Up a bit early as the bus leaves at 8:30 sharp. While the tours don't feel rushed, they DO run on time!
The breakfast buffet features an omelet station and those wonderfully crunchy Danish pastries, along with hot and cold cereals, fruits, and such. It's easy to leave feeling that you're well-fortified until lunch.
It was grey and rainy today, with no respite forecasted. So now I am the proud owner of a way-more-than-competent rain jacket, which has been a missing component for a long while. Plus one can borrow a monster red Viking umbrella. Well-protected!
The drive out took us through increasingly agricultural lands, many have been farmed for thousands of years. The territory was formed millennia ago when the rift that became the Rhine was created. It's said that the remains of that volcanic activity keep the region a few degrees warmer than expected to this day!
There were two opportunities to hike a bit, and I had thought I'd do the shorter one. But somehow I stepped off of the bus and into a reality gap of some kind ... despite FOUR BUSSES of people from the ship, I soon didn't see a single familiar face. Nor could I locate our guide. So taking the hint, I enjoyed the several presentations of local crafts (cuckoo clock and other timepieces, glassblowing, the required Black Forest cake). It was pleasant and informative, if a tad eerie.
Everyone was back on the bus right on time, and we enjoyed a different but equally scenic way back to the dock. These riverbank docks are certainly secure, but you'd have to know what you're looking for ... no fancy terminals or equipment. Just tie up for a while and then head on out.
One nice topic our guide covered was the gradual restoration of various wild animals into the area. Between the fall of the "Iron Curtain" and more direct efforts to assist wildlife, critters from salmon to wolves are repopulating old haunts. Nice!
Back at the boat, I again succumbed to a nap attack. Again woke up and got some needlework done, and then it was time for the "Captain's Toast." A free glass of Champaign and another chance to applaud for the leadership team.
Off to dinner; tried to connect with a couple whose company I've enjoyed, but that table was full. Sat with a couple from South Africa who were great company, and we received a substantial benefit: a large neighboring table had commissioned a large birthday cake, but it was too much for them in the end. We were graced with two excess pieces... of a really GOOD cake... and certainly enjoyed them.
Now getting ready for sleep; tomorrow is our day in Strasbourg and another early start. Practice makes perfect!
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