Day 14 - Kinderdijk

 Kinderdijk was a fitting end to a fabulous trip with Viking River Cruises along the Danube, Main, and Rhine rivers in Europe. Dianne and I elected the optional tour of a river barge trip to see a working windmill, and we were richly rewarded. The non-profit that maintains 3 museum-mills and 16 working mills was well-designed to preserve the Netherlands traditional industry. Robert the miller showed us the inside of the mill, and Jan led us through the garden and along the dyke pathway. What a memory we’re left with - history and heritage preserved.  Kudos to Viking for leading us along these waterways. 

Day 13 - Cologne

 We played hooky! Dianne and I slept all day, and completely missed the chance to visit Cologne. However - no regrets! We visited Cologne in 2006 with Grand European Tours, and thoroughly enjoyed viewing the majesty of the cathedral, and the vibrancy of the railroad center. It would have been nice to see it again. However, enough is enough! Sometimes one needs to recognize one’s limitations, and we were TIRED! All told, we canceled 3 of our scheduled optional tours, and got reimbursed for two of them (the third was not within the 48-hour window). Here are photos of the day - the schedule, a map, a postal souvenir (from my brother) and a rainbow over the Rhine. 

Day 12 - Crashed, but still Cruisin’!

 I’m “under the weather”, and Dianne was for the past two days. But, we’re still cruisin’ along, through the most spectacular scenery. Hope Dianne is taking some photos!

Day 11 - Rainy Walk in Wertheim

 Today, Thursday, Dianne took another day of rest (though feeling better, thank you!), but Martha braved the weather and went for a “leisurely walk” (IN THE RAIN!!!) in Wertheim. I did manage to get a few good photos (and even found a mailman hard at work!). But, enough is enough, even for me, so I headed back to the ship after an hour (2429 steps). Now we sit in cabin 309 sipping a hot cup of tea, watching TV and writing online. 

Day 10 - Breakfast in Würtzburg

 Today we arrived in Würtzburg on the Main River by 6am. Breakfast was at 7, and I’m waiting now for the 8.5 hour excursion to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Dianne will stay home today - not feeling up to it! Here are images of where we’re at (courtesy of Google Maps) and a sample of the daily schedule. Also included are views from the ship, docked her mid-town next to a parking lot and  across from the Bishops’ Residenz - I think!

Day 09 - Bamberg Walk and Bookstore

Information to be filled in later!!

Day 09 - Bamberg Walk

Today I joined the « Leisure » group for a walking tour of Bamberg. The buildings and streets were well-worth the walking effort, and the sights, as expected, were fabulous. I’m ending my free time with a cup of “white coffee” (with milk), and hope to get back to the meeting place on time! Today’s treasures:

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