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May 17th, 2013 
Peter Nolan 4. Our Romantic Rhine Itinerary
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Since this was a special mini-Christening tour, we just got a sampling of a week long cruise, but my appetite was certainly whetted. We left from Frankfurt and ended in Amsterdam, stopping along the way in Rudesheim, Koblenze, Cochem, and Cologne. We cruised on the Rhine and Moselle Rivers through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, where we saw the legendary Lorelei Rock. The back story is as follows: Lorelei was a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine in despair over a faithless lover. She was then transformed into a siren who lured fishermen to their death with her sad songs.
At each stop, Avalon had arranged the most fascinating tours, which ran the gamut from historical to quirky. The picturesque, wine town of Rüdesheim, was a real crowd-pleaser with its cobbled alleys, crooked, half-timbered houses, and Drosselgasse, a popular street lined with one wine bar after another. We boarded a little Disneyland-like train that dropped us off in the center of town, where we toured “Siegfried’s Musikkabinet” in a building from the 13th century which houses the largest collection of mechanical music instruments (approx. 350) in the country. We were completely mesmerized by the stories our guide told us as we listened to music on everything from the teeniest music box topped by a little bird to a massive Concert-Piano-Orchestrion.
Afterwards we went for a coffee tasting at Rudesheimer Schloss, where they made us the most decadent mug of coffee, topped with sugar, chocolate, flaming Asbach Uralt brandy and schlag (a huge cap of freshly whipped cream.) Starbucks should so add this to their menu.
Other stand-out stops included:
-A guided walk exploring the Jewish community in Cologne-the oldest in Germany-where we visited the sobering El De museum, previously an old Gestapo prison. The cells were still covered with writings and drawing made by the prisoners. We also saw the home of the first eau de cologne.
-We toured the sumptuously appointed Reichsburg Imperial Castle (built around the year 1,000 A.D.) perched high above Cochem. Another fabulous guide captivated us with her background tales. This fairy-tale castle comes complete with secret passages, three-legged chairs (easier for knights to sit on when wearing full armor) gargantuan stone fireplaces and ornate furniture and artwork.
-Getting lost when we wandered through the charming town of Koblenz, contentedly licking our ice-cream cones, until we bumped into some other shipmates who steered us in the right direction.
5. Most importantly-How’s the food on board?
Well, you certainly won’t go hungry. As a matter of fact, you might want to go on a little diet beforehand to take full advantage of the Avalon dining experience.
A typical on board day of culinary delights on the ship:
-We luckily had a suite close to the clubroom, so we’d roll out of bed (still in our jammies) and dash down to the self-serve espresso machine for a couple of cappuccinos.
-The breakfast buffet always included a different flavored fresh smoothie and a full array of cereals, pancakes, pastries, fruits, smoked salmon, and the other usual suspects. Omelette’s and other egg dishes were cooked to order.
-Lunch (also buffet) offered a variety of salads and soup, pasta, hand-carved meats, various hot entrees and desserts. My fave was the outdoor Sky Bistro BBQ lunch, where you could choose (or pig-out on them all which is what I did) grilled sausages, chicken, steak or fish.
-Then you had to tough it out until teatime at 4:00 that included cakes and other sweeties.
-Dinner was a more elegant affair, featuring an a la carte menu with copious amounts of wine. We appreciated the bottles of quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar that graced each table. Just to give you a hint of the caliber of food that they offer, here’s some highlights from our eight course Christening Dinner. It opened with Canadian Rock Lobster and Salmon Caviar with Lobster Bisque, followed by Halibut with King Prawn, a palate cleanser of apple sorbet splashed with Veuve Clicquot, Roast Beef with fat White Asparagus, and a scrumptious Warm Chocolate Souffle with Basil Vanilla Ice cream and Rhubarb Compote.
-Call me a lightweight, but I never made it to the 10:30 pm feeding so can’t comment on that.
6. My first Christening
I didn’t know that when Avalon christens a ship they appoint a godmother, but I was thrilled to find out that the proud new Godmother of the Avalon Expression was one of my fave travel writers, Patricia Schultz, author of the international bestseller, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Earlier in the day we spent a riveting hour with her while she presented a slide show featuring her “short-list” out of the top 1,000.
Of her godmother duties, Ms. Schultz said, “It is an honor, without doubt, but also a thrill and a delight to have this chance to christen the Avalon Expression. I know that countless adventurers will fill every departure, excited by the promise of exploring Europe’s history-lined rivers. Sailing through its most special corners on such a beautiful vessel is something that makes me exceptionally proud!”
The champagne christening took place in a dockside ceremony in Koblenz, Germany, where the ship wore white, gaily accented with violet and white flower garlands. Guests, media and dignitaries gathered on the dockway to watch as Shultz cut the rope that sent the champagne bottle crashing into the hull of the ship, followed by more champagne toasts.
7. What’s in store for Avalon?
Stayed tuned for more exciting offerings in 2014. With the addition of the Avalon Expression, they now operate 12 ships in Europe and they have ordered three more for next year.
Avalon will be increasing its special interest cruises for “passion” travel by adding beer tasting, golf, wellness and World War I history cruises to its already diverse lineup.
With cruises on five (5) continents, 340 guaranteed Europe departures, 50,000 berths and 42 itineraries – Avalon is pretty confident it has a cruise to fit any traveler’s interests .
ABOUT AVALON WATERWAYS
Award-winning Avalon Waterways offers travelers the youngest, most innovative fleet of ships in Europe, China, Southeast Asia, Egypt and the Galápagos. Our travelers have inspired us to utilize more than 80 years of travel expertise to design the best river cruise experience possible. We’ve taken everything special about river cruising and made it even better—down to the last detail. Our views are panoramic and spaces large and inviting; comfort is king and dining both personal and flexible. And, thanks to our partnership with Globus, our itineraries are legendary. By design, Avalon cruisers are privy to all-inclusive access to a destination, including guided sightseeing in every port, VIP entry into key destinations and unparalleled cultural immersion and storytelling thanks to highly skilled Cruise and Tour Directors. In addition to countless trade accolades, Avalon Waterways has garnered some of the industry’s most prestigious honors: Among them, the river cruise company was voted the Best River Cruise Line in 2010 by Cruise Critic editors, among the top 5 river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure’s 2011 World’s Best Awards and Condė Nast Traveler’s 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards; the river cruse line was also chosen as the “Best Value in River Cruising” by Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. Avalon Waterways is part of the Globus family of brands.
Source Article from http://www.examiner.com/review/rivers-rule-when-it-comes-to-cruising-and-avalon-is-vying-for-queen-part-2?cid=rss
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