Bet & Peg

megellan2022~ WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! Sounding better and better!!!

Hope you trip continues to be SO fabulous!! And hope we have the same luck with the waters!!!!

Thank you SO much for taking your precious time to report back during your cruise! I'm sure there are many of us smiling today!!!

Sorry can't comment on the Perouges tour since it was canceled on our cruise because of lack of interest. But in all fairness, I don't think it had anything to do with the tour but more that it conflicted with sailing - I think most people, ourselves included, wanted to be aboard for the sailing and going through the locks!!

Have a fabulous trip!!!!

Hank ~ thank you SO, SO much for this site!!! We'll be traveling from Paris to Bordeaux on October 4th - to board a Viking cruise. I checked on RailEurope and one-way tickets were $68 each. I went on sncf.com and found 4 tickets (we're traveling with friends and I offered to get their tickets also) as a multi special for a total of 48euro!!! What a Bargin!!! I was able to pay for them with AmEx as paypal never came up plus I printed them - so now have our tickets with our reserved seat number on each for a bargin - HURRAY!!!!

Thank You again!!!!!

vcgeno ~ all the best on your cruise - hopes all works out - but you have the correct attitude - make the best of it if there are changes!!! But really hope you won't have to use that philosophy!!! Will look forward to hearing about your trip - just enjoy!!!!

In Cannes also take a look at St Paul de Vince - we enjoyed it much more tan Eze - but that's just my thoughts. St Paul's a fabulous medieval village that's now an artists community. Two years ago we went there from Nice on a public bus for 1euro pp each way - and we passed through Cannes on the way. Had lunch in a same bistro in town - there are a few places to eat - bought some fabulous olive oil and took photos of the town & cemetery.

Magellan 2022 ~ great report!! SO happy your day went so we'll!!

And thanks for the tip about the train - we just bought our tickets & printed them on Friday! And you're SO correct - final destination might not be Bordeaux!!

Hint to others buying tickets - I used the sncf.com site and they were having a "special" multi ticket sale which was great since we're traveling with 2 friends. I bought 4 senior tickets for a total price of 48euros!! Regular senior price for one ticket was 20euro which is still a lot less than the $68 on Rail Europe! (Not sure what the price was for one adult ticket but I'm sure its less than RE.) SO anyone buying tickets do it early - they're available for sale 3 months out - and try the sncf site - it worked for us!!

The Basel Christmas Store is: Johann Wanner - site is here:

ChristmasShop

I can't recommendit since we never got there but it does look interesting!

havea great cruise!!

Le bon Vin ~ thanks much for you info and photos!!!!

Can't wait to hear all the details about your cruise, especially about the itinerary change!!

If you're in Basel just a few days before the CMS open I'd still check out the area - especially Barfusserplatz. It takes weeks to fully set up all the displays so, to me, it would be interesting to see and maybe something will be open! Also at Barfusserplatz there was a "house" for a big Christmas store - Kathy Wolf... - can't remember the exact spelling buy they have places in many markets and they are more like temporary stores than just open stalls. (We ran into their main store in Rothenberg some years ago and it was just amazing!) SO if you have time I'd check it out!!

There's also a Christmas store in Basel - we never got there - just not enough time - but I'll look ok my lap top and see if I have the link.

There are 2 Christmas Markets in Basel - the Munsterplatz is by the Basel Cathedral - interesting Church and lovely view of the Rhine if you walk around the church to the overlook! We ate lunch near there in the MuseumBistro - had our first Flammkuchen there!!

The other market is Barfusserplatz in the heart of old town. We were there both day and evening when its magical!! We ate there the first night in a place called Weihnachtsstube - they had a take-away window but we ate inside - nicely decorated place with large tables to share! It was right in the CM so very convenient! It had a big reindeer with a Santa hat on the very top of the sign and a "doorman" dressed like a Dickens' character. (Doorman was there to stop people from taking their take-away food inside and also to control crowds - you had to wait outside for a table but we got one within minutes.)

Enjoy!!!!

Food - especially coffee - does tend to be expensive in Switzerland! We stayed near the train station (really nice, not like ones in the US) and took advice from CC and found the cafes there nice for a fast breakfast and less expensive than the hotel - some on ground floor but also go up to the 2nd level. (Also coming from NYC we're accustomed to high food prices!)

As for fondue - I can highly recommend Elsbethenstubi on Elisabethenstrasse! Small restaurant but a fabulous experience - best fondue we've ever eaten plus a lively restaurant with mostly large tables, the mother and two teen-age sons from Israel were a joy - wish they had been there for the whole meal!!! It wasn't cheap and I can't remember how much it was but the 2 bottles of wine DH ordered contributed to the bill!! Whatever we paid it was well worth the experience!!!

Unfortunately their web site isn't much help - we e-mailed our hotel beforehand and they made the reservation for us.

Willkommen im Restaurant Elsbethenstübli

Trip Advisor:

Elsbethenstubli, Basel - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

Enjoy!!!

ABQcruiser ~ thanks much!!! The guys are reading all about the Chateaux to be better prepared for the cruise! So the more info the better!!!

On the Viking Rhine River Getaway we went on the optional dinner in Rudesheim and wine was included at no charge and no limit. Both DH and I think it was only white on the table but perhaps it was both white and red or you could have asked for red.

Le bon Vin ~ sounds wonderful - great time to be in Bordeaux!!!!

I understand that - on Monday, I think - there are visits and wine tastings and groups go to different Chateaux. I've gotten the names of 2: Lynch-Bages and Chateau Giscours. I've love to know the names of the others if you could find out!

Thanks much!!!

Magellan2022 ~ we just came back from Ireland on June 19th - spent 4 fablous days in Dublin plus other time traveling around - found my Great-Great-Grandparents grave in mayo!! Had a wonderful time and great weather!!

Hope you time in Paris IS special - we were there for 4 days in 2012 but just not enough time!! This pre-trip we're in an apartment for a week - hoping to get a real French experience!!!!

Magellan2022 and Le bn vin ~ have a fantastic cruise!!! And PLEASE come back with reports, comments, suggestions - many of us will be waiting to hear more about this cruise!!

Personally, we're meeting this weekend with he couple traveling with us to begin making specific plans, especially for our pre-cruise week in Paris!! So any info you can add will be greatly appreciated!!!

And, YES!!, I agree that this cruise seems to have "matured" during the past weeks, just like a good wine!!! Hope it continues that way!!! (sure Viking also hopes so!!)

Sharon & Nette60 ~ just sent dailies - enjoy!!

Jazzbeau ~ originally I did post photos of the dalies in the response, but they were too small to read. A few years ago I did post photos using a host site - I used Pisca - will check out the site you sent to see if I can do it again!!

Thanks for your suggestion and for all you've done to organize River Cruises!!!

shamiljax ~ happy to send the dailies but will need your e-mail address.

notamermaid ~ SO good to hear from you again! Just got home from a road trip to Ireland and missed chatting about it beforehand on CC! However I did check out a few thinks on the port forums!!

Flammkuchen/Flammkoche I take it are served all over the Rhine River area. We didn't go to any special restaurants but had a great one at Le Gruber in Strasbourg, France. Also in a small place in Basel near the Cathedral & Christmas Market, I think it was called Bistro de Museum. In Rothenberg it was in the garden of a small café. All had differed toppings but still delicious!!

DH says the beer sounds good - he's never had it so another reason to return to Germany!!

TravelBugM ~ WOW - I never, ever thought this site & the dailies would be SO popular!! We're back from Ireland - great trip - and see you're sailing Saturday so I can take over sending out dailies. Thanks SO much for all your work!

Have a fantastic trip!!!!

Last December we found Flammkuchen on many menus along the Rhine. And in 2008 it was one of the best meals - lunch - I had in Germany, Regensburg. There it was made with fresh peppers - and it was fabulous!! To me the dough seemed a bit lighter than pizza but much the same - more like thin crust pizza. And you're fortunate - you'll be there during the summer when produce will be really fresh!!

Have a fantastic cruise - and don't miss those castles on the Rhine!!!

TravelBugM & anandaindonsia ~ thanks SO much for forwarding the dailies!!! And both of you have great trips!!!

I'm sitting here finishing bk in Castlebar, Ireland catching up on E-mailed and SO happy - arrived yesterday but still had time to locate the grave of my Great, Great Grandparents!!! Still more family "digging" to do but happy already!!!

anandaindonesia ~ thanks SO much for forwarding everyone!!!

TravelBugM ~ YES! - this forum is fabulous for sharing info!!! I also enjoy knowing details beforehand so I can plan - and then change plans when we feel like it!!!

I don't know why Viking doesn't offer the first page of the dailies for those of us who enjoy planning!! Now that their itinerary books are available on line maybe its time to "bug" them about the dailies!!

OK, time to turn of the computer and think "Ireland"!!

anandaindonesia ~ sorry about that! I should have sent one and checked it out before I sent all!!! Will gladly e-mail them to you.

But one problem for others - we are leaving in about 5 hours for a non-cruise trip to Ireland - will be returning June 19th. If anyone else would like the dailies could you share them by e-mail?

Thanks much!