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Viking Cruise: Rhine Getaway

 Part 3 of the epic European vacation Dave and I took to celebrate our 50th birthdays!

Let's pick up the story in Basel! 

We drove in on Friday, returned the car and stayed the night at the Art House Hotel. A beautiful boutique hotel on the end of a pedestrian street full of restaurants, bars and shops. And a quick walk to the center of old town. The location couldn't be beat. However, the music and bar-noise from the streets below could be heard late into the night. So bring your earplugs. But the huge, comfortable room was worth it. 

Basel 

We got to spend the evening and the next morning explore Basel. We even got lunch with Dave's colleague from years ago who now lives in Basel. It's a super-expensive city to live in. But with great public transport, lots of public spaces and beautiful well-loved historic buildings. We walked through a farmer's market and got to explore a department store. It was great. 

But it was also great to drop our luggage off at the boat and move into one spot for the next week. And see our friends. Yes, we made it to the highlight of the trip ... the Viking River Cruise. 

The River Cruise 

This was a 8-day cruise that started in Basel and ended in Amsterdam. Each day we explore a new town, participated in another excursion and tour. Ate amazing food. And made memories with life-long friends; 3 other couples made of friends Dave grew up with and their spouses. Josh, Jessica, Jeff, Lauren, Janine and Robert, who we've all now known for decades together. It was a blast. 

I don't even know where to begin. So, I'll keep it as brief as possible. 

First, let's talk about the Viking Cruise and what you need to know: 

  1. Yes, we were the youngest group on the boat. The average age we guessed was 70s. But it really didn't matter. They had a good time. We had a good time. It was all good. 
  2. The rooms were teeny, compact but had everything you needed to be comfortable. The bathroom was teeny, too. But with luxurious finishes and pretty design. It was fine. 
  3. I felt so cared for. From the people cleaning our rooms, to the guys serving us in the dining room, bar and the cruise director, everyone went out of their way to make us feel comfortable and looked after. Like if anything bad happened, they'd figure it out. I don't usually feel so coddled on vacation. 
  4. The food was incredible. Each night there was a standard menu and a daily menu with specialties from where ever we were. When in Europe, I always find restaurants the more stressful part, removing that stressor was incredible. We ate on the boat most breakfasts and dinners, and found lunch out on the tours.
  5. The tours were fun. And some of the towns were so small and cozy, it felt so special to be touring them. My favorite was the e-bike tour into the Black Forest and the tour of the perfectly-intact medieval castle on the hill in Germany. 
Each night the friends met up for dinner to talk about the tours we did that day. And kept the night going in the bar with a few drinks and games. Everyone was especially interested in the loch system along the Rhine that most of them somehow missed in science class. It was hilarious. 

Yup, it was a pricey trip but for our 50th we decided to splurge and enjoy with our friends. It was the ultimate birthday gift. Here's the link to Viking Cruise and you can see the path and everything they offer. I absolutely recommend it, if you can swing it. Incredible experience. 

Last stop was Amsterdam. Which is, as you know, not my favorite city but I was committed to making it right. More on that in the next post. 

Here's a few photos, including lots of group photos we all took together. 

Our boat! 

In the teeny room

Bike trip!

ABC - Always Be Church-ing

Dancing in the bar


The gang in Germany

Castle along the Rhine

Castle trip!

Cologne Cathedral -- biggest in Europe

Ghoda Farm!

Kinderdijk Park with 17 historic windmills



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