Travel/Europe: Cruising the Rhine River – Champaign/Urbana News

By RICK KUBETZ

In their tantalizing television commercials, Viking River Cruises invites travelers to experience destinations up close, promising a unique engagement. Turns out that they are right.

A year ago, my wife, Carrie, and I were invited by some close friends from our college days to join them on a Viking River Cruise down the Rhine River.

After months of anticipation, we finally met our ship, the Viking Lofn, on a sunny October afternoon. Custom-designed for river travel, the long ship’s two decks (plus a level below the water line) transported 190 guests and about 50 staff past 1,000 years of European history.

Our stateroom was similar to those found on an ocean cruise liner but located just a few feet above the water line. From our adjacent balconies, we enjoyed glasses of wine in the company of local ducks and swans, while waving to the passing barges and pleasure craft.

The first two days found us in Amsterdam, where we toured the city’s fabled canals and the grand art repositories of the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. We successfully dodged the “killer bikes” (imagine a culture where bikes have the primary right-of-way) and enjoyed refreshments al fresco on the market square.

Unlike ocean cruising, most days are spent on shore excursions with local guides or on our own.

First stop: Kinderdijk, whose windmill-powered pumps originally reclaimed the land from the sea. In Cologne, Germany (where cologne was first introduced), the old city surrounds northern Europe’s largest cathedral. Craning our necks and cameras upward, one could imagine generations of craftsmen, who, for more than 600 years, carved its details and raised its spires to honor God.

We toured Marksburg Castle near Koblenz, dined on bratwurst in Rudesheim and people-watched in Old Heidelberg. We were introduced to the Alsatian culture in Strasbourg, France, and motored through the Black Forest, stopping only for clocks and cake.

At the end of our 10 days on the Rhine, we disembarked in Basel, Switzerland. Our group had opted for a two-day extension in Lucerne, a beautiful city located an hour inland at the foot of the Swiss Alps.

Our last full-day excursion turned out to be the highlight of the trip, beginning with a cruise through the early morning fog on Lake Lucerne to the foot of Mount Pilatus. Boarding its legendary cog train, we inched our way up to the mountain-top hotel (7,000 feet) and its 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains — a mind-bending experience for us flatlanders.

After lunch, we descended the back side of the mountain via cable car and drove to a working Swiss dairy farm (very “Sound of Music”) where we sampled the proud farmer’s milk — like half and half, but sweeter — courtesy of his naturally grass-fed cows.

From there, we headed to the local co-op dairy, and, after gowning up appropriately, we learned how to make cheese. The evening closed with a fondue dinner, and we got to take our crafted cheese home as well.

Traveling with good friends — fellow Illini Doug and Pat Gray, Ed and Jan Reeg — completed the special experience, and I’m sure we will continue to share our memories on future adventures. Yes, we have decided that we are travel-compatible; plans for the next trip are already brewing.

Rick Kubetz is a senior communications specialist in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. Just prior to the river cruise, his wife, Carrie, retired after 18 years as a staff member with the Urbana School District.