Rhine from Basel to Cologne

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Inizio del viaggio
9 maggio 2022
Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
Devon to Basle
9 maggio 2022, Svizzera ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
(Updated) Started badly coming to a halt after 20 minutes on A38 just before it becomes the M5, fortunately stoppage was only 10 minutes and as usual once moving there was no obvious cause for the jam. Heathrow car park just after 12 and by 1 we were checked in and through security. Plane ready on time, then the normal 45 minutes taxi to the takeoff runway! Arrived Basle, interesting airport half in France and Half Switzerland, ( look for fence in photo, the other side is France), have to be careful which exit you use once you’ve picked up your cases. Short coach ride to ship and efficiently checked in. Only 63 passengers (capacity 168) this trip, partly as early season and partly because crew is short staffed as Ukrainian and Indonesian members have not been able to travel yet. Downside is second “Bistro” restaurant will not be open, ( tonight’s dinner in main restaurant was excellent), upside as compensation we have been given the restaurant drinks package, glad I didn’t advance buy,
The ship is moored in the largest port in Switzerland, there are hundreds of containers a short distance further along the quay side just waiting either to be collected by lorries for distribution within Switzerland or loaded on a commercial barge to travel down the Rhine to France and Germany. Now understand the church we have been looking at during meals is actually in France.Leggi altro
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Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
Lucerne and the Alps
10 maggio 2022, Svizzera ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Today,s cruise is all by coach with an early start for Lucerne to arrive mid morning for a shortish stop. Just enough time to wander by the river and see the wooden bridges and along the lake with its’ mountain backdrop. Then back on the coach to head south to the Alps. Like travelling through a series Swiss postcards, through a series of valleys with combinations of lakes, rivers, lush fields with cows grazing and traditional Swiss houses balanced on the hillsides until reaching Laterbrunnen. Here we are booked onto the cog railway to take us Kleine Scheidegg, a small village ( ski stuff, hotel, cafe and gift shop) and the hub of this cog railway system with branches heading off in all directions. Unfortunately when visiting “out of season” most of the snow had gone and everything except the station buffet was closed. Having been warned it would be cold, it actually wasn’t that bad just a bit fresh so didn’t need the additional jumpers in my bag. The “view” is the north face of the Eiger, but the views in all directions are snow covered mountains dropping down into valleys. Although the guide gave stern warnings that being a second late we would miss the train back down the mountain to our coach, but shouldn’t have worried we were ready to go when the train arrived. When we returned to Laterbrunnen we found one of the coaches and both drivers were missing. One of the coaches ( not the one we were on) had been having problems on the way over so they had gone to borrow a replacement for the journey back. At this point our coach developed a problem, the middle door wouldn’t open, no panic eventually we all went in the door which worked, however we couldn’t leave as the driver’s (failed) efforts to open the door had managed to register the open door warning to be set, so then had more efforts to shut an already closed door to cancel the warning. Eventually after 15 minutes we headed back. Not sure how many tunnels we drove through today - but is what lots!
The formal evening dinner followed ( men asked not to wear shorts). We stay moored overnight here in Basle before starting the cruise. Apparently, the Basle/Cologne variant is the better way to do this trip as all the tiring excursions are in the first few days, so you can relax towards the end of the trip and feel refreshed for the journey home!Leggi altro
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Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
The Black Forest - Breisach and Titisee
11 maggio 2022, Germania ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Left Basle at 07:00 this morning to sail down the Rhine, actually most of the voyage was down the man made Rhine Canal running parallel to the real river. Seeing a variety of commercial barges and some competitive cruise lines on the voyage whilst descending around 50metres going through 4 locks. We arrived at Breisach just before 13:00. The town of Breisach (means breakwater) was established to take advantage of an island in the Rhine at that location, being identified as a key location on the early trade routes through Europe. The afternoon activity was a tour through the Black Forest to Titisee where they’re ins a glacial lake. Our guides were in traditional local dress, although neither originated from this area one coming from India and the other the Philippines. Various pictures taken on the coach ride including an old traditional design farm building still in use and a small church. Some farms built their own small churches on the farms as in winter they were not able to reach the local village church. Titisee is very much a tourist town, not quite Blackpool as no bingo and amusement arcades, these were replaced by cuckoo clock shops/museum with demonstrations on cuckoo clock construction and their history and importance to the local area. We were warned not to attempt a walk around the lake as the coach would leave before you would get all way around, this is probably because the actual frontage to the lake is mostly privately owned. We eventually found a small public park were we could sit and enjoy the sunshine (did I mention we got to 28centigrade here this afternoon) until it was time to return to the coach via the numerous souvenir shops to return to the ship. At 19:00 we departed Breisach for an overnight voyage to our next stop.Leggi altro
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Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
Strasbourg
12 maggio 2022, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Arrived Strasbourg overnight and moored in the commercial harbour. Picked up by coaches at 9:00 and taken into the centre of Strasbourg where we met our guide for a walking tour of the old city. The old city centre is actually an island, created by the river Ill as it joins the Rhine. The city is on the border of France and Germany and in the last 100 years the “ownership” has switched between Germany and France 4 times. Currently Strasbourg is in France. The walking tour weaved its’ way from the coach stop through the cobbled streets from “Petite France” to the “Norte Dame de Stasbourg” cathedral in the city centre ending with a tour of the cathedral itself, where we were fortunate to observe the astronomical clock strike the half hour. The various pictures were taken on the walk and in and around the cathedral. We then had a free hour to wander around the streets ourselves before meeting up for the coach back to the boat. This afternoon is a cruise to along the Rhine into Germany were our first stop is Spyer.Leggi altro
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Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
Speyer and cruising onto Rudesheim
13 maggio 2022, Germania ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Woke up in Speyer, only one guide appeared for our 9:00 walking tour, the other apparently couldn’t find where we were moored. No coaches today, 15 minutes walk along the river path then through a park brought us to the impressive cathedral, claimed to be the largest Romanesque church still in existence a marked contrast in style to the gothic architecture we have previously seen. Although the town was developed by the romans as part of their defence line against the German tribes there is little sign of any Roman remains, the few bits found are in the museum ( closed today). Main claim for fame is when one of the leading centres of the Holy Roman Empire. “Imperial Diets” as they were known were held here to perform important acts like the election of Emperors, but probably one of the most significant was the trial and excommunication of Martin Luther. The subsequent “protestation” in Speyer causing the schism in the church and the reformation. One of the pictures is of a large “bowl” in the front of the cathedral, the tradition is that upon election the bishop fills this with wine for the townsfolk. Back on the boat for lunchtime we are now heading north to Rudesheim where we arrive during dinner this evening, but we are no seeing signs of the shoreline changing as the tree lined beaches give way to large industrial ( look like chemical type plants) with commercial barges there to collect the products or deliver materials. One of the barges that passed us must have had around 150 containers on board.Leggi altro
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Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
Rudesheim, Rhine Gorge and Koblenz
14 maggio 2022, Germania ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
Started day in Rudesheim and went on the walking tour while the boat was being resupplied with essentials. Moored close to the town the initial issue was crossing the railway line, at this part of the Rhine there are railway lines along both banks of the river, with goods trains and the occasional passenger train going by every few minutes. Not a large town, quality wine and tourism being the commercial activities. Boasts an active night life in Drosselgasse which is almost totally pubs apparently each with a separate style of musical entertainment. The Niederwald monument at the top of the hill above the vines was not accessible as the winter work on the chair lift station was running late. Leaving late morning to sail down the Rhine Gorge, the most picturesque with strep wooded sides sometimes vines when the geography allowed and more castles with associated small villages than I could count. Arriving Koblenz, where the Moselle joins the Rhine late afternoon we took another walking tour. The “German Quarter”, the point where the 2 rivers is converge is a monument to the unification of the original states to form a united Germany and a huge equestrian statue of the first emperor. Another town along the Rhine which alternated with being French or German, one of the unusual statues is one of a young French fathered boy ( apparently they were all named John!) which randomly spits trying to soak unsuspecting tourists. One of the “robber barons” who lived in a castle along the gorge was tried and sentenced to death there. At his execution he rolled his eyes, put out his tongue and cursed the city, they have built a clock with an image of this face which repeats these actions every 15 minutes. The town was mostly destroyed in the war, the oldest remaining house started to lean so a new house has been built alongside to support it and to commemorate the history of the town another monument depicts the different stages of the town from Roman times to the post war rebuild. After dinner we were entertained by a local “folk group” with clarinet and accordions.Leggi altro
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Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
Cologne
15 maggio 2022, Germania ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Left Koblenz early morning and cruised up to Cologne arriving just after 12, the position is very central near the cathedral and the rail bridge, famous for all the padlocks attached to the railings along its, full length. A quick visit to the cathedral but as a service was in process only the entrance area was accessible for visitors. In the afternoon we found the Wallraf-Richartz Museum Gallery. The main exhibition was early church art from the churches in and around Cologne. The painters working in Cologne at that time are known, but none of the frames are signed so they are unable to attribute the paintings specifically. These had been cleaned as when compared to those in the cathedral which were dark and dull the condition of these were excellent and the colours particularly bright and vibrant depicting the bible stories. There was also a good collection of impressionists, with Renoir’s, Cezanne’s, a Van Gogh and a Munch. The plus was entry was free because it was Sunday.Leggi altro
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Rhine from Basel to Cologne Viaggiatore
Düsseldorf and home
16 maggio 2022, Germania ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Dawn over the rail bridge from our cabin. As BA have cancelled our original flight we have an extra 3 hours here in Cologne before the coach comes to take us to Düsseldorf, so chance for another walk around in a much less crowded atmosphere, although still had to avoid the crocodiles of young school children, bicycles and electric scooters. The scooters are the main risk, they are quiet and very fast and apart from those actually being used, there are even more just left on the pavements. Walked across the bridge, the bridge is guarded by 4 Prussian Generals, one at each corner. Impossible to estimate the number of padlocks, there is minimal room left to attach any new ones. After a few photos we came back and the cathedral was open so we were able to have a good look inside this time. Wandered around around the town, but Monday seems to be a closing day for the main shops and just the cheap souvenir shops open. Back on the boat for a snack lunch and a 3hour wait!Leggi altro
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Fine del viaggio
16 maggio 2022