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.

ON TOUR IN EUROPE WITH THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY, 5 CITIES, 14 DAYS--Guest Post by Tom and Susan Weisner

The Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg Symphony Hall, Germany.

Our friends, Susan and Tom Weisner, went along with their son Jeffrey and granddaughters and family on a tour of Europe with the National Symphony in February 2024. Jeff plays the double bass in the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in Washington, DC. Seven flights, six train trips, and many bus transfers later, here are some highlights from five cities along the way of the 14-day tour.

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain--still under construction.

Mercado de la Boqueria, Barcelona.

First stop, Barcelona, Spain, capital of the Catalan region of Spain. The Antoni Gaudi designed and imagined La Sagrada Familia Cathedral is a highlight, as is the Ramblas walking street off of Catalan Square, and the Mercado de la Boqueria open market.

View of Toledo, Spain.

The Gothic style cathedral, Toledo, dates from the 1200s.

The narrow streets of Toledo--cathedral dimly visible in background.

We then took a train to Madrid, and a half day train ride and tour of Toledo – a wonderful historic Spanish city about 40 minutes from Madrid.

Berlin Wall Museum.

We all then flew to Berlin with the NSO. We visited the cold war era Berlin Wall museum and model of the former “Checkpoint Charlie” crossing; the new glass dome on the German Parliament or Reichstag Building, and the Holocaust memorial site near the Brandenburg Gate. 

In Berlin we toured the new German Parliament glass dome which looks directly into the parliament chamber.

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin.

We also took our granddaughters to the Computer Games Historical Museum in the former East Berlin on the Karl Marx Allee, the Illusions museum, and the Spy Museum (sorry, no photos)! There are huge shopping and walking streets and parks in Berlin as well. The rest of the family flew home from Berlin – school and work!

In Cologne, on the way to the train station.

Next Susan and I took the train to Cologne, Germany, where we met up again with the orchestra, and went to a concert in their  beautiful concert hall. We then took the train for one day to Kassel, Germany, for a brief visit, where Tom’s father and grandparents had lived until they fled Hitler in 1938.

La Scala, Milan, Italy.

The NSO chartered a plane to Milan, Italy, to play a concert at La Scala for one night. The La Scala experience was great, but no time for anything else to see in Milan, because we flew the next morning to Hamburg, Germany, the last stop on the tour. We and the NSO stayed at the Elbphilharmonie, an amazing new building. (See first photo.) The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany, which opened in 2017 with multiple concert halls and hotel all built on top of an existing former warehouse. The hotel is in the building with the symphony halls, and the public can walk up to see the views of the city.

Concert hall, Hamburg.

The Brahms Music Museum in Hamburg, Germany. Can you name the seven famous composers?

Inside the Brahms Music Museum.

Many thanks to Susan and Tom for sharing highlights of their trip with The Intrepid Tourist!

Cologne, Germany: The Cathedral, Old Town, and the Rhine

Restaurant in Cologne's Old Town

In early March, my husband Art spent a few days at a meeting in Cologne, Germany, and has allowed me to share a few of his photos. Cologne (Koeln or Koln with an umlaut over the “o” as it is spelled in German) is located on the Rhine River, in western Germany.  It is one of Germany’s oldest cities and its fourth largest.  This was Art’s second visit to Cologne.  The first was when he was in high school and spent a year in Berlin as an exchange student and visited Cologne on a school field trip.

Cologne Cathedral

I have never been to Cologne, but I remember learning about its most famous landmark, the Cologne Cathedral, when I studied northern European art history in college.  Soaring above the city, it seemed to us as students to be the Gothic version of a giant wedding cake. In Art’s photo, you can see how the enormous structure completely dwarfs the people on the sidewalk. (The people in white standing on boxes are mimes.)  The church, started in 1248 and completed in 1880, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The spires of its two towers reach 157 meters high! For some music and a glimpse of the interior click here .

Besides visiting the cathedral, Art enjoyed walking the narrow cobblestone streets of Cologne’s Old Town, savoring traditional food (sauerbraten and spaeztle) at local restaurants, sampling the local beer known as “koelsch”, and walking along the Rhine.  Someday I would like to go there myself.

Cologne:  Bridge over the Rhine