CHRISTMAS ALONG THE RHINE
January 2, 2014
Happy New Year dear ones. I wish you a heart and soul-fulfilling 2014!! Michael and I ushered in the New Year with pizza and a great movie...of course, I can't remember what it was, though!! :) But I DO remember our riverboat trip along the mighty Rhine River. Rising in Switzerland, it flows along the border of France, through the historic heart of Germany and into Holland where it empties into the North Sea. We sailed through it all on a small riverboat with about 80 other travelers.
To my dismay, there was no snow! The little villages and cities in these countries are sooo storybook with snow, but it was most enjoyable even without the white blanket!
We started out in Amsterdam, Holland, city of canals and connecting bridges that crisscross the city, bicycles , and very beautiful, distinctive, gabled architecture. Two words come to mind when I think of Amsterdam...canals and sex. There are many, many sex shops, sex museums and of course, the infamous Red Light District. (There are also many well known art museums and the Anne Frank House to visit...we had done those on previous trips.)
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Our ship was docked until very late. When we woke up, we were in the Dutch countryside of historic Kinderdijk, famous for its mid-18th century collection of 19 windmills...a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interesting to actually go inside a working windmill and see how the family who lives in it manages...many levels and roomier than you'd think!
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| The Diker...note his traditional wooden shoes. He really does wear them! |
Again, we sailed through the night and woke up in Cologne, Germany. Boasting the largest Gothic Cathedral in northern Europe...it's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Construction on this cathedral started in 1248 and was completed in 1880... amazing!
Cologne is famous, too, for its Brauhaus tradition...cafes where the house brew (always a variety of the well-loved KOLSCH beer) is served. Even Michael and I enjoyed the cafes...and we're not beer drinkers!!
One of the things we most enjoyed throughout this entire trip were the Christmas Markets or Christkindlmarket in each town and every country we visited. Here, you find local handicrafts and local food and drink. Our favorites were the potato pancakes, pork/beef foot long hot dogs, roasted chestnuts and of course, the hot mulled wine. Cologne, was no exception, but their markets were unbearably crowded!! Perhaps it was because we were there on the weekend.
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We spent a good part of the next day sailing to Rudesheim, Germany, on the beautiful Rhine, enjoying the sights along the way...
and a fun late afternoon, walking the cobblestone streets to Rudesheim's market and a local restaurant for dinner. It was a rowdy evening...
Next stop...Heidelberg, Germany. We visited the majestic ruins of Heidelberg Castle. Built during the early 13th century, it was the setting for the opera, THE STUDENT PRINCE. A beautiful place... and the views from it were spectacular!
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France...Strasbourg, specifically, was our next port of call. A large, multicultural city, we enjoyed walking and observing...and eating at the Christmas market!!
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| Strasbourg Cathedral and its amazing clock! |
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| Note the street lights are chandeliers!! |
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| Ultra-modern European Parliament building |
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| Beautiful Renaissance housing along one of the many canals. |
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| Place de la Republic...MOTHER STRASBOURG, mourning her losses |
Whew! That's enough for this posting...lots to digest and lots of photos to see! I'll finish my trip report when we'll head to Germany's Black Forest, Colmar (the home of the sculptor of our Statue of Liberty,) and finally, Lucerne, Switzerland.
Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a fun-filled yet relaxing weekend. I hope to see you for the rest...
Hugs and love,
abbyj
