Petes Pix 2022

  We arrive in Amsterdam in the early morning. We are in Room 338 and our taxi to the airport leaves at 08:30 so we have time for a leisurely breakfast. I’ve been through Schipol many many times without a moments delay, but if you’ve seen the recent photo’s of the queues at UK airports, then it was like that. Only one door open to terminal, huge line, once in, long long lines to check in, the even longer lines to go through security. Just managed to get to gate in time for departure. So was grateful onboard for a couple of 200cl bottles of this (plus one each to take home) with lunch of cold roast beef slices .  image 700×824 62.2 KB  

  Our last full day, and we're cruising towards Kinderdijk where the included walking tour will take place. When we arrive we tie up next to another Viking boat, and see our boat's name reflected in the window of the other boat.  Since we've been to see the Kinderdijk windmills several times we decided to go for a walk. The village of Kinderdijk is very small.  Afterwards the boat continued its journey to Amsterdam.

  We moored in Cologne at 08:00 and went for a walking tour of the city. Ten years ago an American was puzzled why they'd built a cathedral next do to the main railway station. The guide this time told us that a temporary station was built in the late 1800s so that stone could be offloaded to finish building the cathedral and never moved.  After lunch we took a walk in the sun along the riverside, across on the rail bridge, back along the other bank and across a road bride. Back on the boat, Professor Marcus Pohl was giving a fascinating talk about life in Germany.

  Wednesday morning promises our our cruise will pass steep vineyards, fairy tale castles and the Lorelei Rock.  Pfalzgrafenstein Castle Rhine Vineyards Marksburg Castle The sun is shining, the sky is blue so we are seated on rocking chairs at the front of the bow deck. Lorelei Rock But then the river valley is closed in by low cloud, the breeze is bitter and Amerigo, the hotel manager, brings around mugs of hot chocolate and a bottle of rum and distributes blankets, but the cold defeats us and we go back to the comfort of the lounge. Winnenger Uhlen Vineyards We’ve moored at Koblenz where the Mosel joins the Rhine, and after a walk around the town we take an optional tour along the Mosel to admire its steep vineyards  and then to a wine tasting at Weingut Weyh in the village of Winninger on the Mosel . . Richard Weyh The tasting is conducted by owner Richard Weyh  who planted a small vineyard outside the property twelve years ago where he demonstrates their viticultural practices, ra

Day 4 on Viking Tialfi We moor at Speyer at 08:00 and 45 minutes later our guide leads us from the boat through a park, where paths are lined with huge chestnut trees in bloom, to the cathedral. Our guide is not licensed by the bishop to take us inside but we have free time to so if we wish. We don't. Outside the entrance is this enormous stone bowl - Domnapf. The custom, our local guide told us, is whenever a new bishop is installed he must fill the bowl with wine. The bowl’s capacity is 1560 litres, or 2080 bottles. In past times people were climbing over each other to get at the wine, with some falling in, but it’s more civilised now, An outlet has been made, and a tap is fitted and people queue for a glassful. Then we have a short walk past the oldest houses, through mediaeval market squares and then free time . In free time we take a walk along Speyer's main street. The boat left shortly after our walking tour started so we have to go by coach to Worms where the boat is wa

  Today the ship moored before breakfast at Kehl on the German bank of the river and we left at 08:30 and took the included tour crossing over the river to France and Strasbourg. The heavens opened to rain torrentially but luckily we were in the coach for the worst of it. We passed the folly that is the EU parliament building, used only twelve weeks of the year when everyone decamps from Brussels for a week each month to continue their work in Strasbourg. Under a Viking umbrella, pressed on me by the coach driver, we walked through the old town. During free time we grabbed a coffee under s coffee shop awning. Back at the ship we drank a pleasant Franken Sylvaner in a bocksbeutel  but the highlight of the meal was this pear and almond tart. Instead of returning on the shuttle busses in the afternoon to explore more of Strasbourg I walked along the river bank. Mrs M decided to stay on the boat and read. She didn’t believe me on my return when I said I’d seen a flying saucer during my wal

Our first full day onboard Viking Tialfi and it's now moored on the German side of the river at Breisach. As we've been before we don't go on the included tour to The Black Forest, instead we mooch in the drizzle around the small town of Breisach. Because it's Sunday, everything is closed. “Gutgesellentor” (The Gutgesell Gate) was first mentioned in 1319, and the current building dates from 1402. It was rebuilt    in 1950-56. In WWII   85% of Breisach was destroyed by Allied artillery during crossing the Rhine.  Since 1936 the Gutgesell Gate's been the meeting place for the Narrenzunft (the carnival association). Pope Johannes XXIII was arrested here on 25 April 1415 while escaping from the Council of Constance. The cathedral, St. Stephansmünster, dominates the town. We start to climb to it up a cobbled street, but it becomes too steep so we return to the boat for coffee. It was a good day for wines. At lunch we had Le MD de Bourgeois Sancerre from Henri Bourgeois

  To Basel for a weeks Viking River Cruise down the Rhine to Amsterdam on Viking Tialfi. Early lunch on BA offered a choice, we t ook the warm vegetable samosas, and of course plenty of Champagne. In the afternoon there was a guided walking tour of Basel, including  the courtyard of the Rathaus - Basel's Town Hall, and a pigeons   view of ferries using a guide rope and power of the current to cross the river. The symbol of the city is a basilisk - a dragon with a chicken's head. Here it is holding the city coat of arms, a stylised Bishop's Crook. Basel was a ruled by bishop-princes for hundreds of years. Then back to the boat for a rib-eye steak and decent red wine from the four-page wine list.