Maybe Someday…

The steely grey skies would follow us to Strasbourg France. It seemed fitting after learning of the tumultuous history of the long fought over region. We started the day once again boarding a coach for a short ride to the city. First on the agenda was a canal boat tour on the ll River.

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A local guide gave us the low down on Strasbourg which has a downright dizzying history. We won’t go all the way back to Roman times for this telling, but because of its strategic position in Europe, this “Town at the Crossroads” has long been coveted territory.

The region changed hands FOUR times between France and Germany in just 80 years. It was hit hard during the Franco-Prussian War, becoming part of Germany in 1870. After that, there was a period of harsh Germanization, followed by extreme re-Frenchification after World War I. Then back to Germany under Nazi rule during World War II. After 1945 and there was a strong need to purge all things German. It was fascinating hearing our guide recall how her own Grandmother had to change languages three times.

Next on the docket was a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. Now, I’ve seen my share of large opulent churches but, nothing like this.

When we rounded the corner and entered the square I audibly gasped. Pictures can not portray how massive this structure is. I stood in front and craned my neck way back to try and fit the facade into my camera’s viewfinder.

I haven’t been this Gobsmacked since viewing the Grand Canyon. It’s so hard to convey not only how massive this structure is, but also how intricately detailed it is. Victor Hugo was known to have described it as a “skillful combination of monumental size and delicateness”.

Because most people in the 14th Century couldn’t read, all the statuary and Icons on facade was a necessity to tell the story of Christianity to the masses.

Eighty percent of the Church’s stained glass is original. The windows traveled a lot during World War II. They were hidden by the French in southwestern France, then carted to northern Germany by the Nazis. They were finally saved and returned by the Monuments Men, British and American troops dedicated to returning art to its rightful place after 1945. There’s a film about this starring George Clooney that I now need to see. Can’t get enough Clooney.

I’m afraid my photos here were pretty poor. If you would like to see some real pro pictures check out this Column. You’ll see more amazing images like this one below as well as more details about the church, including its next most popular features, the Astronomical Clock.

Astronomical Clock is a result of the combined work of artists, mathematicians and technicians. The clock was first completed in 1574. The second clock stopped working around 1788 and stood still until 1838. Then Jean-Baptiste Schwilgué was commissioned to re-build it. For some strange reason he had wanted to work on the clock since his boyhood. For 50 years he studied clockmaking, mathematics, and mechanics. Construction lasted for five years and was inaugurated on December 31, 1842.

What does this exactly does this clock do you ask? Well, it shows the official time, the solar time, the day, week month and year. It has a mechanism that shows the sign of the zodiac, equinoxes, leap years, the moon phase, and the position of the planets. It can even calculate the dates of Easter under the complicated Gregorian rule.

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The main attraction of the clock, however is its animated figures which come out every day at half past noon. They rotate around the clock representing the different stages of life: a child, a teenager, an adult and an old man, all parade past Death. Higher up, the apostles have their own parade before Christ. Their journey is accompanied by the beating of wings and the sound of a large cock crowing.

This was really a marvel to see. Honestly you’re going to get a much better view than we did. Because this event happens just once a day, there’s a scramble for tickets and position. A scratchy film is presented on a pull down screen about the history of the clock whilst the people crowd in. Not the best experience. Below is a fantastic 4k presentation that this lady wishes was offered at the church…in a comfy theater.

It was getting more overcast and starting to sprinkle so we decided it was time for a beer and a snack.

We came across this little spot with a few seats under the awning and swaggered on in.

We decided to order the aforementioned Foi Gras along with a Flammekueche which our Disney guides had practically ordered us to try before leaving.

Flammekueche is a French dish with a very German name which makes it perfect fare for Strasbourg. It’s a sort of super thin flat bread with creme fraiche, onions and lardons (strips of bacon). It was worth the hype.

Fed and rested we trekked back out. We had a nice bit of respite from the rain so we took another loop around the city taking in all the charming sights.

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This afternoon was a bit confusing as far as the itinerary. There were a couple of wine tours but the timing of the shuttles was a labyrinth of if/then scenarios depending on which tour. We decided to abstain and just go back the the boat to relax. While Mr. Jones took sieste in the room I decided to join the macaron making class that was offered upstairs. It turns out to have been more of a “putting together” rather than making situation.

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As the afternoon wore on the sun started to peek out so I wandered to the top deck for the first time. The space was enormous with tons of seating, lounging and play areas. Even a pool to dip in…but not today.

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It was soon time to gather in the lounge for the evening rundown and briefing for the next day. These got more and more fun as the week went on. There were photo contest slide shows and celebrations of birthdays anniversaries etc. A lot of rah rah silliness. Not specifically our cup of tea, but we will participate if forced.

It was finally time to eat! I took a snap of the Chef’s recommendations this night. It’s not the complete menu, but gives you an idea of what was available each evening. There were different vegetarian options each night as well as a standard list of options for “picky eaters”.

I only remembered to photograph the beginning and the end of the meal. The trout was exceptional. All the components were well seasoned and so creative. The green sauce is a macha cucumber emulsion. Chef’s kiss!

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This will wrap up the France portion of the voyage. Tomorrow we will be cruising on to Germany and meeting up with the sunshine!

Today we will be going out on our first excursion! Overnight, our captain cruised us safely to port in Germany. However, today we will be visiting the bordering Alsace region of France. Riquewihr is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France (we will be the judge of that) but first we enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the boat. We were then rounded up for a forty five minute coach ride to our destination. Our Disney guides regaled us with some history and facts about the area along the way.

The Hotel De Ville greets you at the entrance of the medieval village. This is actually the town hall. Hotel just means “large building” in French. This 1930’s structure doesn’t really give you much of a hint of what lies beyond it.

This tiny cloistered village was just stunning. Having spent so much time in “Disney fake Europe”, it’s hard not to think of these buildings as “sets” and not real historical dwellings. There is a Disney connection, however. The village of Riquewihr is said to be the inspiration behind the town from Beauty and the Beast. 

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The layout and structure of this village is unchanged since the 16^th Century. The half-timbered buildings, oriel windows, beautiful inner courtyards, elegant fountains and ancient wells are just stunning.

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Riquewihr is known as a Winzerdorg or a “wine village”.  The gorgeous vineyards on the mountain slopes can be seen from alleyways creeping down to the gates of the village.

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It was now time round up the “Adventurers” for a group Sausage and Cheese tasting. You don’t have to ask me twice!

We were ushered up a narrow staircase to this charming dining area. We claimed our spot and anxiously awaited the grub.

I expected some cubes of cheese and meat in tiny toothpicks but boy was I wrong. The servers brought out huge pewter trays of sausages and gorgeous cheeses along with baked terrine, pickles and warm baguettes.

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This cruise was an all inclusive affair that provided three meals a day with much wine and beer. On this day our lunch was presented in the form of cash. We were given a few suggestions for restaurants in the village, but did you guys see all the meat and cheese we just ate? We decided to keep the cash and just wander around this adorable hamlet some more.

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While we weren’t hungry for lunch, I was quite prepared for cappuccino and dessert. There was no shortage of cafés to visit.

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Throughout the trip we were given little extras. This day we got to visit one of the many macaron shops in the village and choose a dozen “free” (after having paid $$$$ for the trip) cookies.

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Next on the agenda was a wine tasting. We walked on over the the Dopff Winery, just outside the village walls.

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This trip is a Food and Wine adventure. I booked the package and then shortly after decided to stop drinking. Timing is everything! There will be many more tastings, but there was also so much to do and enjoy that it really was not an issue. This tasting included Kuglehof! I ate more than my share of cake.

It was time to round up the group and make our way back to the coach. It had just started to rain a bit as we were getting ready to head out. The forecast for the entire week was pretty dire, with the rain seemingly following us all the way up the Rhine. I was pleased we got the day in. Back on the ship, we had a bit of down time before dinner. I took a wee video from the balcony:

I mentioned in the last post how outstanding the food was on the ship. We were blown away. I regret that I didn’t take a photo of the menu each night for descriptions. I also neglected to get a pic of each course each night but there will be a smattering of pictures throughout the trip.

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This was a proper good first outing. We got a feel for how things would run and how tired we would be at the end of the day. There was entertainment in the lounge each evening. We went down on this first night and were, let’s just say, disappointed in the quality of the act. We decided cozying up in our room and reading/watching movies would be the better choice. All in all it was a wonderful day.

Tomorrow we will be moving on to Strasbourg France where my jaw will be dropping to the ground at the sight of the most amazing structure I’ve ever seen.

This was a trip that I was sure would not come to pass. Way back in 2020, when things were all quite uncertain to say the least, I decided to propose the idea of going on a Rhine River Cruise. To my surprise and delight Mr. Jones said “Sure!”. This acquiescence was most likely because he assumed the world was coming to an end, so he wouldn’t have to pay for it. Despite several surges in Covid, an Eastern European war, and a drought so severe that the Rhine River was essentially dried up just weeks before our October 2022 sail date, the vacation went on as scheduled.

I booked this trip through Adventures By Disney. I had been hearing about this travel guide service for years. It is a bit (okay, a lot) more expensive but my understanding was that it was worth every penny for the excellent “Disney Difference” brand of service. The itinerary included Switzerland, France and Germany, ending in the Netherlands. Amsterdam has a special place in our hearts. Loyal readers of this blog (you know who you are) may remember that my first entry was journaling my time wandering around in Amsterdam while Jeff was on a work trip nearby. It was life changing and spurred my yearning to continue to travel.

We arrived in Basel Switzerland a day before the cruise start date just to be safe. This allowed us to enjoy a full day and a half exploring this city by ourselves. We checked into our hotel and headed right out determined to quash the inevitable jet lag.

I had a short list of touristy things to do in Basel. The first of which was to go to Town Hall. I know, sounds pretty boring but it’s going to be great. The Town Hall is the back drop of a bustling Marktplatz.

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This is a working government building. You can’t go inside without having business, but you can explore the courtyard.

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Next, we set out to find Basler Münster Cathedral, which shouldn’t be difficult seeing it’s two hundred feet high and at the tallest point in the city. The church is located on the Munsterplatz which is a plaza encircling the Cathedral. From the front side, there’s one square with a row of old houses in pastel colors, while another square behind the Cathedral offers spectacular views of the Rhine river with whole city beneath you.

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Back to the Cathedral. I had read that one can climb the 250 steps via a claustrophobic, narrow staircase to the top of one of the towers for breathtaking views of the city. We decided that our step count was already pretty high so we passed. We did take a look around the sanctuary though.

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We were long overdue for a tasty snack. Switzerland can be pretty pricey. In my research it was suggested that the best value for lunch is a bakery. They often have sandwiches and light meals for a fair price. We enjoyed more charming facades as we looked for a bakery with a cappuccino for me and a beer for the Mr.

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Another must-do in Basel is to try their official cookie, Läckerli. These cookies have been prepared in Basel ever since the Middle Ages. They are like an extra chewy gingerbread with hazelnuts, almonds, candied peel, honey, and Kirsch. I definitely wanted to pick some up for my mom, who was selflessly dog sitting and taking care of our house. Thanks, mom!

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There roughly a gazillion museums in Basel. We had a bonus card from Disney for discounts, but it was so beautiful out that we just couldn’t bear to be inside. We did however swing by the Museum Tinguely. Jean Tinguely was an artist and painter who most often used scrap metal to create mechanized kinetic art. You can check out his creations right outside in the courtyard. Here’s a ‘lil video:

These mechanized creations were intended to mock the “improvements” of the industrial revolution and modern reliance on technology. I just thought they were a winsome delight.

It was time for a libation. Mr.Jones is on a Negroni kick these days so it was serendipitous that we stumbled across a bar dedicated to Campari, the chief components of the drink.

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We wandered past another Museum and dipped into the courtyard.

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We moved on to a path that winds beside the Rhine River when we noticed these sort of spa pools and a sign with instructions in German.

Jeff seemed to think that it was mandatory to comply with this foot bathing rite. I’ve since read more about it and I’m still just as confused.

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A fun and cheap thing to do on the Rhine is to take one of the four ferries across the river. “Wilde Maa”, “Leu”, “Vogel Gryff”, and “Ueli” run from one riverbank to the other without the use of an engine. They are attached to a long wire cable and are driven purely by the current of the Rhine itself. This little trip can save a ton of walking and only costs two Francs. The views aren’t too shabby either.

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Once across the Rhine we discovered a lovely river walk of cafés and bars. The sun was hitting the golden hour.

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Let’s take in some of the atmosphere. A little video for you

The evening was wearing on and I was wanting something sweet to finish up. We found a very traditional Swiss restaurant and scanned the menu when I spotted strudel. Perfect! The server asked if we were ok with waiting because it takes a while. Um, I guess so. As we waited a long time as predicted, we watched the Schnitzel and Fondue pots pass by. Man, it looked amazing.

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The next morning we had our provided buffet breakfast at the hotel. Quite sufficient and tasty.

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We had a few hours to tour around before making our way to our River Cruise. We just strolled and enjoyed the views and had a few more beers and cappuccinos.

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Our ship arrives! We were cruising on the Amalucia from Amawaterways.

The ship was really beautiful. Not extravagant but lovely and impeccably clean. There were no signs of wear and tear…and I looked. Our cabin was spacious and well appointed. I chose a middle level room with a double balcony that was half inside half outside. The bathroom was fairly large…bigger than the one in my first apartment.

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All of us “Adventurers” (Yes, that’s what they called us) met up in the lounge for introductions and a briefing on how the trip would unfold day to day.

After the pep rally from the Disney guides we were sent off to dinner. I’ll say right now that the food on this cruise was exceptional. Each evening there was a five course meal presented with several choices for each course.

I didn’t take any food pics this night. We were sitting with a charming couple and got talking. Plus I was a little self conscious. Worry not. I’ll be taking more pictures as the week proceeds.

We would try our best to get a good night’s sleep (I didn’t) for official start of the voyage. We will cruise the night away and wake up tomorrow in Germany! Er…France. Well, both I guess! See you then.

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We’ve arrived at our last day in the Land of Fire and Ice, but we won’t be saying goodbye just yet. We were gifted a gorgeous day to wander around and catch some last views and vistas of this extraordinary place.

We had been thoroughly enjoying (horking down) the included hotel buffet breakfast during our stay. On this day, we decided to go a bit lighter on the gratis meal and save some room for some sweets at a local bakery which we had passed several times during the week.

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We took our time enjoying our treats and coffee. It was at this point that the reality was setting in that the end was nigh. Let’s not think about it. How about a walk then?

Statuary and art is dotted all around the city of Reykjavik. You may recall that I highlighted some murals in my first installment. This piece is right by the fishing docks at the Harbor.

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A little further down you’ll find an iconic piece of art “The Sun Voyager”. This striking landmark was created by Icelandic sculptor Jon Gunnar Arnason to celebrate Reykjavik‘s 200 year anniversary.

None of us had yet done any sort of souvenir shopping. Deb was on the hunt for an authentic Icelandic sweater. We dipped in to a few shops and found our treasures in this place.

Deb found the perfect sweater. I don’t have a picture of her modeling it so I’ll use this one from the internet.

This next statue we happened upon is called “Vatnsberinn” (“The Water Carrier”) by sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson.

This one sparked heated debates back in 1937 when it was first installed. It was meant to represent the hardships of the public at the turn of the century. People called it ugly and weird and said it was not considered beautiful enough to be placed in the heart of the capital, so it was relegated to the far reaches of the city…until 2011 when it finally arrived to the location originally reserved for it, on the corner of Bankastraeti and Laekjargata in central Reykjavík. I had no horse in this race but, finally, justice!

We’ve ended the cultural portion of this tour, now on to the culinary. I did no research on what the “must try ” foods are in Iceland, but we inadvertently happened upon most everything on the top ten list I looked up for this here blog. We had the Skyr, the Rye Bread cooked in a hot spring, Rancid Shark… all the hits! What I wouldn’t have ever guessed was an essential Icelandic food would be the Hot Dog.

Hot dogs are so ubiquitous and beloved in Iceland, they’re practically the national dish. They’re sold at every gas station and most convenience stores, at hot dog stands inside malls and at ferry landings, and even at the airport, but the most popular place to get one is in Reykjavik at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur.

It’s been open in all sorts weather and crazy storms every single day of the year for almost 85 years!

It comes highly recommended that you get your dog with everything. That’s raw white onions, crispy fried onions, ketchup, sweet brown mustard called pylsusinnep, and remoulade. If you want to amuse the person behind the counter you may attempt the Icelandic for “everything” “ein með öllu” . Good luck.

I mentioned at the start of this blog that we were traveling during the Pandemic. I believe that this place was the perfect destination to get some perspective. The unofficial motto here is ‘Þetta Reddast‘ (pronounced thet-ta re-dust, if you care to try). This phrase roughly translates to the idea that everything will work out all right in the end.

This would make sense in some tropical, trouble free paradise, but this is freakin’ Iceland, a place of constant uncertainty. A small, isolated island with perpetual threats of erupting volcanoes, avalanches and brutally unforgiving weather. The country sits on the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and those plates are slowly moving apart, widening Iceland by about 3cm per year and causing an average of 500 small earthquakes every week.

One would think that anxiety would rule the people here, but it doesn’t. One of our guides said as much. To paraphrase “There are a lot scary unknowns here, but just look around. We enjoy the beauty of this place everyday and we are just thankful to be here.”.

When we planned this tripped waaaay back in December of 2020 we had no way of knowing that there would soon be a seismic event. Yes friends, we have an active volcano here!

Unfortunately, the lava stopped emerging just a few weeks before we arrived. Womp, Womp. The above photo is from the interwebs. No matter. We still took an excursion to the valleys of Geldingadalur to check out the smoking remains of the event.

En route to the Volcano site, our driver pulled over by a couple scenic spots where we could snap some pictures. Despite the steely skies, the vistas were just gorgeous.

Our next stop included a trip to a lil’ lavatory which was located at a hot springs. This was far stinkier than the Geyser park that we visited previously. This smelled like hardboiled eggs and toots.

We arrived at the volcano site. I guess I expected it to be more like the other parks we visited with a cafe and visitor center. Not so.

I’m not a hiker in the least. When we arrived here I could see tiny figures aaaall the way at the top of this mountain. I thought “Hey, look at those go getters! We’re surely not going to climb this beast!” You can put this in the “times that I was totally wrong” column.

Fast forward to the top of the mountain. Sorry I didn’t take any picks of the ascension. I was too busy trying not to fall to my death.

Now we get to have a close up look at the steaming lava field. It may not look that dangerous, but just under this crust is 2000 degree lava. Our guide keep stressing this point due to the fact that some other tourists still insisted on walking on the lava, despite the various leaders shouting as much.

Here’s a badly filmed video I took. Sorry, I don’t know how to use my camera properly after all these years.

With lunch on board, it was time to roll on. I haven’t really gone on about the weather being poor. Honestly, the gloomy skies over the volcano seemed appropriate. However, this is where things took a turn for the worse. It started to rain sideways. Despite the deluge, we pulled over to explore this stunning, rocky cliff face.

This spot also has a Hollywood connection. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is a very cute film Starring Will Ferrell. The story is based in Iceland and this is the exact spot where the opening “number” was filmed.

We made one more “pull over” stop before reaching our final destination. I’m not sure where it was because it was so ridiculously rainy and windy that I turned right back around and waited on the bus.

The big finale for this excursion is the The Blue Lagoon. This is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland and is listed on National Geographic’s 25 wonders of the world!

The Blue Lagoon is basically a “Spa-zilla”. Its history dates back to 1976 when it was formed next to a geothermal power plant, Svartsengi. It was created by wastewater from drilling for steam and hot water. Wait, what? It’s gonna be fine, trust me.

The drilled water is full of dissolved minerals mixed with seawater and is therefore not suitable for direct use to warm up homes (the minerals would damage the pipes). Instead, the water heats freshwater, which is pumped to nearby urban areas.

After this, the seawater is released into this nearby lava field. Lava is porous, so water usually sinks into it. However, this water is loaded with silica that separates as it cools down. The silica forms a muddy layer over the lava which stops the water from seeping through and Viola! We’ve created the Blue Lagoon.

You’re probably thinking yeah, Blah blah blah, let’s see this Lagoon already! Well, remember how the weather was total crapola? Yeah…

I know, you’re probably feeling super bad for us but do not! The temperature of the Blue Lagoon is a consistent 102 F, so despite it being cold, raw and sleeting sideways, we did have an amazing soak. I just couldn’t take any pictures for your enjoyment.

Lucky for all of us, my friend Keela visited the Lagoon a couple months before we did, so I nabbed one of her pictures from her FaceBook page.

Now you feel worse for me, don’t you… Honestly, it really was amazing. Rain and all.

Our bones were thoroughly soaked. We assembled onto our bus and were escorted back to our home base. As you can imagine we were pretty well knackered at this point. We plunked down at this adorable, American-style hamburger stand for some grub.

That was a heck of an adventure. Let’s get a good night’s sleep for our last day in Reykjavik! We’re gonna make the most of it!

There have been many destinations on my bucket list and Iceland was not one of them, but when this incredible opportunity came our way, it was a no brainer. Our good friends Deb and Scott had honeymooned in Reykjavik and had been several times since. They reached out to tell us about a stupid good deal for flights, hotel and excursions so we went for it. For those historians looking back through my archives, this trip was scheduled during the covid times so to be honest, I wasn’t sure we would even get there. Alas, we made it! We set out with our friends/tour guides to the land of Fire and Ice.

In addition to being perturbed about hanging around the airport lobby at 6:00am, he was also so exhausted. How do I know this? Well, because he suggested that Jeff do the driving because he was so tired. I spent the entirety of the one hour drive riveted to his drooping eyes in the rear view mirror. Needless to say, we all survived. There was some sorting out of rooms to be done, so in the meantime we took advantage of the included buffet breakfast. I’m told this is a great perk because although it’s cheap to get to Iceland, it’s expensive to be there. We took advantage of this every morning. Not as much advantage as the lady who stuffed here backpack full of croissants though.

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After breakfast, we still had some down time so there were naps taken in the mid-century lobby.

Naps had and rooms sorted, we took a stroll. We started around the waterfront. This hotel was in an ideal location.

Along the waterfront you’ll find he Harpa Concert Hall where one might catch a Bjork performance. This was a brilliant example of architecture.

We made our way to Reykjavik’s Main Street, Laugavegur. Its name roughly translates to ‘The Water Road’. This was where women used to bring their laundry to be washed in the hot pools.

It was time for a proper sit down and a drink. Deb and Scott had been here before and loved it. I could see why.

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This the the portion of the day where it down-poured. We made our way to another bar where I had to shed my waterlogged sneakers. The weather prediction for the week was a washout, so I was not surprised or disappointed by the rain.

We made it to a reasonable hour to head back to hotel to call it a day, but not before stopping in the lounge for a night cap.

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We finally got to see our room. There was a welcome gift….for Laura and Bjark! We were too tired to go back down to the front desk.

We had a capitol first day keeping awake and seeing some sights close to our temporary home. Tomorrow we will be setting out for an all day tour. Friends, this will be epic!