I hope you are still “on board” for the final chapter of our Rhine river cruise on the Scenic Opal. We are now
approaching Koblenz, Germany, where two of Europe’s most beautiful rivers, the
Moselle and the Rhine, are joined together. As in all stops along the river, we
can choose a strolling tour with a guide or a bus tour to a more distant inland
venue.
Koblenz
We chose the walking tour through the historic center of Koblenz. The architecture
in the heart of this city is quite unusual. Imagine an architectural collage of
style and structure covering about six centuries of building history. Especially unique in the pedestrian shopping
zone were the different types of gables on the rooftops, and many historic
houses with oriel windows. High above, the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress sits on the
mountain of the same name on the east bank of the Rhine
and can be viewed from the riverwalk or visited by cablecar.
Our Koblenz
walking tour through the historic center was about 2 hours which meant that we
could be back on board for an outdoor lunch.
Luckily, the weather cooperated and the ship’s crew prepared an eclectic
BBQ feast with all the trimmings.
Tonight was our turn to dine at Table La Rive. This is an exclusive
dining experience for Diamond Deck passengers. It features a six-course
degustation menu with sommelier paired wines served to only 10 guests per
evening. It seems as though each evening is more special than the last as we
sail on to Cologne.
Cologne
In Cologne, the filigree twin towers of the Cologne Cathedral--one of
Europe’s most magnificent cathedrals--loom in the distance as we walk toward
the Old City. The cathedral was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. Among the many treasures in the cathedral is
the most celebrated work of art--the bronze and silver Shrine of the Three Kings. The
shrine was opened in 1864 and contains the bones and garments believed to be the
remains of the Three Wise Men.
Other distinctive features of the skyline are the Church of St. Martin
the Great and the Hohenzollern Bridge, an important part of Cologne
as it connects Cologne's central station with
major European cities on the other side of the Rhine.
The city’s most famous product is 4711 eau de Cologne, a
toilet water first created in 1709, and is still in fashion.
Like a dessert at the end of a meal, the bakery and pastry displays
were the surprise ending to our Old
City tour and were unlike
any I’ve ever seen during any of my travels.
The accompanying pictures will give you an idea of the beautiful
assortment.
The Port Talk this afternoon was all about Amsterdam, our final
destination (and a little disembarkation briefing--sigh). The farewell evening’s entertainment was the
Scenic Opal Crew Show, a super fun affair.
If I didn’t know, I would have thought they were on hiatus from
Broadway!
Amsterdam
The perfect ending for this trip was Amsterdam.
This time we spent a leisurely day just familiarizing ourselves with the
city. We’ll be here for a couple of days now exploring Amsterdam’s broad spectrum of recreational
and cultural sights. I’ll save Amsterdam’s adventure for
a future post.
And now I have to contradict my opening comment in the first post
about this cruise. Riverboat cruising
has moved to the top of my future “wish list”…and there’s still many other
itineraries on the Rhine to explore.
800.248.8404 ~ www.reidtravel.com ~ mail@reidtravel.com
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