Up River

This morning we were up early in order to be ready for our collection by the chauffeur who took us to Heathrow airport. Unlike last year, we had a private transfer, so we had the car to ourselves with no diversions to pick up other travellers. We were at the airport by 9:05, and by 9:25 we were through security and we’ve had our comfort break. Trevor and Jane were not far behind us, and we met up in Leon for a coffee. Our plane was delayed by 25 minutes or so, but by midday we were in the air, on our way to Frankfurt.

Despite the late take-off, the flight was only 55 minutes, and we were soon wandering through the labyrinth of the airport to the border station where we queued for quite a long time as we were all subjected to the new European Entry System checks. We collected our bags, boarded the coach and set off to Koblenz. The trip was about 75 minutes, and I took the opportunity to enjoy a nap.

At Koblenz, where the River Moselle meets the Rhine, we were greeted on board our home for the week, The Spirit of the Moselle. We were shown to our cabin, where we dropped our hand luggage, and then made our way to the lounge for a cup of tea and a beer. Once refreshed, we had a quick look around the ship before returning to our cabin to unpack our luggage (which had magically appeared in the cabin while we were in the lounge).

We made our way back to the lounge, where we met up with Jane and Trevor, and went down to dinner in the Panorama Restaurant. The meal was excellent with free-flowing wine and a small but perfectly formed menu. We started with a spring salad, followed by a pork loin Wellington (which was outstanding). DI finished the meal with fresh fruit, while I had a selection of cheeses. It was a good meal, and portioned in such a way as to satisfy without leaving you feeling bloated.

After dinner, Di and I went for a stroll along the riverbank. It was dusk, but there was still some residual warmth in the air. It was very pleasant as we started towards the cable car, which carries visitors across the river and up to the fortress above the far bank. After our constitutional, we returned to the boat and joined Jane and Trevor in the Library for a while before we all retired for the night. It had been a long day, but it was a good day.