Wertheim, Germany

 Sorry I haven’t posted in a couple of days. I didn’t have much positive to share, as we had to change ships due to low water level in the Rhine River. It was a real bummer because we had to miss the part of the cruise I was most looking forward to…the castles in the Rhine Gorge. I was planning on getting a lot of photos there and it was the reason I brought my big camera with me. Instead we spent all day on a bus and drove right past all the sights I had my heart set on, getting only quick glimpses through the trees. 

Anyway, we’ve been on the new ship for 2 nights. It’s ok but all the people in our group whom I have talked with agree that the first (older) ship was more comfortable and we liked it better. 

We just docked in the village of Wertheim and we’ll have a walking tour and free time to explore this morning, then a visit with some locals are arranged for the afternoon. It should be interesting. There’s also a castle to visit before we sail again this evening. 

Auf  Wiedersehen!

Ultrecht, the Netherlands

 So we had an unscheduled stop due to the low water levels here. We leave the ship tomorrow morning and bus to Frankfort, Germany tomorrow with a stop in either Cologne or Koblenz. Since our friends from Cologne are out of town, we chose Koblenz. 

Today was enjoyable, as we had a local guide show us around town in the morning, and after a nice lunch on board the ship we took the shuttle back into town for additional sightseeing. We had a raucous happy hour upon our return followed by another terrific dinner. Then came the chore of repacking all our belongings for the transfer to the next ship. So far that has been the only bump in the river, so to speak.  

Good night all. 

Amsterdam

 No post again yesterday as it was a busy day. We boarded the bus early and traveled to Haarlem, where the ship is docked, with a stop in Ghent. We arrived at the ship around 4:45 and quickly went through cabin assignments, etc. before the safety briefing and remarks from the captain and department heads and program directors. Then it was off to a very good dinner in the ship’s dining room. 

Today we went into Amsterdam for a canal boat tour of the city and some free time to explore on our own. We attempted to go to the VanGogh museum but our lack of prior planning came back to bite us. The time frame for us to get in was so late that we decided it wasn’t worth having to rush through in time to catch our shuttle back to the ship. But we had a good time anyway and look forward to another wonderful dinner this evening. 

I’ll report back tomorrow…good night!

Our final day in Bruges

Today was our final full day in Bruges and we had a very enjoyable day. After another wonderful breakfast at the hotel we went walking around the city. Our guide suggested a particular park and it did not disappoint. What a nice place, clean and well maintained with nice walking and bike trails alongside a canal. Eventually we wound up in the downtown district for a snack of Gelato, followed by a Belgian waffle for lunch. Delicious, even if not the most nutritious!

Back at the hotel we left on an excursion arranged for us by our guide-to a chocolatier’s farm where we participated in making our own chocolate truffles! It was a fun and delicious learning experience and we all brought home an assortment of the yummy treats we had all made. Unfortunately for all our Florida friends, we were advised that due to the fresh ingredients they should all be consumed within 2 weeks time and since we still have nearly 3 weeks before we go home…well, you do the math!

Dinner was on our own so we endeavored to eat a more balanced meal. Ribs for me and Fish & Chips for Deb, and only one glass of wine each!

We leave early in the morning and travel to Ghent, where we will have a walking tour of the city and a little time to explore on our own, then on to Amsterdam where we’ll meet up with the rest of our shipmates and begin the river portion of our journey. Adieu!

P.S. I still can’t get photos to attach to this blog, so for the foreseeable future you’ll have to be content with my witty (?) narrative. 

Bruges, Belgium

Hi all. Was tired last night so I didn’t post anything, but here we go. After breakfast yesterday we had a city walking tour with a very informative local guide, followed by a canal cruise to see the city through a different lens. Both were very interesting experiences. 

In the afternoon we were able to explore on our own and the most substantial thing we did was visit a church to see Michelangelo’s Madonna with Child sculpture, one of the few work to leave Italy during his lifetime. As the story goes, the bishop who commissioned it didn’t want any nudity, but Michelangelo carved Jesus nude anyway so a Flemish merchant bought the work and brought it to Bruges. 

Later we caught a nap, hoping to get our bodies properly on European time. Dinner was a group affair and consisted of beef stew and fries. Apparently I committed a faux pas here in Belgium by asking for a spoon (so I wouldn’t waste any of that delicious gravy), but I guess the proper method is to scoop the gravy with the fries. Who knew? Dessert was ice cream topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce-YUM!

I’m hoping that I can get some pictures to attach here, but it seems to be a challenge. Wish me luck! Bye. 

We’ve landed!

 After a couple of flights and a mostly sleepless night we’ve reached our first destination, Bruges, Belgium. After meeting the Grand Circle representative at the airport in Brussels we met 3 of our group who had arrived on different flights and we were driven about 90 minutes to Bruges by a very quiet but very competent driver. Not too much conversation amongst us though, as we were all in about the same level of exhaustion! The 2 women are from Colorado and the man is from Tampa, and we were the youngest in the group so far. 

After dropping off our luggage at the hotel we headed out for a little bit of local sightseeing and to scout for a restaurant for dinner on our own tonight after a welcome drink with the guide and the remainder of our group. We returned to the hotel to find our room was ready for us and now, after a shower and a 2 hour nap (and a cup of good Belgian coffee) we’re refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day. I’m thinking that a good night’s sleep will reset my body clock and have us ready to conquer Europe!

Adieu for now my friends!

Rome

 Again, no pics today. We left our resort near Orvieto yesterday and drove to Rome, our last stop. I’ve been fighting a cold for a large part of this trip and that, combined with the asthma symptoms that showed up prior to coming here, has left me with very little stamina. For that reason I chose not to go see the iconic sights of Rome yesterday, although Debbie went with the tour group.  

There was another tour today of some lesser sights but we both chose not to go, instead resting up for a long travel day tomorrow. I’m looking forward to getting home and sleeping in my own bed, and I know she is too. Ciao!