Rhine River Cruise, Germany- July 4, 2011

The Internet access at the resort is really sketchy and it is messing with my need to plan and organize. The plan today is to take the Rhine River Cruise. With our Eurail tickets, we get to ride the KD Rhine Cruise line for free. But I have no info...where to catch it and when. I also think I must validate my Eurail tickets- necessary and what you do when you first use them but I haven't used them yet. So, being careful by profession, this morning we drive to the train station in Trier - only about 15 minutes out of the way and I get the Eurail tickets validated. All the streets with a train station gave the word Bahnhof in them so it is easy to plug it into the gps and find it. :)

I find an internet cafe at the Trier train station and have a quick chance to see that a KD line Rhine cruise leaves Koblenz at 2:00 p.m. I can't spend too much time because my parking meter is expiring. (indeed, when I get back to the car, there is a Parking policeman there, but he just smiles and turns away as I unlock the car.) I choose Koblenz because I think it is not as big as Cologne. But really I have no idea how to find the KD line boat launch there. Nothing I plug into the gps works. So I decide just to drive in the direction of the Rhein river once i get to Koblenz. We make the river, I get out of the car and look up and down the banks and see nothing. I decide to try the Bahnhof/ train station thinking the two must be some what close together. I get really lost....Koblenz is NOT a small town. I think maybe I'll just find a good hotel, park, take a taxi.....the taxi driver will know. I see a sign that says Schloss and "P"- I know Schloss is river and the P is parking. Grace and I both have to pee so badly I think just $k@? I am going to park and forget the cruise if the KD line is not there. We park and walk to the river...find the bathroom and then- hooray-we see the KD Cruise line along with all the others. We confirm we go for free and then celebrate with bratwurst and bier (Sprite for the girls). Anyone who travels knows of these moments when it is terrible mess and then the relief when it finally works out.


Getting ready to board.....



The cruise is incredible. This cruise section of the Rhine was recently named by UNESCO as a historic site. There are castles at every bend of the river and the riverside towns are out of a story book.....







This is Mia next to the famous Lorelei rock which sings to the unsuspecting mariners...



We are blessed because it started out cloudy and cold but the sun comes and makes a beautiful warm day.
I elect to make this a real adventure and decide to take the cruise until at ends at 8:00 p.m. and take a train back to Koblenz ( the ticket agent assured me there is one.). The girls get a little bored towrard the end of the cruise....."not another castle!"...... And so we play cards and eat blintzes in the ship restaurant.


Waiting for the train we did catch.....



On the way home, we notice that even the most mundane things reveal the uniqueness of a country. First, we stop and get gas and you don't have to pay first in Germany. We use the restroom- which in Germany costs money more often than not- and the toilet seat spins around and disinfects itself when you flush. Finally, driving home, we see a police officer pull someone over...except here the police car pulls in front of the offender and flashes a sign on top of the police car that says "please follow." I get a kick out of the"please."

Anyway, we get home a bit after midnight but we have a rest day at the resort tomorrow so it is not a problem. It was a great day.

-Mom, Coach and Tour Guide

Location:Rhine River- Koblenz to Rudesheim