We've visited so many places that are similar--large castles, cathedrals, and half timbered houses that dominate the landscape. I like cruising on the Rhine River much more than the Danube--more to see along the way and we can go under the overpasses without fear of hitting. One ship ahead of us that was sailing in the Danube got stuck due to low water, and a ship that was one day behind us couldn't pass under the bridge due to too much rain!! Now that we are on the Rhine, our upper deck is open once again--it was closed for five days continuously. The control room and all other things up there collapse down and this enables the ship to squeak under the low bridges.

We visited one old castle in Marksburg, a palace in Wurtheim, and a cathedral in Cologne. All of our excursions have been walking tours of the cities. Most have completely recovered from the war; Cologne looks newer because it was bombed so badly that almost all the buildings have been rebuilt.

Today is our last day aboard--we are supposed to arrive in Kinderdijk, Netherlands later this afternoon and take a walking tour. I've caught a cold and it's raining, cold and windy--so I may not go if it's still bad weather.

We fly out tomorrow afternoon to London, and will stay overnight in an airport hotel. We are supposed to meet our Princess guide at the airport on Sunday morning to take us to the port in Southampton for our next cruise.

The trip is winding down..only 2 more weeks to go and we will be home!

This Viking Cruise has been fun, but I think I prefer the larger ships more. They have more to offer as far as entertainment goes, not to mention room service, laundry facilities, a hot tub/spa, fitness facility, and movies under the stars. The best thing about this cruise has been all the wonderful people we've met. I think we will definitely be keeping in touch with them, but time will tell.