After our 4 days in Paris we boarded a high speed train towards Luxembourg and the beginning of the river cruise portion of of trip.
Champaigne greeted us as we got on board.
There were only 104 passengers on this cruise so not crowded and by the end of the trip everyone knew each other well and the crew knew everyone also.
We cruised up the Mosel river which is beautifuly lined with vineyards. Some of them were planted on steep inclines and the rows were always perfectly straight. The grapes are harvested by hand. It looks like a lot of hard work.
All along the river were beautiful swans.
Berncastle, Germany – my favorite little village.
The house in the bottom left shows how so many were built with a smaller ground floor then getting bigger as they go upwards. This is because taxes use to be determined by the size of the ground floor.
Cochem, Germany – Reichsburg Castle
Once we left the Mosel River and made it onto the Rhine River the quaint villages were replaced with larger, more modern looking buildings. Expect for the many castles along the river.
Cologne, Germany
This cathedral is one of the only surviving buildings from the bombings during the war. All around it was destroyed however the cathedral remained intact.
The visit to Cologne also included a Jewish Heritage Walking tour and the Documentation Center. This building contained several very small cells where people were held prior to being sent to the deportation center and concentration camps. Many cells had messages and calendars written on the walls. The cells often held up to 30 people.
And just a few random photos ….
So many bakeries and outdoor markets. And right next to this market was a McDonalds. No contest which one I would choose.
Being a medical technologist I just had to take a picture in front of this lab.
The food was incredible onboard the ship.
Thanks for stopping by and check back later for part 3 of my amazing trip.
Beth
