PS on Cologne — the joys of antique guide books

My favorite guide book for this trip is a little dated – it’s called (not very catchily) ‘the Rhine: Its Scenery and Historical and Legendary Associations,’ and it was written in 1845 by a dotty English traveler named Frederick Knight Hunt. I always like to travel with an antique guide book, it gives a whole fresh view of a country. For this trip, Knight’s book makes sense – it was the English who really popularized Rhine river cruising in the 19th century. Hunt goes down the river by cruiser, stopping at the same key points we visit today, and he offers all sorts of odd advice on how to book a cabin in 1845 and hire a horse and carriage in port for touring… He also has lots of myths and legends that have mostly faded from knowledge.

In Cologne, for example, he tells a traditional story about the medieval architect of the cathedral. According to legend, the grandiose design was too beautiful to have been made by a mortal hand – it had actually been drawn up by the devil, who offered his plans to the architect in exchange for his soul. The architect was a vain man, but not so vain that he wanted to spend eternity in hell. Instead, he tricked Satan and got a hold of the plans, using a sacred religious relic that banished all evil. But as the devil disappeared, he cursed the architect: “Your cathedral will never be finished and you name will never be known…”

As we know, the cathedral was finally finished after Hunt’s book was published (see my last blog… it was completed 700 years late!) But to this day, we still don’t know the architect’s name…

Cologne: Medieval spires and ancient ale

 

Even the beerhalls have stained glass windows in Cologne -- they're cathedrals of pleasure.

There are some big practical advantages to traveling by riverboat, I’m discovering – for a start, you dock right in the center of the port cities, so you can just stroll to the main sights any time.

In Cologne, we’re moored just a few feet from the Dom, or Cathedral, in the oldest and most charming part of town. In the Middle Ages, Cologne used to be the biggest city north of the Alps, easily outstripping Paris or London in grandeur, and the cathedral was its pride and joy – even though it wasn’t finished for 700 years. Today, it’s an incredible sight, the twin dark spires looming over the Rhine and visible for miles…

When we went on shore, we went straight to the cathedral’s southern spire, which you can climb – if you can face the 502 steps. (There are exactly 502 – Henry counted them!) It’s not for the claustrophobic – you go up a tight circular staircase with people squeezing back down – or for anyone scared of heights – but the view from the top makes it worth the effort. It feels like you can see half way across Germany…

It's hard to miss the spires of the Dom -- one of the most fantastical sighs in Europe

Back on solid ground, we had a look around the splendid cathedral interior; it was easy to imagine the medieval clergy arriving for services with the townsfolk centuries ago. The highlight was something called “Plan F” – the original architect’s drawings, dating back from around 1190. Construction stopped not long afterwards, and the spires were never finished – until the mid-19th century, when some modern architects decided to complete the job. They got a hold of Plan F, and were able to use the ancient drawings for the final design, 700 years or so after they were drawn up by an anonymous craftsman….

The local beer, kölsch, is served in tiny glasses...

The waterfront district of Cologne is busy all night. After dinner, I went back on shore to stroll the winding old lanes, which are filled with atmospheric old brauhausers or beer halls, many of which date back centuries. They’re famous for the Cologne beer, a crisp, tasty brew called kölsch, which is served in thimble-sized glasses that hold only 0.2 litres (about 6.75 fluid ounces). The waiters rush around the beer halls with a dozen or so glasses on special trays, handing them out to thirsty drinkers (one advantage of the small glasses is that the beer never gets warm…!) I found one beautiful wooden hall packed with locals, because the World Cup soccer was on – Spain versus Portugal. It was quite a scene… the roaring echoed up and down the Rhine when Spain scored the winning goal.

On the river

The ship ("never a 'boat'!" as they tell us...)

We’re off – safely ensconced on the Felicity, heading off on it’s maiden voyage. We’ve been slipping through the river delta of Holland, going up and down connecting canals, and are now squarely on the Rhine in Germany…

It’s been a relaxing start, so we’ve been exploring the ship. Everything is brand spanking new. I’m a big fan of the balcony in our cabins: You can open the sliding doors up wide, look out at the countryside, and let in the fresh warm air. We went straight up to the Jacuzzi, which is above the prow: It was great to be lying there when we went through the first river locks. The engineering is fascinating: Huge mechanisms allow the water levels to adjust so boats can get through without flooding the countryside.

Dutch vistas...

Holland was rural — dairy farms and windmills – but right now we’re passing through the German Ruhr, which was once the most active industrial area of Europe. Today, most of the factories have been abandoned, but many have been converted into art installations – hulking, impressive ruins, like rusting Pyramids. In fact, the “Ruhr Metropolis” has been declared the European Capital of Culture for 2010. At night, they’re lit up with brilliant colors – quite a surreal sight. I’d never heard about this: You can see more on http://www.licht-ruhr2010.de/en

Soon we’ll be getting back into the more rural stretch of the river, encrusted with medieval castles and Gothic legends. The Rhine is one of the world’s mythic rivers, and people have been cruising it for pleasure since the early 1800s. Victor Hugo raved about it: “The Rhine combines everything. It is as swift as the Rhone, wide as the Loire, winding as the Seine, limpid and green as the Somme, historic as the Tiber, royal as the Danube, mysterious as the Nile… covered with fables and phantoms like a river in Asia…”

Along a Dutch Canal... the whole country is seized from the sea... (they joke that God created the rest of the world, but the Dutch organized Holland...)

But right now, we’re getting into the rhythm of river travel. It’s totally relaxing… we just wander from the Jacuzzi to the restaurant and back, sipping white Rhine reisling as the river drifts by…

Cabin with a view -- looking out at dairy country in Holland

Lazy Days in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is as riddled with waterways as Venice…

The old sailor’s bar Int Aepjen

Strange artifacts in the bar Int Aepjen

The only way to get around Amsterdam…

The sunshine has brought everyone outside…

Amsterdam is a great place to start a river trip – the water is everywhere. Right now I’m sitting by a shady canal in a cool little outdoor café, watching the boat traffic go by. I love seeing all the different types of Dutch water craft, I could sit here all day…

We arrived a couple of days early to have a look around the city. The weather couldn’t be better – 80 degrees and sunny – and the Dutch are going a bit crazy after a long winter. Everyone is outside, riding their bikes, picnicking, drinking in the garden bars – or taking out their boats, blasting music and dancing as motor along. The whole city is one big party…

Like Venice, you don’t really understand Amsterdam until you’re on the water. We decided to go for broke and hire something called a “canal bike” – or “pedi-boat” – which is a bit like a bathtub that you peddle along. It’s not rapid transit, but we were in no hurry. It’s a fantastic way to explore the city, going under the bridges, alongside the houseboats, up to the gardens and beneath the trees. We even made it out into the River Amstel, which was thick with boats going every direction, sometimes threatening to plow us down. Henry and Sam (they’re our two boys, ages 11 and 5) were in heaven.

You can really feel the maritime history here. The Old Town is filled with relics from the golden age of the 1600s, when its traders were all over the world (including, of course, in my hometown, Manhattan, then called New Amsterdam, which they picked up for the equivalent of $24…) I called in at one of its “secret” churches, called Our Lord in the Attic – it was a hidden Catholic church and, as the name suggest, up in an attic. And in the harbor district, called Zeedijk, we stumbled onto this amazing old sailor’s bar called In’t Aepjen – “In the Monkeys.” In the 1700s, it used to sell monkeys… now the place is decorated with ancient monkey relics, including one mummified monkey from 1857!

We hung out and had a Palm beer… it must be one of the most atmospheric bars in the world.

Planning

I’m winding things down on my next book here in New York, looking forward to getting on the road — a pile of Rough Guides on my dest, Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland — all places I’ve never been to. I’m ready for a few days on the Rhine, sipping white wine, watching the castles drift by…!

Welcome to My Daily Cruise Blog!

 

My Itinerary

I’m excited to have you follow me along my journey.  This daily cruise blog is authored by me, Tony Perrottet.  Above is a map of my itinerary which shows the places I’ll stop along the way.  I look forward to bringing you along on my discovery of the Romantic Rhine.

Romantic Rhine Cruise Overview
One of Europe’s most legendary rivers awaits me on this fascinating Rhine River journey. I will enjoy guided sightseeing in Cologne, Koblenz, and Strasbourg, a visit to Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim, as well as an excursion to majestic Heidelberg and a canal cruise in picturesque Amsterdam. Also, I will sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge and see the legendary Lorelei rock.