2016 - Great Rivers of Europe
1996 - SCOTLAND & IRELAND
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2016 - Great Rivers of Europe
with Bill & Judi Hecht
We had done Christmas Markets on the Rhine and the Danube, but not on the Main. So, we decided to combine all three for a nice summer cruise. We arrived in Amsterdam and boarded our ship, the River Harmony. Our cabin was very nice, with a big picture window.
We had a day in Amsterdam while waiting for everyone to arrive. So, we went on a canal boat ride. We cruised through classic Amsterdam, with bridges, bicycles, and gabled houses. We stopped briefly at Anne Frank’s house. We had toured it several years ago when all you had to do was walk in, and someone would take you through the house. Up the narrow stairs behind the bookcase to the rooms, pretty much as they had left them. There were still pinup pictures on the wall and the crowded furniture. Now you must get a reservation weeks in advance or plan to stand in a very long line.
Back to our riverboat to attend a meeting with our guide, Petra. There will be 30 in our group. Petra told us about her background and then gave details of all the places we’ll be seeing, descriptions of the three optional tours offered, etc., etc. Everything you’ll ever need to know. Better take notes!
We bought a souvenir mug. Do we need it? No. Do we have about 100 mugs at home? Yes, but it’s a nice size and very colorful… And every time we use it, we’ll remember this trip…
COLOGNE
Petra, with her long legs, set a fast pace to the great Gothic cathedral. We are always in awe of the stained-glass windows, the nave, and the soaring arches. We took pictures inside and out. Interesting facts: the 515-foot twin-spired cathedral is the tallest in Europe. The cornerstone was laid in 1248 but was not finished until 1880. Legend has it that relics of the Three Wise Men were brought to the cathedral. It survived World War II but was damaged 14 times by bombs. It’s in a constant state of repair. Some believe that if the cathedral is finally finished, the world will end!
COLOGNE
Now we were cruising the most picturesque part of the Rhine. We cruised past castles and churches and vineyards and little villages. It was fun to recognize some of the places we had visited on previous trips. The castle in the town of St. Goar brought back memories of eating dinner in the outdoor dining room on one of the parapets.
We went through areas where the Rhine River was so high that there was barely enough room for the ships to pass under the bridges. Sometimes,, as we sat on the sun deck, an attendant would warn us, “Low bridge—don’t stand up.” So, we would sit quietly in our deck chairs and watch the underside of the bridge pass just inches above our heads. It was a rather eerie feeling.
RUDESHEIM
Our boat docked at Rudesheim, a very touristy village. We walked up the cobblestone narrow street with lots of little shops to the restaurant where we had reservations. A band was playing, people were talking, and the noise level was very high. We had a typical German meal: green salad, sauerbraten, noodles, red cabbage, apricot cake.
HEIDELBERG
A bus took us on a one-hour drive to Heidelberg with Petra talking nonstop all the way. Then she led us on the crowded, cobblestone streets, up and up, passing many interesting shops. We got caught in a brief shower that got us wet before we could get our jackets on.
Then we were on our own. We took pictures of Market Square and the statue of Hercules, then walked to the bridge with the impressive gates. We walked partway across the bridge and back to the designated place for bus pickup. No time to see the famed castle on the mountain overlooking the city. We’ll have to come back here on our own someday. We did get a nice picture of the bridge with its many arches.
CANAL FACTS
Back on the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, we learned many interesting facts. It connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Black Sea and Russia. It crosses the Continental Divide at 1,332 feet. This is the highest point on Earth reached by watercraft.The Danube River has 14 locks, and some of them are double-length so they can accommodate two ships at once. Otherwise, each lock is exactly 38 feet by 304 feet. It took 32 years to build the locks, which were completed in 1993, at a cost of 2.3 billion euros.There are 63 locks in total, and we went through every one of them. Each one required the lowering of chains right below our cabin. Very noisy!
One night, we went through four locks. It was very interesting to stand on the deck and watch. First, we were in a large metal lock. Then, as water filled the lock, we were lifted until we were level with the new water level. The gates were opened, and we sailed out of the lock.
WURZBURG
We had a guided tour through the Bishop’s Palace. It was mostly destroyed in April of 1945 and reconstructed at a huge cost. We saw 6 or 8 glittering, beautiful rooms with mirrors, paintings, gold ceilings, and much more. Later that evening we enjoyed a men’s choir concert. 25 men, accordions, harmonicas, drums. First-class singing, especially “Anchors Aweigh.”
BAMBURG
We had a walking tour that ended at the cathedral. It was a classic old church with a beautiful rose garden. A nearby restaurant had outdoor tables with a great view. It was hot, we were thirsty, so we ordered 2 big Appletizers. They were good but not as good as South Africa.
The sun deck was closed all day. Clearance under the bridges - just 18 inches. The captain’s bridge was lowered. The captain had just his head above the deck so he could see where we were going.
NUREMBERG
We took a bus to the “Hall of Justice.” This is where the trial of the Nazi leaders was held. Our local guide was very good, with a PhD in German history, moral laws, etc. We sat in the front row of the visitors’ section and had a good look at the seats where the Nazis sat. Some notes from the lecture …
In times of war, the law is silent, but this courtroom did not remain silent on 20 Nov. 1946. Civilization will not survive another time like this.
The Nuremberg Courtroom is the birthplace of International Criminal Law and Justice. Present as journalists or reporters: John Steinbeck and Walter Cronkite. Goering sat in the first seat, Hess in the second. They were accused of War of Aggression, Waging War, and War Crimes. They had killed 50-60 million people. The evidence? Films of death camps, statements of Survivors, 300,000 documents- all condemned by these things and their own words.
Trial results:
3 – released
12 – ten years to life
10 – sentenced to death by hanging
REGENSBURG
The Bridge - the beautiful 800-year-old stone bridge was covered in scaffolding. But we walked across it and listened to our guide tell us all about Regensburg. We had been there previously, so we decided to leave the group and go on our own way at a slower pace. We went inside the beautiful Gothic cathedral and took pictures of the Gothic arches, altar, and stained-glass windows.
PASSAU
This is one of the most beautiful Bavarian towns. We have been here several times, and the magnificent cathedral is always awesome. To see it on a beautiful, sunny day was an added blessing.
We stepped inside to view the famous organ, the largest church organ in the world (or in Europe, opinions vary) It has 17,000 pipes! Would love to hear it played. No pictures allowed.
MELK
This was also a repeat visit. (Christmas Markets on the Rhine and an independent driving tour.) But Melk is one of the most impressive places in Europe. As you approach the town, you see the Abbey built on a huge outcropping of rock. It is almost the same size as the town. It was built in the 1700s, and the school is still operating with 900 students. There are pictures in previous stories.
The impressive library has books on every wall, floor to ceiling, 16,000 in all, and that is just one room. There are 100,000 books in total in the Abbey. And then you walk into the very glittering and ornate chapel. We’ve been in many cathedrals, but none can compare with the Grandeur of Melk Abbey. There are 365 windows in the chapel, with a cherub in each one.
We joined many others on the sun deck of the ship to enjoy the scenery as we sailed through the very picturesque Wachau valley. We were watching for the blue and white church in Durnstein. Our previous picture was in the rain. Now here it was in sparkling sunshine.
VIENNA CONCERT
The concert was in a beautiful concert hall. The orchestra played mostly familiar music, especially Strauss. A ballerina and a ballet dancer entertained, and they were outstanding. Likewise, two opera singers who acted out the meaning of the music. It was a magical evening! It was a wonderful ending to our trip.
2021 - INDIAN OCEAN
Family Fun at the Indian Ocean
MALINDI, KENYA
The beach house was perfect for our family. The ground floor gave access to the beach. 3 bedrooms on the 1st floor were very large, and each had sliding glass doors to a veranda. The spacious dining room on the 2nd floor was next to the mostly modern kitchen. There was a crow’s nest lookout room and a large living room. There was plenty of room for the children to play Hide and Seek or Treasure Hunt. The 3rd floor was mostly open, and the windows, left open, let an occasional bird fly in. The cook would go after it with a broom and shoo it out the door.
The beach house was perfect for our family. The ground floor gave access to the beach. 3 bedrooms on the 1st floor were very large, and each had sliding glass doors to a veranda. The spacious dining room on the 2nd floor was next to the mostly modern kitchen. There was a crow’s nest lookout room and a large living room. There was plenty of room for the children to play Hide and Seek or Treasure Hunt. The 3rd floor was mostly open, and the windows, left open, let an occasional bird fly in. The cook would go after it with a broom and shoo it out the door.
It was breezy and warm all the time, with the temperature night and day about 85. We were only 3 degrees south of the equator. It rained only once - a brief shower. We had found an ideal place!
The cooks prepared breakfast for us; scrambled eggs, big, fat sausages, baked beans, freshly squeezed orange juice and mangoes. We loved those big fresh mangoes every day! We were on our own for lunch with free use of the kitchen. Evening meals featured chicken curry and rice, guacamole, mango and watermelon. Another memorable meal was a freshly caught white snapper fish. It was baked to perfection and served on a big platter complete with head and tail. This did not go over very well with the little girls. “I’m not eating any dead fish!” It was really very delicious!
The beach house was built right on the sand, and we had the spacious beach all to ourselves. It was situated on a shallow lagoon, with coral reefs farther out. The gentle waves made it very safe for the children: Adeline, 6; Cecelia, 4; and Samuel, almost 1. Carol and the girls were out on the beach every morning before breakfast. They loved collecting little shells and pieces of coral. There were also lots of hermit crabs, what fun! The girls would make little houses out of sand, then catch the crabs and put them in their houses. The crabs promptly crawled out, of course.
GLASS BOTTOM BOAT TOUR
A taxi took us on incredibly rough roads, the worst you can imagine. Amazingly, the children sat there quietly, all belted in. Never a complaint because “the roads in Ethiopia are much worse.”
We went past settlements of crude houses, little shops, cows and goats, and lots of motorcycles.
We arrived at the boat marina and found we had to wade out to the boat. We encountered sandbars and then shallow water. I had a strong man on each side of me to get me safely to the boat and then literally lift me in. The boat was not exactly first-class, but it did have a glass bottom, and the children were thrilled to see fish swimming right below us.
Some of the family went scuba diving and reported seeing brilliantly colored fish. Then the boat was moved to a sand bar where they could all get out and enjoy shallow wading, jumping the waves, and playing in the sand. It was just right for 1-year-old Samuel, and he loved it. The boat motored back to near shore, but now the tide was out, and the boat anchored quite a distance from shore. It was a long quarter-mile walk through the water.
MALINDI BEACH
Yesterday some of the family went on a beach walk and discovered a cafe about a mile away. So today we all went there. Since it was too far for me to walk, they called for a motorcycle taxi. The road was dusty, rocky, and bumpy.
There were deep holes filled with sand. Thank goodness it was only a 10-minute ride. The beach was picture perfect with turquoise water, white sand and palm trees. There were padded chairs under umbrellas and hardly anyone there but us. There were 2 boys on the beach building an elaborate sandcastle. Adeline and Cecelia quickly joined them. They caught little hermit crabs and put them in seashells. Very exciting and fun! We sat at a shaded table and watched the beach fun from afar. Our lunch was delightful in this beautiful setting. We enjoyed grilled chicken and French fries, cold bottled water or Sprite, and mango ice cream. The children ate a little when they could leave the sand crabs.
When it was time to leave this idyllic place, Al decided he would like to ride on the motorcycle, too. However, it was not made to carry 2 passengers, and he had to sit on the metal carrier. The overloaded motorcycle could hardly make it through the sand and rocks. But we did make it, and Al was sore for several days.
KENYA’S GRAND CANYON
This place is also known as Hell’s Kitchen. It does resemble our Grand Canyon on a much smaller scale. And it was very hot! We were the only tourists; they said that COVID nearly wiped them out. So they were very happy to see us. One of their young men was a guide, and our family all signed up for a one-hour hike. I found a cool, shady place to sit and admire the unusual colors and rock formation.
LUNCH ON THE BEACH
We stopped for lunch at a rather upscale place right on the beach. The tables and chairs were in the sand and were a bit unstable. Al fell over backwards but had a soft landing. While we were waiting there was plenty to do. Beach vendors were selling: T.shirts, shell jewelry, pictures, dresses, and much more. Carol, Allison and I strolled over to the area where they were selling dresses.
There were 3 ladies, and they had quite a pile of dresses. They asked me, “What color you like, madam?” I said “blue” and instantly all 3 ladies produced blue dresses. “This dress looks very nice for you, madam.”
The dresses looked good for Allison, and she bought a couple for $5 each. I didn’t think they looked like ‘me’ so I passed.
DAY AT HOME
This day started with a treasure hunt, a big hit! Carol wrote clever clues on pieces of paper and hid them throughout the house. The girls raced through the big house, upstairs and downstairs, following the clues. The final clue led them to the treasure: two tiny kittens, which they dearly loved. They held them tightly in their small hands. Then they went to their Gramps and asked him to build a house for their kittens. They brought him building materials, twigs, leaves, and strands of rope. He sent the girls out to find more twigs and pebbles. Soon, he had constructed a nice little house, complete with a a hammock and beds.
The cook showed Allison how to make Chapati, a favorite local dish. It is made with just wheat flour, water, and oil. When filled with beans or vegetables, rolled up and fried, they are delicious.
One afternoon Adam and Allison wanted to take the children to a perfect swimming spot they had found. It was quite far to walk, so they got 2 motorcycle taxis.
We had a quiet afternoon by ourselves. Soon Adeline came bouncing into our room, so happy for the good time they had. She had found a really small bottle on the beach and tiny shells to fit in it. A present for our cat, Ginger. Both girls were so attentive - they wanted to help me walk and would put their small hands in mine.
STICKY ROLLS
A family tradition is making sticky rolls. We thought it would be fun to make them here at our beach house. I had brought some of the ingredients with me and the kitchen had the rest. Allison and the girls kneaded the dough. Here is 4-year-old Cecelia taking her turn at rolling out the dough. The rolling pin is really a chair leg. The rolls were a big hit!
At one of the beaches, we looked at the original crafts on display. Right away I saw a picture painted on canvas. Two giraffes followed by two elephants and a lion. We knew it would look great over our piano, so we bought it. Easy to carry home rolled up in a suitcase.
We had it stretched and framed, and as we were hanging it on the wall above the piano, we said we have 2 giraffes that are posed like that... and those elephants, we have 2 like that, and I think we can find a lion. Sure enough, we soon had 5 animals lined up just like in the picture.
HOW FAR CAN WE WALK?
Because this was a shallow bay and the tides were not very high,, it was possible to wade out a long way. So, today, our family decided to see how far they could walk at low tide. They carried Samuel, but the rest walked. We watched them get smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared over the horizon. We couldn’t see them at all.
Then we began to worry. What if they couldn’t see the shoreline? What if they became disoriented? Soon, we saw some heads appear above the waterline, and within a few minutes, they were back. They weren’t concerned because they could always see a reference point. Carol said it was really eerie to see nothing but water in all directions.
CRAB RACE
That evening Adam and Allison went for a walk on the beach, and they brought in a pail full of hermit crabs. We put them on the floor and watched them run. How about a race? We put sticky notes with numbers on their backs and had a crab race! The trouble was, they didn’t run in a straight line.
One final precious memory of our time there.… We all sat around a bonfire on the beach. Adeline on Gram’s lap, Cecelia on Gramps. Just a memorable time together and sad, thinking of parting soon. We sang a few songs, and Cecelia said, “I want to sing in bed.” Allison always sings them to sleep. What a beautiful way to end our time together.
2022 - SWITZERLAND GRAND FINALE
Festival parade - Mountain hikes - Birthday Parties
MURREN, SWITZERLAND
Our traveling days were about over. We were both in our 90s, had each had hip surgery, and knew it was time to retire from traveling. We had had so many wonderful travel experiences, but we wanted one more: a trip to Switzerland with our family.
And so it came about that on August 5, we arrived at the Zurich airport, where McDonald’s was our great meeting place. We had traveled with our son Larry and his wife, Carol, and soon we were joined by their daughter Allison and her family, who had come from Ethiopia. Three happy children ran into Gram and Gramp’s open arms. What a welcome!
Three train rides and a cable car took us to our destination, the mountain village of Mürren. It is perched on a ledge of the mountain, high above the valley at 5,300 feet. We had been here several times, and it had become our very favorite place. We knew we wouldn’t be able to do any hiking, but we were sure our family would love it.
Our mornings started with a sumptuous breakfast featuring rolls, croissants, fruit, and beverages. Adam was usually the first one in the breakfast room with the children, Adeline, 7; Cecelia, 5; and Samuel, almost 2. Then, as soon as Gram Carol arrived, they were all in her lap.
Samuel especially loved looking out the window to see the little one-car train that brought luggage from the cable car station. It glided by every 30 minutes and never failed to excite him.
The frosting on the cake was learning that the annual Mürren Village Festival was just two days away! This is when the farmers bring their cows down from the mountain pastures and join in this celebration. (Not to be confused with the October event, when the cows come down from their summer pastures to spend the winter in warm barns.)
We joined the crowds lining the streets, and then we could hear them coming. The bands with their trumpets and drums and the cows with clanging bells and flowers atop their heads. They even had cowbell bands with men swinging huge bells back and forth. There were many bands and cow herds, they had come from all over the valley. Apparently, it is a tradition for the townspeople to walk behind the cows and bands. Larry and the children joined them!
A colorful, exciting day, and we were there!
They all went hiking, even Samuel, who had nap breaks in a carrier on his Daddy’s back.
Every day was a sunny day (how fortunate), and the family took full advantage of it. They went way above Murren, more hiking than we’ve ever done. The girls trotted right along, sometimes barefoot. They saw waterfalls and woods, chalets and cows, with the mountains towering all above them. They picked flowers and ran in the meadows. At the end of the day, they would tell us all about their adventures and share the pictures.
There was a wonderful playground just a few minutes from our hotel. The children spent many happy hours there with mountains all around.
Larry and Carol, and later Allison and Adam all made the ascent to the top of the Schilthorn. 9,700 ft. (3,400 ft. climb)
Cecelia celebrated her 5th birthday and Samuel his 2nd. Happy time for the whole family.
On our last day in Murren, we decided to have one last adventure, just the two of us.
We took several trains to Grindelwald, and there we got on the new Eigergletscher, the longest cable car in Europe. It goes from Grindelwald up to the Eiger. They carved out of the mountain a huge space for a train station, shops, and restaurants. We could see the 4 big windows of this station from our hotel way across the valley.
From our cable car, we had a great view of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.
As our little train approached Murren, we had one last view of those unforgettable, awesome Swiss Alps. And our family was glad we were back safely
We had had 12 straight days of sunshine - unbelievable! But now, this last night, it was raining as we made our way to a restaurant. It was right on the edge of the village, and we could look straight down into the valley.
It was the place Larry had discovered that had a piano, and he had stopped there several afternoons to play the piano. So, this evening we had dinner music, and he played our favorite pieces. It is a nice bittersweet memory.
The next morning it was raining again as we pulled our luggage to the little train that took us to the cable car.
One more glimpse of the Lauterbrunnen valley. Then more train rides and finally Zurich. Hugs and kisses and goodbyes. On the long flight home, I remembered little hands in mine, little voices in my ear, and those beautiful mountains.
God has been so good to us! We have traveled the world for several decades and seen the incredible work of God’s creation, and we did that with some of our dearest friends. We have been so blessed! We hope that all of you get that same opportunity.
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