River Cruising Water Cooler

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, pontac said:

 

It was on the Rhine & Moselle* Discovery cruise from Basel to Trier that I did on Hild in April this year.

 

*I know it should be Mosel but that's how Viking title the cruise.

It is a great itinerary, isn't? It cuts out Cologne and has greater scenery than Basel to Amsterdam I find. Sorry, I actually got the ship wrong, I saw the Idi. I think she is on a Cities of Light itinerary now.

 

Some info to follow in the Moselle thread.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

[pontac]

16 hours ago, notamermaid said:

It is a great itinerary, isn't?

 

I would like to have had more time on the Mosel. We chose to miss the included tour of Trier so we could sit on the sundeck and admire the scenery as the boat cruised towards Trier.

 

We didn't have enough time in Bernkastel. A friend had recommended the Vinotek but that didn't open in time for us before the boat departed and unfortunately the next door wine museum was temporarily closed. And the old town is so picturesque. I could have spent all day in Bernkastel.

 

I can see the attraction of Cities of Light, but I don't fancy it myself, not only two nights in a hotel at both ends but long coach rides from the city to boat and boat to city.

 

I like to fly in and go straight to the boat, unpack once and at the end of the cruise, pack and fly straight home.

[Host Jazzbeau]

11 hours ago, pontac said:

I like to fly in and go straight to the boat, unpack once and at the end of the cruise, pack and fly straight home.

That's easier for you, since the flights from UK are so short.  For us from the US, I plan 3 week itineraries with the cruise in the middle.  Ship laundry to catch up on day 1 and again at the end, so we have clean clothes throughout.  But I know what you mean about unpacking once – I'm planning a land trip to the Amalfi Coast and Puglia now, and we will base in Sorrento for the first part and then Polignano a Mare for the second.

[pontac]

11 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

That's easier for you, since the flights from UK are so short.

 

That's true, also rather than take a trip such as Cities of Light or buy an extension which involve long cross-country journeys to get to/from the boat we can take a short flight to and from the city for a vacation there.

 

But if one is taking a long and expensive flight from the USA (or Australia) then it make sense to factor in other sights - after all, the plane trip costs the same whether the outward/inward legs are one week or one month apart.

 

Luckily we don't have to worry about laundry either

[notamermaid]

On 10/17/2023 at 1:20 PM, pontac said:

We didn't have enough time in Bernkastel.

It sounds as if this itinerary could be tweaked to extend it by two days. I am sure it could appeal to people. I enjoyed Bernkastel, a little touristy and busy but lovely. I would like to go back there is a car museum that needs checking out and the home of Nikolaus von Kues, i.e. the other river bank, I would like to see.

 

The Cities of Light is a good creation for those coming from North America for sure. I would not want to travel from Paris to Remich/Trier, I cannot see the sense in it for anyone who can easily fly to Luxembourg or catch a train straight to Trier. Mind you, you can get a train connection from Paris to Trier. There is one change of trains and it can take less than four hours. Or fly into Frankfurt. To Trier that is at the most two and a half hours by car or less than four hours by train with one change of trains.

 

Saw a headline this morning from a travel website in Asia saying that the Moselle is an "off-the-beaten-path gem" and interviewing Pam Hoffee of Avalon Waterways. A hidden gem not for Europeans, the Moselle has been a touristy vineyard-clad river for 100 years. 😉 I mean the touristy, the vine has been there for 2000 years. But for Asians I can understand the "hidden".

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

[UDChE89]

4 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

It sounds as if this itinerary could be tweaked to extend it by two days. I am sure it could appeal to people. I enjoyed Bernkastel, a little touristy and busy but lovely. I would like to go back there is a car museum that needs checking out and the home of Nikolaus von Kues, i.e. the other river bank, I would like to see.

 

The Cities of Light is a good creation for those coming from North America for sure. I would not want to travel from Paris to Remich/Trier, I cannot see the sense in it for anyone who can easily fly to Luxembourg or catch a train straight to Trier. Mind you, you can get a train connection from Paris to Trier. There is one change of trains and it can take less than four hours. Or fly into Frankfurt. To Trier that is at the most two and a half hours by car or less than four hours by train with one change of trains.

 

Saw a headline this morning from a travel website in Asia saying that the Moselle is an "off-the-beaten-path gem" and interviewing Pam Hoffee of Avalon Waterways. A hidden gem not for Europeans, the Moselle has been a touristy vineyard-clad river for 100 years. 😉 I mean the touristy, the vine has been there for 2000 years. But for Asians I can understand the "hidden".

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

Having lived in China, anything beyond Paris would be considered off the beaten path.

[jimmymac613]

21 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

That's easier for you, since the flights from UK are so short.  For us from the US, I plan 3 week itineraries with the cruise in the middle.  Ship laundry to catch up on day 1 and again at the end, so we have clean clothes throughout.  But I know what you mean about unpacking once – I'm planning a land trip to the Amalfi Coast and Puglia now, and we will base in Sorrento for the first part and then Polignano a Mare for the second.

Jazzbeau- I highly recommend the Bellevue Syrene Hotel in Sorrento.  Was just there in May.  Gorgeous views of the water, excellent hotel and great location.

Edited October 18, 2023 by jimmymac613

[Canal archive]

Hi all now I don’t know if this will work I have a link to the BBCs pictures of the week and could not separate one about bridges it’s a tradition about hanging a hay bail from one when it’s being worked on. Well hopefully here is the link to the lot which includes a really dried up French river.

 

https://www.bbc.co.U.K./news/in-pictures-67157348

if it works enjoy.

[pontac]

A straw bale hangs from London's Millennium Bridge as part of an "ancient tradition" to warn passing boats of work on the capital's Thames crossings. The ancient Port of London Thames by-law is triggered when abseilers work under the arches of bridges, reducing space to pass.

 

Here's the picture.

 

Note the link won't work because there are full-stops between the u and the k and after the k that should not be there.

 

The correct link is https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-67157348

[Canal archive]

Thanks Pontac yeh got caught with predictive U.K., I just thought it interesting heritage wise and what a fantastic picture of the Thames and so many of its bridges.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Canal archive

[CPT Trips]

On 10/17/2023 at 7:18 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

will base in Sorrento for the first part

Lovely city, we were there based there in March for a week. Great weather but the boats along the coast and to Capri were not running regularity yet. Train to Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Naples was easy if any of those are on your list. 

[CPT Trips]

On 10/18/2023 at 7:47 AM, notamermaid said:

Saw a headline this morning from a travel website in Asia saying that the Moselle is an "off-the-beaten-path gem" and interviewing Pam Hoffee of Avalon Waterways. A hidden gem not for Europeans, the Moselle has been a touristy vineyard-clad river for 100 years. 😉 I mean the touristy, the vine has been there for 2000 years. But for Asians I can understand the "hidden".

😱 Selfie sticks everywhere 🤮

[ural guy]

Just back from 11 nights solo in Poland, great trip.  I was in Wroclaw for 3 nights,

 

 

then rented a little Fiat 500 and headed off to Lower Silesia to explore.  I stayed a night in Swednica and saw the famous wood church, which is amazing...but what really impressed me is the city park I visited, Park Centralny.  Great trails, bridges, mature trees, playground.  All lite up at night and well maintained.  Litter free, and any stray pieces would be picked up by the public works crews (that was true almost everywhere I visited.  Gorgeous and relaxing.  For a city of 55,000 it was impressive, as were many of the parks in Poland.  And you always felt safe.

 

I then spent two nights in Karpacz on border with Czech Republic.  This is a ski area, and being off season I got a great hotel room with breakfast for $61.  Much to see in this region, truly beautiful.

 

Dropped the car off back in Wroclaw, then took the train to Krakow for my last 5 nights.  $20 for a first class ticket, and I wound up in a carriage by myself.  When the coffee trolley came by, that I wasn't expecting, I was in heaven.

 

Both cities Tram systems were great, and you could get anywhere in city easy enough.  Although in Krakow I walked almost all the time as their ring park was so nice.  They also had the a very neat pedestrian bridge, two connected spans, bikes on one side, walkers on the other, with a circus in between.

 

 

 

I've seen more and more mentions of Poland in travel media, I think their PR people are out trying to get travelers to visit who may have concerns over adjacent 'issues'.  Just want to say that my experience was high bang for buck, efficient public transportation, lots to see, fascinating history with a land that has been part of so many different countries, and safe to walk the streets.  Or leave your wallet at a museum gift shop, and have the staff track you down.

 

[jpalbny]

2 hours ago, ural guy said:

Or leave your wallet at a museum gift shop, and have the staff track you down.

 

That must have been stressful! 

 

Poland is on Chris's list for sure. I'd love to go there. Thanks for the pics.

[sharkster77]

28 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

That must have been stressful! 

 

Poland is on Chris's list for sure. I'd love to go there. Thanks for the pics.

Wife is 50% Polish, so Poland was on our radar until, you know, stuff started to happen to the east.  We saw 9-night tours for only $2K pp.  There is a TV show called Flavor of Poland where a Polish-American actress (Alexandra August) visits a city or region of Poland for half the episode and also visits a restaurant to learn about that region's cuisine.  For the last half, she goes into her kitchen and creates a meal based on what she learned on her visit.  13-ish half-hour episodes.  Made us realize how beautiful Poland is.

 

We found the program on one of the satellite PBS stations (PBS World, or PBS Create, not sure)

Edited October 23, 2023 by sharkster77

[ural guy]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

That must have been stressful! 

 

Poland is on Chris's list for sure. I'd love to go there. Thanks for the pics.

 

Wallet:  Not really, I was at a Panarama Painting with timed entry.  Just as I entered the exhibit, the guide came up, asked if I was Brian XXX, and if I could checked for my wallet.  I told her sure, but I was pretty sure I had lost it if she was asking and knew my name.  She said yes, they had it in the office, I could pick it up following the showing.

 

So not stressful, as I didn't know it was missing.  When I picked it up, I told the ladies it was all my wife's fault, as she didn't come with me, so now I myself was lost.  That gave them a chuckle.  Didn't tell my wife until this am, she is so use to me misplacing things.  I also had spare credit and debit cards back in room, so I would have survived.

 

The was the last of our Covid canceled trips.  I can highly recommend Poland to those like JP and Chris that have already down a lot of the Tier One stops, and also to reassure anyone that it is a safe, easy to navigate country, that is currently a great value.

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, ural guy said:

what really impressed me is the city park I visited, Park Centralny.

 

8 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Poland is on Chris's list for sure. I'd love to go there. Thanks for the pics.

 

You don't need to go to Poland to visit that park:  you live in CentralNY.  🤪

 

 

[notamermaid]

10 hours ago, ural guy said:

Just back from 11 nights solo in Poland, great trip. 

Good to read you enjoyed it so much. I was sure it would be good. I have heard great things about several towns and cities in Poland (not Warsaw though) and enjoyed Northern Poland many years ago. Learning about the amber and seeing Gdansk, etc. ranks among my favourite holiday experiences. It is of course more explored and touristy than the Southern half of Poland.

 

notamermaid

 

[sharkster77]

5 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Good to read you enjoyed it so much. I was sure it would be good. I have heard great things about several towns and cities in Poland (not Warsaw though) and enjoyed Northern Poland many years ago. Learning about the amber and seeing Gdansk, etc. ranks among my favourite holiday experiences. It is of course more explored and touristy than the Southern half of Poland.

 

notamermaid

 

Isn't the thing with Warsaw vs Krakow that Hitler viewed that since Warsaw was inhabited by Slavs, an inferior 'race' in his mind, so he leveled the city, while he viewed the people of Krakow as closer to his Aryan ideal, so he left the city untouched, intending to set it up as one of his imperial capitals.  So Krakow has retained its charm while Warsaw had to be completely rebuilt.

 

If my take of this is not correct, please enlighten me.

[Canal archive]

As is coming up to Christmas market cruising I thought you’d like a web site I found about Fairies, Angels and Stars on the top of Christmas trees and bother I can’t get the site to copy so if you do it the long way round with the question - Why do we put Fairies, Angels and Stars on Top of Christmas Trees you’ll find out why! Of course Notamermaid it is a German tradition as it should be because of the tree but it is so very sweet, so thank you Germany, my fairy is clothed with fabric from my wedding dress so she’s now over 50 years old.

[notamermaid]

49 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Of course Notamermaid it is a German tradition as it should be because of the tree but it is so very sweet, so thank you Germany, my fairy is clothed with fabric from my wedding dress so she’s now over 50 years old.

Interesting. We do not actually have a tree topper other than a star or a special bauble construction, you can look at photos under Weihnachtsbaumspitze. Those two types are traditional but perhaps in other parts of my country? Never had figures in my family. Do not recall seeing them with family and friends.

 

Will look at phrase suggestion.

 

You are right the Christmas tree is our German way of invading every English home. Ha!!

 

But seriously, do nurseries cultivate the trees or do you mainly get imports? We have a tradition of the fathers going out with the boys to the special nurseries for "Christbaumschlagen", at least I hope they still do it where possible. You walk around the nursery and go "yes, that is our tree". Then you are allowed to cut it yourself or an attendant does it for you.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Open ship day in Basel

 

On 3 and 4 November four ships of Thurgau Travel can be inspected in Basel. If you happen to be there and would like to compare do have a look at the ships of this Swiss company.

It appears that you need to book: https://tdos.thurgautravel.ch/

 

Not many river cruise ships can be visited by the public, it is just a few each year. CroisiEurope does it regularly at docks throughout Germany in off-season but appear to only use the MS Symphonie for that promotion.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

In the past we’ve bought trees from ‘tree farms’ and at most we could choose which one we wanted. When I had my 2CV dads at work (could have been in Germany) so two daughters myself and car went off to a garden centre to choose our tree. So off home top down tree upright playing Christmas music down the A3 to home, any other time they would be so embarrassed to be seen in my ‘Dolly’ 2CV but not then because it was Christmas. Ohh and thank you for that particular invasion.

[Daisi]

As a kid before allergies kicked in, we had 2 big real Christmas trees, one for upstairs, one for downstairs. The parent's friends had no kids, so that's probably why we had 2, as they would come out with us to cut them down. 

 

We have Angels as our topper, but one tradition we've had since kids was a crystal spider. It always went on the tree in the prime spot so lights flash on it.  Here's the story behind it :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Christmas_Spider.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Daisi

[Canal archive]

Daisi ohhhh wowwww I cross stitched, quilted and bead worked quite a few decorations for our tree and my DH insisted on at least one of them being a spider ever since known as our Christmas Spider when he sees this he will be so pleased so thank you he’s getting an early Christmas present.