Author: rphbaker

Before our tour, lunch is served. Feels like we just ate but that’s never stopped me from eating a meal with dessert.

I had the BLT that I ate before I took a pic of. The dessert was top notch.

After lunch, Greg and I headed to meet the tour guide for our ebike tour. But first, a pic with my new cousin Jane.

We headed through a small fence that proved slightly difficult to navigate for a few participants, across the road while avoiding speeding bikes and cars to the bike rental place.

We rode a short ride to a windmill converted to a museum. It turned out to be a beautiful day. There are 19 windmills in Kinderdijk and 16 are still inhabited by resident millers who still work the windmills.

There was some disagreement within our group as to whether the residents pay rent or live rent free, I think it’s rent free but whatever.

It takes 1-2 years to get a millers degree to work the windmill. Once you are licensed you can put your name on the waiting list for a windmill. You aren’t paid for the job which is why I think you live rent free. Most everyone works another job and then tends to their windmill at night. There is a requirement as to how many rotations each one needs to make per year as well as to keep the windmill in good shape mechanically.

The purpose of the windmill is to pump water out of the pastures to the canals. They still do this today but they also aren’t dependent on the windmills due to modern technology but since this is a UNESCO world heritage site these continue to be in operation.

Today we are starting our last full day on the Viking Tir. We arrived in the Netherlands just before 7am per my Verizon notification. Looks like it’s not a beautiful day.

Another Groundhog Day for breakfast with Milo and Erwin at a table with Paul and Jane.

I have to take pictures today with as many of my favorite people as possible.

After breakfast we headed up to the lounge to listen to Gavin talk about disembarkation procedures that no one wants to hear followed by his port talk for today’s activities.

They had planned to do tours of the wheelhouse starting at 11am and I had signed us all up for a tour at 11:10. Around 10:50 Jane commented that she wasn’t sure if we would be able to keep our tour because of the fog. Literally 60 seconds after her comment they announced that tours had to be cancelled due to the fog. Approximately two minutes after that all the fog at burned off. The timing was uncanny. I kinda feel like the captain was like cancel this shit before the fog burns off!

Today is really just sailing all day (but not scenic sailing) until we get to Kinderdijk this afternoon. There are three tours of the windmills all between 2:30-4:30. Greg and I are taking the ebike tour, Carey and Linda are on a barge tour.

So today is a lot of sitting around, watching the world go by while eating.

Everyone needs a little stroopwaffel snack before lunch. Right?

We decided to skip dinner on the ship so that we could grab dinner and a beer at a brewhouse. The dinner menu on the ship wasn’t really floating my boat and it felt right to visit at least one brewhouse.

We went to the one who also makes their own sausage.

We sat outside under the heaters and it was toasty warm. Greg, Carey and I all had sausage, Linda had turkey of some sort. It was all good. Also the beer was good too! Turns out I like baby cups of beer.

At the Cathedral there was a giant bolt and a wrench that was used long ago to tighten it. Daniella had said we could try to pick it up to see how much it weighed. There was then a contest to see who could guess the closest. Greg never even picked it up but rather just watched me and others.

He guessed 70 pounds. I went the Price is Right strategy at 75. It was 88 pounds. Somehow Daniella hadn’t heard me and awarded the sought after prize to Greg.

After dinner we walked back to the boat especially quickly under the trees where the parakeets roost. You could literally hear poop hitting the ground all around us. But seriously, these are green parrots. Or possible cockatiels. I want one!

We made it back to the boat around 8:40pm. Dinner ends at 9pm. There were still lots of people in the dining room eating so me, Carey and Linda decided we should pop in for dessert. Greg thought we were kidding.

Can’t believe tomorrow is our last full day on the boat! Time has flown.

This was an excursion that I’d wanted to sign up for before we left but I was really the only one of us who wanted to do it so I decided I would skip it. I’d read online in Viking forums that I could do it on my own for 5 euros which was much cheaper than the excursion pricing. I had told myself I would just wait and see what the day would bring and try to “run” up the 500+ steps to catch the views.

Early on in our cruise, Gavin had gone over some of the still open excursions and when he discussed Top of Cologne and Linda encouraged me to do it I basically ran to guest services to sign up. Greg, despite being afraid of heights, said he would go along with me.

I felt fortunate to be able to book because there was a limit of 12 people who could go.

There had been several references to the 500 steps throughout the tour so Linda and Carey had decided they weren’t interested in going. As we departed for the tour I told Carey he wouldn’t recognize us coming back all fit and skinny after all those steps.

This tour was nothing like what I expected. It was so much more. Unfortunately I can’t share the numerous pictures I took because they ask for none of the to be shared on social media. I can however share them with closed groups or family members so if anyone is interested in more details you know where to find me. I’m happy to share all my vacation photos…even the embarrassing ones. 🙂

Will try to do my best to explain how the day went but there’s just no way to do this actual justice.

To start we took a rickety construction elevator up the scaffolding 83 feet in the air where we departed onto a wood plank walkway along the scaffolding on the outside of the Cathedral. I kind of thought Greg might shit himself, he wasn’t alone. There was at least one other man who was also holding on for dear life. This tour would never ever be allowed in the US.

Our tour guide, Daniella, was absolutely amazing. We made our way inside, outside, along ridges, in attics, in storage rooms. It was truly a behind the scenes experience that I never would have gotten on my own after climbing the steps.

Daniella provided us with lots of history of the church. One of my favorite tidbits is that they have an entire process of replacing statues when needed. They have large plaster molds that they keep in storage that are used to do this. Several years ago they decided to give the workers the freedom to make their own molds so they ended up with soccer players, statues that looked like the workers wives, and one called Tony on the phone. In the 90’s workers were given cellphones to use and one of these, Tony, became obsessed with his phone and was often seen chatting on his old style Nokia phone with antenna. When Tony retired, they made a mold of him talking and gave it to him for his retirement.

Tony is still alive and in his 90’s. As we were leaving the Cathedral and headed toward the elevator, Daniella pointed out where a version of Tony on the phone was placed on the Cathedral. These personal statues are placed outside the view of the public and definitely adds a little personality.

One other interesting note, several stones would include the date when certain sections are finished. This was the first time on our trip we have seen anything with a swastika. There were several stones that included that over the date. There was some discussion as to whether these should be removed but the decision was made to keep them until the stone itself needs to be replaced. Of note, none of these are within the public view.

This was the most amazing tour and experience Greg and I have been on. I’m sad that Carey and Linda missed it. We are already looking at options in the future that would bring us back to Cologne on Viking to see if we could all catch the tour again.

We left the boat a little after 2pm to do some exploring and to eventually try the favorite fast food supposedly of this area which is a curry wurst. Feels like something that needs to be tried once.

Our tour guide explained that it’s a requirement for couples to get married at the court house. When we were there, some people had gathered waiting for the couple to come out with a large balloon. He said typically the Turkish people do it right with large arches to celebrate while the Germans are boring and don’t really celebrate the couple. As we were walking through there were several arches set up….clearly by the Turkish.

We arrived on the main shopping street and saw lots of familiar stores.

We, along with several other Viking guests, have been missing pizza. That Pizza Hut was real hard to walk past.

We were on the hunt to find some blank notecards to write some thank you’s to the staff with some extra tip money. That has proven time be more difficult then I’d thought. We have seen mostly postcards or cards in German that are not cheap. (I don’t mind a Danke card but I don’t want to spend 5 euros each. I’d rather have that money for tips.)

Greg and I have a tour scheduled to go to the Top of Cologne and have instructions to meet on the side of the Cathedral near the camera shop. We looked for it on our morning tour and didn’t see it. We are off to find our intended destination. Carey and Linda are headed back to the boat.

After our walking tour I was absolutely freezing. I definitely underdressed for the occasion. Greg and I decided to go back to the boat to warm up. Carey and Linda stayed out and about to check out the town center.

We met back on the boat for lunch.

It was impossible to decide what I wanted for lunch so I had two entrees. This was the popular choice as Greg did the same, Paul and Jane each had an entree and split a second one.

Now I’m warmed up and ready to tackle some exploring. But first, Greg wants to nap.

This cathedral is actually the fifth building at this site. Construction was started in 1248 and took nearly seven centuries to build. At the time of construction it was to be the tallest building in the world and it was for several years.

The Cathedral is made of 8 different kinds of stones which would make it look patchy if it were cleaned. This along with the time and money it would take to clean the cathedral is why they prefer to keep the “patina” look. The roof is made of lead.

The arrival of the bones of the three Magi’s, the three kings who visited Baby Jesus, were a money maker for the Cathedral during construction. Donations poured in from all over as Cologne was considered a Holy City. The bones are kept in a solid gold sarcophagus and is the largest reliquary in the Western world at 60 inches high, 87 inches long and 43 inches wide. The shrine stands behind the altar.

The Cathedral was mostly unaffected by the war because it was used as a landmark for the bombers. They didn’t want to destroy it because then they wouldn’t know for sure what city they were in.

It’s hard to describe how amazing it was to see in person.

The Cologne Cathedral is near the top of my favorite Cathedrals.

We met our guide, Heinrich, just outside the boat at 9:15 to begin our walking tour. Cologne is the oldest city in Germany and was founded by the Romans. The first thing I noticed was all the bird poop which initially seemed concerning to stand near.

Heinrich explained that green parakeets nest in the trees at night and have become over populated. Now I want to see them and take one home!

We began our tour along the Rhine River.

Long ago before these streets had names it was common for people to give directions based on businesses. “Start at the Barking dog and walking until you see the Golden Goose, turn right until you see the Whalfish.” This isn’t too far off how long time Louisville residents give directions, especially those involving the Toy Tiger

This square is dedicated to a musician who founded Carnival music. I had no idea that Cologne has a yearly Carnival but it seems that the case. Heinrich is not a fan and says he leaves town every year for a ski holiday at that time. He describes the music as “kindergarten music for drunk heads” Also that within hearing the song for 20 seconds you are able to sign along.

Cologne has about one million residents here and on Carnival you can find about 500 thousand in the street partying. Three hundred thousand of those are tourists.

Beer is served in tiny glasses here because “they are refined beer drinkers” and they don’t want it to get warm and flat. They also don’t celebrate Oktoberfest or wear lederhosen or dirndl’s. All of that is for Bavaria. If your beer glass is empty it’s assumed you want another one and they will bring it (for a charge.) If you are done you put your coaster on your glass to signify you don’t want more beer.

Much more to come on the Cathedral in my next posts.

After arriving back at the ship and completing our drug deal in the lobby it was time for dinner. I went to grab us our normal table.

Greg somehow made it back shortly after we were all seated. Sounds like maybe it wasn’t the best idea for him to walk since he walked through a sketchy part of town and the pedestrian part of the bridge was closed due to construction. I have no other details nor do I want them.

I had the ceaser salad and the Mediterranean chicken which were both so good I didn’t even consider taking a pic until it was too late.

Dessert was an almond cake that I also finished.

Greg and I decided to head off the boat to catch a few sights of the city since we hadn’t gotten to explore.

The first part of town we walked through was mostly quiet. Most places were closed.

I had seen something about a fountain with a mischievous boy who spit water on unsuspecting people so we decided to check it out. Love the shadow of the boy on the wall behind the fountain.

We made our way through Jesuitplatz and back toward the boat. There was way more activity in this area with restaurants and bars open.

Back on board the boat we caught the last two songs from the soprano singer and French horn player….Edelweiss and Over the Rainbow. They were good!

Next stop Cologne. Our second to last stop…time has absolutely flown by.

After the castle visit we caught the bus back to the ship. Carey and Linda had visited the fortress that was located just across the river from where the ship was docked and was easily accessed via cable car. Greg and I decided to buy tickets to go check it out.

Greg had a work call he had to take at 6pm local time so we had less than an hour to explore. Greg decided to buy a one way cable car ticket and walk back. The guy at the counter seemed shocked at a one way ticket but Greg assured him he had hours to make the walk back. I was like it’s fine…sell him a one way but I will take the round trip. If he makes it he makes it.

Greg is always confident of his navigation skills even on a city he’s never stepped foot in. But I digress.

We stepped out of the gondola onto a large green park like area. There was a look out point close by so we headed in that direction.

There were beautiful views of Koblenz from the platform.

It was getting close to 6pm so Greg was going to start his walk back towards the boat. The fortress was open to the public free of charge at that time so I thought I’d wander a little bit before heading back. There were a few of our ship mates who had gone to the castle doing the same thing.

Since there was no tour I really don’t know what I was seeing aside from a giant well-built fortress above the city. It was impressive though with impressive views of the city.

I decided to head back to catch the cable car so I could make it back for Gavin’s port talk and dinner. I stalled a little to see if i could get a cable car to myself.

I ran into Jane and Paul as they were coming back from their day. They skipped the excursions to go explore alone for the day and had planned to stop at a pharmacy. I asked if they would get me some ibuprofen and Sudafed. We had to stop in the lobby for our drug deal.

Jane told the pharmacist she was getting Sudafed for a friend. (The last time I bought Sudafed in Europe it was just sitting on a shelf). The pharmacist asked her if her friend knew what she was doing and she said she’s a pharmacist and she said “oh! Then she does!” I’m glad someone has faith in my clinical skills!

Jane said none of the meds were on display. You had to talk to the pharmacist and she would go to a shelf and press a button and a door would open to dispense. Kinda sad I missed this.