The Netherlands and Kinderdijk

We had sailed during the night and were still sailing when we got up for breakfast in the morning. We sailed through some very pleasant countryside, but it was now very flat and we guessed we were now in the Netherlands.  After breakfast we went up onto the deck in an effort to sport the first windmill of the day, and there was a flurry of activity with cameras when we saw the first one!

Big wheel

First windmill spotted!

Second windmill spotted!

Small boat on still pond

Replica of Noah's Ark

Somewhere on the banks of the Rhine!

There was also plenty of free time during this sail to start getting the packing done as this was our last stop before arriving in Amsterdam. The weather was a little cloudy but, by the time we started sailing and then docking at Kinderdijk, the sun had come out, there was blue sky and it grew very hot indeed!  We docked around 2 p.m. and our shore excursion was scheduled for 3 p.m., however you could leave the boat if you wished to do some shopping at the tourist shop just a short walk from the mooring point.  I chose to leave to take a few photos but came back on board in time to leave with the main groups for the tour.

The reflections were wonderful

House close to where the boat was moored

Some of the windmills

It really was hot around this time and even the guide seemed to struggle in the heat!  In fact, I'm pretty sure that the tour was cut a little short as it did seem somewhat rushed with little time to stop to take in the views. However, it was an interesting visit to see the windmills, especially when you are allowed into one of them for a look around. I'll do a separate post with some photos taken inside the windmill. We also started to see lots and lots of bicycles around and learned that you have to be very vigilant in order to avoid being knocked down by one!! Here are some photos taken during our walking tour:

We left for the sail to Amsterdam around 5.30 p.m., due to arrive the following day to disembark around 9 a.m. Here are a couple of photos taken up on deck after dinner:

Sunset under the bridge

Not the most picturesque sunset, but the colours were nice!

We also learned about the tipping system on board.  They use the 'envelope' system so that you can place what you think is adequate into various envelopes and then hand them in to the reception. We did read somewhere that the suggested amount is 12 Euros per person per day, but I think that is rather high, so we placed what we thought was a reasonable amount into the envelopes (one for staff and one for the entertainment director) and handed them in to reception where we also paid our bill. After that, it was on to the Captain's Dinner which was very enjoyable. After dinner we had a drink in the bar and then went back to the cabin to finish off the packing.

Tomorrow would be the start of another adventure!!

Say it with padlocks!!

During our evening walk into Cologne, we stopped off to see the thousands and thousands of padlocks that are attached to the Hohenzollernbrucke Bridge, which is a railway bridge with footpath that spans the river not too far from where our boat was moored.

I can't take the credit for writing this wee story as it was printed in the daily issue of our our 'Viking Daily' which was the newsletter that gave us our itinerary and all the details we required for that day's cruise and visits.  This is how the story goes, and you'll remember the photo of the padlocks that I posted in the page about our visit to Heidelberg:

"Lovers all around the world have unique ways of showing their affection for each other, but few are as enduring as the act of locking your love with a padlock and throwing away the key.  The love lock tradition is thought to have originated in China, where lovers would write their names or initials on a padlock, lock it to a public fixture and throw the key into a river so that the two lovebirds could never be parted. Few displays are more impressive than that on the Hohenzollernbrucke Bridge that spans the Rhine River in Cologne. The bridge features padlocks, handcuffs, tin cans and bicycle chains inscribed with couples' names and romantic messages.  When the bridge operator recently threatened to remove the padlocks, public outcry ensued and the locks stayed."

When you see the amount of padlocks involved on the total length of the bridge, the extra weight borne by the bridge must be pretty high!!  Here are some photos that I took, and this is just a small fraction of the padlocks that are attached to this bridge!!

Cologne City Tour

We docked in Cologne in the morning and, after breakfast, it was time to go on the walking tour of Cologne. The highlight of this tour is the magnificent Cathedral.  You can't come to Cologne and not see it!!  The stained glass windows are just mind blowing.

The photos that I took don't really do it justice, but here are some views of the Cathedral and Cologne itself:

Spires of the Cathedral

Cathedral

Details over one of the Cathedral doors

Inside the Cathedral

Stained glass windows

Stained glass windows

Stained glass windows

Stained glass windows

Stained glass windows

Stained glass windows

Signpost in the square at the Cathedral

After our tour we went back to the boat for lunch, or you get the option to have lunch in Cologne itself. As you get free time in Cologne as well to visit some of the other places, another 'must see' is the chocolate factory and museum! It's just a short walk from where the boat is moored; in fact you can see it from the boat.  You can even get your own chocolate bar made for you and you can even watch it being made for you.  It's all quite fascinating.

How about this for a chocolate fountain? You even get a wee taste on a wafer biscuit!!

My own personal chocolate bar being made - sadly, it was eaten not long after I brought it home!!

We even had a little run on the tourist train before heading back to the boat to get ready for our dinner.  After dinner, we were still docked in Cologne, so we went for a walk and specifically to see the Hohenzollernbrucke Bridge which is a railway bridge that spans the river running through Cologne. This is where there are 'love locks' padlocked the whole length of the bridge - it's an amazing sight to see.  I intend doing a separate blog page with the story behind it all with photos.  Meanwhile though, here are some night photos that I took prior to leaving Cologne at 11.30 p.m. to head for Kinderdijk in The Netherlands:

It was a surprise seeing this above us!

This was to be quite a long sail as we weren't due to dock in Kinderdijk until 2 p.m. the following day. so the fingers were crossed again for a spell of good weather as we sailed further towards the final destination of Amsterdam, and we wondered who would be first to spot a windmill!!

Scenic cruise, Koblenz and Marksburg Castle

Crossing our fingers seemed to work - the weather looked like it would be nice for the cruise down to Koblenz and the visit to Marksburg Castle.

We went up and sat on the sun deck but, although it was sunny, it was a little cool.  The scenery however in this part of the Rhine was simply stunning.  The hills were covered in forests and vineyards with fairytale castles popping up wherever you looked.  The cruise director (Ryan) gave a running commentary on parts of the history of the area plus the castles, which was quite informative.

To keep us warm we made use of the tea/coffee station.  This is situated on the deck below the sundeck and you can serve yourself with tea/coffee/hot chocolate/water all day.  There are also sometimes cookies, biscuits or cakes here that you can also help yourself to.  The chocolate cookies were scrumptious!!

There are also towels up on the sundeck that you can take to lay on the sunbeds.  I don't know why I thought this, but before I came on this cruise I thought there would be a small pool on board,  but there isn't! There was a pool on the boat when we sailed on the Nile many years ago, so perhaps that's where I got the idea from but if, like me, you were expecting a pool on board, there isn't one!

Now, this is the bit where I can go daft and post loads of photos of this part of the Rhine!!  However, there is one quite famous part where there is a legend about the Lorelei, the beautiful siren of the rocks who lured sailors to their doom, but the rocks really aren't that picturesque, so I'm afraid no photos of them are included!!  I am not sure of the names of all the castles or places so will only name the ones that I do know.

Bacharach

Marksburg Castle

Marksburg Castle

We docked in Koblenz right underneath the cable car, and after lunch we were ready for our visit to Marksburg Castle (another included tour).  We boarded the buses as usual and I always have to marvel at how these bus drivers manage to manoeuvre their vehicles up winding roads such as our driver had to do to get us up the hill to the castle. They do warn you that if you're unfit or have mobility problems that you perhaps shouldn't do this tour. There are some inclines involved and some very uneven surfaces, so remember to wear a comfortable flat pair of shoes - high heels would not be a good idea here!  This is where I get to go daft again with loads of photos, so here goes:

Marksburg Castle

Marksburg Castle

Marksburg Castle

View from Marksburg Castle

View from Marksburg Castle (tilt shift effect)

View from Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

Interior of Marksburg Castle

After our visit here it was back to the coach to wind our way back down the hill to make our way back to the boat.  It was a fascinating visit but, like all organised tours, it was a tad short. By the time we got back to the boat it was almost time to leave again on the walking tour of Koblenz, and off we went again!  We thought this would be a good way to orientate ourselves for later as the boat was going to be docked n Koblenz until 4.00 a.m. the next morning, which was going to give us a chance to head into town again after dinner.  These are some photos that I took while on the walking tour:

View from the boat

This statue is enormous!

This is constructed from portions of the Berlin Wall

Part of the fountain that tells a story - it's really quite magnificent!

The other side of the fountain - well worth a visit

Dinner that night was more or less buffet style, with the carvery part being inside the actual kitchens!  After dinner we headed off into Koblenz for a walk and a couple of drinks at one of the bars.  We were back to the ship in plenty of time as it wasn't due to sail again until the early hours of the morning, heading for the next port of call, Cologne.