me, I began with a vegetable 🥕 tart, enjoyed a Chateaubriand for the main course, and concluded the meal with a refreshing serving of fresh fruit 🍉.
Sunday Nov 5th 2023
Rhine River day 9: Today’s adventure in Cologne began with Amanda enjoying the buffet, while I opted for banana pancakes 🥞 and an omelette 🍳 for breakfast. We then hopped on the tour 🚌 , which took us to the heart of the city in just 5 minutes. We learned about the city’s Roman origins, marked by copper plates, and proceeded to visit the magnificent Cologne Cathedral ⛪️, even during a church service. Afterwards, we returned to the ship for lunch, with Amanda choosing spaghetti carbonara 🍝, and I opted for Rubin sandwich. Post-lunch, we explored the zoo, where we marveled at meerkats, flamingos, 🦩, sheep 🐑, bears 🐻, sloths 🦥, monkeys 🐒, and anteaters. However, the highlight was undoubtedly the comically small and adorable baby elephant 🐘. In the evening, we returned for dinner, both starting with bell pepper soup. Amanda had risotto and raspberry sorbet for dessert, while I enjoyed the prime rib followed by a lava cake. But the night wasn’t over yet; we had a fantastic time playing Music 🎼 Trivia and thoroughly enjoyed making fools of ourselves with the dances 💃🕺.
Monday Nov 6th 2023
Rhine River day 10: Following breakfast 🍳, we had an insightful tour of the wheelhouse ☸️ led by Captain Bartozs 🦇. After the tour, we spent our cruise time reading 📖 and watching movies 🍿 until lunch. Then it was time for Kinderdijk . In the Netherlands, where a significant portion of the land is below sea level 🌊, they undertook the ambitious task of reclaiming land from the marshlands. The iconic windmills function as pumps, transferring water 💧 to reservoirs. During low tide, the reservoir gates are opened to release the water. We also learned about the traditional wooden shoes 👞 , known as clogs. Once they were worn out, these wooden shoes were repurposed as firewood 🔥. We concluded our last day of the cruise with a delicious dinner featuring stuffed portobello mushrooms 🍄 and steak 🥩.
Tuesday Nov 7th 2023
Rhine River day 11: Started the day with blueberry pancakes 🥞 for breakfast, followed by an Amsterdam canal tour 🚤, immersing ourselves in architecture, history, and boat life. Explored the vibrant market, indulging in a chicken 🍗 bao bun and discovering unique fruits 🍒, veggies, and souvenirs. A stroll in Vondelpark 🅿️revealed ducks 🦆, rats 🐀 , and even parrots 🦜. Later, enjoyed a margarita pizza 🍕 and baked treats 🍪at a pizzeria. Post-Amsterdam, we were shuttled 🚌to The Hague, visited the Peace Palace 🏰, and settled into our hotel. Wrapped up the day with a flavorful Indian 🇮🇳dinner featuring dosas, aloo, gobi, parathas, and paneer. Finished the night with a walk through the Royal Shopping street.
Wednesday Nov 8th 2023
Rhine River day 12: Netherlands 🇳🇱Indulged in a hotel breakfast buffet, embarked on a walking tour exploring the King’s Palace 🏰, the opulent Hotel de Indes, and various churches ⛪️, delving into politics and the royal family. For lunch, we enjoyed snacks – nachos for me and shrimp 🍤 for Amanda. Explored the streets some more, stopping 🛍️ to savor a brownie snack. After a rejuvenating nap 😴, we dined at an Italian restaurant, relishing delightful pasta 🍝 before venturing out for an evening stroll in the city lights 🚨.
Explored the shopping district, followed by a stroll to savor an edible brownie. After a rejuvenating nap, we dined at an Italian restaurant, relishing delightful pasta before venturing to the red light district via Uber with Amanda.
Thursday Nov 9th 2023
Rhine River day 13:
Dessert Tompouce
Lunch: hotdog, pappardelle al ragú
Cream of broccoli soup
Vash = cow (french)
Ice wine?
