all wine roads lead to alsace

It's hard to believe that we are on our last day of the river boat cruise on the Rhine. What could top the past days we have had, but the day didn't disappoint. Every day gets hard to get up early, but once we open our eyes and realize where we are, we prepare ourselves for a day of new adventures. Today it was the wine road through the region of France called Alsace (al-zahs). This is a wine vineyard region--white wines--and absolutely beautiful. It is a valley region between the Black Forest and the Les Hautes Vosges Mountains. Vineyards fill every spot not occupioed by half-timber houses of the 16th & 17th Century. It is out of a storybook. Little villages dot every few kilometers--some with old moats still intact. At any moment I think I will see the "six-fingered man" or Fezzik the Giant...INCONTHEEVABLE! (reference: The Princess Bride)

We drove all along "the wine road" to Riquewirh--a medievel town at the base of the mountain range. We stopped at the Hotel Cerf for a wonderful French/German meal. This area has changed nationalities at least 4 times since the turn of the 20th Century (now it is under France). I really love this area of France and want to see more of this country someday. We couldn't leave without buying wine, macaroons and local folkart.

Back on the bus to Colmar--the capital of this small state of Alsace. Ths is a larger city but still has an old town and the charm of France. We wandered the streets for a while before finding a quaint cafe. Up the spiral staircase to the second floor for espresso or "the" (tea). No English, but we managed to get what we wanted. When Euros are envolved, everyone speaks the language.

Tonight the "last supper" was one to remember...not to bore anyone, but we had 6 courses and our main course was a beef tenderloin in hollandaise sauce and white asparagus (only grown in this region this time of year) and ended with baked Alaska. Words cannot describe the pleasure to the tastebuds.

Tomorrow we disembark by 9:45am. It will be hard to get back to the real world, but exercise and healthy eating is on tap for our bodies next week. I thank my dad for this once-in-a-lifetime gift. We can never repay him for it, but know that spending time with him now is the best gift of all!

7 days, 3 countries...TIRED but happy

When the alarm went off at 7:00 this morning, it was so hard to get up. Not that this cruise has been grueling or stressful--I've been plenty busier and stressed at home--but for some reason leisure can be tiring.

We docked at 5 a.m. in Strasbourg, France. Neither Chris, Dad, Judy or I have ever been to France so we were looking forward to a new country. It didn't disappoint. This time, instead of a walking tour, we went around the city's canals on a glass covered boat with an excellent tour guide. Strasbourg has been under German and French rule many times in its history and has been a key trade route on the Rhine and Ill rivers going back once again more than 2000 years. What was really impressive is that city is really, truly old. Much of the old town buildings are more than 500 years old and older. That is so hard to fathom when you come from America.

The city was bustling with tourists but it didn't loose any charm or beauty. The focal point of the city is the Strasbourg Cathedral. You would think we would get tired of seeing all these cathedrals, but this one is unbelievable--constructed of red sandstone and very ornate. Pictures will never do justice, but all the same, we took many! We wandered around the town, enjoyed an eclair and listened to beautiful spoken French language. I sure wish I had learned a language when I was young--it opens up the world.

We went back to the boat for lunch then the afternoon was open to do whatever we wanted to do, so Chris & I walked the 2 miles back to old town Strasbourg. We had a map and wound around streets, through the University, to our destination. As long as we stayed on our walking side of the path and out of the many bicycles way, we were fine. We found the art museum in the beautiful Palais de Rohan. Then we walked back along the river path as the sun finally peaked out from the clouds (first time this trip).

Back on the boat we enjoyed another wonderful meal of veal. The wine has also been enjoyable--it is part of the meal and are local wines. What will I do next week when I look in my fridge at home and don't see anything edible. I'm savoring every moment. Tomorrow we take the wine road tour of northern France--it is supposed to be beautiful. Until then...

rain can not hold us back in Heidelberg

The skies are still cloudy and the air is chilly, but layers help to block out the cold. This morning we landed in Speyer on the Rhine. Speyer has a lot of history in Europe dating back more than 2000 years. Of course the town has been rebuilt many times over the past 2000 years but there were many historical sites including the largest Romanesque-style church in Germany. Now there have been so many facts given to us that I would never be able to tell anyone 5 minutes after I was told, but at the time of hearing it, I was enthralled.

We spent about 2 hours in Speyer, but it was rather quiet because today is both a religious holiday (Ascension Day) and a national holiday (Father's Day). Most of the shops are closed but they do keep the "tourist" shops open.

Following our little tour of Speyer, we took the optional tour to Heidelberg. I'd heard about this town and its castle from Jacob when he went with Sebastian 4 years ago. What an amazing site. This castle has only been partially been restored but is a beautiful palace made of red and tan sandstone with ornate carvings and a panoramic view of historic Heidelberg (not destroyed by WWII). It was a scene from "The Princess Bride" - with the moat, balcony, and 55,000 gallon wine barrel (the largest in the world).

After our tour of the castle, our guide took us to one of the 4 remaining buildings not destroyed in the mid-1600 fire. The Hotel Ritter is a beautiful 500+ year old building that we ate a wonderful German meal at. Then we walked around the mostly Baroque-style old town in the light drizzle. Even in the rain it was beautiful and way better than work (sorry people--but you would agree!)

Back on the River Ambassador we had an Epicurean experience. So what is Epicurean, you ask? Well, Wikipedia says "It propounded an ethic of individual pleasure as the sole or chief good in life. Hence, Epicurus advocated living in such a way as to derive the greatest amount of pleasure possible during one’s lifetime, yet doing so moderately in order to avoid the suffering incurred by overindulgence in such pleasure. The emphasis was placed on pleasures of the mind rather than on physical pleasures. Therefore, according to Epicurus, with whom a person eats is of greater importance than what is eaten." So that is a little wordy--in our language it means that we enjoy our food and drink to moderation (we had special wines with each course) AND enjoyed delightful meal conversation with Roy & Mary from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Just average people enjoying a new experience on a river cruise--similar to us. The people we have met have been as much a highlight as the places we have seen.

So tomorrow we head to Strasbourg, France--a new country for both of us. Until then...

planes, trains, automobiles (and boats)

We've taken them all on this trip...today included a ride on the autobahn in a Ford Galaxy (which in Germany is a minivan) and an hour trip on the DB (train). We opted out of the tour of the wine town of Rudeshiem (which would have been a nice tour) for a trip into Frankfurt. Bob & Rita Flohrs picked us up and drove us to the city. Bob is a pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Frankfurt (English speaking) so we were given a tour of the church, their lovely European apartment, and downtown Frankfurt.

We did have a moment of panic when we entered an elevator in a department store. As we hit the button to go to the 8th floor, it stopped--as in no lit up buttons and shut doors. Thank goodness for the 2 German men who were with us who could understand the voice on the other end of the help button. We waited for what seemed longer than the 2 minutes before the person attached to the "voice" brought power back the elevator and took us down 3 floors then back to ground level before the doors opened. We quickly headed for the escalators instead and enjoyed a birds-eye view from the observation deck.

Frankfurt is the third largest city in Germany and a hub of a lot of international businesses. Their downtown has two sides--new modern skyscrapers on one side and the "old" part (rebuilt to look pre-war). We walked down the Zeil, a long street of shopping and lots of people, then ended up at an Italian ristorante for fabulous pasta and a bottle of Chianti. Yes, we are in Germany, but as Chris says, when in Germany eat as the Italians! It was wonderful food and good company. We were the Flohrs' first American guests since they moved to Frankfurt last August. After a big day, they put us on a train back to Rudesheim. It was a great way to end the day.

So what to do now? Well, Charlie's back in the lounge singing "I-M-C-A" (no hint of a Y) as we rest our tired feet. Tomorrow we tour Speyer in the morning and take an extra excursion to Heidelberg and its castle. I am really looking forward to that. Until then...

on the romantic Rhine

This morning we are cruising up the Romantic section of the Rhine where most of the castles are. About every couple of miles there a beautiful little town nestled in the slate hillside with a castle perched on a hill. It truly is an amazing site, coming from the plains of the Midwest. This is also wine country (mostly Rieslings and other white wines--but German wines are not the sweet ones of the past--they have really gotten respect in the wine world).

I haven't mentioned the weather much because it isn't worth talking about. We have been fortunate not to get rained on, but it is very chilly (about 38 this morning). The boat has a nice glassed in area on the sun deck that helps, and they provide blankets for extra warmth. The lounge has become one of our favorite warm spots to watch the scenery.

We will be to Rudesheim by early afternoon, where we will meet Pastor Bob.

Ailments and Nazis

Curious about that title, let me 'splain... the day included Chris and I having a short stint with ailments (Chris' included a bathroom and mine included some itching)--but time heals and it didn't slow us down just made us a little uncomfortable for a while.

Our afternoon took us to Marksberg Castle about 20 minutes from Koblanz. This was an extra excursion of our choice and about two-thirds of the passengers took advantage of this trip. Marksberg Castle is the only Medieval castle not destroyed by any wars. It is privately owned but open to the public. So now you are wondering where the Nazis come in. There were actually none, but our tour guide, Dieter, had the persona of an SS interrogator. Heaven forbid if you asked him a question! In his defense, he knew his stuff and his tough German exterior eased by the end of the tour. It made good conversation on the bus ride back to the boat.

This evening Chris & I sat with a fascinating couple who have led an interesting life. That has been a highlight of this trip. Because the ship is so small, we have made a point to meet many people. We like to listen to their stories, and even though we aren't world travellers (yet) we feel blessed with what opportunities we have already had.

Tomorrow we meet Pastor Bob and Rita Flohrs and will take us places, possibly Frankfurt and who knows where else. Should be fun! Until then...

The beauty of Koblenz

This morning we are docked in Koblenz--a place where the Mosel River converges with the Rhine. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany going back 2000 years to the Roman era. But, like so many cities in Germany, it was 85 percent destroyed in WWII. The good thing is the people value history and so rebuilt the city to look mostly like it did. We took a 90-minute walking tour with a very knowledgeable guide. Too bad I won't remember most of the facts he gave us.

A little about the boat and it's captain (we listened to his talk this morning). It is a flat bottom boat that can sail in as little as 22 cm of water. The captain began navigating water vessels at the age of 16 and became captain at 21. He has had many years of experience and loves the life of travel. They are on the ship for 4 months then have a 4 month break. He is also a deep sea diver so travels to Indonesia on his break to dive.

This afternoon we are heading the Marksberg Castle. Hoping the many stairs to the castle will burn off the fabulous food we have been treated to. This noon we ate Black Forest Cake--like nothing I've ever had before! Until later...

eau de cologne 4711

That's right--we were in Cologne, Germany today. But the trip there was just as enjoyable as the stop. What a way to travel through the countryside--at a rate of 15/mph looking at the beautiful towns and scenery from the view of the river. The bicyclists and walkers along the riverside were everywhere, then little pastures of sheep or horses or cows dotted the land. Even though it was cool and mostly cloudy, we zipped up our jackets and took advantage of the view.

At around 3:00 we docked at Cologne and went on a walking tour throughout the central part of the city to the cathedral. Ninety percent of the city was destroyed in the war, but those who rebuilt had to make it look like it did before the bombing. So even though it is a "new" city, it still had the charm of old Europe. Amazingly, though, the cathedral stayed intact (except for one stained glass window). The sheer size was breathtaking. This Roman Cathedral (supposedly) holds the remains of the Magi encased in a pure gold shrine.

After our walking tour, we walked through the shopping district and saw the actual place where Farina created the famous Eau de Cologne perfume. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how inexpensive it was, so I didn't buy any. Darn (sorry Katie--I would have gotten some for you if I had known!)

Our evening meal was the Captain's Welcome Dinner. Unbelievable! Six courses...including carrot ginger soup, beef carpaccio, veal, and chocolate souffle with pistachio ice cream. Now we are listening again to "Charlie" singing Elvis as I sip a white Russian. Ah, the life for such a brief time!

Tomorrow we tour Koblenz and Chris & I will take the extra excursion to Marksberg Castle. Until then...

Learn German in 15 minutes

We are sitting in the lounge of the ship listening to our cruise manager giving us a lesson on German. Not sinking in much! Actually, understanding every word isn't as important as a smile. We are finding out what excursions will be happening this week. These are the optional tours. We are choosing to go to Marksburg Castle (the only medievel castle on the Rhine not destroyed)tomorrow and Heidelberg on Thursday. On Wednesday, we are going to be taken around the Rudesheim area by Dad's former pastor who is now a pastor in Germany. Looking forward to seeing what the locals do!

This was a view from the ship of last evening's sunset.

This is our room with a window. You can see how close the water line is.

As the sun sets on the Rhine (Sunday evening)

In all fairness to Amsterdam, I found out why the city was filled with trash—their street cleaners are on have been on strike for the past 4 days. Do you know how much trash piles up in 4 days in a large metropolitan area? So even though I judge the city as dirty, I will have to visit another time when it is at its best.

Tonight we got a taste of what we will experience throughout the week as far as the food goes. Part of the cruise package are the meals. We were a little unsure if this was a good thing since part of the experience of traveling is eating at local restaurants. Well, tonight’s meal on the ship gave us that taste. Uniworld makes sure that we experience the best of the regions we are travelling through and tonight we had a 5-star menu of the Dutch cuisine. Now I couldn’t tell you exactly what we had but some highlights started with deep-fried smoked gouda cheese and ended with a sour cream raisin crepe. Another bonus was unlimited complementary wine during the meal. And for some reason our waiter thought Chris & I needed a full glass at all times. It was all good.

We are watching the sun set as we sit in the lounge listening to a “Charlie”—an enthusiastic Eastern European singing some Johnny Cash and some Tina Turner. Did I mention that we are probably the youngest people on the cruise? But it’s all good. We are meeting people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Great Britain and Israel. In the words of Charlie— we are “rrrrroolllling down da rrreeva”

About the Dutch

We made it! After a longer than normal flight which took us over New Foundland, the southern tip of Greenland and the northern tip of Iceland (north of the volcano), we arrived in Amsterdam at 10 a.m. Sunday(which is 7 hours ahead of Topeka time). The flight was uneventful but not the easiest to get a decent sleep. It was a crowded plane but Chris & I had the window side (Dad was seated smack dab in the middle of the row of 5).

The Amsterdam airport was busy and it took us a while to connect with the Uniworld guide, but eventually we were loaded into a bus and transported to the dock where the River Ambassador was waiting. It would be a couple hours before we could get in our room so we opted for a quick look into the city.

As I had experienced before, it is easy getting around in Europe and feeling comfortable on public transportation. We walked to the center of the city and caught a cable car to the Van Gogh museum. Even though we were dead tired, we saw the more than 200 works by Van Gogh plus many of his contemporaries of the impressionist era. My favorite was "Sunflowers." Because we were not so good with the language, somehow we rode the cable car back for free (let's hope the conductor isn't reading this). We tried, but no one seemed to know what we should do, so we just got on and rode.

My thoughts on Amsterdam: it's not that impressive. Everywhere we went (whether through the center of the city or riding the bus from airport) we saw lots and lots of trash and graffiti and most of the buildings are square and non-descript.

Our boat set sail at 5:00 and we are now slowly cruising up the Rhine (runs south to north) heading for Cologne tomorrow. Until then...

Wondering about the ash (written May 8)

Our next journey begins as we embark on Europe. As a 25th wedding anniversary gift from my dad, Chris & I (along with Dad and Judy) are taking a week-long river boat cruise down the Rhine River. Now we are waiting in Chicago O’Hare , for our flight to Amsterdam. So far, we are lucky and our flight is scheduled to leave as promised at 6:22pm with no threat of the volcanic ash affecting arrival time.

It’s still not real to me that we are going. I’ve been so consumed in the planning of Katie’s wedding of last week and trying to get all my work done at church, I really haven’t thought about the amazing trip we should have. From Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, we will be touring many of the castles along the Rhine. If you want to look at a sample itinerary, go to Uniworld’s page.

This is Chris’ first time overseas and will receive his first stamp in his passport! I’m not seasoned either but enjoyed last year’s Washburn University trip to Germany. My dad, on the other hand, has traveled abroad quite extensively and will be a good resource for us.

I’m writing this at the airport but am unable to post to my blog until I can get free internet access—that could be sometime tomorrow. Until then…