Discover hidden villages and fairy-tale castles on a luxurious river cruise

All these and more were packed into a week of gently floating along the Rhine on board the Scenic Opal, surely the most luxurious of luxury river ships. 

I joined the all-inclusive vessel in Amsterdam for an eight-day voyage travelling south bound for Basel, and immediately set about browsing through the cabin (suite with balcony and a bathroom vanity unit to satisfy Kate Moss). 

I came upon a list of services provided by the butler, Ratko. 

He would, if asked, draw a bath, serve early morning tea, pack and unpack, clean shoes, organise theatre tickets and limousines and lay on cocktail parties in one’s cabin. 

Eat your heart out Bertie Wooster. 

Decisions were to be made the next day with the choice of visiting the towns of Volendam and Edam or a city tour of Amsterdam.

I chose the first and was surprised to find how small Amsterdam was – the coach taking us beyond the city in less than 20 minutes. 

Edam is a small dormitory town full of gables, churches and, of course, cheese shops. 

The Reformation in this country is called the Alteration, with Protestant churches displaying swans and Catholic church crosses.