Elegant Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Tracey and I have gone on Viking’s Paris to Normandy cruise twice – in 2012 and 2015. On the first cruise our ship, the Viking Spirit, docked in Paris near Parc Citroen. On the second cruise we were on a new longship, the Viking Rinda, that was too long to be able to navigate into … Continue reading Elegant Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Enchanting Village of Colmar
Colmar is a medieval village in the Alsace region of France, not far from Strasbourg. Its ancient buildings and winding streets provide a fairy tale-like experience year-round, but it takes on a special charm for the holidays with Christmas Market stalls erected around the church, in front of shops, and by the old Custom House. … Continue reading The Enchanting Village of Colmar
Rothenburg Christmas
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (on the Tauber river) is a Bavarian village where it feels like time has stood still. Undamaged in WW2, this village is surrounded by an ancient wall punctuated with towers. The village embraces the German Christmas experience in a huge way. The head office of the famous Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas decoration … Continue reading Rothenburg Christmas
Nuremberg Christmas Market
The first Christmas Market we ever visited was in Nuremberg, Germany, where they’ve been held for over 400 years. We’ve been hooked on winter cruising and Christmas markets ever since, and the Nuremberg Christmas Market was our introduction. We’ve gone on five Viking cruises in the winter. Our first cold weather cruise (after two spring … Continue reading Nuremberg Christmas Market
O Porto!
This is the final posting from our Douro River cruise with Viking that we took in December 2019. We spent time in Porto at the beginning and end of the cruise portion of this trip, staying onboard the Helgrim for two nights at the beginning and at the Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa our last … Continue reading O Porto!
Lamego
On our last morning onboard the Viking Hemming, we were treated to the (false) promise of improving weather when a rainbow was spotted over the hills surrounding our docking location, upstream from a dam on the upper Douro. Looking downstream to the dam and upstream toward Spain, the Douro looked perfectly navigable: As we started … Continue reading Lamego
Not So Sunny Salamanca
On a typical Viking River cruise on the Douro, the bus trip to Salamanca Spain is anticipated with dread by some travelers because of its duration. Since flooding had kept our ships from actually cruising, for us this trip was just another day on the bus. To help psych us up for our long ride, … Continue reading Not So Sunny Salamanca
Castelo Rodrigo & Flamenca
After a long day of bus travel and multiple outings in Favois, we had a lazy morning on our new ship located roughly 120 miles east of Porto. The program director delivered a talk on the Douro River and its history, followed by a live cooking demonstration, where the ship’s chef had two volunteers try … Continue reading Castelo Rodrigo & Flamenca
Halfway There Travelers 