Day 2 Amsterdam (August 31)
This morning Tina was up at 6:00 AM to shower while I slept in. After I got up and had my shower we met Denise and Shanda for breakfast in the ships dining room. By the time we finished breakfast the cloudy morning had turned to a light rain so we grabbed our umbrella and wind breakers, and went to the lounge to wait for our bus to arrive.
Around 8:30 AM we turned in our room key for a travel card and left the ship for our bus ride into town. We were blessed with a great tour guide by the name of Sabine who was a native of Amsterdam but spoke great English. On the drive into town we were treated to a history of the town from its roots through to its period as an economic powerhouse.
Eventually we arrived at the outer harbor where we boarded one of the many glass topped canal excursion boats. This one was a real beauty with freshly varnished bright work, polished brass fittings, about forty feet long and seating about 50 people. Once everyone was aboard the captain took us into the outer harbor for a look at a replica of one of the 16th century exploration/trading ships used by the Dutch. From there we headed into the system of ring canals that form a major portion of the Amsterdam transportation system.
Along the way Sabine continued her narrative pointing out how all the buildings are built on pilings - the older ones on wood, newer on cement piers. The older ones on wooden pilings, many dating back to the 1500s were fine as long as they remained under water, but once exposed to air, the wood starts to rot and many buildings now lean in one direction or another or they may be lower on one side requiring them to be torn down and rebuilt.
After seeing the city from the canals we got back on our bus for a ride to the Van Gogh Museum which has the largest single collection of his works. With ear phones and MP3 player we set out around the three floors of painting, sketches and works from several contemporaries. It was very crowded but we managed to see all the major pieces and listen to the audio descriptions. It was especially interesting to see scenes he painted in France that were familiar to us from our trip there several years ago such as the apartments viewed from his Mont Marte apartment.
By this time the rain clouds had disappeared and the sun was out, so we left the museum and walked back to the bus. Along the way there were several street vendors which allowed the girls to do a little shopping. Getting back to the ship, the captain released all the lines and we cast off down the main canal toward the Rhine River. After changing clothes we met in the dining room and had lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing with a book and watching the action on the water as we passed under numerous bridges, went through a couple of locks, passed many other boat and barge traffic.
Later we all got dressed up for the Captains “Welcome Dinner” and watched a beautiful sunset from our window side table. New dining companions made for lively conversation and an enjoyable meal. After dinner we called it a night and retired to our respective rooms.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Our Grand European River Trip
Getting Under Weigh
Imagine 15 magical days along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. From Holland’s windmill-studded tulip fields to Germany’s fairy-tale castles, from the engineering marvel of the Main-Danube Canal to the picturesque vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley, this epic voyage presents the highlights of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Savor a decadent Sachertorte in a Viennese café and panoramic views of imperial Budapest—and along the way, discover the legend of the Lorelei, the ancient art of glassblowing, the music of Mozart and more. Guests who choose this voyage soon see why it is our most popular itinerary—and the new Viking Legend makes her debut here in 2009.
This is a trip we planned to take about nine months ago, a fifteen day river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest with two additional days in Budapest. Then flying to Glasgow Scotland for a week to visit relatives followed by a week in Ireland.
Since we plan to be gone for a month, one of Tina’s nephews, Cameron Odom, agreed to fly out from Virginia to house sit our two dogs. Friday morning August 28th, Cameron and the dogs took Tina and I to our hotel near the airport. We got our bags up to the room and took a break until Marni and Emma showed up to take us to dinner. We had a very nice meal and visit before returning to our hotel and hitting the sack.
Day 1 Traveling to Amsterdam and Boarding our Ship (August 30)
With a 4:00 AM wake-up call at our airport hotel we got up, showered, etc., and took our bags downstairs for the shuttle trip to the airport. We got our boarding passes and went through security to our gate where we had coffee and a pastry before boarding.
By 7:15 AM we were on the plane ready for our flight to Newark, NJ where we transferred to a plane headed for Amsterdam. We arrived in Amsterdam by 6:30 AM Sunday morning, went through passport control, got our luggage and were on the bus headed for our ship, the Viking River “Legend”. As the sun came up we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise, with pink and orange clouds as the sun rose out of the east over the Danube.
We arrived at our ship only to find out that we couldn’t get into our room until after 3:00 PM, so the concierge sent us to the dining room for breakfast where we had a very relaxed and enjoyable meal while we watched the barge and boat traffic on the river. Denise and Shanda (two of Tina’s sisters) were supposed to arrive at the ship around 11:00 AM but their flight got in early so they showed up while we were relaxing with coffee and a book.
After greetings and sharing of flight information, we took the girls into the dining room for breakfast and coffee. Later we all went into Amsterdam for a walk around the heart of the old city, through small one lane streets and along many of the ring canals. After a couple of hours we walked back to the ship to check in and take naps before dinner.
At 6:00 we went upstairs for a briefing on how the trip would work and various safety tips, then it was in to dinner where we joined two other couples for a delightful evening of dining and casual conversation before it was time to call it a night.
Day 2 Amsterdam (August 31)
This morning Tina was up at 6:00 AM to shower while I slept in. After I got up and had my shower we met Denise and Shanda for breakfast in the ships dining room. By the time we finished breakfast the cloudy morning had turned to a light rain so we grabbed our umbrella and wind breakers, and went to the lounge to wait for our bus to arrive.
Around 8:30 AM we turned in our room key for a travel card and left the ship for our bus ride into town. We were blessed with a great tour guide by the name of Sabine who was a native of Amsterdam but spoke great English. On the drive into town we were treated to a history of the town from its roots through to its period as an economic powerhouse.
Eventually we arrived at the outer harbor where we boarded one of the many glass topped canal excursion boats. This one was a real beauty with freshly varnished bright work, polished brass fittings, about forty feet long and seating about 50 people. Once everyone was aboard the captain took us into the outer harbor for a look at a replica of one of the 16th century exploration/trading ships used by the Dutch.
From there we headed into the system of ring canals that form a major portion of the Amsterdam transportation system. Along the way Sabine continued her narrative pointing out how all the buildings are built on pilings - the older ones on wood, newer on cement piers. The older ones on wooden pilings, many dating back to the 1500s were fine as long as they remained under water, but once exposed to air, the wood starts to rot and many buildings now lean in one direction or another or they may be lower on one side requiring them to be torn down and rebuilt.
After seeing the city from the canals we got back on our bus for a ride to the Van Gogh Museum which has the largest single collection of his works. With ear phones and MP3 player we set out around the three floors of painting, sketches and works from several contemporaries. It was very crowded but we managed to see all the major pieces and listen to the audio descriptions. It was especially interesting to see scenes he painted in France that were familiar to us from our trip there several years ago such as the apartments viewed from his Mont Marte apartment.
By this time the rain clouds had disappeared and the sun was out, so we left the museum and walked back to the bus. Along the way there were several street vendors which allowed the girls to do a little shopping. Getting back to the ship, the captain released all the lines and we cast off down the main canal toward the Rhine River. After changing clothes we met in the dining room and had lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing with a book and watching the action on the water as we passed under numerous bridges, went through a couple of locks, passed many other boat and barge traffic.
Later we all got dressed up for the Captains “Welcome Dinner” and watched a beautiful sunset from our window side table. New dining companions made for lively conversation and an enjoyable meal.After dinner we called it a night and retired to our respective rooms.
Imagine 15 magical days along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. From Holland’s windmill-studded tulip fields to Germany’s fairy-tale castles, from the engineering marvel of the Main-Danube Canal to the picturesque vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley, this epic voyage presents the highlights of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Savor a decadent Sachertorte in a Viennese café and panoramic views of imperial Budapest—and along the way, discover the legend of the Lorelei, the ancient art of glassblowing, the music of Mozart and more. Guests who choose this voyage soon see why it is our most popular itinerary—and the new Viking Legend makes her debut here in 2009.
This is a trip we planned to take about nine months ago, a fifteen day river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest with two additional days in Budapest. Then flying to Glasgow Scotland for a week to visit relatives followed by a week in Ireland.
Since we plan to be gone for a month, one of Tina’s nephews, Cameron Odom, agreed to fly out from Virginia to house sit our two dogs. Friday morning August 28th, Cameron and the dogs took Tina and I to our hotel near the airport. We got our bags up to the room and took a break until Marni and Emma showed up to take us to dinner. We had a very nice meal and visit before returning to our hotel and hitting the sack.
Day 1 Traveling to Amsterdam and Boarding our Ship (August 30)
With a 4:00 AM wake-up call at our airport hotel we got up, showered, etc., and took our bags downstairs for the shuttle trip to the airport. We got our boarding passes and went through security to our gate where we had coffee and a pastry before boarding.
By 7:15 AM we were on the plane ready for our flight to Newark, NJ where we transferred to a plane headed for Amsterdam. We arrived in Amsterdam by 6:30 AM Sunday morning, went through passport control, got our luggage and were on the bus headed for our ship, the Viking River “Legend”. As the sun came up we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise, with pink and orange clouds as the sun rose out of the east over the Danube.
We arrived at our ship only to find out that we couldn’t get into our room until after 3:00 PM, so the concierge sent us to the dining room for breakfast where we had a very relaxed and enjoyable meal while we watched the barge and boat traffic on the river. Denise and Shanda (two of Tina’s sisters) were supposed to arrive at the ship around 11:00 AM but their flight got in early so they showed up while we were relaxing with coffee and a book.
After greetings and sharing of flight information, we took the girls into the dining room for breakfast and coffee. Later we all went into Amsterdam for a walk around the heart of the old city, through small one lane streets and along many of the ring canals. After a couple of hours we walked back to the ship to check in and take naps before dinner.
At 6:00 we went upstairs for a briefing on how the trip would work and various safety tips, then it was in to dinner where we joined two other couples for a delightful evening of dining and casual conversation before it was time to call it a night.
Day 2 Amsterdam (August 31)
This morning Tina was up at 6:00 AM to shower while I slept in. After I got up and had my shower we met Denise and Shanda for breakfast in the ships dining room. By the time we finished breakfast the cloudy morning had turned to a light rain so we grabbed our umbrella and wind breakers, and went to the lounge to wait for our bus to arrive.
Around 8:30 AM we turned in our room key for a travel card and left the ship for our bus ride into town. We were blessed with a great tour guide by the name of Sabine who was a native of Amsterdam but spoke great English. On the drive into town we were treated to a history of the town from its roots through to its period as an economic powerhouse.
Eventually we arrived at the outer harbor where we boarded one of the many glass topped canal excursion boats. This one was a real beauty with freshly varnished bright work, polished brass fittings, about forty feet long and seating about 50 people. Once everyone was aboard the captain took us into the outer harbor for a look at a replica of one of the 16th century exploration/trading ships used by the Dutch.
From there we headed into the system of ring canals that form a major portion of the Amsterdam transportation system. Along the way Sabine continued her narrative pointing out how all the buildings are built on pilings - the older ones on wood, newer on cement piers. The older ones on wooden pilings, many dating back to the 1500s were fine as long as they remained under water, but once exposed to air, the wood starts to rot and many buildings now lean in one direction or another or they may be lower on one side requiring them to be torn down and rebuilt.
After seeing the city from the canals we got back on our bus for a ride to the Van Gogh Museum which has the largest single collection of his works. With ear phones and MP3 player we set out around the three floors of painting, sketches and works from several contemporaries. It was very crowded but we managed to see all the major pieces and listen to the audio descriptions. It was especially interesting to see scenes he painted in France that were familiar to us from our trip there several years ago such as the apartments viewed from his Mont Marte apartment.
By this time the rain clouds had disappeared and the sun was out, so we left the museum and walked back to the bus. Along the way there were several street vendors which allowed the girls to do a little shopping. Getting back to the ship, the captain released all the lines and we cast off down the main canal toward the Rhine River. After changing clothes we met in the dining room and had lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing with a book and watching the action on the water as we passed under numerous bridges, went through a couple of locks, passed many other boat and barge traffic.
Later we all got dressed up for the Captains “Welcome Dinner” and watched a beautiful sunset from our window side table. New dining companions made for lively conversation and an enjoyable meal.After dinner we called it a night and retired to our respective rooms.
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