Australia to Amsterdam

When I returned from Australia several weeks ago, I decided to just wash the dirty clothes and start repacking as I would be leaving again soon.  Tomorrow morning I am taking 18 adventurous souls on a 12- day  Rhine Winter Voyage.  We'll cruise along the rivers and canals of Central Europe from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, and then travel by land for 2 nights each in Lucerne and Zurich. 

River cruising has become very popular and is one of my favorite ways to see Europe.  The boats rarely hold more than 150 guests and are essentially a floating hotel taking passengers from one wonderful destination to another WITHOUT having to change hotels. 

Usually the ships dock right in the city center enabling passengers to go ashore and explore on their own or tour the city with a local guide.  I love the audio system that allows me to hear the guide's commentary and still lag several blocks behind to catch that perfect photo. 

Departing Amsterdam we will cruise through the Ams-Rhine Canal into the Rhine River toward Cologne, Germany, our next stop.  And from there to more destinations along the Rhine to Strasbourg, France, and finally to Basel, Switzerland. 

But enough about our itinerary, tonight I need to finish packing and be ready to leave for the Austin airport early in the morning.  Fog is forecasted, but I'm hoping it will dissipate by flight time.  We change planes in Houston and then fly nonstop to Amsterdam with an arrival Saturday morning.  I was in this lovely city in April 2010 when the tulips were in full bloom. Now, I'm looking forward to seeing it decked out for the holidays.


More from Amsterdam this weekend.
Linda