EUROPE!!

        Earlier this year, I found out that I would be going to Europe on a river cruise in November for a mother-daughter trip, and naturally I was crazy excited!  After all, it's Europe, rich in culture, history, and fabulousness!  Ever since then I'd been anxiously anticipating the date we would leave--November 21.  And finally, finally, it came!!  After packing three suitcases and two backpacks, my mom and I were headed to the airport.  Our first flight was to London, where we would catch our connecting flight to the river cruise's departure port; Basel, Switzerland.  Our total flight time was about ten hours, and that's not including the time spent in the airports before both flights, but everything went pretty smoothly and we arrived in Switzerland on the afternoon of November 22 (we had an evening flight on the 21st and there's a six-hour time difference between Europe and America, so nearly a whole day had passed since we left home).  

Europe, here I come!

My dinner on our overnight flight to London 

We reached London at dawn, and you can see the orange clouds just below the plane wing in the picture above. I was so excited to be in London, and when I heard my first British accent IN BRITAIN I was pretty thrilled.

In London!

Switzerland!! As we were flying in I saw the Swiss Alps below--I'll have to come back someday to visit that famous mountain range!

        By the time we had taken a taxi to the hotel in downtown Basel where we would be spending the night before boarding our river cruise the next morning; there was still time to explore the city before dinner, so we headed out! It was like a whole new world in Basel.  The buildings were so different, unlike our industrial architecture in America. The city was very active, with people biking and walking everywhere.  A lot of people were smoking cigarettes as well, and I soon realized that smoking is a lot more popular in Europe than it is in America.  I enjoyed seeing all the differences and similarities between Basel and home as we explored the city, and of course one of the highlights for me was the historic atmosphere of the city. Cobbled streets, steep alleyways, and historic buildings were everywhere.  After walking around the Old Town area of Basel for a bit, the cold got to us and it grew dark, so we headed back to our hotel to settle down and get some much-needed rest. 

The view from our hotel room

Every city we visited on the cruise had a cathedral, and this one is Basel's: the Basel Minster 

Basel's Town Hall

The Rhine River runs through Basel, and here it is at night. Tomorrow we would set sail on this very river!

        The next morning (after an amazing night's sleep!), we left our hotel and dropped our bags off on our cruise ship, the AmaSiena. Our ship was beautiful and decorated festively for Christmas. We met some of the crew, enjoyed some coffee (I had my first espresso shot!) and then took two of the ship's complimentary bikes out to explore Basel some more. As I pedaled around, I felt like a true Swiss (remember me mentioning that the Swiss bike everywhere? Their bikes are like our cars.) First we biked to Three Countries Point, where you can stand in Switzerland, look across the river to the right, and be looking at Germany! If you look across the river to the left, you're looking at France. This was a cool stop, and after we were done there we went back to the ship for lunch.  After lunch we took the bikes to an old city gate called the St. Alban Tor that was built in the Middle Ages.  As evening fell it was the perfect time to visit the Christmas markets, which were open for their first day of the season.  The Christmas markets were composed of rows of stalls with people selling food, mulled wine (it's a thing at the Christmas markets), ornaments, jewelry, winter accessories, and all kinds of souvenirs. I bought an adorable pair of gingerbread man earrings at the first Christmas market, and at the second we purchased a real Swiss-made pocketknife for my dad. I loved the Christmas markets, and I loved meeting and talking to the vendors there, it was honestly my favorite part of our time in Basel.

The AmaSiena

Meeting the AmaSiena crew!

Three Country Point, with the three fins of the monument each bearing the flag of the country it points towards

This house looked like something from a fairy tale with the ivy crawling up the round tower

St. Alban Tor

The first Christmas market

Swiss francs are so colorful!

We bought a crepe from these nice guys at the first Christmas market, and it was delicious! The filling was what the crepe guys called 'Swiss chocolate', which is like Nutella with crunchy cereal inside--divine! 

The second Christmas market

A huge German Erzgebirge pyramid--a tiered Christmas decoration that spins when the candles are lit

Biking alongside the Rhine 

        Before I tell you about our first night on the ship and the next day's activities, let me just take a minute to tell you about the FOOD! The vegan food on the cruise was delicious, and the chef whipped up custom meals just for us!  The maitre-d was so sweet and accommodating (he also looked like a fancy, trim pirate!) and we enjoyed the variety of yummy dishes they prepared for us every day. 

This apple pie muffin was delicious

The food presentation was so detailed and skillful

I realize most of these food photos are of the appetizers and desserts--I guess those were just so cute and artistic I photographed them more

Avocado toast for breakfast was so tasty. Let me just tell you, they had some of the best pico de gallo I have ever tasted 😍

The chef made us crepes one night for dessert!

        That night after we'd settled into our spacious cabin (it had a balcony, a fabulous bathroom, and a cute sitting area with a French balcony) we headed to the dining room for our first dinner onboard. The cruise line we sailed with, AmaWaterways, tries to create intimate settings perfect for making new friends, and for several of our meals in the dining room we joined our fellow cruise passengers. This was what we did on our first night, and the couple we dined with were very charming and kind. They were the first of many people we would meet on this cruise, and I really enjoyed the friendly, community-oriented atmosphere aboard the ship and among our fellow passengers. 

There was a Sip and Sail Cocktail Hour every night on the cruise, but I don't drink (even though I can legally drink in Europe!) so the bartenders made me special alcohol-free drinks--without me even asking them to! The crew worked hard to accommodate each and every one of their guests, and it really meant a lot and showed their dedication. 

Relaxing on our balcony

        We woke up the next morning and had arrived in Germany! The Rhine serves as part of the border between Germany and France, so we went back and forth between the two countries on our cruise.  Every day on the cruise, at each port, we had a choice of excursions--the options varied from biking and hiking tours, food and drinking tours, and walking tours exploring one or two cities nearby.  Today my mom and I had booked an excursion to Riquewhir, a tiny village in the Alsace region of France (France has regions, America has states) that appears to have jumped straight out of a fairy tale.  In fact, it somewhat has--Disney based Belle's village in the cartoon movie Beauty and the Beast on Riquewhir.  

The drive to Riquewhir was scenic, passing pastel houses, green plains, and vineyards

Macaroons!!

This well was so fairytaleish!

The village was decorated for Christmas, giving it an even more charming, cozy effect

This shop window advertisement gave me a good laugh--Stetson, Made of America. Seeing this was like a little piece of home.  

The Riquewhir bakeries were selling lots of tasty treats 

We visited one of the city's old medieval gates, the Dolder Gate. Here you can see the date the gate was built--isn't that crazy?

My beautiful mommy!

Of course we got French pastries!!

        

        The next day, we docked in Strasbourg, France.  Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament and the second-largest port on the Rhine River.  We started out our morning with a historic and enjoyable tour of the city center, including the stunning Gothic Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg.  After the tour, we walked around the La Petite France area of the city before going back to the ship for a quick lunch and some gingerbread decorating.  Later that afternoon we bussed back into the city, which was only about a fifteen minute ride, and had some fun exploring the Christmas markets!  Strasbourg was probably where I had my most memorable Christmas market experience.  People--both locals and tourists--were everywhere, crowded in the streets, and though some people certainly weren't fond of the crowds, I enjoyed the merry hustle and bustle (and body warmth from all the people--it was a cold night!).  The vendors were once again very friendly and seemed to appreciate our attempts to communicate in French (though thankfully, they all spoke English).  Then it was time to catch the last bus back to the ship, so we joined up with the remaining cruise passengers who were still out exploring and headed away from the Christmas markets to our bus. This was another highlight of the night--sharing our Strasbourg adventures of the day as we walked back, laughing together, and getting to know one another better.  When we arrived back at the ship, a smiling crew and a delicious dinner were awaiting us--life was pretty great!

The Ill river that runs through Strasbourg

The Janus fountain (named after the two-faced Roman god), designed in 1988 by Tomi Ungerer on the occasion of the city's 2000 year anniversary. The two faces of the fountain (only one is shown in the picture above) represent the city's French and German culture. The brick aqueduct (the double arches above the face of Janus) is a symbol of the city's Roman origins. 

Our tour guide explained that Christmas decorating is like a competition between the different shops--who can have the best decorations and therefore attract more customers? 

Okay I have heard that the bread in France is magical. Literally. But I didn't get the chance to try it so...there's an excuse to come back to France!

This guy was selling roasted chestnuts outside of one of the Christmas markets

The Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg forms an impressive backdrop for one of the Christmas markets

One of the tapestries in the cathedral

This elaborate clock is in the cathedral, and here's a funny story--it's off by eleven seconds! Our tour guide joked that if it had been built by a Swiss clock maker instead of a French one, it would've been perfectly on time!

This is probably one of the coolest stained glass windows I've ever seen. It's the face of Jesus, obviously--but if you look closer, you'll see small photographs of people making up his face. The designer had a photographer take pictures of the cathedral's congregation and used those photos to form the face of Jesus. 

We had our first real French macarons while in Strasbourg, and they were delicious--so fresh and sweet, with a delicate outer shell. 

La Petite France!

Taking a quick break from exploring to do some gingerbread cookie decorating aboard the ship!

Did I mention the crowds?

The stunning Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg at night

        The next day was Sunday, and my mom and I spent the day in Speyer, Germany.  Today was a German holiday, so a lot of the shops were closed and there weren't many people out, but that didn't stop this from being one of my favorite days of the whole trip.  Speyer is a charming town with tons of history, adorable houses, and a homey, local vibe.  Our tour guide was so sweet and really awesome; after the tour during our free time, she took us to a local restaurant where we had some real German pretzels (fun fact--the German pretzel was originally called a bretzel!)  After we finished eating, she gave us a tour of the Old Town district, which was so sweet of her. When night fell and we returned to the bus, I was happy we'd chosen Speyer as our excursion today.  

The Speyer Cathedral is built in a Romanesque style, which I thought looked very nice

The inside of the Speyer Cathedral. Our tour guide explained that the interior was decorated simply so as not to distract from the religious purpose of the cathedral. 

The second church we went in (not the cathedral) was a Lutheran church and the inside was very pretty and homey. The paintings lining the balconies tell the stories of the Old and New Testament

At the local restaurant

The Speyer Cathedral at night

One of the old city walls

This monument beside the cathedral depicts the night Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane

One of my favorite things in the world--cobbled streets lined with colorful buildings and bikes

In the Middle Ages, Speyer was home to one of the most significant Jewish communities in the Roman Empire.  Sadly, the community was totally wiped out during the Holocaust. Today the remains of the community, including the synagogue ruins in the picture above, can still be seen. 

The ritual bath (mikveh) used for ritual cleansing

Exploring Old Town Speyer

        But our day wasn't over yet, we still had to ride the bus two hours to Rudesheim, where we'd be boarding another AmaWaterways ship: the AmaLucia.  We were originally supposed to be on the AmaLucia for our entire cruise, but due to heavy rainfall, the river had risen too high for the AmaLucia to make it all the way to Basel, Switzerland; for the beginning of our cruise.  So we spent the first half of our cruise (from Basel to Speyer) on the AmaSiena, and the second half on the AmaLucia.  

Welcome home to the AmaLucia!

        The next day, we spent the morning in Rudesheim, a small medieval town in Germany.  We visited Siegfried's Mechanical Museum, which has a collection of big music boxes that practically hold an entire orchestra inside.  This was a really fun, quirky, and musical museum, and I'm glad we visited it.  After the museum, we walked around the Christmas market, but it was very chilly so we decided to head back to the ship.  As we were walking back, it began to snow!  So magical. 

At Siegfried's Mechanical Museum!

There was a little bunny and chicken town near the museum, and I couldn't resist snapping some pictures of these cuties!

        That afternoon, we enjoyed a scenic sailing through the Rhine Gorge past numerous castles and fortresses lining the hills and overlooking the gorge.  This experience was so cool, and I couldn't get over the fact that these castles were legitimate--actual dukes and nobles had lived in these castles during the medieval times--they weren't just reproductions!  But we didn't just sail by the castles--we actually got the chance to go in one!  Lahneck Castle in Lahnstein, Germany; was originally built in the thirteenth century, but was mostly destroyed during the Thirty Years' War in the seventeenth century.  Nearly 200 years later, the castle was restored to its original state.  We toured the candlelit castle that night after we docked in Lahnstein, and it was a really unique experience.  

 

Lahneck Castle!

Inside the Great Hall were these suits of armor and a gorgeous tapestry

        Sometime after the castle tour, the ship left Lahnstein and headed to Cologne, where we arrived the next afternoon.  Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city, and is known for its huge Gothic cathedral.  Our time in Cologne started off with a walking tour around the city, led by a local guide (that's another thing I loved about the excursions on this cruise--the tour guides at each of our ports were locals, so they knew the best spots and attractions around the city and could give a more personalized tour).  Afterwards, our group split up to explore on their own.  My mom and I visited the cathedral first, then the bustling Christmas market beside the cathedral.  

       

The detailed decorations over the cathedral's entrance 

This mosaic floor inside the cathedral was so pretty

This cathedral was one of the biggest I've ever visited. It was literally huge, and almost overwhelming

Even the doggies have to stay warm

Christmas market! This isn't the one we went to, but it looked cool nonetheless. 

The food to eat in Germany is the potato pancakes with applesauce, called kartoffelpuffer. They tasted like thick, crispy hashbrowns and actually went very well with the applesauce. 

Ah, Christmas markets. I love them so much!

There's a bridge in Cologne where couples attach padlocks to the fence as a declaration of their love, similar to the tradition practiced in France on the bridges of the Seine River 

As we were walking back to the ship, it began to snow again!  I had the wild idea to change into my swimsuit and go into the hot tub once we got back to the ship, so I did just that.  Needless to say, I guess those people who were staring at me like I was insane to be in there were right.  I stayed in for maybe ten minutes before wimping out and going back to the cabin. 😂

Hot tub time!

The Cologne Cathedral at night--it reminded me of Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter

That night, the whole ship got a visit from Santa! Here's my mom with some of our friends we met on the cruise, posing with Santa. 

That night, our cruise director told us all to leave a slipper outside of our room and we might find a surprise with it the next morning. In Germany, children get their gifts from Saint Nicholas on the night of December 6, whereas in America children receive presents on Christmas morning from Santa Claus. Though it wasn't yet December 6, we enjoyed this fun little tradition anyway, and it was just another way the cultural immersion didn't stop when you boarded the ship. 

        We were cruising to Amsterdam the next morning, so I enjoyed some relaxation in the cabin and observed the pretty country scenery and riverside town life as we sailed along.  That afternoon we arrived at our destination, and after lunch we headed out on a tour through the city's iconic canals.  This was especially nice since it was a little rainy at the beginning of the tour, but we stayed warm and dry in the boat.  We floated past houseboats of all colors and sizes (our tour guide said that Amsterdam has 2800 houseboats!) and tall, narrow houses, several of which were quite lopsided.  This is because many of the houses are built on wooden stilts, which aren't a very good foundation especially if the houses have been standing for a long time.  After our canal tour, my mom and I had tickets to visit the Anne Frank House, so we headed there next.  We toured the office building in the attic of which the Franks had hidden for a little over two years, climbing up stairs from floor to floor, until we reached the attic, also called the Secret Annex.  There was no furniture in the Annex; it was simply left as it had been by the Nazis who had invaded it and taken Anne and her family away to concentration camps on August 4, 1944.  Pictures that Anne had cut from magazines still hung on the walls of her bedroom in the Annex.  As I walked through the rooms, I could imagine the Franks living in the Annex, fearing for their lives and hoping that soon they would be liberated.  

We sailed past farms with sheep in the fields

If you look to the left,  in between the two trees, you'll see a windmill! I was so excited when I caught sight of my first windmill in Holland!

Amsterdam is a mix of historic and modern

See what I mean by lopsided houses? 

The railroad station

Anne Frank's actual diary

The Franks didn't originally live in the building where the Secret Annex is located, they lived around the corner before having to go into hiding. 

These tiny cars are pretty popular around Amsterdam, though not nearly as popular as the bikes. Bikes take the place of cars in Amsterdam, and they ALWAYS have the right of way. I was sure we'd get run over in one instance, when bikes were coming from all four directions and we had to cross the street. Thankfully, we escaped with no fatalities. 

        That night was our last night on the cruise and I was sad to know that we'd be flying home in the morning.  I missed my dad and Mia, but I wasn't quite ready to leave the ship and stop exploring Europe.  But when we arrived back in the states the next day, I had to admit it was kinda nice to be home.  But I'm skipping ahead. Back to the night before--the fun isn't over yet!

Two of our sweet friends that we met on the cruise

The captain, hotel director, and cruise director with me and my mom. What a great crew!

The chefs made my mom and I special vegan chocolate desserts at dinner that night, and as you can see, I was very happy. 

        The next morning, we left the ship for the last time and headed to the airport.  Our first flight was to Philadelphia, where we'd catch our second flight to Charlotte.  

In the Amsterdam airport

I always choose the window seat on a flight

        And there you have it!  My trip to Europe.  This trip was literally a dream come true. I learned about other cultures, architecture styles, history, and my own self.  This trip taught me a lot and I loved it so much.  Looking back on it, I'm reminded of the words our cruise director said on the first night.  She said, "Imagine that this trip is like a storybook. You're in the beginning chapters, and you're wondering how your trip will go, what people you'll meet, and what you'll experience this week. Your book is still mostly empty, just blank pages." And on the last night of the cruise, she reminded us of what she'd said when we were still in Basel, what felt like so long ago. My storybook is filled now, filled with amazing adventures and experiences that I'll never forget.  If you'd like to experience a trip like this as well, check out my mom's website at www.sparksworldtravel.com 

        I hope you enjoyed reading my blog, and I just wanted to say how grateful I am to all of you who have supported me as I've been writing about my adventures for the past two years. It means a lot to me, and I hope you know how much I love you all. Have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!