A road trip to Munich was an enjoyable break from the cruise. Before arriving in Munich we visited a BMW plant. Amazing modern complex and visitor center located across from the 1972 Munich Summer Olympic Village. A tragic event resulting in thirteen deaths dominated the news during the games and is known as the “Munich Massacre”.
Olympic Village as viewed from BMW complex.
An electric mini-my next new car?
The Hofbrau House. Just as I remember from a trip many years ago.
Lunch in a Ratskeller. A ratskeller is a bar or restaurant located in basement of city offices.
The remainder of our cruise included stops in small and larger German cities. All offered views of spectacular architecture and unique experiences. The photos below will give you a glimpse of these places.
Schlenkerla Smoked Beer Brewery in Bamberg, Germany.
Very hard to describe but let’s say it is an acquired taste! The local wine was served in individual bottles.
We were in a beer garden setting and a young family asked if they could sit with us. Of course! Their little girl who was about four years old spoke Russian, German and English! Sweet family who was gracious enough to spend some time with us.
Learn more; https://www.schlenkerla.de/indexe.html#
The ship’s version of a German pretzel and mustard.
A relaxing meal on our balcony.
Eating on the ship was an adventure on its own. Regional dishes were always included on the menu. It was a great way to try new foods.
Goulash soup was a favorite as were some German dishes.
These photos are views from our balcony onboard the ship. This area of the River has many castle ruins. As we cruised our program director provided narration including the history of each site.
There was so much to learn about travel and commerce on the rivers. Until a nighttime cruise through the Rotterdam area I had never realized the enormous industrial and shipping businesses along waterways.
These photos cannot show the almost science fiction like scenes.
And wild horses!
Our last stop on the river cruise before disembarking in Amsterdam was Kinderdijk, Netherlands.
Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinderdijk
As our river cruise came to an end we said goodbye to new friends but also realized we would have memories of experiences that would last a lifetime. The hundreds of photos I have shared cannot cover our entire itinerary but I hope I have provided you with a flavor of our Grand European River Cruise adventure!
I am sure you are asking where to next. Three more cities and visiting a friend were waiting for us after disembarking. My next post will share our three city adventure.
Rest and relax because we hit the ground running!
“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”
~ J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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