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| Me! All bundled up cruising through the Rhine River Valley |
For one week in November, we cruised from Amsterdam to Basel on the AmaSerena on the Rhine River. While it was a somewhat chilly trip, we were warmly enriched by the culture, scenery, food, and wine.
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| Amsterdam |
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| Our home away from home |
AmaWaterways's crew on the AmaSerena did a wonderful job making us feel welcome and well served during our time on the ship. With just 82 cabins on this vessel, you receive plenty of personalized attention and fantastic service. After a week, we had made friends with many of the staff and other passengers.
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| Double balcony cabin - a perfect place to watch the world go by |
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| A special evening at the Captain's Table |
Wine is included with lunch and dinner on all AmaWaterways river cruises. You are encouraged to spend time away from the ship at the ports so you can be immersed in the local culture and enjoy the many included excursions.
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| Taking photos |
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| Heidelberg Castle |
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| Cathedral in Cologne |
Our itinerary began in Amsterdam, Netherlands where we embarked through the man-made canals prior to entering the Rhine River in Germany. Our stops included the ports of Cologne, Rudesheim, Speyer & Heidelberg, Strasbourg & Kehl, Breisach & Freiburg, and finally Basel, Switzerland.
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| Cologne, Germany |
Cologne is a lovely city!
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| Freiburg German Christmas Market |
We were happy to learn the German Christmas market in Freiburg had just opened!
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| Christmas Markets just opened in Freiburg |
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| Heidelberg Castle |
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| Heidelberg Castle |
Heidelberg was my favorite stop -- a beautiful town with so much charm and so many gorgeous views! Excellent food and beer can be found there as well. While visiting the castle, we were treated to a light snowfall.
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| Sunset on Neckar River in Heidelberg |
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| Snowing at Heidelberg Caste |
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| 33% alcohol beer Vetter 33 with Käsespätzle (cheese noodles) in Heidelberg |
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| Rudesheim, Germany |
Rudesheim is a charming quaint village with some wonderful wines and locally made brandy. We loaded up with some great red wines, reislings, sparkling whites, and brandies from the town.
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| Rudesheim, Germany |
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| Rudesheim Wine Cellar Tasting Room |
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| Rudesheim, Germany |
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| Rhine River Valley vineyards and scenery |
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| Rhine River Valley castles and scenery |
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| Drinking Rudesheimer coffee with a warm blanket while watching the Rhine Valley scenery |
This part of the journey was the most scenic, so everyone was sure to stay on deck to enjoy the passing views. The crew passed out warm blankets and hot Rudesheimer coffee (which is made with flambéed local brandy) to keep us toasty.
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| Rhine Valley Reisling Grapes, Wineries |
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| Rhine Valley Scenery and Castles |
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| Castle |
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| Castle |
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| Rhine Valley scenery |
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| Neckar River in Heidelberg |
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| Heidelberg streets |
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| Heidelberg - view from the castle |
We had such a fabulous trip that we have decided to invite our friends, family, and clients on a Rhône River wine cruise in the South of France on the AmaDagio for Thanksgiving 2016. This unique sailing will be hosted by Barry and Kim Wiss of Trinchero Family Estates from St. Helena, California, and features complimentary lectures, wine tastings, exquisite cuisine and wine parings, and excursions to historic vineyards and wine cellars. More details at
www.adventuresbytheglass.com or
www.trytreasuretravel.com.
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