Koblenz, Germany

Koblenz is a quaint town at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers that is over 2,000 years old! We toured Marksburg Castle, the only castle in the Rhine Valley never to have been destroyed. All the castles are now owned by the German Castles Association which works to preserve them through tourism and donations.

The ship has started to navigate many of the locks along the route and sometimes if they have to wait for other ships it is a slow process so, we got off the ship, took a bus to the castle and then got back on the ship further down the river. Someone called it a "boat" and one of the guides told us not to let the captain or crew hear that term - it would be like calling your home a "hut!"

After lunch we began the beautiful part of the cruise along the Rhine. One castle after another, vineyards, quaint towns, majestic churches. The vineyards grow primarily white grapes and they are located in vertical rows on steep hillsides - can't imagine how they cultivate them! The weather could have been more cooperative - one minute it was sleeting and the next the sky was blue and the sun was shining bright! We got a lunch table up front (inside!) and held those chairs down all afternoon as we glided through what I called "castle alley!" Magnificent!