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Welcome to Day Five of the Rhine Getaway

 

First, some yummy breakfast and then it’s up to the top deck for a frigid viewing of some Rhine castles. We’re sailing to Koblenz, Germany, but in order to get there, we have to wind through some of the most picturesque areas on the river. Naturally, it’s time for a photo shoot.

 

The only problem is that it’s negative 5,000 degrees with some whipping wind, and it feels like pure sadness outside. But it’s pretty, though, right? Did you know that there are over 40 castles along the middle Rhine alone, many of which have been turned into gorgeous hotels for people to stay in? Let’s add that to the bucket list!

 

After freezing our butts off, we decided to head inside to thaw out and watch the views from the stunning windows in the lounge. It was every bit as lovely as the top deck, just not as great for photos.

 

Inside the Wheelhouse

 

After a while of thawing, we finally got to head to the wheelhouse, which ironically doesn’t have a wheel. See that joystick? Yeah, that’s how the captain steers the boat. This is some kind of futuristic stuff.

 

Speaking of the captain, here he is straight from Poland, Captain Bartos. He was such a nice guy and told us all about how the ship runs. All I’ll say is that it’s very complicated, takes a village, and Viking does an amazing job of keeping up with their ships and choosing great crewmembers. It’s remarkable and no wonder that they cultivate lifelong customers.

 

Captain Bartos actually started out on cargo ships as a deckhand, just like most captains. He said you get all the grunt work out of the way, prove yourself, and eventually get to be the captain of your own vessel. It’s one of those jobs where, if you don’t love it, there’s no way you’ll stick with it.

 

I just want to take this chance to say thank you to Viking for being such amazing hosts on the Rhine getaway. It was truly a majestic experience. We love the entire crew, especially the captain and our lovely cruise director Sharon, who was also in the wheelhouse sharing the history of the passing castles.

Lunch Time

 

After her time in the wheelhouse, it was time for lunch. Delicious pasta made by Judy, an open-faced sandwich, and some French fries—the lunch of champions, my friends.

 

A short ride later and hello Koblenz. We were in this very city earlier in 2019. Christmas time is a whole different experience. There’s one Christmas market, two Christmas markets, and three Christmas markets. I honestly think there may have been more, but we were walking aimlessly around and only remember three.

Exploring Koblenz

 

Speaking of aimlessly, we walked down every street in Koblenz looking for dogs, cute shops, books, and anything that was worth taking a picture of. We eventually got lost and found our way to a part of the city we didn’t know existed. Koblenz is actually a lot bigger than we remembered.

 

Eventually, update on what you missed. Samantha found that alleyway we went to Starbucks, we got lost in the mall, we got unlost, I almost fell off a curb, and Joan and Evie are ill. So it’s been great. This is a good time.

Well, hey! Now we go back to the ship to grab our own luggage, get some shots of it, and then it’s back to the ship for the night, because it’s cold. I’m just cold. Even the seagulls are angry about it. Here are some of the shots Joni got of our luggage.

Back on Board

 

Back on board, it was schnitzel time. This was one of the best dinners we had on board. Then, for one of my favorite memories of the trip: making Christmas baubles. I refuse to use the word ornaments because that is just so boring. So we can all thank Sharon for the new vocabulary.

 

We had a blast signing each other’s baubles, laughing about all the fun times we had on the trip, and hanging our cute little decorations on the tree. Oh, and then there was some schnapps.

 

There are no words that can describe the incredible people we met on this trip and how deeply it changed us. It was all for the better. Since coming back, we can honestly say we’ve been happier and more optimistic about the future, and this experience is part of the reason why. Amazing people, gorgeous places, and the lovely Viking Arun are responsible for it all.