Sailing on the Romantic Rhine

---

Sailing on the Romantic Rhine

I rollover as the boat floats effortlessly on a carpet of water. I look out our window, it’s raining and I don’t care. Kirsten snuggles up next to me as we both slip back into our dreams.

WOW! What a great night sleep. I gently slip out of bed and out the door before Kirsten knows I’m gone. I’m the only one up besides the crew who is busy getting breakfast ready for the early risers. I sit at the bow of the boat watching the rain as I sip my coffee.

Mr. Vaughan would you like your usual breakfast. Yes, please. Yea, it’s gotten that good. By the time my breakfast arrives, Kirsten is standing next to me. I’m getting spoiled you know, yea me too.

Around 9am Claudia comes over the boat intercom giving everyone a wonderful monologue of all the castles and villages along the Rhine. This is why its call the Romantic Rhine. Castles nested upon the hills with vineyard-blanketed hills down to the river. Each one has it’s own story and unique look.

Kirsten and I sit and listen while sipping on cappuccinos. As I set my cup down I feel the boat stopping and I mean stopping. The way Kirsten downshifts and throws the car into a turn. I look at Kirsten and she says NOT ME! I laugh.

Turns out two barges ran into each other ahead of us and are blocking the river. The police boat pulls up and tells the captain to turn around. The captain looks at the officer and speaks some German and police smiles and says it’ll be a couple of hours to clear it up.

Everyone on the boat including Kirsten is running about looking and talking to the crew asking has this ever happened before. You’d think it was international incident. Me… I just lean back in my chair and close my eyes.

The boat starts moving and wakes me up after an hour or so. I look up and Kirsten is nowhere around. I’m thinking we didn’t dock so she has to be on the boat somewhere. Yep, I find her. She’s on the Bridge. Discussing with the captain how she would maneuver around the two barges. The captain looks at me; in his best English says, I’ll see you for dinner tonight Kirsten. I think that meant … please take your wife off my Bridge.

Hey Kirsten, they just put out some cookies would you like one? Sure!

Off we go and the captain winks a thank you at me.

After an hour or so of sailing, the Rhine connects with the Mosel. At the intersection of the rivers is this HUGE monument. The captain directs the boat into the intersection and then pulls a turn that truly was a Kirsten maneuver.

After sailing for an hour we docked in Cochem. You guessed it, another very cute town, with a castle up at the top of the hill. We were given the town tour; yes we stayed with the group and rode up to the castle. We toured the castle. It was baroque with splendid neo-gothic rival.

Blah, Blah, Blah.

You get it, an old castle where the peasants at the bottom of the hill served the guy on the top of the hill.

After hearing all about Cochem and the castle, Kirsten and I split off from the group and walked down from castle into town. I’m sure we had a beer or two before we got back to boat.

That night the Captain joined us at our table for dinner. Kirsten was so excited; it’s that whole thing about women loving men in uniforms. The women at the other tables were so jealous. Kirsten and the captain talked and he explained everything about the boat, the rivers and his career with Viking. Me, I just sat there filling up Kirsten’s wine glass.

Oh yea! We had a delicious 5-course meal and that evening we danced and finished off another bottle of wine. What a perfect evening.

I’m thinking this is a little piece of heaven on earth.

That’s why it’s called the romantic Rhine, Ja!

Good night

---