CRUISING THE RHINE, Part 1: Castles, Churches, Cuckoo Clocks and More, Guest Post by Monique McLay Shore

Windmills of Kinderduik

My friend and fellow Grinnellian, Monique McLay Shore, went on a one-week cruise of the Rhine River last May with her mother and sister Deidre. I thank her for sharing her report and excellent photos with The Intrepid Tourist. This post is adapted from Monique’s day by day reports she wrote on Facebook during the trip. It is in two parts—Days 1-4 this week, followed by Days 5-7 next week.

Viking River Cruise on the Rhine

Day 1: May 15

We arrived in Amsterdam around 8am so had the full day to explore the ship and a bit of the city. Then after an amazing dinner on board, Deidre and I did a sunset canal tour that offered beautiful views as we nibbled on wine and cheese. 

Amsterdam

This morning we awoke to a new view - the windmills if Kinderdijk. Looking forward to exploring them up close today before we cruise further up river.

Day 2: May 16

Day 2 of our mother daughters Viking cruise started with the classic visit to the windmills in Kinderdijk. The boat tour offered stunning views of the UNESCO World Heritage site. We got a tour of the oldest of the mills, including the miller climbing up the blade to demonstrate how they open the sails (wooden shoes and all). 

Climbing the sails of the windmill.

The rest of the day was spent on the ship as we cruised up river to Germany, where we officially entered the Rhine River. We enjoyed some time on the sundeck, then some nice Danish treats and coffee. We have been especially tickled by the variety of animals you see along the sandy shores of the river - cows, sheep, horses and even camels(there's a camel farm!) lying on the beach and wading in the water.

Day 3: May 17

We arrived in Cologne midmorning today. It's a big city with a big cathedral and big crowds. Saturday is peak tourist day and the area around the cathedral was so crowded it made it hard to enjoy the sightseeing. We did, however, enjoy the "only available in Cologne" kolsch beer and some very good schnitzel and sausage. After lunch Deidre headed back to the cathedral and did a tour climbing all the stairs to the top! 

Mom and I opted for a rickshaw ride and lucked out with the most delightful young woman as our driver/guide. When we told her we were absolutely done with the crowds and wanted to see some quiet corners of Cologne, she took us through some side streets to a lovely church with a courtyard garden filled with beautiful roses. She'd stop along the way to share tidbits and stories. She succeeded in transforming our memories of Cologne from bad to delightful.

After dinner there were a couple of incredibly talented local musicians playing classical guitar and violin in the ship lounge.

Day 4: May 18

Today we awoke in the shadow of a castle, wandered the quiet streets of Braubach (extra quiet as all the shops are closed on Sundays), then spent the afternoon sailing through the narrow stretch of the middle Rhine where there is nearly always a castle in sight. It was overcast and cool for much of the time, which made the afternoon sharing of Rudesheim Coffee (with brandy and chocolate) all the more welcome.

The sun finally came out for the last few castles and it was glorious! I loved seeing the quaint and picturesque towns that line the shores and reveled in the thought of camping beneath the walls of a castle (there are tons of campgrounds all along the river with adorable small campers, often with giant "tent" porches).

The other notable thing in this area are the vineyards that cover the steep inclines. This is where the majority of the grapes used for Riesling wine come from, harvested by hand by workers who often have a rope around their waist to keep them from falling! We ended the day with a walk into the small town of Rudesheim, with a giant Ferris Wheel and a river walk lined with some very unique trees.

Tomorrow we'll cruise through the most scenic section of the river with something like 30 castles or castle ruins. The weather looks good for another great day. 

Look for Part 2, Days 5-7, next week.