EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE BUDAPEST TO AMSTERDAM - 2018
Friday Aug 17 - Köln
We woke up moored in Köln (Cologne), a 2000 year old city and the second largest on our itinerary after Vienna. The railroad bridge in the background rarely had less than 4 trains on it at any one time.
Getting ready to visit the nearby cathedral. There was a nice bike and pedestrian route to it from the ship.
Squeezing through two weird modern buildings to get to the cathedral.
One of the finest existing gothic cathedrals. The flying buttresses are what keeps the relatively thin walls from collapsing.
Nothing but gothic arches
After the cathedral we headed downstream on a very scenic bike path.
The MS Rhein Cargo advertises greater Cologne harbor round trip fahrts, theme fahrts, and charter fahrts.
Not to be outdone, the K-D (Köln-Düsseldorf) line offers party fahrts, panorama fahrts, event fahrt, and fireworks fahrts.
Cruising down the river
All you need for a good rest stop: a bench and shade
I had wanted to cross the bridge and return on the opposite side. But the bike approach was closed due to construction. So we rested and headed back.
After returning to the ship we continued upstream for a while. It wasn't as green as downstream; but there was a wide bike path.
I doubt this is a real castle.
The chocolate museum
If you don't like chocolate how about mustard?
When we got back to our room, we discovered the maid had played a trick with towels. From this angle about all you can see is the trunk. But the picture does give an idea of our room with its wall to wall window that opens.
From this angle it looks like someone is riding the elephant.
In the middle of the afternoon we set sail for Amsterdam, leaving some daylight to see some of the lower Rhine in Germany.
By dusk the Rhine has become much wider
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