A five-day cruise on AMA Waterway provided an amazing Christmas experience. Our grandson and his new wife invited us to go on their December honeymoon. On arrival to the ship, we were greeted with champagne. Lovely dinner with menu choices so we could all enjoy something the size and flavors of our personal taste. Daily options for tours allowed us start in Paris and travel through four countries: France, Switzerland, Germany and Holland. On Christmas Eve, Santa made a visit and left each of us a gift in our shoe that was left outside the cabin door. Incredible Christmas memory at moderate cost with comfortable accommodations and excellent food choices.
Paris, France
Paris, the city of love decked out for Christmas. We walked in the area of our hotel, visited Galleries Lafayette which had highly decorated Christmas window displays. We visited Sacre Cour and the Eiffel tower, going up to the second floor. We took a canal cruise and we went to the Louve.
Basel, Switzerland
We boarded the AmaPrima and were greeted with champagne and then we settled into our comfortable rooms. Dinner was served in the Main Restaurant including: oyster mushroom soup, shrimp tempura cake followed by sorbet to cleanse the palate. Main dish included: slow roast beef sirloin, balsamic shallots, garden vegetables, and saffron polenta slice. Dessert was poppy seed raspberry parfait ice cream. Quite the culinary dream.
Breisach, Germany Dec. 22
After breakfast we were transported by bus to Breisach Germany, situated on the German side of the Rhine and directly facing the Alsatian region in France. We walked in Riquewihr which is described as one of the most beautiful villages of France. There are only 1500 residents and the village has remained unchanged over centuries as it was not damaged during World War II due its location at the foot of the mountains. The castle inspired Walt Disney’s images for his princess movies. The streets are cobblestone, the houses are half-timber and the Christmas singers and market made the morning very festive.
Strasbourg, Germany Dec 23
The afternoon included a trip to the Christmas Market. The Strasbourg Christmas market is one of the oldest in France and dates back to 1570. During the Middle Ages the fair was called the ‘Saint Nicholas Market’. Fairs and markets were frequently held in the large towns of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation. The festive celebration was aimed at distributing presents among the children on the occasion of the celebration of Saint Nicholas. On December 22 December 1570, the municipal council made the decision to dedicate the fair to the Christkindel, the Infant Jesus, who reigns over all Christians. After the 1990s, the Christmas Market has spread to many other places and been enriched with additional activities including concerts, exhibitions and other activities.
The Gengenbach Advent Calendar is made on a building with windows for each day of the month. This Christmas exhibition is motifs from “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Valeria Docampo. We walked through more Christmas markets stalls and drank hot chocolate. A novel announcement of the birth of a child attracted our attention as we watched the celebration of the birth of Christ with music and performances.
Ludwigshafen and Speyer, Germany Dec 24
This day was a morning tour of a Christmas Market and a visit to Speyer. Speyer has 50,000 residents in the German state called Rhineland-Palatinate. It is one of Germany’s oldest towns, founded by the Romans. Konrad II, a Salian emperor from Speyer was elected King of Germany. Konrad had a mighty cathedral build that was consecrated in 1061 although not completed until 1111. It was the largest church of its time and became the burial place of eight German emperors and kings. The Speyer Cathedral remains the largest Romanesque church to this day.
The first Jewish community emerged in Speyer at the instigation of Bishop Rudiger Huzmann in 1084. He invited the Jews to move to Speyer and settled them in the former suburb of Altspeyer which he had surrounded by a wall for their protection. He granted the Jews rights and privileges which went well beyond the contemporary practice. The Jews’ Court (Judenhof), contained men’s and women’s synagogues and the Mikveh (a bath used for ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity). (Judenbad). The ruins of the Speyer Synagogue are the oldest visible remnants of such a building in central Europe. The Mikveh, first mentioned in 1126, has remained almost unchanged to this day and is still supplied by fresh groundwater.
After dinner we had a visit from Santa Claus and everyone was expected to sit on his lap and receive a gift. We did, the gifts were a small wreath and a nutcracker which we will happily display for future Christmas decoration.
Rudesheim, Germany December 25
This is a small and charming port town that has about 7,000 residents. The town dates back to the Romans and is now home of the famous wine “Riesling”. There are remnants of three castles in the center of town which belongs to the Archbishops of Mainz.
“Asbach” brandy is a specialty of Ruedesheim and a key ingredient in Rudesheimer coffee. A sip of the brandy is poured into a special mug, set on fire, doused with coffee and topped by whipped cream and chocolate flakes.
On Christmas day we took a “Choo coo” into town to visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum with many beautiful wooden music boxes and gramophone players. A volunteer had given up her Christmas time with her family to come in and give us an excellent tour of the museum.
Afternoon, we sailed up the Rhine Gorge on the most famous stretch of the Rhine River. No less than 30 castles or castle ruins are located on this short stretch of river valley. Commentary came over the loud speaker so we could be comfortable inside but know what we were seeing. During the 12th century every Lord wanted a castle for himself. They cost a lot of money to build but they also made money for their owners as each castle owner could demand custom money from whoever passed, no matter if by land or water. The Rhine is truly an international river since it traverses and borders six countries: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands. The slopes are covered by vineyards, castles and picturesque villages.
While cruising through the Rhine Gorge, we passed the famous Lorelei Rock, located in the narrowest and deepest stretch of the river. There are many stories about the Lorelei and many wrecks are attributed to her as she was so beautiful and sang bewitching songs so that sailors would sail into the dangerous currents to get close to her.
Cologne (Koln), Germany December 26
Cologne is a major cultural center of the Rhineland. It is German’s fourth largest city with a population of over one million people. The Romans settled there in 50 BC because of the natural harbor and the city grew quickly. The city motto is “Live and Let Live!” The Cologne Cathedral is the most recognizable landmark. The Cathedral was built to house the reputed relics of the three kings (Magi) and was the tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel Tower in Paris was constructed.
Kolsch Beer is part of the local life of Cologne and may only be produced in the breweries located in and around the city. It is clear, light, highly fermented and aromatically bitter with a strong flavor of hops. The word Kolsch actually means “from Cologne”. The city’s most famous produce is “Eau de Cologne”, better known by its brand name “4711″. At the beginning of the 18th century, Italian expatriate Johann Maria Farina created a new fragrance that he named after his new residence, Cologne.
The Christmas market is actually six markets in one, the four largest and most impressive parts are located right near the town’s beautiful Gothic cathedral. There are half-timbered stalls, a temporary ice-rink, a floating market and the Medieval Christmas market providing a family dream experience.
Amsterdam, Netherlands, December 27
A canal cruise to see Amsterdam and some sights. The historical bridges and buildings intrigue us and we can imagine what living in the past would have been.
Amsterdam is a lovely place with lots of canals and bicycles. The Christmas spirit was apparent everywhere we went. The final part of the cruise suggests even the sun was celebrating.
