Europe’s Rivers & Castles on the AmaWaterways Amalegro
8/20/11 to 9/4/11
Ports of Call: To do justice to this cruise, we had to write the review in two parts. The link to the second part is at the top and bottom of this page.
Part #1 Paris, France; Luxembourg; Trier, Germany; Bernkastel, Germany
Part #2 Cochem, Germany; Koblenz, Germany; Rudesheim, Germany; Mainz, Germany; Heidelberg, Germany; Miltenberg, Germany; Wertheim, Germany; Wurzburg, Germany; Rothenburg, Germany; Bamberg, Germany; Nuremberg, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic
Preface
In 2009, we thoroughly enjoyed our Danube River cruise on AmaWaterways brand new ship the Amalyra; and we looked forward to doing another river cruise. For 2011, we found a Rhine, Mosel and Main River cruise on AMA’s Amalegro that would, in addition to visiting new ports, allow us to visit Paris before the cruise and return to one of our favorite cities, Prague, at the end.
Pre-Cruise in Paris, France – Day 1
One of the major attractions of this itinerary was that we would get to revisit Paris. Our first visit was in 2004, while on a British Isles/Norwegian Fjords cruise that docked in Le Havre, France for the day. Since the drive had taken 2.5 hours each way, we only got to spend a very rushed seven hours in Paris. This time the AMA pre-cruise package included 3 days in Paris; but since that started on a Tuesday, we decided to add two days to it by arriving on Sunday. Since over a third of our vacation time was spent in Paris, this section of the review is quite long.
The Air Canada flight through Toronto was scheduled to arrive at 8:30 AM, which would allow us to have some touring time in the afternoon. Since we arrived before the official AMA pre-cruise schedule, we had to make our own transfer arrangements from the airport to the hotel. I had decided to use the Air France Coach shuttle service (http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/common/guidevoyageur/aeroport/car_airfrance.htm). The service only cost 15€ each and was supposed to stop close to our hotel. Our flight arrived in Terminal 2A. I wanted to purchase Paris Museum Passes, which aren’t available at all terminals, so we walked to the next terminal 2C to purchase them. It was a shorter walk than expected and really worked out great because the stand that sold the passes also sold tickets to the Air France Coach shuttle, as well as metro tickets. I could get everything I needed at one place on one credit card charge. It was really convenient.
The shuttle service was a great way to get to our hotel because there was plenty of luggage storage under the bus, the busses left every fifteen minutes, and the price was right. When we arrived at our hotel, the bus stopped right across the street from the Le Méridien Etoile (http://www.lemeridienetoile.com/), our home away from home.
We had been concerned about the hotel since it wasn’t as close to the main tourism area as I had wanted, plus there had been mixed reviews about it online; but we booked it since we didn’t want to spend two nights in a different hotel before the AMA package began. I had previously contacted the hotel to request that we have the same room as we would have with AMA. The only issues we had with the room were that the bed was firmer than we are used to and it was challenging to step out of the bathtub/shower. Both of us have long legs, but the tub had very high sides and required one to hold onto something to prevent slipping while getting out. It was quite a step, and I don’t know how someone with short legs would be able to do it.
But we were quite pleased with the service we received from the hotel staff. They were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast was also quite good. Since the breakfast wasn’t included in the first two days of our stay, we were quite pleased that there was a mall, Galeries Gourmandes, right across the street in Le Palais de Congres convention center, where we found a nice little coffee shop for breakfast. The mall also had a great little grocery store with lots of wonderful food and drink items. Many people in our group took advantage of the low prices for water and sodas that they could bring back to their rooms.
After we checked into the room, Carol was still exhausted from the all night flight with little sleep, so she stayed at the hotel while I headed into town to begin exploring. That was when I realized how nice it was to have a hotel right next to a Metro stop. It made the hotel’s location much more desirable. The easy and inexpensive 15 minute ride into town was a breeze. I had downloaded a wonderful iPhone app called Metro, which provides directions on what stations to transfer from and to. The best part of the app was that it worked off-line, so internet access was not required. Over the next five days, I really appreciated that app and the Metro. It was very easy to navigate and trains came every 3-5 minutes; which was very convenient.
Since we had planned on visiting many of the sites included in the Paris Museum Pass (http://en.parismuseumpass.com/), it was cheaper to purchase the four-day pass for 50€ each, than to pay each time we went to one of the places. It also turned out to be a very big time saver, since we were able to avoid many long ticket lines. Be careful where you buy the pass, since some websites and stores sell them for 10€ more than the face value. This is one of the reasons I purchased it at the airport. The other reason was that I didn’t want to have to wait in a ticket line at one of the museums that sold the passes.
My first stop was to see Napoleon’s Tomb at Hotel National des Invalides. I had remembered how impressed I was with its beautiful dome on our first visit to Paris. When I came up from the Metro station, I saw that I was quite close to the Eiffel Tower, so I took a short walk to get my first photo of the Paris landmark.
I walked a couple blocks to Invalides and was once again impressed with the beautiful building, as well as the lovely gardens around it. It was a gorgeous sunny day, but where the weather in Paris for the week prior to our arrival was in the low 70’s, this day was forecasted to be 89 with the next several days to be light rain. I wanted to take advantage of the weather and see as much as possible before the rainy days began. Although it was a hot day, it was milder than our normal South Florida summer weather.
Upon entering the building, I was stunned at how beautiful it was. For some reason, I was expecting it to be more like a mausoleum than a church commemorating Napoleon’s greatness.
The centerpiece of the building was the actual tomb made out of red porphyry, which is a stone. It was quite impressive and there were many statues and tributes to Napoleon.
I wanted to go to the Pantheon next, but since it wasn’t close and there wasn’t a convenient metro stop for it, I decided to take a cab. I had asked one of the guards how she recommended I get to the Pantheon and she told me to take a cab. I waited at the official cab stop; but no cabs were coming by. I was starting to get frustrated and overheated when finally I was able to get a taxi to stop for me. After I told him where I was going, he asked if I was an American. He then proceeded to tell me that he was from Haiti and how much he appreciated what America had done for his family and how much we had helped his country after the earthquake. It was very touching and quite unexpected. It is nice to know that the good our country does is appreciated.
I was glad I took a cab, because it was much further from Invalides than I had assumed looking at the map. The 12€ fare was well worth the cost. Once again I was standing in front of another beautiful building. It was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, without the hole in the top. The stone work carvings are gorgeous.
Inside are numerous statues, murals and lovely mosaics. I had seen some photos of Paris’s Pantheon; but it was much nicer than anticipated.
I had not expected to see the Foucault Pendulum hanging from the very high ceiling. This type pendulum was used to prove the rotation of the earth.
As I was leaving I noticed a sign pointing down to the crypts. I hadn’t planned on spending too much time at the Pantheon, but I was curious and wanted to see what was down there. It was a very large area with numerous hallways where Paris’s elite and famous were buried. Among them were Victor Hugo and Voltaire.
Upon leaving, I saw a small church behind the Pantheon, Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. I love visiting churches and could not pass it up. It was a small church and I wasn’t expecting to see much on the inside.
I was wrong. It was quite beautiful and different from other churches I had visited. It also contained relics of St. Geneviève. Pope John Paul had even visited the little church.
I was taking too much time enjoying the sightseeing and needed to head back to the hotel. We had made plans to meet Penny and Dave, a couple that we met on our Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.com) roll call. Looking at the Metro Map, I would have to go through the Luxembourg Gardens to get to the nearest Metro station. That was OK, since the gardens were on my “to visit” list. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t get to spend much time there, but at least I would get to see it. Luxembourg is a very large park and it would be a long walk to get to the other side. It was a beautiful area with lots of flowers and many people enjoying the large pool.
The Luxembourg Palace was quite a large beautiful building; but it was not open for touring. I guess it was just as well, since I didn’t have time to look at it anyway.
Once I finally got across the park, I needed to find the Metro station. I had decent maps, but I felt like I was walking further than the map showed. I asked some people that were at a stoplight where to find the Metro. They were very helpful and showed me exactly where to go. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly and helpful the Parisians were to us. Having heard many negative comments about Parisians, I found them to be some of the friendliest people we have come across, particularly for a large city.
After finally finding the Metro station and only having to make one transfer, I got back to the hotel close to the time I was supposed to be there. We went to dinner at Chez Clement, a restaurant close to the hotel, since we had all planned to have an early evening after a long day. The meal was good and we were ready to finally get some sleep
Paris – Day 2
This was a day we had both been looking forward to for a long time. We were going to visit the best known art museum in the world, the Louvre. We were pleasantly surprised that rather than rain, we had a nice day which was cooler than the day before, thank goodness.
I would have loved to spend a day or two at the Louvre; but we didn’t have that much time to devote to just one place. We would only have time to see the highlights and get a taste of what is in the awesome museum. Because we got off the Metro at the Louvre station, we entered the Louvre through the underground medieval section of the museum, where the original buildings foundations were built in the 12th century. It was an area I had wanted to visit, so I was glad we didn’t have to go looking for it.
Continuing on we came to the main entrance under the pyramid. Since we entered the Louvre underground, we hadn't seen the outside of the buildings; but we could see them looking up through the pyramid.
The maps for the Louvre are very good at showing you where you need to go to find things; but it was very difficult to figure out exactly where you were on the map. There are room number references on the map; but very few of the room numbers could be found on the rooms. There were not many museum guides around to ask for directions, but the ones that were there were very helpful. The first area we came to was the Egyptian section. It had some very nice pieces; but we had been spoiled because we have visited the Cairo Museum in Egypt as well as the British Museum in London, both of which have fabulous Egyptian artifacts.
Our next area to visit was the Greek section. Now that was an impressive area! It was just absolutely stunning with so many gorgeous marble statues. When we visited Greece, the guides told us that their best statues had been taken by other countries. We had seen many of them in the British Museum, but the Louvre had just an incredible collection.
The highlight of their Greek collection is the Venus de Milo. It was quite humbling to be in the presence of such a famous statue. There was a large crowd observing her beauty.
Walking through the Louvre reminded me of walking through the Vatican Museum. The ceilings were just gorgeous. Each room had another beautiful scene above. It’s easy to get a stiff neck from looking up!
The next major piece we came to was the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The 2,200 year old statue is prominently displayed high above the floor at the top of a stair well. It is easy to understand why it is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.
We then headed over to the Louvre’s most famous possession, the Mona Lisa. It was pretty easy to find with signs directing people to it. What a crowd! Everyone wanted to see her and it was a challenge to get close. It is a relatively small picture and has protective glass, so there was a lot of reflection on it. It can probably be appreciated more in a high quality book than in person; but it is nice to be able to say that we have actually been in her presence.
We went through some other parts of the museum before leaving. One thing that really surprised us was that the museum for the most part was hot and humid, rather than heavily air conditioned to protect the artwork. The air conditioning they had was very ineffective in most of the rooms. We were, however, pleased to find chairs and benches in most of the rooms where Carol could rest while I ran around to other exhibits. Needless to say, the museum had many other gorgeous paintings and exhibits.
When we walked outside, we got to see the controversial pyramids. We had seen it from the bottom, but it looked a lot bigger from ground level. It does look out of place; but is a nice contrast to the very ornate buildings of the Louvre that were originally palaces.
Across from the pyramid was the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. It is about half the size of the more famous Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, which was close to our hotel. This Arc commemorates Napoleon’s military victories.
Our next place to visit was one that I had been looking forward to for a long time. In doing research seven years ago for our first visit to Paris, I really wanted to visit Sainte-Chappell; but there just wasn’t time. Since 2004, I have told many people to be sure to visit Sainte-Chappell. They always thank me for the recommendation, since they had never heard of it. I was now finally going to be able to see in person what I had been recommending to others for years.
The chapel was built in 1248 and consists mostly of 15 large majestic stained glass windows. The outside just looks like a nice small church surrounded by the Palace of Justice.
The long line to go into the chapel was overly impressive in a bad sort of way, since we thought that we could avoid the line because we had the Museum Pass. Then we found out that the line was not the entrance, but it was a security line that everyone had to go through before getting to the ticket line. It did move pretty quickly and when we got through it, we were able to avoid the other long line to get tickets. The chapel itself is in the upper level; but the first level was rather nice also.
We had to walk up a narrow circular staircase to get to the chapel. Once there, we could see the beauty that we had looked forward to for seven years. It was spectacular!
It was such a beautiful sight. It was hard to stop staring at all the solid walls of lovely stained glass.
When we left the chapel, we found a unique public water fountain that we used to fill up our almost empty water bottle.
Before heading back to the hotel to drop off Carol, I wanted to do a little more sightseeing. Paris has so many beautiful places to see. Every step brought another beautiful sight.
I walked over to the Pont Neuf Bridge, the oldest bridge in Paris. Besides being a lovely bridge, it is also a place where lovers put padlocks on the bridge as a sign of their love for one another. Apparently the city cuts them off regularly and has outlawed putting the locks on; but the practice continues.
After taking Carol back to the hotel, I walked over to the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, the more famous Arc. As I approached it, I was amazed by the amount of detail on it. Normally in photos of the Arc, one just sees the large structure. Up close it is quite beautiful.
The ticket line to go to the top of the Arc was extremely long. Most people have to climb the 284 steps, but there was supposed to be an elevator available also. I smugly walked up to the Museum Pass entrance, where there was no line and casually walked into the Arc. It was so nice to not have to wait in line. I looked around for the elevator, but only saw some stairs. I assumed the elevator must be up the stairs, so I climbed the narrow circular stair case. I soon realized that I was going to have to climb all the way to the top. In my cockiness of not having to wait in line, I must have totally missed the elevator. It was quite a haul to the top; but I made it. It was a lot of steps.
The view from the Arc was incredible. I could see all the famous tourist attractions. The view of the Eiffel Tower was really good.
I could also see Sacre Cour on top of the hill in Montmartre. We would be going there in a couple days.
I could also see out to the Grand Arche at La Defense. I had hoped to visit it later in the week, but ran out of time. It was also easy to spot where our hotel was, since it was right across from Hotel Concorde Lafayette, which is one of the tallest buildings in Paris at 450 feet high.
When I decided to get down to ground level, I looked around for an elevator. I found it and was very happy not to go back down the 284 steps. When I came out of the elevator, I realized that it was on the right side of the line, whereas I had gone into the door on the left side. I hope readers of this review will learn from my mistake and find the elevator to get to the top. The security people would not let just anybody use the elevator. They needed to have a physical issue or look like they couldn’t make it to the top. Since I qualified to take the elevator down, I guess gray hair qualifies one to use the elevator.
When I returned to the hotel we decided to go out to a local restaurant, Le Galvacher, that was recommended by the concierge. It was about four blocks away. We both had a wonderful meal of French onion soup and a lovely dish called Sauté de boeuf, which was simmered beef with olives in a rosemary sauce with fresh pasta. Absolutely delicious. It was a really good restaurant and reasonably priced. Well worth the short walk.
It had been a busy day seeing some amazing sights. We were exhausted and made it an early night.
Paris – Day 3
Our third day in Paris was going to be another great day. We were going to Versailles with our friends Dave and Penny; and we had a bright sunny day. The weather forecasters were wrong again and we were quite pleased. For the rest of our visit to Paris the highs would be in the 70’s, just perfect, and no rain.
We were able to take the RER train at the station down the block from our hotel. We would only have to make one transfer. Unfortunately when we arrived at the transfer station there had been a problem on the line and our train was delayed. By the time it arrived, the train was very full and there was standing room only. Most of the people on the train were going to Versailles. After a few stops, Carol was able to get a seat. The train got uncomfortably crowded when a bike tour squeezed onto our train car with five full sized bikes. It was really crowded.
When we finally arrived and the train cars unloaded, the loading platform was packed with people heading to the palace. It was a pretty good walk from the station to the palace; but was quite easy to find with the large crowd leading us to the gilded gates.
The buildings were quite ornate. We couldn’t wait to get inside to see what beauty the interior contained.
Then we encountered an unexpected problem because there was a huge line snaking through the open courtyard outside the main gates. We assumed that it was the ticket line; but soon found out that it was the security line that everyone had to go through to get into the palace. This was not a good thing. Carol went up near the front of the line and sat down on a bench to wait for Dave, Penny and me to get nearer the entrance. It was a wise move, since it took an hour and 40 minutes to just get up to the security scanners.
Once we were able to enter the palace, we realized that the wait was worth it. The building was gorgeous. We entered into the Royal Chapel and then moved into the various rooms.
Each room seemed to be more ornate than the previous one.
I was pleased to be able to look down on the lush gardens every once in a while as we passed an open window. We were anxious to tour the gardens, which we planned to do after we finished touring the main palace.
The ceilings were amazing. It was quite a place.
I could easily understand why so many people had raved about Versailles and had told us that we had to visit it. The best known room is the Hall of Mirrors. It is quite a classy place for a party.
After leaving the palace, we headed for the gardens. We were thinking about going to one of the smaller palaces on the back side of the grounds, but would have to walk through the gardens to get there. Unfortunately, the Museum Pass did not include the gardens; which was disappointing. We could see a good part of the gardens from the courtyard where we had exited the palace, so we weren’t sure there was much else to see that would be worth the entrance fee. We decided to just skip the gardens and the other palace because we were tired and ready to get back to Paris. We were also anxious to meet the tour director for the rest of our cruise and land package, since this was the official start day for the AMA portion of our vacation.
Paris – Day 4
The AMA city tour was scheduled for the morning. Our tour guide would be Audrey. This was a challenging tour for a guide, since we would have to transfer from the bus to the Metro to get to and from Notre Dame. Audrey did a great job of keeping everyone together for the transfers and in providing us with valuable information
We had already seen a lot of Paris, but the tour would cover a few different places. In addition to seeing some of the places we had already toured, we also passed by many places that I would return to later in the week. The scenery driving around Paris is just so pretty.
The main destination for the tour was to visit Notre Dame. We had been there before; but I was looking forward to revisiting it to take photos. To me the outside of Notre Dame is the most beautiful part. I am normally not a big fan of the interior of gothic style churches. The front of the church also has some beautiful statues.
Upon entering Notre Dame, one realizes how large this cathedral is. On the north side was the very famous and beautiful Rose Window. It is one of the few stained glass windows in Paris that contains most of its original glass. The stained glass in Notre Dame alone makes it worth fighting the large crowds that continuously arrive.
Upon exiting the church, I walked around the exterior to the north side to see the other view of the Rose Window. I could also see some of the smaller flying buttresses; which are a distinctive feature of the massive church.
The back of the church is even more impressive with the huge flying buttresses. It is the view that one gets when on a Seine River cruise.
After the city tour ended, we asked to be dropped off at the Orsay Museum. This is the museum that is focused on impressionist art, which is my favorite period. The building is a former train station. The exterior is not that impressive; but the statuary is very nice, especially the large animals.
The interior is a huge room. The lovely paintings are nicely displayed. It is a marvelous museum that we really enjoyed. My only disappointment was that I could not take photos in the museum. I complied with the rule as far as the paintings go, but I had to take a couple of photos of the beautiful hall, especially the magnificent clock.
After leaving the Orsay, I took Carol back to the hotel on the Metro. I quickly got back on the Metro, since I was anxious to visit the Opera Garnier. There was a Metro stop right in front of it. It is the famous opera house that was supposed to be the location of the Phantom of the Opera.
The exterior is quite impressive. It even had busts of famous composers in between the pillars. Since we had already had a pretty full day and my feet were getting sore, I was not excited when I found out that I would have to walk around to the back of the massive structure to get inside.
When I purchased my entrance tickets they told me that there were no more tours in English, but I could do an unguided tour. I was quite pleased, since I had been worried that I wouldn’t even be able to see the interior if there had been a matinee in progress.
The Opera Garnier is a very opulent building. I climbed the stairs to the foyer and then more climbing up the grand staircase.
It was difficult climbing while looking up at the gorgeous ceiling and statues all around the hall.
Since I wasn’t on a guided tour, there was only a small area at the back of the theater that the visitors were able stand and view inside. It was disappointing not to be able to see more of the theater; but what I did see was quite beautiful.
Although the style of the Marc Chagall painting on the ceiling, that was added in 1964, does not really go with the rest of the building; it wasn’t as distracting as it could be. I think it kind of grows on you.
Since there wasn’t a production in progress, the air conditioning wasn’t on and the building was uncomfortably warm, so I didn’t stay too long. I got back on the Metro to go back to the hotel and plan our evening activities. Since we only had one more full day in Paris, Carol had already started packing. We decided to go to dinner at an Italian restaurant very close to the hotel called Bellagio. The AMA people and the concierge had recommended it. They made a very good recommendation. It was excellent.
Paris – Day 5
Our last day in Paris, was going to be very active. In the morning we were going on a Seine River cruise and then up the Eiffel Tower. Then that night would be the illumination tour. The bus picked us up at 9:00 in the morning and we headed for the Seine. We had a very good tour guide named Edith for the day’s tours.
The boats were located at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Fortunately the boat was not too crowded, so we could move around to view the sights.
As we cruised past the famous buildings, I admired the beautiful bridges, especially Pont Alexandre III; which is considered to be the most beautiful bridge in Paris.
As we passed under the Pont Neuf Bridge, we could see where hundreds of locks
had been attached to it to proclaim lovers’ commitments.
There were so many gorgeous buildings and monuments along the Seine.
It was nice to see the Orsay Museum we had visited a couple days earlier.
The view of the back of Notre Dame from the Seine was really nice.
We really enjoyed the cruise and were ready to visit the Eiffel Tower. We had been seeing it from many different angles all week and were looking forward to finally being on the tower. Being under the tower, I could really appreciate the size of the enormous metal structure.
The line to get into the tower was very long. We were glad that we had taken the tour which had an assigned time to take us up the elevator. It is a unique elevator, since it goes up the tower on an angle.
We went up to the second level, which was very crowded. Our guide told us that we could wait in the very long line to get to the third level; but that it was not a good experience because there were so many people in the small viewing area. I didn’t even consider going up, since the view from the second level was so nice.
We could see the Trocadero, where we would be ending the night watching the Eiffel Tower illumination.
The view from the second level of the tower was even better than the one from Arc de Triumphe.
I would have enjoyed spending more time on the tower; but not with the mass of people I had to share it with. I bet it is really nice to be on the tower when it isn’t tourist season.
After we returned to the hotel, I wanted to go back into town and see a few places I had missed earlier in our visit. My first stop was to the Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris. I had been seeing the Egyptian obelisk from a distance all during our stay in Paris. I was anxious to see it close up. It was the twin to one we had seen in Luxor, Egypt three years earlier. The two obelisks originally stood at the entrance to Luxor; but one of them was given to Paris in 1829. This one was different, since it had a gold cap on it. The original cap was believed stolen 2,600 years ago.
On either side of the obelisk are two gorgeous fountains. Like so many things in Paris they were quite ornate.
To get to my next destination, I entered the Tuileries Gardens. There were some nice statues in the park, but for the most part it appeared to be just a barren pathway between Concorde and the Louvre. It was kind of disappointing. I did see a few nice flowers, but they were few and far between.
The main attraction there for me was the Orangerie museum. It is the museum that was chosen and arranged by Claude Monet himself. It is a relatively small museum, with the main display being eight large Monet water lily paintings displayed in two rooms.
It is a beautiful way to display these lovely works of art. In addition to the Monet’s, there were also many other pieces from Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso and others.
It was a nicer museum than I had expected. I am surprised it isn’t more popular. I guess there are just too many big name tourist attractions in Paris. I can certainly attest to that. I was anxious to get back to the hotel to get Carol and head for our evening activities.
Once again we boarded a bus; this time for an evening illumination tour. Once again, we had Edith as our tour guide, which was great. Our first stop would be to Montmartre on the highest hill in Paris. Due to vehicle restrictions in the area, we exited the bus at the base of the hill to board a little train that would drive us up to the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur at the top.
When we were there seven years ago, we had to walk up a good part of the hill. The little bus was a lot better way to get to the top. The Basilica dominates Montmartre.
The beautiful white marble Byzantine style building is a popular meeting place for Parisians and tourists alike. Even though the view from Sacré Cœur is very nice, it isn’t as interesting as those we had seen from the Eiffel Tower, since it is far from the main sights.
Like so many of the other beautiful buildings we saw in Paris, Sacré Cœur has many gorgeous statues, gargoyles and decorations on it.
After looking around the exterior, Edith took us inside the basilica. The main focal point inside is the massive mosaic entitled, Christ in Majesty. It is one of the largest mosaics in the world. Photography is not allowed inside the basilica. I found this out the first time I was here when I was told by a guard just as I was going to take a photo. I regretted not taking the photo all these years, since I had not been able to find any photos to remember what it looked like. I normally don’t break rules regarding photography, although I already had done so at the Orsay. Most tourist attractions only have restrictions against using a flash. Since Sacré Cœur didn’t allow any photography, I planned on breaking the rules, so I could remember what the beautiful mosaic looked like.
I quickly took several photos in the dimly lit building without a flash. I was worried that they wouldn’t be any good, since the shutter speed was pretty slow. They were good enough.
A guard came over to our group telling me that there was no photography allowed and that I would have to leave. I would have happily left, since I had my photo; but Edith convinced him that I wouldn’t take any more. We only stayed a few minutes more and left to explore Montmartre.
Edith walked us through the narrow streets of Montmartre, telling us about the history. There were lots of people enjoying the numerous shops and restaurants.
Carol and I decided to not spend the limited time we had eating a large dinner. Instead we found a place to get a wonderful nutella and banana crepe. Very French and very delicious.
For dessert, we got and ice cream cone. Some might consider that our crepe was a dessert; but not when in Paris. We found a place to sit down on the side of the church. It turned out to be a great place, since the sun was setting and throwing a lovely glow on the white marble. It kept changing color as the sun set.
We still had about twenty minutes before we were going to take the funicular down the mountain. So we sat on the front steps of the basilica with a large crowd of people watching the sun set and looking down on Paris. Many people were sitting on the steps; some with their wine, cheese and French bread having a little picnic. It looked like a great idea.
The illuminated basilica looked really nice. The darker it got, the prettier it looked.
There was a short line to get into the funicular and the ride down was pretty quick.
Edith had told us to be careful at the bottom of the funicular because there are groups of thugs and pickpockets that hang around there. We had been warned earlier in the week not to get caught up in the many ways they will try to get money from tourists. We had also been told not to do anything to the thugs, because the police will arrest tourists and charge them with assault, even though it is self defense in our eyes. One of the women in our group was by herself coming out of a porta pottie and a thug started to hassle her. Carol yelled “No” at the thug using her most commanding teacher's voice. This distracted him from his intended target and she got away; but then he yelled insults at Carol trying to get even with her. We didn’t say anything more to him, since it would only incite him to attack even more.
Once the entire group had gotten off the funicular, we walked over to our bus for the illumination tour. The first sight was the Moulin Rouge night club.
We then passed by the Opera House I had visited earlier in the day. The problem with a bus illumination tour is that it is very difficult to get decent photos, especially through the bus windows. I was lucky that I was able to get a photo of the Opera House.
We went by several other places including Notre Dame and the Louvre. Unfortunately photos of these and other sights didn’t come out very well due to the low light levels while moving. The highlight of the tour was to see the Eiffel Tower illumination at 11:00 PM. I had been worried that we might be late, since the bus was hitting a lot of lights and the traffic was quite bad. Miraculously we passed by the tower and made it to the Trocadero with a few minutes to spare. The place was packed with people. Edith had also warned us about pickpockets there. This was such a great place to see the tower all lit up.
At 11:00 PM, the tower began its five minute show. Little white lights all over the tower began to blink. It was pretty, but I was expecting a bigger show and different colors. The still photos don’t do it justice, since it only shows a few of the lights blinking at a time.
It had been a long and very enjoyable day. We were ready to get back to the hotel. Tomorrow would also be a busy day and we were ready to start our river cruise.
Embarkation – Paris to Remich
AMA had a very nice way to get the luggage for the transfer to the boat. We left the luggage we wanted to be picked up, inside our room next to the door rather than having to leave it out in the hallway. This was very nice in that it greatly reduced the risk of theft. We identified our luggage downstairs and it was loaded onto a truck for the long ride to the boat. While our luggage was being driven by road to the dock in Remich, Luxembourg, we were all taking a bus to the Paris train station to catch a bullet train to Metz, France.
The sleek trains travel at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. It was a very smooth ride and very exciting to watch the world fly by, especially since we didn't have to worry with heavy luggage. It took a little over an hour to travel the 190 miles to Metz. We were given a quick description of what was in town and recommendations of where we could go for lunch. Since we were in the Lorraine area of France, we decided to have the dish that is named after it, Quiche Lorraine.
After lunch I took a quick walk around town. It was a nice little town, but after Paris, most cities would look rather plain. The most noteworthy building was the train station.
Once again we boarded the bus; this time we drove to Luxembourg for a tour of the city before heading for the Amalegro. When we arrived in Luxembourg, we had our first daytime rain of the trip. It was just a light drizzle. Our first stop was to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a lovely church with beautiful stained glass.
After leaving the church we took a walking tour. The rain had let up so we were able to enjoy the architecture and statues in the lovely city.
We stopped at a government building that I seem to recall is where the Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg lived.
We continued our walk till we got to the edge of the city where there was a deep drop off to the river and the old walls of the city could be seen. Unfortunately we had to enjoy it in the rain that had started again.
Also down below was a lush garden.
Above this beautiful scene was a small obelisk monument with a gold statue on top.
The bus picked us up and took us to the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. It was an honor to be able to visit the hallowed ground. The monuments to the brave American soldiers buried there were quite moving.
I was surprised to learn from our guide that the cemetery was the final resting place of General George S. Patton.
The rows of graves leave a lasting impression.
I’m glad that the cemetery was on the tour. It was so nice to see that our soldiers were being honored and well taken care of.
We got on our bus and were finally heading to the Amalegro, which was waiting for us at Remich, Luxembourg. We were ready to begin the river cruise portion of our vacation. After a full day’s traveling and touring, we arrived at the Amalegro at 4:30 PM. It was nice to see it there at the bank of the river just waiting for us to board.
When we boarded we were pleased to find some sandwiches, snacks and cold beer waiting for us. The cruise had begun.
Ship
When we cruised on the AmaWaterways Amalyra two years ago, that ship was only two months old. We really enjoyed cruising on a brand new ship. I had been a little concerned when we booked the Amalegro, that it would be a five year old river boat, which might not be quite as nice. My concerns quickly subsided as we walked around and realized that the Amalegro looked as good as any new ship. It had been well maintained. I actually thought that it was a prettier boat and had nicer decorations than the Amalyra.
Since I had gone into a lot of detail in our Danube review regarding the features of the Amalyra, which are basically the same as the Amalegro, I won’t go into as much detail in this review; but will use some of the same verbiage, where appropriate, for those who haven’t looked at the Danube review.
There are five public rooms on the ship. The way the ship is constructed the two largest of those rooms, the Main Lounge and the Restaurant, are in the front of the ship and actually take up one and a half levels each to provide higher ceilings in the rooms.
Main Lounge – This is a large room at the front of the ship where all the entertainment, meetings and activities are done. There is also a small dance floor. During the day many people sat there and read or just relaxed and watched the scenery go by as we cruised along the river. This room was also used for light meals if you wanted to skip the main restaurant. For breakfast there were breads and rolls. For lunch and supper, soup, salads and other light items were offered.
At the back of the Main Lounge is a small bar that used heavily during meals with the beer and wine being free at dinner; but much less at other times.
Just in front of and accessed through the main lounge is a very nice protected sitting area. This was very nice when it was cooler or there was a slight drizzle.
Restaurant – All meals are served there. For breakfast a normal buffet breakfast is served in addition to an egg/omelet station. Also, special items can be ordered from a menu such as Eggs Benedict, Oatmeal, etc. For lunch, there is a buffet for the salads and lighter foods. The main course is then ordered from the menu. For dinner all items are ordered off of the menu. All dinner menus and some food photos are at this link.
Aft Lounge – This is primarily a card/game room at the back of the ship on the third level that can be used for many individual or small group activities. It is also a nice place to just sit and watch what is going on behind the ship.
Lobby – The Lobby is where the main reception/business desk is located. There is also a tiny souvenir shop located to the left of the desk.
We had hoped to pick up a couple of souvenirs in the shop, but found that almost all of the souvenirs were mainly for cruises for Amsterdam and the Danube ports. When we asked about this, they told us that on the last cruise, the guests bought almost all of the souvenirs they had in inventory, and they had to put out what they had even though it was for other itineraries. They had hoped to get some fresh supplies during the week; but it never happened.
The Lobby is also where the stairs to the Main Lounge and Restaurant are located; as well as the doors to the outside of the ship and stairs to the Sundeck can be accessed. It is a hub of activity, especially when port tours start and end. There is also a very small library located in front of the lobby on deck three as well as the cruise director's desk.
An elevator can be accessed in the Lobby. It only goes from the lobby up to deck three or down to deck two. This means that a handicapped person would have to walk the eight steps down to the restaurant from the lowest level the elevator descends to. River boat construction requirements do not allow an elevator to go all the way down to the lowest level of a ship. This rule is to prevent drowning in the event of an accident where the lower level is flooded.
Fitness Room – This is a very small workout room that is adjacent to and also joins the Aft Lounge. The equipment was nice, but limited. The main use of this room for us was to get to the sundeck. Since our cabin was only two doors down from the room, the stair access just outside the gym was a very easy way to quickly get to the sundeck.
The Sundeck is not a public room, but is the best place on the ship to watch the world go by. The most prominent part of the sundeck is the wheel house where the captain normally controls the ship. It can be lowered to allow the ship to pass under low bridges. When this is done, the captain can stick his head through a hole in the top of the wheel house to see where he is going. The sundeck is also where the lifejackets and bicycles are stored.
There are areas for sitting or lounging, some covered. The chairs were quite comfortable. There is also a hot tub near the front of the ship. It was used much more on this cruise than on our Danube cruise because the weather was warmer. Carol and I even used it to soothe our aching feet one afternoon.
A walking track is marked around the outside of the deck and was used quite a bit. There was also a large chess set for use; but I never saw anyone playing with it.
Unlike on the Amalyra, the Amalegro did not have a small life boat in the front of the ship, just a bell. They explained in a group meeting prior to the Captain’s Reception the first evening that there is no need for lifeboats on a river boat since a captain can move close to the shore in case of an emergency, or the passengers can move to the upper deck, since the boat is higher than the river is deep. All of the life jackets are kept in compartments on the sundeck, which is logical, since that is where one would go if there was a problem. A plus with this setup is that no room is taken up in the cabin for life jackets.
AMA ships provide free Wi-Fi. The antenna is on the sundeck next to the wheelhouse. It is moved to get the best reception. There were frequent times when there was no reception due to the antennae having to be lowered to go under bridges and on other occasions. To use the Wi-Fi, you have to get a password from the reception desk. I used it mostly for my iPhone.
Cabin
Once again we had cabin 330, which was the next to last cabin on the top deck; just in front of the Aft Lounge and Beauty Salon. We had enjoyed this cabin so much on the Amalyra, we chose it again for this cruise. The hallways to the cabins were very nice with attractive carpeting, textured wallpaper and nice pictures. They were wide enough under normal circumstances, but when the room attendants had their carts in the hallway; it was a tight squeeze to get by them.
The cabin was 170 sq. ft, which is very good for a river boat. It was arranged so that there was plenty of room to move around, especially at the end of the bed where the closet was located. This makes a big difference, since this is normally a problem area in many ocean cruise line cabins. In addition to a nice sized closet, there was a side closet with shelves and safe.
We had a French Balcony, which is a sliding glass door with a railing outside of the door. This is really all that is needed. As long as I can put my head outside to look around and feel the temperature, I am happy. With the sundeck being so close, I wouldn’t have used a full balcony if I had one. One of the warnings that are given is to make sure that the ship is not entering a lock before sticking your head out of your balcony, since it would be easy to be injured by the sides of the lock with the ship getting so close to them.
The cabin had two chairs by the balcony, with one of them being used as a chair for the small desk area. A nice flat panel TV that had many entertainment options was a nice touch. Other than to watch the news on CNN a few times, we never turned it on. The TV is also used as a monitor for the free internet connection that is accessed through the TV system, and has a keyboard attached to it. We never used it because we could access the web through the free Wi-Fi on our iPhones. Additionally, with this cruise being so port intensive, we really had very little time to watch TV. One difference we noted this time was that the VOX communication devices that were used during the tours were actually in the room and sitting in a charger rather than at the lobby desk. This did make the process easier for tours, but also took up valuable desk space in our cabin. However, I did prefer this method, since I knew my device was working and fully charged for the tours.
The bed was firmer than we are used to; but it was comfortable. It also had a duvet cover, which we were pleased to learn could be replaced with a sheet and blanket. There was a note on our bed telling us that we could make that change; which we thought was a very nice touch. The air conditioning system in the cabin worked very well, so we were able to keep the cabin nice and cool all night for good sleeping.
Under the bed is a large container that slides out where you can store things, like luggage. Since we weren’t using the duvet covers, the housekeeper had put them in the container. Had we needed the space, she would have taken them from the cabin for us. We found that the bed was high enough off the floor, that we were able to put three of our suitcases under one side of the bed; which worked out great.
One of the concerns that people have with cabins that are close to the back of the ship is vibration. The vibration we experienced was very minor. It was more noticeable when slowing down or accelerating around locks and obviously when docking. However, after the first day you don’t even notice it. We also never smelled any fumes in the cabin.
The bathroom was very nice. Like the cabin it was well laid out. The shower had three heads: the rain type at the top of the shower, a handheld type and a moveable head in the middle of the shower. The controls allowed various selections of different heads and type of sprays. The waterfall setting was a very nice feature. Although the triangular shaped shower didn’t appear that large, it was quite adequate for my oversized body.
Once again, we really enjoyed this cabin due to its location. It was so nice to have the quick access to the sundeck only two doors away. Most people used the stairs in the lobby which had more steps due to its location on deck 2.
We were very pleased to find out that AMA now included free bottles of water in the cabin. Each day the attendant would restock our cabin. During the cruise we did use the laundry service a few times and were pleased with the service. I have included a 2011 price list below.
Dress
The dress code for the cruise was casual, with smart casual for evening dinners. As with the Danube cruise, I had decided not to bring a jacket, since smart casual would not require one. Both Carol and I felt comfortable in our smart casual dress on this cruise, even during the two Captain’s Receptions.
Food (menus)
Our expectations for food had been set pretty high from our Amalyra experience. Once again we were very pleased with the selection, quality, taste and presentation. It is quite an accomplishment, in my opinion, to be able to provide this level of food quality with the tiny kitchen and limited staff. During one of the group meetings, we were told that the kitchen is only half the size of the dance floor in the main lounge. Now that is small. No galley tours are offered, probably because it is too small, so I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to get a photo. However, when we returned from one of the late tours, I was able to get a photo from outside of the boat through a window. It isn’t a great photo, but it does show the size of the kitchen.
The maître d on a river cruise is a very important and busy person. It is definitely a working supervisory position. Luis Marques from Portugal was a very good one. He was very professional, competent and friendly. He constantly walked around the room during the meals looking for ways he could help. He even helped serve the plates. These "above and beyond" traits were also reflected in the wonderful dining staff. On our Danube cruise, we were able to single out a couple of people in the dining room that really made our cruise very special. On this trip we couldn’t because they were all very good at what they did. The entire dining staff was very efficient, with pleasant personalities; so I have to say that they all made our cruise special.
For breakfast there was a very nice buffet offered. Coffee and pastries were also available in the Main Lounge before and after the breakfast times for those that woke up early, late or just didn’t want a full breakfast.
For lunch the soups, appetizers, desserts and lighter items were provided on the buffet. The main courses were chosen from the menu. This was a very efficient way of serving lunch, since it allowed those that just wanted a lighter lunch to be able to eat quickly and leave if they wanted to. Hamburgers and cheeseburgers were also available. There was also a lighter lunch offered in the Main Lounge with some of the same items on the buffet for those that didn’t want to go to the restaurant. I don’t believe that anyone went hungry on this cruise.
As would be expected, the dinner menus had fewer options than an ocean cruises. There is a chef’s recommendation on the left side of the menu that showed the various items that he thought were the best choices; as well as several alternative selections that were available every night. Also on the left side are the free wines that would be offered for dinner. Since we were travelling through the Rhine and Mosel wine regions of Germany, the local wines were quite good. Free beer is also served at dinner. Carol enjoyed the free Coke and Sprite. There were charges for these drinks at other times during the day.
On the right side of the dinner menu were three choices for appetizers, two for soups, one salad, three entrees and two desserts. With all meals there was a nice selection of cheeses and fruits that you could walk up to and take as much as you wanted. Since I am a cheese lover, this was a great feature. Early in the cruise I discovered a French Walnut Cheese and a German Pepper Cheese that I couldn’t get enough of. They were so good. The other cheese selections were also very good; but I had to have some control so that it wouldn’t fill me up prior to the meal.
The three main entrée choices were a fish, a meat/poultry dish and a vegetarian entrée. We usually chose the meat dishes, which were quite good. Our various table mates also raved about the fish dishes. On a couple of meals there were some different vegetable items that we didn’t care for; but that would be expected, since everyone doesn’t like the same things. One thing that everyone raved about was the soups. At lunch and dinner the soups that were offered were just so delicious. I don’t know how AMA comes up with such wonderful soups; but they are the best we have ever had on any cruise, ocean or river. The other always outstanding item was the ice cream. Just too tasty! I couldn’t believe that they actually made it on board.
Entertainment
Regularly during the day and evening the pianist, Kris, was playing in the Main Lounge.
During the week we had three separate groups come on board to entertain us during the evening. I was very excited that the string trio La Strada was going to be performing, since Carol had missed them when we did our Danube cruise and I had enjoyed them so much. I told all of our new friends not to miss their concert.
I was surprised when we went to the performance that they weren’t the same people that I had seen two years earlier. I was told that there are now actually four separate groups with La Strada that performed on the various river cruises. I guess they had to expand because they were so popular. I was concerned that the experience might not be as good because they weren’t the originals. I was nervous because I had told everyone how great they were, but I soon realized that this group also offered a high quality presentation which everyone enjoyed.
On another night we had a group called Pitchwork perform. They didn’t appeal to my taste, in part probably because I was tired from the full touring schedule and needed to rest rather than be entertained.
On the last night of the cruise we had a very good singer, Valerie. She was quite talented and well received by the audience.
Management
On a river cruise, you get to know the ships management team. I find it to be a real plus, especially if you have a good team. The main people were the Captain, Andreas Balint from Hungary ; the Hotel Manager, Arthur Carvalheiro from Portugal; and the Cruise Manager, Csaba Tamas from Hungary.
We had been a little less enthusiastic about the captain when he gave us his welcome speech at the first group meeting. He talked very slowly and didn’t seem to have much of a personality. However, we discovered that we were so very, very wrong. After spending more time with him at the first dinner when we were invited to the Captain’s Table, we found that he was very pleasant and gracious. The reason that the first impression was different was that he was still in the process of learning English and had to speak very slowly and carefully. We found him to be a very nice person and looked forward to his friendly smile when we returned from our daily excursions.
The Hotel Manager, Art, on the other hand was extremely outgoing and a real character. He was very entertaining and humorous. He was always talking with the passengers and spending time with everyone. He was very concerned that everyone needed to be satisfied with the service they were receiving. One afternoon we saw him walking around with a flashlight looking down at the floor. We asked him what he was doing and he told us a passenger had lost a diamond out of her ring and he was trying to find it for her. Now that is customer service. Art was always smiling. His personality spread to the rest of the crew. We were always greeted with smiling faces from all of the housekeeping, front desk and other staff. The whole crew was very professional and friendly. I am sure it is the result of Art’s care for the ship and passengers. If AMA ever changes the name of the Amalegro, they might consider calling it the ARTalegro.
We had met the Cruise Director, Csaba (pronounced Jaba), during our stay in Paris. He had been very helpful while there and was very good at coordinating the activities. Csaba had a great personality and it was always a pleasure to spend time with him. He was very concerned about the passengers and went out of the way to make sure that everyone was OK. On this trip we did have a few passengers with health issues. He attended to the problems quickly and solved their issues.
The Daily Cruiser flyer that is put out every night in the cabin for the next day’s activities is very nice and informative. Unlike ocean cruises, it isn’t filled with lots of advertisements and sales because they aren’t selling anything. It provides the daily schedules and helpful port information.
There were various information briefings in the Main Lounge during the week to discuss the upcoming ports and the various optional tours that were offered. The one on the first day was an information and safety briefing before the Captain’s Reception to get us acquainted with the ship and to meet the staff
Ports of Call
To say that this trip was port intensive is an understatement. In addition to Paris, Metz and Luxembourg that we had already visited, we would have tours in thirteen more cities over the next nine days. This is my kind of vacation! Some people prefer to relax when on vacation. Since we live in South Florida, I feel like I am always on vacation and can relax very nicely at home. When I’m on a trip, I want to see the world; and this itinerary would certainly do that.
Trier, Germany to Bernkastel
Our first port stop on the cruise was to be at the oldest city in Germany, Trier. It was founded before 16 BC, so it was old. We had visited there thirteen years ago when one of our sons was stationed at an army base not far from Trier. For today’s tour, we had a feisty little red headed guide named Susan. As with all of the guides we had during this trip, she was very good and informative. We were very lucky, since tour guides can be hit or miss.
After driving around a few of the sights in Trier, we stopped at the ruins of the old Roman Imperial Baths. They were quite impressive, but we had to look at them through a gate; which meant that we couldn’t see the actual baths that were in the ground.
Our next stop was to the Electoral Palace. This beautiful ornate pink building was enhanced by the lovely gardens in front of it.
The decorations were very nice, but I did get amused by an unusual looking statue.
We then walked over to the Basilica of Constantine. It was hard to believe that most of the building is the original 1700 year old structure, probably because it was built with red bricks. Apparently it was originally covered with plaster and marble panels, but now you can see the ancient bricks.
On our walk through town we passed some lovely buildings and churches.
The most unusual thing we saw was a statue of a Roman war ship. The people manning the oars didn’t seem to be enjoying their work.
We walked further into town toward the main square. There was a brightly colored large fountain in the center.
The German towns we had passed all seemed to have lovely buildings in them which they liked to decorate with flowers. I am glad we were visiting Germany during the growing season. I would think a lot of the floral charm of these cities would be lost if doing a Christmas Markets cruise. But then again, the appeal of those cruises is the market not the flowers.
The main tourist attraction in Trier is Porta Nigra or the Black Gate. It is the largest surviving Roman gate in the world. It is 1800 years old and given its name due to the black color the sandstone turned from the years of pollution in the middle ages.
Most people were taking photos of the side of the gate facing the main square; but I decided to walk through the gate to see what the back side looked like. I was so glad I did, since it is by far the prettier side, especially with all the flowers. There were also some beautiful buildings on that side of the gate, some with statues.
While we were returning to the boat, Susan pointed out the birthplace of Karl Marx. She said that it is a very popular sight for Russian and Chinese visitors to the area.
We returned to the ship and had lunch while the Amalegro cruised down the Mosel River toward our next port, Bernkastel. This was a really pretty stretch of the river. There were vineyards on both sides. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to work those vineyards, since they were so very steep in places.
Soon after lunch, we came to the first of some thirty locks that the boat would go through during the week. Fortunately most of those would be passed through while we were on tour or at night while we were sleeping. The boats are designed to be as wide as possible and still be able to fit into the narrowest locks. Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to go very far down the river. It is a precision operation to be able to maneuver a large boat through a lock and requires a lot of experience. The captain comes out of the main wheel house and uses the controls on the side of the boat to steer it into the lock.
Once in the lock, the water is pumped out to bring the boat down or up to the water level on the other side of the lock and the large doors are opened.
We continued down the Mosel and the vineyards were even steeper than before the lock. It really made for a lovely ride down the river.
We came across a vineyard that had arranged its vines in one section in the shape of a heart, a very cute idea. This was a most enjoyable stretch of river. This is what river cruising is all about.
After the relaxing cruise down the Mosel, we stopped at the small town of Piersport, to let those off the boat that wanted to do a tour of Bernkastel. We would get on a bus and meet the boat after it arrived in Bernkastel when our tour was finished. Those that didn’t do the tour, stayed on the boat for more river cruising. For this tour, we had a very nice young tour guide named Sebastian.
We drove up into the hills and were able to look down to the Mosel River and the small towns along it.
We passed by a lock that the Amalegro would have to go through.
At one point, we even met the Amalegro. But that would be the last time, since she had a lot of locks to go through which would slow her down.
While we were driving to town, Sebastian told us that they had a severe storm go through earlier in the day that caused a lot of damage in the area. Golf ball and tennis ball size hail had torn up slate roofs, dented car roofs and broken every window in a greenhouse we passed. It had been a bad one. I asked if it had hurt anything in Koblenz where we were to go the next day. He said it had, which made me concerned about the next day’s excursion.
When we arrived in Bernkastel, we began our city walking tour. It was such a very pretty city.
It was quite quaint and I just loved all the half-timbered houses. There was no doubt we were in Germany.
The main destination in this town was the Mosel Wine Museum for some wine tasting. The building was next to a church. We had to walk across a bridge over the Mosel to get to the museum.
I have been to many wine tastings; but none quite like this one. Upon entering we were given a glass with some wine. We were then directed to go down into the wine cellar and try some others. Normally, a wine tasting is a pretty controlled event, with the vineyard staff pouring each wine and discussing it. Not this one! We were able to walk around and sample from any of many bottles of wine that were sitting out or in coolers. I would bet that there were people there that had been there for a couple of hours and were totally soused. It was a nice way to do it, where you could try many kinds of wine; but it could lead to wine abuse by the visitors. Not that that is a bad thing.
Leaving the museum, the view from the bridge was outstanding with the old town below and the ruins of a castle high on the hill; and the Amalegro awaiting our arrival.
This was a much nicer stop than I had expected. After a very full day and a delicious dinner, we got to listen to the lovely music of La Strada. It had been very good day.
Click Button to Continue to Part 2 of the Review for the remaining ports.
