Cruising the Rhine River

OK, I admit it: if playing golf is the waste of a good afternoon, then river cruising in Europe must be a waste of a week, right? Wrong, but that’s what I had thought. Recently spent a week, with a wonderful group of listeners, on the Rhine River. We started in Amsterdam and then cruised down the Rhine through Germany, into France, and ended up in Basil, Switzerland. It was fabulous.

Of the group, some had been to Europe, others not. So we had different itineraries until we rendezvoused in Amsterdam. I had been in the Army in Germany, traveled, I thought, extensively, and even visited Europe on a couple of other trips. But I had never been to Belgium. So I went in early and spent three days in Brussels which focused on a diet of wonderful Pilsner beers like Stella Artois and a local favorite, Jupiler, and of course, Belgian chocolates.

The ever timely, and efficient, European rail system took me to Amsterdam, where I met up with the group. Sure, while in Amsterdam people want to visit the Red Light District, Anne Frank House, ride the canals in an open air boat, see windmills, and stop by a beautiful museum section featuring the works of Rembrandt and Van Gogh. But you have to stop by an open air trailer preparing French fries to order, and all different types. Or have a stroopwafel, a Dutch favorite made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling in the middle. Oh, and don’t forget the cheeses. Holland is the home of gouda. It offers dozens of different cheeses that are smoked, smoked with jalapeno, herb and garlic, cow cheese, goat cheese. All creamy and delicious. We even took some to enjoy on the cruise.

Climbing on our river boat, I reminded the group that Europe is known for cannons, castles, and cathedrals. Well, how about wine, beer, chocolates and cheese. Every town had its own specialties to offer. Yes, there were walking tours visiting cathedrals that were hundreds of years old (and had survived WWII), castles maybe even older, all guarded with a cannon or ten. We enjoyed touring wine vineyards, having samples, walking the cobblestone streets, and enjoying small, out of the way shops. I often brought back some of the local brews for us to sample on the boat at Happy Hour.

And Europe is history. We learned that the allies used certain, well known and easily recognizable landmarks on their bombing runs. Germany only produced white wines until about 1985, and still produces over ninety percent white with only a few reds thrown in. We visited a music museum in Speyer, Germany that had an unbelievable collection of old player pianos, music machines, and nickelodeon type music boxes. Strasbourg, France has been French, German, French again, German again, and finally, hopefully for a long time, is French again.

I can’t recap the entire trip here, but believe me when I say it was a wonderful experience. You motor leisurely down the Rhine participating in whichever excursions you choose. The service on the boat, the food, the docking points every morning, were all fabulous. I cannot recommend it enough. I had to be talked into my first river cruise, but I would go on another one tomorrow if the opportunity presented itself.