I hope this to be the first in a series of eight posts. Before the wonderful experience fades from my memory, I want to write about it, namely, our long anticipated Rhine Getaway. Wayne and I sailed up the Rhine River from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland on the Viking Gullveig from June 5-13, 2014. I’m not sure if my recollections will be of interest to anyone other than myself, but I will write so that I may enjoy my memories for many years to come. I will try to record our daily adventures as well as my reflections along the way.
We arrived in Amsterdam on a direct flight from Washington Dulles airport. We were in the air all night and arrived quite tired with a full day ahead of us. We tried unsuccessfully to rest a bit in our stateroom, but excitement and eagerness to see the city won. Let me briefly describe the Viking Gullveig. It is a brand new long ship that had only been in service for seven weeks. Everything was sparkling new and shiny clean. Our stateroom was a “veranda suite,” meaning we had one of the few rooms with a separate sitting room. While not large, our space was ample and most pleasant. The ship’s crew kept everything in order, and we never lacked for any comfort nor even for any luxury. The ship had only 188 passengers and a crew of 54. There was a large lounge and informal terrace restaurant on our upper level. Above us was a rooftop sundeck with a walking track and the ship’s pilot house. The pilot house could actually retract into a lower level, if the ship needed to decrease its height to fit under a bridge. One level below us was the main dining room, reception area, and additional staterooms. The bottom level housed the ship’s crew. It was so nice to be able to unpack our luggage and to know that we would remain in the same floating hotel room as we moved from city to city throughout Europe.
As the ship filled with passengers, we had a day in port to visit Amsterdam. We walked into a central area past the bus and train terminals, and we dodged the many cyclists that fill the streets of Amsterdam. After quite a long and somewhat confusing walk, we caught a tram to the famous Rijks Museum. In this splendid building we saw the works of the Dutch masters, including Rembrandt and my favorite, Vermeer. It was amazing to think that we were standing inches away from these famous masterpieces that we have admired only in books and photographs throughout our school years. The museum allowed guests to photograph the paintings, which surprised me. I don’t remember an art gallery in the United States that allows photography. After seeing as many beautiful paintings as we could absorb in our tired brains, we took a canal tour of Amsterdam that concluded near our ship. After a shower and a change of clothes, we joined our fellow passengers for our first dinner on board the ship.
The other passengers were mostly Americans with a few guests from Great Britain, South Africa, and Australia. I don’t think any of the passengers were non English speaking. Nearly everyone was retired and white. I may have been the youngest passenger. I noted that we all seemed to be from a very similar demographic. This could be seen in the women’s clothes. Nearly every outfit I saw on the women was clothing that I either own, have tried on, or seen in the stores that I frequent. The dress code was casual and comfortable. The other passengers were very friendly and interesting to meet. Each evening we sat at a table for six, and we met different folks each night. Their stories were interesting and entertaining. I think we may have been the only passengers who never drank a drop of alcohol. We were surprised at the consumption of our fellow passengers. Wine was poured at every meal and frequently between meals, in generous quantities. I didn’t notice any drunkenness, but there was an atmosphere of relaxation all about us.
I couldn’t describe a Viking cruise without mentioning the exquisite food. Whether in the informal deck terrace buffet or in the formal dining room, every dish was delicious, mostly healthy, beautifully presented, and very politely served. Special consideration was made for Wayne’s gluten free diet, and he was able to eat as grand as the rest of us. The portions were adequate but not excessive. It all seemed very tasteful and classy, with never a glimpse of junk food. Our chef was a very skilled artist.
My first impressions of Europe were through very tired eyes, but I did note some differences from the United States. While the cities were mostly modern and very beautiful, there seemed an overall lower standard of living. Many people travel only by bicycle or mass transit. That may be handy in the big cities and picturesque in the pleasant weather, but I shudder to think of how miserable it would be to carry children and groceries on a bicycle in the rain or snow. I’m grateful that I’m able to do my traveling at home in the comfort of a mini SUV. Bicycles are fun for sport, but I would not want to have to rely on them as my principle means of travel, other than mass transit. The highways in Europe have narrower lanes and slimmer vehicles than those in the US. Also, the personal space buffer around vehicles is much closer than I am accustomed. It seemed that cars and trucks were speeding past each other with only a couple of inches between them. Europe was magnificent to visit, but I’m not eager to change my home address to some new location across the pond. On the other hand, there was unmatched charm in moving about in cities that are many centuries old. To think that the buildings before my eyes were constructed during the Middle Ages, is awe inspiring. It is amazing to feel so much history. Places that had previously been known to me only in books and movies were actually before my eyes and ears and nose. That is an incredible feeling, and I found myself thinking of my ancestors that lived here many generations ago.
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