Koblenz

When we arrived at the Trierer Hof Hotel yesterday, I asked the owner if they had experienced a hot summer this year. "It started off pretty warm", he replied, "but the past couple of months have been cold and wet".

In that case it must have been just bad luck that saw us arrive smack in the middle of a series of hot and very humid days. In fact the temperature has risen to over 30C for the past few days, and the sequence is set to continue for at least another four days.

This has come as something of a shock for our team who have just arrived from the Australian winter. The combination of high temperatures, hot sun and enervating humidity really takes its toll. I am just so grateful that our hotel features functioning air conditioning. This is something of an oddity in this part of the world.

Today the group decided to ride the cable car to the fort on the other side of the Rhine. For those who are afraid of heights, this was something of a challenge, but the views down to the city from the lofty location made the trip worthwhile.

Maggie and I spent the rest of the day alternating between exploring the old city and retreating to the coolness of the hotel room. At this point of time it is worth making mention of the very big elephant on the room. While I adore the history, culture and scenery of Europe, there is one aspect of European living that literally gets stuck in my throat. That aspect is the cloud of smoke that follows wherever you go.

While Australia and many other countries have made huge progress in reducing the incidence of smoking, in Europe it is a filthy accepted part of life. Whether you are walking down the street, enjoying a view or eating at an outdoor restaurant, it is impossible to escape being enveloped in a stinking cloud of noxious tobacco smoke.

From the young to the old alike, they are all equally addicted to a lifestyle revolving around nicotine. Parents think nothing of blowing clouds of poisonous smoke right into the faces of their children. Even when they are not smoking, the stink has penetrated into their clothes, hair, curtains and carpets. You just can't escape that awful smell. At times I really feel like yelling at people to wake up to how stupid their behaviour is.

I am not sure what the statistics are concerning smoking in the big cities, but from my own anecdotal experience, I would say that it is at least 40%. The rest of the population choose to use vapes instead.

This afternoon an exciting event took place - our boat arrived at the docks. Although we cannot board until tomorrow, it was fun to have a close up look at the vessel that will be our home for the next seven nights. In the morning we will be checking out of the hotel, and at 3 pm we will be boarding the MS Olympia. The next leg of our adventure will start.Read more