Day 5 - 30th March Bonn -Cologne

Day 5-

We woke early at 5am today, so opened the curtains and watched the countryside slide past in the half light as we sailed through Germany to Zons- was really pretty. Had an earlish start at 7.45am for a coach trip of about 75 mins to visit the famous Drachenburg Castle. You travel up the mountain to it via a furnicular type train carriage which was interesting.

Once there we were taken for hot drinks and beautiful German cakes, then a tour guide took us around this amazing castle - built by a very rich man but he never lived in it. It has since been a boarding school and a Hilter Youth school, which you can imagine walking the corridors.

Then we travelled back to where the ship was waiting for us right in the heart of Cologne, which we have visited before but were interested in visiting again. We decided to go walking and visited the Cologne Cathedral again, which we saw in 2012 when we came to with Rudi & Anna Ruediger & we bought the liquer 'Killepitsch' from one of the hole in the wall bars! (we went and bought a bottle today to enjoy lol)

City of Cologne and our ship docked

Wandered the streets & the wind was So cold I stopped & bought a big woolly snood scarf to go over the one I was wearing for the princely sum of 3 euros!





Back to the ship & we have the official christening of the ship this afternoon with the ship owners, who have flown over from Aussie.

The Cologne fire fighting tug came alongside & sprayed their water canons & sounded the horns to celebrate the christening of the ship after the vicar had said a prayer & the officials broke the magnum of champagne on the bow.

Enjoyed an afternoon drink with guess who? Precious McKenzie & his wife Liz are passengers onboard! Lovely couple & we talked about me remembering as a 6 or 7 year old, watching him at the 1974 Commonwealth games with Mum & Dad.

DAYS 3 & 4 - 28TH-29TH March Amsterdam-Germany

DAYS 3 & 4 - 28TH-29TH MARCH

Day 3 -

We are checking out today at 12pm, so had time to watch the very busy waterway from our window- coal barges,tugs and passenger ships go up and down all day. We slept pretty well overnight, just waking a few times when our body clocks said "Its the middle of the day!" while we yelled back "No its not anymore!" But have adjusted well - as everyone says, its going back home that gives you the jetlag.

It started to rain again, so after probably the best hotel breakfast Ive had, we caught a taxi down the road to the river cruise terminal. The paperwork had said you put your cases on at 12pm but couldnt board until 3pm, but since we are the 1st cruise of the year, they let us on straight away which was great. We are on the top deck in 1 of the cabins they call the owners suite which has the bed facing the wall of floor to ceiling door/windows- very nicely decked out.

Walked just down the road back into the city as we wanted to wander around. People and bikes everywhere (they say you have to watch for all the bikes rather than the cars here and people are right- crazy!) All the roads have the car lanes and then a cycle lane, then the footpath, so pedestrian have to be really careful as it gets a bit manic lol.
Went through chinatown then accidentally come across the red light district. We are browsing in what were shop windows when all of a sudden you are staring right at the hookers- looking back at you from where they show their 'wares' in the windows! Some were women and some- I dont know! Were later told if you try to take photos of the sex workers in their windows, that your camera will end up in the canal!

Passed a bakery full of chocolates!

Back to the ship and had a safety meeting and met the staff. Great cruise director who took us through the in's and outs of river cruising, then we had dinner- nice that you have free seating so you meet new people. The are only 129 people on board, which makes it a lot more personal than the environment of the large cruise ships where Graeme particularly, doesnt like the conveyor effect.We ended up sitting next to a group of kiwis and also some swapee's like us.... an Australian woman who lives in NZ! There are about 8 kiwis on board, a couple of Italians and UK folk and the rest of course are Australians.You get to enjoy free local beer and wines with dinner every night, which is rather awesome (very nice German wheat beer it was too!) Eyes hanging out of heads, ready for bed tonight!


Day 4-

Got up today after everyone putting their clocks forward one hour last night, a quick breakfast then we were off the ship and onto glass topped boats to take us through the canals of central Amsterdam. It was really interesting seeing it all from another angle and we had a great local guide who explained there are 750,000 people in this city but 1,000,000 bicycles! She said that while "We are kind people, when we get n our bikes, the beast in us comes out!" Cycling here isnt for leisure but the main form of transport and they ride in any weather!

It was interesting when she also told us that Holland is what they are commonly called, but actually this covers just North and South Holland and that to name it correctly to include all of the country is the Netherlands or Nederlands as they pronounce it.

We passed Anne Franks house today - a regular 2 hour queueing time we were told, to get in. Its the house with the dark green doors behind the tree in the photo

After the canal cruise we went to the local flower market which sells zillions of bulbs and has been there 400 years! We enjoyed a lovely hot chocolate and coffee in the warmth of a cafe as the rain had set in lightly and it was cooollddd! Met back with the guide and onto a coach where we were driven to Utrecht- "Oo-wrecked", to re-board our ship which had gone on ahead.

Had a lovely hot lunch (more like a dinner!) then everyone retired to their rooms to have a nana nap and watch them put the ship through its first loch (of 68 we go through I think.) Quite a tight squeeze and certainly a great engineering feat with the way it is all done now.

We also see why its best to be on the top deck for your cabin as if you are further down (there are 3 flights) you are either just above the water line or above it but cant see over the canal banks, so we are are happy to have a great view over the water and countryside. Was able to skype Danni from the moving ship as they have complimentary wifi on board- she is just going to bed as we finish lunch! Another lovely meal tonight for dinner then everyone is to bed as we are all just a day or two here from such a different time zone, that eyes are falling shut after warmth, food and the odd drink or two!

Had to crack up tonight at the dinner when the Captain came and officially welcomed us all. He is German and used to being on german passenger ships- he hasnt had to use English for 20 years. So he makes a halting speech which he did quite well - except when he said that "As we will all pass away together on this cruise...." Silence then everyone cracks up.....does the captain know something we dont?! Poor guy didnt know what to do!

Tomorrow there will be a 'christening ceremony' as our ship has just been purchased and will be officially re-named in a ceremony that the Australian execs will attend - smashing of the champagne on the hull and speeches that we are all invited to, after our visit to Cologne. We pass into Germany over night and are now on the Rhine river.

DAYS 1 & 2, 25-27 March 2015, Melbourne-Hong Kong-Amsterdam

Day 1-
We caught the shuttle in yesterday to Melbourne and stayed at the Parkroyal hotel opposite the airport overnight - enjoying a meal at the nice irish PJ o'Briens pub & a walk out in the cool evening air afterwards. Slept well- you've gotta love the feather toppers on all the hotel beds, they're heaven!

Mooched around today until 1 pm when we went and checked in with Cathay Pacific, no issues at all. First leg is 10 hours to Hong Kong, then 3 hours in transit which gives you enough time for a walk and a shower. Pretty easy and smooth flight, really comfy seats compared to other airlines & the cabin crew all had a clear grasp of English which is always a plus! Watched the science fiction movie 'Interstellar' starring Matthew Mc Conaughey, was really long (excellent when you are killing a long flight!) & a good storyline. Need to watch it again I think to get the full gist of the story though. Graeme watched 'John Wick' starring Keanu Reeves - a violent blokes movie!

Landed in HK no worries and through to the lounge to get a shower - wee hoo, hot, hot then cold, cold water cos there were so many people showering, but got into the thrill of not knowing what temp was coming next haha! We hadnt eaten the 2nd meal on the plane nor in transit since you are just sitting doing nothing.

Reboarded in the early hours and off to Amsterdam, about 12 1/2 hours.

Day 2 -
Flight was good, cabin nice and cool which makes you feel a lot better than some airlines that have the heaters cranked all the time! Had a meal then we crashed as pretty knackered - eyes like boiled sweets on sticks Dad haha!

This photo is somewhere over Russia, near a place called Bastad- which appealed to my humour!
Graeme got 7 good hours sleep and I got 5, which was great, then had brekky, cleaned up, watched the movies 'Whiplash" & "Grand Budapest Hotel'. Excellent flight and landed on time at 6.15am in Amsterdam - 7C - up from 2C! Lovely and brisk.

The tour operator for our river cruise was there to pick us up- once we found them as they were all waiting at the wrong gate. Surprised we had private transfers in a very nice mercedes, as there were others we saw at the airport who are obviously on the cruise too, so had assumed it would be a bus or shared van.

Got to the Movenpick hotel and were very appreciative that at 7am they had a room ready for us on the 9th floor overlooking the river - noice as Kath n Kim would say! As its raining, plan B of going walking around town wouldnt have been as good, so good to get in and can have a drink and shower - especially as check in here is 3pm. There is a massive cruise ship right outside our window too!

Went out for a walk to town in the frigid crisp! wind & rain. There are people, people everywhere riding their push bikes -dinging the bells & riding with bright rosy cheeks. The rain was driving but everyone (including us) was out and about. It was only about 10am and the streets were really dirty with rubbish, but we were on the edge on the red light district and beat the road sweepers to be fair. Saw a 'Condomerie' shop opposite a 'Gay Porno Cinema!.

The smell of strong cannabis in the streets is quite confronting and seeing people in the coffee houses lighting up joints. You would get stoned just sitting in them! We passed a group of 14 or 15 year olds sitting outside smoking joints - makes you wonder about the associated issues with this at such young ages. Not sure if its legal to smoke it at their age but they certainly werent hiding it.
The Dutch people here are a real mix of extremely liberal and also very upright, proper citizens!

Had a lovely couple of Dutch weizen pints in the bar at the hotel bar before dinner in the restaurant overlooking the river. Went for a walk afterwards in the cold air - think it would be safe to say I am the only person in Amsterdam wearing jandals lol!