Christmas on steroi_s 🧑‍🎄🎅🎄🦌🛷

[Pushka]

Glad you had some cash with you - it does come in handy sometimes especially if you need the loo

Are they offering any compensation or is it too soon to ask

Good luck with whatever happens - I hope they put you somewhere nice in Strasbourg. I suspect it's heaving right now with people coming for the Christmas markets. I really enjoyed Strasbourg and you might even get to see some of the old villages around Colmar.

Yes, we have (had?) an excursion to see Colmar and Riquehar on Friday. That should still happen unless Viking mess us around again.

but at least you have a boat. Few years ago they canceled the trip mid river and off loaded everyone onto busses. I believe there was a court action over this.

yes. And the Aussie won!

 

[Pushka]

I hope that they will put you on another ship and travel down the river with the current...

There is a lot of castles to see from the river. See the map, and also website link to see names and photos.
Hope that you will travel down the river.

Castles On The Rhine River & Castles You Can Stay In Germany - 2024 Guide - Crave The Planet

Discover the history, architectural details and GPS locations of Germany's Castles on the Rhine UNESCO Upper Middle Valley Gorge site with all its castles. Perfect for backpacking, hiking, biking or river cruises.

www.cravetheplanet.com

We are continuing upstream. But not by boat. By bus.

 

[RooFlyer]

Castles on the Rhine..

There is a lot of castles to see from the river. See the map, and also website link to see names and photos.

Please let Pushka tell the story. I know you mean well, but in a trip report, it’s sort of intruding.

 

[Pushka]

So you all know those 24 hour blocks that can only be described as a ClusterF mixed in with some amazing Experiences? Well, that's where we are now. You gotta laugh.

Last night we ventured back into the Cologne markets. Well, what can I say. It was magic. It was crystal clear and had stopped raining. Cold but not windy. We had all the roasting chestnuts, carolers, oom pah pah bands, lights, happiness, food, everything that us Aussies don't experience as Christmas. I have lots of photos but am way beyond being able to post them right now. Because last night was followed by today.

We had to pack last night, after three nights, to go to a new boat waiting for us in Strasbourg. Ok. So much for the unpack once and forget that Viking is currently selling us. Then went to sleep knowing we had to have luggage out by 7am so a very early start. Did that. Luggage filling the corridors. Quick breakfast then we had 3 hours in Koblenz until we had to be back onboard for departure. By Bus. UPSTREAM. Towards the next stop. But it was actually the stop after. So a 60 minute bus ride. The luggage was put onto a truck to meet us at the other end.

Viking then organised quite a nice boat to take us past the castles for a couple of hours. It was nice. Weather was sunny. And many photos. Got off opposite Rudensheim which we will miss. We know now the magic of the markets is night time. So we had to scrap that for Rudeshiem. There's a burning question there which I will come back to in a bit.

Then, at well after sunset a three hour bus ride in the rain to Strasbourg. Heavy traffic. Not so pleasant. Anyways we get to Strasbourg and - the driver gets lost. He gets out of the bus and goes to find someone to direct him. Horns beeping loudly behind him. And then another two guys emerge to have a fight with him. Strasbourg is an interesting climate. Well, another car guided us out. We had to reverse. A large bus. Fine. Off to the port. And then we couldn't find the berth. There are I'd say, 20 Viking ships here, all stuck at Strasbourg. Waiting to go both up or down the Rhine. We are in the middle of three rafted. We will likely be here for the rest of the cruise. 4 days out of 7 are land based not a cruise. The locals are becoming restless.

That question? I'll tackle tomorrow morning, for me. Night now.

 

[love_the_life]

Glad you got the Rhine castles and did you make it to Colmar (or is it future)? Pity about Rudesheim seeing you wanted to revisit. Hopefully Viking come up with a good compensation offer. And hopefully some more great markets to see (sadly not just walk to from the boat though like intended). Keep hammering the drink package and hit the free laundry!

 

[VPS]

Of course you'll be on the boat in Strasbourg - I don't know why I thought they would have to find a hotel.

Absolute bummer - all the best

 

[Pushka]

So certainly cash is king in the markets. We have Just had our first night of 'lockdown in Strasbourg' While some have worked out this is as far as we cruise (three cruise ports in a 7 day trip), others are blissfully unaware that this is it. There is a cruise (well, many, I just know this one) two days ahead of us and we are doing the same pattern as theirs.

We had another meeting at 9.30pm because the bus trip was very long, lots of rain, the driver got lost, had an altercation as they do, we hadn't eaten in 8 hours and so on. The poor CD is wrung out trying to negotiate buses, etc. He's negotiated a four hour return bus trip to Speyer which was originally a port where you could just walk off the ship at nighttime. I think the markets really only work at night time. We lost all but one, Cologne.

 

[Pushka]

Ok. Back to the magical Cologne market. We walked back to the main market under the cathedral. The rain had gone, the air was clear and no wind. The market was packed. It was fabulous. Sadly the cathedral wasn't lit tonight. But other lights made up for it.

First looking back to the Chocolate museum market. We'd been there during the day and once was more than enough.

Our ship Kara, the last time we'd see it at night. Was it just two nights ago we boarded it?









Just stunning to look up.

 

[Pushka]

 

[Pushka]

 

[latawiec]

So certainly cash is king in the markets. We have Just had our first night of 'lockdown in Strasbourg' While some have worked out this is as far as we cruise (three cruise ports in a 7 day trip), others are blissfully unaware that this is it. There is a cruise (well, many, I just know this one) two days ahead of us and we are doing the same pattern as theirs.

We had another meeting at 9.30pm because the bus trip was very long, lots of rain, the driver got lost, had an altercation as they do, we hadn't eaten in 8 hours and so on. The poor CD is wrung out trying to negotiate buses, etc. He's negotiated a four hour return bus trip to Speyer which was originally a port where you could just walk off the ship at nighttime. I think the markets really only work at night time. We lost all but one, Cologne.

Hope, that now from the Strasbourg will settle.

 

[Pushka]

Next morning we woke to this, ready to be taken from Kara to the next ship. We had an hour or so in Koblenz. It was early. It was raining. And the markets were heaving.

 

[OZDUCK]

Hope things improve for you. But importantly did you see the stall in Strasbourg with the singing,dancing, twirling little Santa dolls? A sight most awesome to behold for its utter sublime kitsch.

 

[Pushka]

Hope things improve for you. But importantly did you see the stall in Strasbourg with the singing,dancing, twirling little Santa dolls? A sight most awesome to behold for its utter sublime kitsch.

I missed it. But Strasbourg was - fabulous. just gorgeous. And I love using my French again.

 

[PrincessK]

I missed it. But Strasbourg was - fabulous. just gorgeous. And I love using my French again.

Strasbourg was our favourite Christmas market last year. Also the first on our cruise so I didn’t really know what to expect. Would love to go back.

 

[OZDUCK]

We went there with friends from near Stuttgart and it was all a bit rushed and we didn't see as much as we would have liked.

 

[love_the_life]

Any word of compensation from Viking yet? Will be interested to know what they come up with. Keep up with the drinks package and laundry!

 

[Pushka]

Any word of compensation from Viking yet? Will be interested to know what they come up with. Keep up with the drinks package and laundry!

Viking will not tell us yet. We have exchanged emails with a few people. They are doing the divide and conquer thing. And drip feed. I’ve not mentioned here most of the stuff. That will unfold maybe today.

Last night on their usual 30 mins promo discussion they have on each cruise the CD asked how many were planning another cruise on Viking. Less than 1/3 raised their hands and audible groans from the rest. The CD, a Brit kind of gulped and said Two hands up, not bad. The last two ones I’ve been too it’s been everyone raises hands.

 

[Pushka]

I now have to be careful in what I say as Mr R might start reading this. . And it's too late to edit what I've already posted. .

Well, where was I up to. Yes, the heaving town on Koblenz. So, at 1 we were put onto buses, told to get rid of our Kara cards and get going to our next ship, Tialfi. The first bus trip took around an hour then we boarded a tourist kind of bus to do the Rhine Valley. It was better than I was expecting but nothing like what a Viking boat would have been like. This trip lasted two hours, and took us to Bingen, which is directly opposite that place we were supposed to be at that night, Rudesheim. The scenery was fabulous along the way.

Koblenz launch close to being unusable. Mustard coloured Beanie Must be MrP



The water is almost reaching the houses and likely covering the roads.





Loreli Statue.

 

[Pushka]

Flooded boat ramps.








How they manage to harvest the grapes down the sheer slopes is hard to imagine, especially before the days of OH&S.




These people were abseiling down the mountain to do some kind of repair work.