FRIDAY 22.5.2009

We waited up for amber and sam last night they arrived about 1130 and we talked until about 2.00a.m., then to bed and late sleep in today, had breakfast at the cafe down the road where Amelie was filmed, then off our to Versailles.  We caught the train out there and it wasnt too far to the palace from the station, the lines were amazing. Had a good look around and then had lunch out there and came back to montmatre in the arvo.  Cheese and biscuits and of course more wine - then out for dinner to a lovely Indian restaurant and back to our apartment, more talking and drinks.

SATURDAY

Amber and sam over for breakfast (a big sluggish this morning) then to Sacre Coeur, loads of people around here but the view from up here was amazing looking all over paris.  Crepes for lunch, powerade and milkshakes.  Nana nap in arvo and amber and sam over for pre dinner drinks.  We just love this area, very lively and colourful, sam and amber hadnt stayed in montmatre before so they really liked it too.  Our holiday is coming to a sad end we leave here about 9.00a.m. tomorrow to catch our midday flight home via singapore and get into melbourne 7.30p.m. monday.

THURSDAY 21.5.2009

Had a great farwell dinner last night, nearly everyone has flown out this morning and we move up to Montmatre today.  Paris is everything I thought it would be, beautiful, loads of atmosphere and extremely expensive. We caught a taxi to montmatre at around midday and booked into our little apartment, its very cute and probably a bit bigger than I thought it would be, Beth the lady who owns it is a real character, we arrived around 12.15 (and today is a bank holiday here) and she said have you heard of chapel (this is Thursday!!), she said is our tradition on a public holiday or weekends we meet friends at La Mascotte for chapel (its a bar and restaurant) where the wine is good, settle in and meet me there at 1.00p.m. so that was great fun!  Then off for lunch at their sister restaurant and then to do some food shopping, the fruit here is just amazing, I bought loads of berries and cherries, cheeses, meats and breads and things and then we meandered back for a nana nap.  We had a walk around in the evening, pletty going on around here, some parts are "red light" but its all a bit of fun.  We await Amber and Sams arrival tonight they get here around midnight, and are staying literally across the street. 

TUESDAY 19.5.2009
On the tour by 8.15, was really terrific gave us really good bearings of Paris, went past all the main sites stopping off at quite a few, these bus drivers are just amazing.  The tour included entry and up the Eiffel Tower, we are priority queue which was great as the queues to everything here are pretty bad, the view from here was fabulous.  Lunch from 1-2 then onto the boat on Seine at the back of our hotel for an hours cruise up the Seine past all the sites from that angle, it was sooo hot in that glass covered boat we nearly expired, couldnt wait to get off.  It was probably only 22 but all enclosed it was terrible.  Then back to hotel and we walked for about an hour and a half to the Latin quarter and had a lovely dinner there at a restaurant that was recommended and then a long walk home again in time to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up with its flashing lights, just beautiful. 
WEDNESDSAY 20.5.2009
Had lovely sleep in until John woke me to read me the emails, 7.30 so up and breaky and headed out for some exploring.  One of the girls on our tour booked before they left home to go the posh restaurant up the Eiffel Tower last night (shes one who has had this bug twice and still got it) nearly threw up and couldn't eat her crayfish as she felt so bad, what a waste I think the cheapest menu here is $165 Euro a head, she cant wait to get home.  John and i havent used soo much of that bottled handwash stuff in our lives (Mary would be  proud of us) and as yet we havent got the bug.  Walked down south of the Latin Quarter to the Rue Mouttefard produce market, that was terrific, all those yummy cheeses, meats, fruit and froie gras and had lunch down there, that took us nearly two hours and then home via the Seine, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and United Nations square then back to hotel arriving back at 3.30pm.  The weather is just magic 24 today and I think forecast is for 24 until we leave.  Time for a bit of a rest and out for our farwell dinner tonight with everyone at 6.30  to Chez Francoise,  Tomorrow we leave the Pullman and head up to our booked accomodation in Montmatre and Amber and Sam come over from London tomorrow night which we are really looking forward too, they have just come back from Las Vegas in time to meet us here which is fantastic.

Monday 18.5.2009
Up early bags out  by 6.,45a.m. and on the road by 8.15, to Luxemberg for a short tour of the city and old town with fortress, the view was just fabulous and then some free time in the Grand Duchy and back on road by 11.00a.m.  Not far to go over French border (Luxemberg is only 900 odd square miles) and see a huge nuclear reactor belching smoke out.  From then on the countryside was lovely undulating, rich green fields and then through the champagne region with loads of vineyards.  Arrived in Paris arounnd 5.00p.m. and after briefing our free time.  We are so close to the Eiffel Tower you can nearly touch it out of our hotel window (no wonder the rack rate is 670 euro a night - insane) very close to loads of things, talk a lovely walk for an hour or so and had a couple of glasses of wine out on the terrace of a restaurant, then went on and had dinner at another restaurant, it was in cheap eats of Lonely Planet, lovely food, two courses each and it was $230.00, we'll have to get on the bagettes I think. Back to hotel around 1030 for an early night, tours tomorrow of paris and a seine cruise so a pretty full day, then we are FREE!!!!  

Sunday 17.5.2009

Another great night had by all last night.  The Mayor of zell came on board prior to dinner to welcome us all to his town with two wine princesses to give a talk and then little black cats performed (kids no older than 6 doing dances dressed in cat outfits).  The black cat is famous in this town.  Then after dinner over to the town square to the wine fountain, we were all given tickets for more wine!  The mayor told our cruise director it is the most lively lot they have had in town, half the town people turned out as well and all very interested in us.  The local orchestra played for a couple of  hours including Aussie anthem.  As the night wore on and after much dancing we all retired to the ship for more music and dancing, 3.00a.m. to bed and awoke in Bernkastel for an early morning tour of this pretty village and sailed onto Trier where we have had another walking tour of the oldest city in Germany.  We have our ships farwell dinner tonight and up early tomorrow and onto Paris, we leave Germany and travel through Luxomberg to Paris.

 

Saturday 16.5.2009
We are now on the Mosel River after having left Koblenz late last night.  Koblenz is the junction of the Rhine and the Mosel.  This morning docked early in Cochem, on the tour at 8.15a.m., our partners from last night did not make it.  My knee is a bit tender this morning must have had something to do with that twisting last night. Our guide took us through the Reichsburg castle, which overlooks the Mosel River and Cochem, this would have to a highlight (we have had plenty of these) it is restored and has some amazing furniture in it.  The view from here overlooking Cochem and the river is just magnificent.  We have so many photos we are going to have to edit heaps, then after the castle a walking tour through the cobbled, narrow little streets.  Very touristy here but you can see why.  Back to the boat for lunch at 1.00p.m. and then set sail for Zell, the scenery is just magic, hundreds of vineyards along this very famour wine growing area and some are just about vertical, would hate to be picking grapes here.  Our cruise director tells us we have some entertainment tonight from Zell before our dinner, then we have our Moselle Dinner and then the winegrowers from around Zell are putting on a little wine festival in a marquee near where we dock after dinner, so looks like it wil be another big night!!!! 

Friday 15.5.2009
We have to pinch ourselves sometimes, visiting all these amazing places.  We had a classical trio entertain us last night, they were terrific, we are so lucky to have all these fantastic entertainers every other night, there is always something on before and after dinner.  We docked in at Mainz very early this morning, after John got up at 2.00a.m. to see us sail through Frankfurt (and also to make a couple of phone calls).  We docked very close to the city centre of Mainz so we did a 1 1/2 hr walking tour taking in St Martins Cathedral, the old town (that has been rebuilt after the war) and the Gutenberg Museum where there is the first printed bible and also gave demo of how Gutenberg invented printing and how it was done, very interesting and then some free time to explore the town.  Then back on board 12.15, sail 12.30 and then another lunch, it never ceases to amaze the fantastic variety of meals we have on this ship and also cheeses etc.  We sailed to rRuedesheim this afternoon for a tour of Siegfried's mechanical musical museum. This was fascinating, the guide was terrific and showed us how the different music machines worked and played quite a few of them.  The town was built on the side of the hill and the walk back to the ship was lovely going along very narrow cobble stoned streets.  The ship left Ruedesheim at 5.30p.m. for Koblenz, this would have to be one of the most scenic stretch, dozens of castles ruins along the way, looking up from the ship from the Rhine Gorge, very steep slopes with vineyards along the way. Docked at Koblenz about 8.30p.m. and after dinner there was a walking tour of Koblenz, we peeled off about half way with another couple and found ourselves in a gorgeous little pub, packed in like sardines, the music was great and after a few Becks, back to the ship to sail at 11.30p.m. wth a few minutes to spare.  Sailed overnight to Cochem.
 

Thursday 14.5.2009
Docked early in this quaint village.  After breakfast took a long walk around the village and up the hill to the ruins of the castle, some from the ship took a tour elsewhere to Miltenberg, then browsed the shops and went to a fellows shop who gave us a demonstration of glass blowing on the ship last night.  Absolutely beautiful pieces in his shop but a little over the top most of them.  Then after lunch went and explored more of Wertheim, it sits between two mountains, with the ruins of the castle on one side and very steep vineyards up the other, it was just so nice to wonder around on your own and soak up the atmosphere. Then back on board for sailing at 3.00p.m. we sail all afternoon and night going through Frankfurt about 4.00a.m. and then dock in Mainz tomorrow.

Tuesday 12.5.2009
Got to bed at 2.00a.m. after a bit night, dinner, dancing etc and our phone went at 7.00a.m. Lorraine wanting to tell me about her diet!!! We weren't going to do the tour today but seeing as we were awake got up and got to the bus for 8.15a.m. tour.
Awoke in a little village outside Bamberg this am, terrible trouble with lochs apparently overnight  ( I saw the captain looking very stressed about 1.30a.m. getting coffee in the lounge) so we are met here and taken on a tour of Bamberg and boat will meet us there early arvo.  Apparently this is the capital of beer - loads of breweries.  This rabbit warren of a place was really worth seeing - only a very small percentage of this place was touched by the war - so all these ancient buildings all still intact.  We were taken to a brewery to try their smoked beer - bit like a glass of bacon - I guess that was appropriate since it was only 9.45a.m. (we were supposed to do this tour in the arvo but because of the lock problem did it this am) 1/2 litre was enough - couldn't imagine having too many of these.  Then back to the boat for lunch (after taking a whirl wind trip around the surrounding fields of Bamberg, had trouble finding the boat as they couldnt get to the port at Bamberg and bus dropped us near some fields and we walked to where the boat was moored.  By the way the old guy arrived back on the ship today - seems ok, but his wife stayed on the ship the whole time!!!   Then at 5.00p.m. we had a lecture and more tastings on Bavarian beer onboard!   Internet is still very intermittent.
Wednesday 11.5.2009
Captain still doesnt look that pleased I think he has been up for hours on end but has now two backup captains. John asked him how things were going and he said "dont ask".  Between the locks that malfunctioned and the electrical problems - not good.
We are promised internet sometime today.  Up and out by 8.15a.m. to the Residenz of the former Prince Bishops, now declared a world heritage site, so we can get our tour through before all the normal tourists are allowed through.  This was the most amazing place, it really was so over the top it was ugly (inside that is).  Again we were met at a little place outside Wurzburg and bused into Wurzburg where the ship met us later.   Bäck for lunch and then we went for a 2 hour walk around Wurzburg just soaking up the atmosphere.  Sailing through this area is just lovely with very steep terraced vineyards up either side of the Main River, apparently this is a very famous wine growing area mostly whites, and the people around here preferred to be called Franconians rather than Germans.  We get plenty of  lovely wine on the ship not had a bad one yet!  You have no idea what some of these woman buy - one woman bought a raincoat for $377 Euros (not much different to mine which was $25), another one who lives in far north QLD has bought a few pairs of shoes, another Imelda Marcos, none of them under $200 Euros and they are awful.  So double this and boy are they expensive pieces of clothing.  I think 3/4 of the ship has had some sort of cold/flu, it started with some nurse barking like a dog down at Gallipoli and it has just gone wild from there, we wake up every morning thinking another day has gone without getting it but I dont know how we will escape it. Sail tonight for Werthaim.

Monday  11.5.2009
Up early this am to get the 8.50a.m. bus down to Nuremberg station to catch the fast train to Munich,
apt has organised all this.  The trip took about 1 hr and train reached top spead of about 294km (not like the old red rattler from Wang to Melbourne nearly 3 hrs) travelling through very beautiful countryside.  We  arrived into Central station and got the underground to Marienplatz (which is the centre of the city) and were lucky enough to hear and see the Glockenspiel, that was really great to see.  It only goes on 3 times per day.  Then a very short walking tour and off to lunch The Hofrauhaus, probably the best known restaurant in Munich.  Another four course lunch and beer (the beer is pretty good here) and then some free time to have a look around.  They have a great market here like the Vic in a way.  Managed to buy a couple of pairs of Birkenstocks, we havent had a lot of time for shopping (thank god John says).  Then back to Nuremberg on the fast train, maybe time for a nana nap before more food and wine.  Sail tonight to Bamberg