engines with little vibration , noise or pollution . Rooms vary between 445 and 135 square feet . Our room had a veranda and measured 205 square feet . It was well appointed with a step-up efficient bathroom . The rooms are well insulated and we rarely heard anything from the adjoining rooms .
Dining on the Alruna was always a pleasant experience . Thankfully the portions were more European than American . Guests had the option of dining in the second floor dining room or out on the third floor bow area which usually had a buffet style offering . The staff quickly got to know our preferences and often anticipated those preferences before we said a word . We fell in love with the coffee machines located on both sides of the ship at every level . They produced perfect lattes , cappuccinos and espressos .
I could easily write at length about each day , each excursion and each port but that would take more writingreading energy than you and I might want to utilize . So , we will settle for a few highlights .
Not long after turning in our first night we noticed a slight shutter on the ship . Opening the curtains , we realized we were descending into a lock , the wall of which was a mere arm length from our balcony . We found it fascinating . The next morning , we were excited to share our discovery with other passengers . All we got from the Europeans and Easterners was a ho-hum reaction . We were lock nubbies and had thought the experience a big deal — they didn ’ t . Checking with the ship staff , we found out that we had passed through four locks that night and would pass through a total of eleven on the journey .
The river cruises have a varied schedule . Some days we sailed at night ; other days we sailed most of the day ; other days we sailed into one port in the morning with passengers
leaving for an excursion and catching up with the ship at another port down the river . The lack of a set pattern keeps things interesting .
In almost every port there are included excursions as well as optional ones for guests to choose from — for an additional fee . We partook of both and had some wonderful adventures . From Breach , Germany we bused to Colmar , France — a preserved medieval village with 9th century streets and a 13th century Gothic church and old town . Most tours include a heavy dose of history that can be tedious and fascinating at the same time . The museums , cathedrals and everyday buildings are inspiring and overwhelming , especially from our limited American perspective .
One interesting little tidbit was shared by a guide . Colmar is in the Alsatian region . The guide explained that the last four generations of his Alsatian family have been under German rule , then French , then Nazi German and currently back to France . By the way , the road sign into the city is in French ( Colmar ), German ( Kolmar ) and Alsatian ( Colmer ).
In Strasbourg we went on a day long food excursion tour . What a great experience ! Our tour guide lead us to a number of small local shops : a cheese shop , a bakery , a small wine shop , a gelato shop , and then to what resembled a pizza shop where we were given the opportunity to make a flambée which is the Alsatian version of a flat bread pizza . Oh , I almost forgot we also got to sample several local beers . In between visiting shops and eating , we visited the beautiful Strasbourg cathedral which was just breathtaking . It was enormous , elegant and just dripping in historical importance . At the end of the day , we went back to the ship for dinner and again were happy for the European portions .
On the fourth day , we docked near the town of Rudesheim
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 gmhtoday . com