Linda and George Shouse are retired teachers who love to
travel. For over seven years they have relied on their travel consultant,
Natalie Johnson, for her expert advice. As their partner in travel, Natalie
looks for the best choices in destinations and accommodations wherever and whenever
they go, and springtime being a great time for river
travel, Natalie suggested that they add a river cruise to their travel
memories.
After considering several options, they
found a Viking River Cruise that had the perfect itinerary for Linda and
George’s busy schedule and it also fit into the schedule of their friends,
Deborah and Gary Stilley. So, this April in Amsterdam, the two couples boarded the
Magni, one of Viking’s Longships, to begin exploring the Rhine, one of the longest and most picturesque rivers in Europe. Some
of the highlights of this fabulous itinerary are:
In Amsterdam–they
took a canal cruise via a glass-topped boat for a good look at the city’s
Golden Age architecture and graceful bridges that facilitate pedestrian and
bicycle traffic--bicycles seem to outnumber cars; visited the Anne Frank House with
its message of hope in the midst of darkness; and then experienced one of the
world’s most splendid floral extravaganzas—seven million tulips--in the
Keukenhof Gardens which covers more than 70 acres.
In Kinderdijk--they
visited one of the five UNESCO World Heritage Sites on this sailing. Kinderdijk
is unique for its 19 windmills dating from 1500. The windmills have played a great role in
Holland’s history--each windmill housed a family charged with keeping the
windmill in working order. They had the
opportunity to tour inside a working windmill and George couldn’t resist being
photographed in the wooden shoes. In
early times, wooden shoes were worn with thick woolen socks and were removed
prior to entering a house to keep from scarring the wooden floors.
In Bruges–
another UNESCO World Heritage Site--where the Church of Our Lady dominates the
skyline of the city. It took two
centuries (13th – 15th) to build the church. Among the many art treasures is
Michelangelo’s sculpture Madonna With Child.
In Veere--In
the Netherlands it wasn’t quite spring.
It was a cold, blustery day but their visit was rewarding as they
enjoyed a walking tour of Veere, a Medieval village. It was also a perfect day to get back on
board and take advantage of lavish comfort on the Magni. There is a real dichotomy aboard ship: should
we take advantage of everything a port offers or take advantage of every luxury
provided on the ship. Today was the day
to take advantage of cooking demonstrations, some informative lectures on
history and art and spend time with fellow travelers all the while enjoying
complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks which are available on the Magni every
day.
In Conclusion: We never stop learning, even in retirement, (any
teacher will tell you) and they learned a lot about river cruising on this
trip, especially how a river cruise provides a new destination every day and
how nice it is to unpack once, relax and enjoy the ride. A ride that gives you
ample time ashore; excursions in each port; and overnight stays in places that
warrant a closer look.
561-395-6670 ~ www.reidtravel.com ~ mail@reidtravel.com
