Alsace

Sunday November 13 is our last day of touring and winemaker dinners, so it will be our last post for this trip. Last night we cruised from Kehl to Breisach in Germany.  There were 7 locks to go through that night. We spend time learning about the logistics of disembarking tommorow and then leave for Riquewihr, France. We start in Germany and cross over the Rhine into France.

The AmaPrima docked in Breisach, Germany. The other side is France.

The town is Riquewihr and it is a small town of about 1,300 residents set in the wine growing Alsace Region of France.  The town is known for its historical architecture, is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village. Riquewihr looks today more or less as it did in the 16th century. It is officially one of the most beautiful villages in France, or Les plus beaux villages de France. Originally the property of the Dukes of Württemberg, the town was converted to Protestantism in the 16th century. Historically, Riquewihr served as a wine village and as a trading hub for Alsatian and German wine.

Homes built into fortification wall surrounding Riquewihr

Riquewihr was one of the few towns in the area not to be badly damaged during World War II. The town is surrounded by its medieval fortifications and is overlooked by a castle from the same period that is today a museum.  Today the village is popular with tourists and there are many nice shops and restaurants.  We sample the local wine at an underground tasting room at Masion Zimmer.  It is very nice and basically the same wines as we had the day before.  We tour the town checking out all the local sites.

Underground tasting room at Masion Zimmer.

We head back to the AmaPriva for our last winemaker dinner hosted by Bella Wines.  The dinner was very good and the winery brought some very nice wines for the occasion.  We will do a separate posting on the menus when we get home.  After dinner all remaining wines were opened and everyone thought it was a wonderful finish to a great week.

Dessert. Chocolate  Molten Gateau, Raspberry Sorbet, Chocolate Soup,
paired with Bella's 2015 Late Harvest Zinfandel

The next day was basically a travel day.  The boat docked at Basel Switzerland and we accompanied our friends to the airport in Zurich after which they went to their hotel.  We traveled home on a nonstop Swiss Air flight from Zurich to San Francisco, and it was over.  A great time that was over 2 years in the planning but well worth it.

Kehl, Germany and Strasbourg, France

Saturday, November 12 we dock in Kehl, Germany which is across the river from Strasbourg France. We spend our day in Strasbourg a city which has been both German and French over its long history.

Petite France district

Strasbourg is the capital and largest city of the Grand Est region of France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany in the historic region of Alsace in 2013, the city proper had 275,718 inhabitants.  The city is chiefly known for its sandstone Gothic Cathedral with its famous astronomical clock, and for its medieval cityscape of Rhineland black and white timber-framed buildings.

Classic Rhineland black and white timber-framed buildings.

In the morning we do a city walking tour which included the great cathedral, the clock in the cathedral and the older neighborhoods including  the Petite France district.  We pass many small shops that sell cheese, wine, baked goods and practically anything you can imagine.  Closer to the cathedral there are many tourist shops.

Bakery with macaroons and filled biscuits

We stand in line for the astronomical clock which goes off at 12:30 pm. The current, third clock dates from 1843. Its main features, besides the automata, are a perpetual calendar (including a computus), an orrery (planetary dial), a display of the real position of the Sun and the Moon, and solar and lunar eclipses. The main attraction is the procession of the 18 inch high figures of Christ and the Apostles which occurs every day at half past midday while the life-size cock crows thrice.

Strasbourg astronomical clock -  photo from Wikipedia

In the afternoon we go back to the city center to Le Gruber for some Alsatian wine tasting.  They do the tasting in the basement and provide you far too much wine and some cheese or sausage for each wine.  It was a very nice experience and the wines are very different from what we are accustomed to.

Le Gruber

It's dark out after our tasting. Sunsets 04:59 PM.

We do a little relaxing before our wine paired dinner with Cast winery.  The dinner was excellent and they did some very interesting side by side wine tasting.  Each of the dinners we have has been wonderful and very creative.

Crayfish Bisque

Speyer, Germany

Friday November 11 and its St Martin's day. St Martin was known as friend of children and a patron of the poor. This holiday originated in France, then spread throughout Europe. It celebrates the end of the agrarian year and harvesting. Originally there was fasting three days a week from the day after Saint Martin's Day. In the 6th century, local councils required fasting on all days except Saturdays and Sundays from Saint Martin's Day to Epiphany. This period of fasting was later shortened and called Advent by the Church.

Town of Speyer 

In Germany children walk in processions carrying lanterns, which they made in school, and sing St Martin songs. Usually, the walk starts at a church and goes to a public square. A man on horseback dressed like St. Martin accompanies the children. When they reach the square, Martin's bonfire is lit and Martin's pretzels are distributed. Along the Rhine they light bonfires which can go on for miles. We then visit the remains of the Jewish area of Speyer. Today, the ruins are conserved and allow a glimpse into Jewish life during Speyer’s Medieval and later days. The Mikwe is said to be the biggest and best preserved ritual bath in Germany, some 10 m below ground.

Today we have some time for taking it easy while we cruise to Speyer, Germany which has approximately 50,000 people.  Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities and in 1990 it celebrated it 2,000th anniversary. The first known names were Noviomagus and Civitas Nemetum, after the Teutonic tribe, Nemetes, settled in the area. Around the year 500 the name Spira first appeared in written documents. Spire, Spira, and Espira are still names used for Speyer in the French, Italian, and Spanish languages. The city's name may be the origin of the Ashkenazi Jewish name, Shapiro, and its variants.

Speyer Cathedral

We land and after lunch we go on a walking tour of the town. it is dominated by the Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodeled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire and is a UNESCO world heritage site. We then visit the remains of the Jewish area of Speyer. Today, the ruins are conserved and allow a glimpse into Jewish life during Speyer’s Medieval and later days. The Mikwe is said to be the biggest and best preserved ritual bath in Germany, some 30 feet below ground. We take a walk around the town and do a bit of window shopping and head back to the ship.

Town of Speyer

Dinner this evening is paired with Fritz wines from northern dry creek,  Fritz has been making estate wines since 1979 in its underground facility and uses gravity-flow wine making.

Dining with Bella's owners and friends

Koblenz, Germany to Rudesheim, Germany

Thursday 11-10 we awake to an improved weather in Koblenz and a little slow to get started after a late night of fun. Today is special as we pass through a picturesque portion of the Rhine with castles. A nice breakfast is followed by a morning cruise.

A town along the Rhine

The Rhine valley from south of Koblenz to Rudesheim is a steep valley with towns and castles that date back to the tenth century.  It is a wine growing region and the harvest is in for the year with the vineyards that have tuned yellow to red making the whole valley seem magical.  The sun occasionally breaking out through the thick clouds adds to the experience.

Three castles

We pass 23 castles and some monuments with very charming towns along the way.  Since the weather has improved we watch the scenery from the upper outdoor deck. The Valley has been a major tourist attraction since the 19th century. It is also home to some 450,000 people. It owes its special appearance to both its natural shape and human alterations. For two millennia, it has been one of the most important routes for cultural exchange between the Mediterranean region and northern Europe. It is considered the epitome of the Rhine romanticism. It inspired Heinrich Heine to write his famous poem "Lorelei" and Richard Wagner to write his opera.

After we pass the last of the castles we have a German lunch of roasted pork, sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes.  We have all the things that are normally available.  Now it's off to check out the town Rudesheim is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Rhine gorge. It lies in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. It is officially known as Rudesheim am Rhein, which distinguishes it from Rudesheim an der Nahe.

Rudesheim am Rhein

The town is a wine growing area and we taste the local Rieslings in the cave of Schloss Johannisberg winery.  We have a stroll through the town which is preparing for the holiday season.

Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett

We pass Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett, the first German museum for data-storage musical instruments which introduces one to the history of self-playing music and its instruments, from the gentle musical clock to the orchestrion, which weighs tons, There is a cross-section from four centuries, such as the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina with six strings, Hupfeld Violina Orchestra (only known original in the world), Poppers Violinovo, and so on.

Mounts Family Vineyards appetizer.
Scallops, Salmon, Lobster and Roasted Vegetables

Back at the ship we rest before a special dinner with Mounts family winery in the small chefs table. Its a wonderful dinner and the wine is great.  We take a walk through town and Siegfrieds is open for a tour of the musical machines. A stroll through the town and we are back to the ship for the evening.

An early St. Martin bonfire along the river.

Cologne, Germany

Wednesday 11-9 we awake to the ship still making its way to Cologne, Germany it's a very soothing feeling to see the river going by and the background of the engines moving us against a rather strong current.  Susan gets us coffee, we turn on the news on our TV (music, internet, ship activities) media center and we learn we will live in Trump land for the next 4 years.

Baked goods made on board

After a leisurely breakfast the ship docks at Cologne. Our guide tells us that the 2.5 million people of Cologne are more easy going and fun loving than what is normally associated with Germans.  We love life and live it that way she says with a sense of humor.

Cologne

We leave the ship for a walking tour of Cologne which was founded in the first century AD as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, from which it gets its name from the French version of the city's name, has become standard in English as well. The city functioned as the capital of the Roman province of Germania Inferior. During the Middle Ages it flourished on one of the most important major trade routes between east and west in Europe. Cologne was one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages and had undergone several occupations by the French and also by the British. Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany during World War II reducing the population by 95%, mainly due to evacuation, and destroyed almost the entire city. With the intention of restoring as many historic buildings as possible, the successful postwar rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique cityscape.

Entry to cathedral

We first visit the 13th century cathedral which is a UNESCO world heritage site, then visit the Overstolzenhausa or town hall, the Roman Germanic museum which has a Roman mosaic and we learn about the upcoming festival on the 11th.

Cologne Catherdral

Traditionally, the "fifth season" (carnival season) is declared open at 11 minutes past 11 on the 11th of the 11th month November. The Carnival spirit is then temporarily suspended during the Advent and Christmas period, and picks up again in earnest after the 6 January (Biblical Magi) in the New Year. The time of merrymaking in the streets is officially declared open at downtown square Alter Market on the Thursday before the beginning of Lent. Street carnival, a week-long street festival, also called "the crazy days", takes place between the Fat Thursday (Weiberfastnacht) and ends on Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch). The highlight of the carnival is Rose Monday (Rosenmontag), two days before Ash Wednesday. All through these days, Cologne folks go out masqueraded. The typical greeting during the festival is Kajlle Alaaf!, a Kajlsch phrase which can be translated as "Cologne above all!"

We finish our city tour at the Brewery in the old Market where we have a glass of beer and a potato pancake with applesauce .  We walk back to the ship in the old part of town and then along the river. The ship leaves Cologne as we sit down to a wonderful lunch with very nice seafood including salmon, halibut, shrimp and caviar.

All done. By putting your coaster on your mug tells the bartender "no more

The ship sails on an during the afternoon we have a special tasting of dry creek Zinfandels with Bella, Collier Falls and Cast wineries. We catch up on things during the afternoon as we head for Koblenz Germany which is at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers and the convergence of three low mountain ranges: the Hunsrück, the Eifel and the Westerwald. This park and flower filled city is the northern gateway to the Romantic Rhine and the bottom of the Moselle Valley.

Zin tasting

We have a wonderful dinner that is paired with Kachina wines. They do an interesting side by side pairing of 2 cabernet sauvignon and salmon and beef.  After dinner there is a shore walk that we passed on because of the rain.  There is a little music and dancing before the day ends.

Kachina's main course. Salmon, Porchini Sauce,
Herb Stuffed Rib Eye, Roasted Vegetables, Parmesan Polenta, 

Goodbye Amsterdam

Tuesday 11-8 our first day on the boat. We awake to a sunny morning with the  boat still docked in Amsterdam. This morning we get a guided canal cruise to other parts of the city, then a brief walk around the city center including the flower market. We then get a bus tour to meet the ship which has left Amsterdam to go through the locks into the Rhine canal.

Cheese delivery bike

The tour is very well planned and comfortable and we can relax and let the tour people sort out the traffic and logistics, something we have been doing since we arrived last week in Amsterdam.  For example, on our bus ride to meet up with the ship we make a brief stop at a functioning Dutch windmill.  We meet our ship in Wijk on the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal. This is a canal that was built to connect the port city of Amsterdam to the main shipping artery of the Rhine. Its course follows a generally southeasterly direction as it goes through the city of Utrecht towards Wijk where it intersects the Lek branch of the Rhine.

Floating flower market

We have a leisurely lunch on the ship as we sail to Cologne Germany.  This on of our longest sailings which will take us until Wednesday morning.  During the afternoon we hear about all of the things we can do when we dock at the various stops.  We retire for a quiet time watching the river go by from our balcony.

Dining room

We have our first winemaker dinner this evening and it is hosted by Barry Collier of Collier Falls.  He was a movie maker in Los Angeles who transitioned into wine making 20 years ago.  We have 4 estate wines that are 100 percent of the varietal: Zinfandel, petite Sarah, primativo and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Each food course is paired with a specific wine and is absolutely wonderful.  If you are reading this you would assume we have probably gained 20 pounds by now but the portions are much smaller that typical American portions so a dinner like this is possible and still not feel like you will explode.

We retire to a great nights sleep, ready for another day.We could have listened to some classical music in the lounge, but we will save that for another night.

In Transition

The AmaPrima in Amsterdam Harbor

Monday 11-7 is the transition day from our apartment to our cruise ship the AmaPrima. We decide that we will take our bags to the ship, meet our friends and head off to the national museum the Rijksmuseum.  A very smooth transition with a warm welcome at the Amaprima which is docked at the cruise terminal in Amsterdam. We relax with a coffee, meet Ed and Linda and we are off on a gray and drizzling morning.

The Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague in 1800s and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, the current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened its doors in 1885. In April 2013, it reopened after a ten-year renovation which cost €375 million it is the most visited museum in the Netherlands. The museum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history, from their total collection of 1 million items from the years 1200–2000, among which are masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. It is amazing to contrast the artists at the Van Gogh museum with the older Dutch masters.

Rembrandt's "The Nightwatcher"

After we wear ourselves out we get lunch in the area and move to the officially check in and get our room on our ship.  Everything goes well and our stateroom is ready with our luggage.  The ship is the newest of the Amawaterways fleet, built in Netherlands.  It is 443 ft. long with 85 staterooms. The AmaPrima is somewhat unique in that the majority of staterooms feature double-balcony configurations, one side is a French verandah, with floor-to-ceiling doors that open wide, and the other is an actual balcony, with comfortable chairs.

Our stateroom

Balcony and French verandah, with floor-to-ceiling doors

We take it easy and have an orientation from the captain and crew then a greeting from the president of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley the trade association of over 60 wineries and 150 grape growers in this area of Sonoma County.  It is our favorite area near our home.  We then taste wines from the Dry Creek region other than the 6 wineries hosting our cruise.  Its also a mixer to enjoy wine and meet other travelers and the owners of the host wineries.

The lounge on the AmaPrima

After the reception we have a wonderful dinner in the main dining hall.  After dinner we retire and plan for the next day.

A Lazy Sunday

Houseboat on Prinsegracht Canal

On a lazy Sunday  11-6 we watch the rain, then the sun, drink coffee and plan for our scheduled visit to the Anne Fran House, but for the morning we try the normal part of life, the laundry since we have a washer and dryer in the building.

For 1.5 EU you can do a wash and a dry, but our change doesn't exactly work since our host said it was .5.  So after loading the wash and the soap and being short, we remove them  and wait for the stores to open.  The first one can't give us change because of their automatic change system. We then try another store and get change. Reading this is probably boring, and there at least ten more steps before we have our clothes done, and its an excellent example of how things can be different in another country, including reading the instructions in Dutch.

Cafes provide blankets for chilly mornings.

Half way through we go to a local coffee shop which has benches outside with blankets to enjoy your coffee and street watching.  This was a definite tension reducer on a slow Sunday morning. People in Amsterdam are not in a hurry on Sunday.

Cafe Sonneveld

We meet Ed and Linda at Sonneveld for lunch.  Its a charming local Amsterdam place.  We have a lazy lunch of soups and sandwiches, plus beer of course. Locals begin to stream in and by the time we leave the place is full.

Then its off to the Anne Frank house and museum.  The thought that it is right down the street from where we are staying makes us pause.  The house includes the rooms that they occupied and walking through them gives you a slight sense of what they experienced while hiding.  The collected writings and commentary by people that knew her made her seem like a normal girl caught in a terrible world. There is also commentary from people who have visited the museum and a place for you to sign and leave your thoughts.

Interior drawing of Anne Frank House

We take the rest of the afternoon to decompress and relax.  We are doing a pizza dinner because we feel that is one food we probably will not see for a while.  We select La Perla in our neighborhood on a busy street called Little Italy. That doesn't work out because of the wait, but being little Italy there is another one, Hostaria. It is the size of my living room, they have somehow managed to cram a kitchen, three chefs, 20 tables and a waitresses into it: it’s a wonder there’s room for any diners at all. Our meal was excellent and we weren't sorry it was our second choice.

Red Light District

Ed wants to see the famous red light district which is a short cab ride away.  In stark contrast to our quiet neighborhood, its crowded and a real sensory overload ranging from the women in their windows to shops that sell everything about sex. There are a few museums thrown in like the sex museum and the marijuana museum and plenty of bars.  We walk around and take a cab back to our neighborhood for night cap at the Cafe De Prins which is practically empty on a sleepy Sunday.

Local beer at Cafe de Prins

Day at the Museum. Night on the canals.

On Saturday 11-5 we awoke to a rainstorm and a bit of confusion because our friends and us had different times for the Van Gogh Museum.  So we watch the rain from our apartment window and enjoyed good coffee and local croissants.  We order our Uber ride to the museum and take off by ourselves.

Van Gough Museum

At the museum we walked around the museum area in alternating sunshine and clouds.  The Van Gogh museum is spectacular. It is dedicated to the works of Van Gogh and his contemporaries and located at the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw.  It opened in 1973 and was designed by Gerrit Rietveld and Kisho Kurokawa. The museum's collection is the largest of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world. Last year the museum had 1.9 million visitors. We were lucky being one of the first in for the day we went backward and saw the top 2 floors with virtually no other people.  That all changed as we got to the first floor.  Admission is limited and the line can be very long.  So after a visit to the museum cafe in the museum for good coffee.

3rd floor of Van Gogh Museum. No people

It took us well over three hours to go through the three floors and special exhibits a wonderful experience.  As we were leaving we were greeted by our friends who were just arriving and another rain shower, but we took refuge under the eves of the building and listened to a musician playing for the crowd.  We then walked a short distance to a cafe, the Pompa, for a wonderful salmon salad and then back to our apartment.

Lunch at Cafe Pompa

On Saturday there is a farmer's market, the Noordermarkt,  in the square directly on the other side of our apartment so not to miss trying to be a local we were off for raspberries, croissants and quiches for the next days breakfast. The Noordermarkt is so popular, that it draws crowds not only from the nearby Jordaan, but also from the whole city and from distant cities. People can buy fresh healthy food and the market has became a real social phenomena and recently a book (in Dutch) has been published about it.

Baked goods at farmers market.

As we were walking back to our apartment we noticed one of the local pubs was very crowded and when we circled back a few minutes later a hearse had pulled up and everyone was out on the street singing we assume to the deceased who probably was probably a frequent visitor to the pub before passing from this life.

Saying farewell.

We take it easy for a few hours and listen to the music coming from the Noordermarkt to the living room of our apartment.  We are then off to a special dinner aboard the only antique riverboat in Amsterdam which has been transformed into a charming sailing fine dining restaurant. The Henry Schmitz, was built in 1898 and sailed as a ferry on the Rhine river. Then is was completely restored in 2000 with teak and mahogany, combined with the beautiful copper bar and comfortable red upholstered chairs which gives the boat a very warm and classic look and a very cozy intimate atmosphere.

Our dining compartment

The dinner was excellent, Ed and Linda brought a special wine from one of our outings in California and the dinner is first class.  We  cruise the canals of Amsterdam with extra lights on buildings because it is a once a month museum night when all the museums are open and there are large numbers of people are out.  We have the only table for 4 at the stern of the boat that almost feels like a private event.  Since the boat has no galley on board we stop several times at a caterer for the next course.  As we finish we dock and walk home and as we open the door to our building it starts to rain. Time to end the day.

Amsterdam at night