It will get busy now

Here we are, Christmas this week, New Years next.

After that it is only three weeks until our annual Mexico trip.

I am thinking about a couple advanced scuba classes this year, we will have to check on the cost.

Regardless five weeks in Mexico in Feb sure beats five weeks of snow in Ohio.



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Location:Ohio

Fewer Posts

Well, the trip is over, the suitcases are put away. We will be doing far fewer posts now until the holidays roll around and the family starts getting together to celebrate.

Shortly after that we will be off for our annual mid winter migration to Mexico. There should be a few postings then of the sun and sand for those stuck in the snow

SEE U THEN



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Home at last

We are finally home at last, it actually feels strange to be where you can understand everyone reasonably well.

Greg & I may have changed our wardrobe somewhat, but we are trying to work through that.

Everyone made it safe and soynd despite all the airport layovers.

Talk to you all soon.

This is it

It is finally time to come home (the credit card is worn out). Lynn & Greg had a 5AM pickup for the airport this morning and Martha and I had a 7AM pickup.

Martha and I are now at the Prague airport waiting for a Frankfurt flight and Greg and Lynn should already be in Paris waiting for their connection.

It's going to be a long day since we don't get into Ohio until late and we lose 6 hours coming home. We may have to play Rip Van Winkle tomorrow.



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Last Day

Today we started off in the Imperial Restraunt








It is all ceramic and oak, built in 1913-14 and restored after the germans and russians left Prague.

Even the bathrooms had gold and crystal fixtures





Greg and Lynn are off to a bakery and cafe for dinner, Marti and I are going to a czeck restraunt for an early evening.





We all have early flights tomorrow, with a couple connections.

I guess next week it is bad to plane ol Panera's



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Prague Day 3

WE SLEPT IN THIS MORNING

We decided to get a late start today.

After breakfast we headed back to the Prague Castle to see what we missed on the Viking tour, which was very brief.

Parts of the castle are now open for tours that were not on my last visit in 1990. Although no pictures were allowed inside, I did get one of the Royal Chapel.




There was some beautiful architecture in and outside of the castle. The views of the city from the old royal quarters was also very nice. (I will add some pictures when we get home)

We also took a walk in the Royal Gardens and discovered a conservatory that was closed for restoration, but the outside was great.





Now that's some doorway, and it was the same all around the outside and the windows.

One more day in Prague, which will probably be an easy one since we have seen what we want, and then Fri morn it's airport time.

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Prague Day 2

We have now ended our time in Prague that was part of the cruise, changed hotels and are on our own.

After breakfast, we changed hotels and after settling in we walked over to the Charles Bridge

(which is under renovation) by way of a garnet store Marti wanted to visit.

We had a bite to eat in Mala Strana (the area on the other side of the bridge). We then started back to our hotel, stopping at all the shops the girls had seen on the way over.

It seems like I am stopping at the ATM all the the time, will the shopping never end ?

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Prague

Today we started out with a brief tour of the Prague Castle (huge) and a short walk around the city

Some of the medevil gates to the city still exist




Believe it or not this is a restraunt, even with the scaffold it is beautiful






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Nuremburg & Prague

We started out at 8:00 checking out of the ship and left on the bus at 8:30 for our tour of Nuremburg.

The city tour showed us some of the old Nazi party locations, we then went on to the Nuremburg Castle and ended up in market square for shopping and lunch.
Desert was fresh fruit dipped in chocolate.




After lunch it was back on the bus for a 4 hour ride to Prague.

We got tied up on the autobahn for a short time, someone had hit the guard rail and then was on it's side in traffic.

Once we got going we arrived in Prague around 5:30 and are relaxing at the hotel.


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New Hat

Greg's new hat - Lynn wants to know if she can laugh

Gus's Gift

Aunt Lynn didn't know what to get Gus, so we decided on Gabriella

Bamberg Cathederal

ABC Bamberg

Gus's Gift

Aunt Lynn didn't know what to get Gus, so we decided on Gabriella

Bamberg Cathederal

ABC Bamberg

Bamberg

On our walk thru Bamberg today we saw the Bamberg Cathederal



Then Greg found a new hat to keep the sun off. Lynn wants to know if it is OK to laugh.




And Lynn found a new friend to keep her warm at night




Tomorrow morning we leave early for Prague.

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Wurzburg

No pictures today, it was a relaxed day of cruising and we ended up in Wurzburg after lunch.

We walked into a modern town that is not much different from home. There is an old palace, but we saw it on our last visit, so we gave it a pass this time.

We will be cruising all night to arrive in Bamberg after lunch.



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Cruising

It is another hard, trying morning on the river. The girls just don't know what to do.





and Greg and I just keep watching the waitresses.


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Glass Blowing

Most of us have always suspected Greg of having a little hot air, but last night after a blast of Jagermeister on the ship, he proved that he had more than suspected by assisting with the glass blowing demonstration.




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Souveniers

Some people are just hard to buy gifts for - SO, GUS

We took a pole and this is what we decided you will have to be happy with.





She likes someone a little older with experience "For you know when Ah-um.


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Heidelberg

We left the ship this morning for a short excursion to Heidelberg





We first were taken to the castle that overlooks the city.



after our tour there we went into town for a german lunch and will be walking the city after lunch until 4 when the bus will take us back to the ship

Heidelbergs main shopping streest is closed to traffic during the day, so it is nice to just wander



We even found a Hard Rock




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International Night

Dinner tonight was international every course had at least 2 choices from different countries.

The service staff all had costumes on from different countries as well.


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Rudesheim

This afternoon we stopped in Rudesheim for a short visit. It is a rather small town with quaint narrow streets a nice restraunts






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Mid Morning Snack

Here it is 10:30 and what we thought was going to be pretzels turned into a full meal - Pork , kraut, potatoe salad, pretzels





and BEER




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Fallen Hero

A grave of one of the 122 unknown soldiers buried in Luxembourg

American Military Cemetery

A visit to the american cemetery in Luxembourg

Gen Patton

The grave of Gen George S Patton in Luxembourg

abc

Another Bloody Cathederal, this one started almost 1000 years ago

Dance demonstration

Had a youth dance group on the ship for a demonstration of local dances

Kobelenz

Docked in Kobelenz where the Moselle and Rhine rivers join, will be departing in the morning.
Just took a quick walk around town, there is not a lot of historical buildings left, but we did find one




In case you can't read the date above the window it says 1530


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Cochem

Cochem is the last stop for us on the Mosele river 20k and we are on the Rhine

Bernkastel

This afternoon we docked in the town of Bernkastel in the Mosel Valley famous for their reisling wines.

After a brief tour of the city we were taken to the local wine vinotecha where we were given a glass and turned loose with 150 that were available to sample.

After dinner on the ship, a local youth dancing group was brought aboard to demostrate some traditional dances.






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Cochem

This morning when we woke up we were docked in Cochem




another town founded in the first century, only about 3000 year round population, but during the summer season they get about 2 million tourists.

Now that it is not raining, I also found the pool and chess board on the sun deck (upper most part of the ship)






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Trier Germany

Trier is the oldest city in Germany originally founded by the romans during Agustus

What is now the oldest cathederal in europe originally had a roman temple on its site





There are still ruins of roman wall, baths and an ampitheatre in town along with many buildings that are of roman construction or have roman ruins as part ofctheir construction.



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Hallowed Ground

After leaving the ville of Luxembourg, we stopped at the American Cemetery.





What can be said, the cemetery holds 5076 dead, 1 woman and 122 unknowns who gave their all here.





Gen George Patton is also buried there. He is held as somewhat of a hero since the army under his command liberated Luxembourg.





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Luxembourg

On the way from Paris to Trier Germany, we went through Luxembourg stopping in the capitol city of the same name





We had a brief tour of the city seeing the Arch Dukes official residence





We also saw a beautiful cathederal a caves that used to be used as gun emplacements during WW II









Our tour guides as always were on hand to assure everything went well

On the road again

Luggage was out at 7:00am and we were on the road at 8:30, headed for Luxemburg and the American Cemetery.




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Paris City Tour

The cruise line took everyone on a 4 hour city tour this morning, lots of beautiful buildings and parks, but nothing important we hadn't seen.

Will add some pictures later.

Tomorrow at 8am we leave for Luxemburg and then to meet up wirh the ship in Trier, Germany around 5:30pm.


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Another Hotel

It's another day and we have changed hotels (AGAIN) to join the tour.

We returned to the Eiffel Tower this morning and went up as far as level 2 the lines were to long to go to the top

Tomorrow is a city tour with the cruise line - like we need it after being here three days, but at least it will be on the bus and we won't be walking


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A lot of walking

Today we started out with breakfast near the hotel





We then walked over to the Louvre, but decided not to go in





We continued on up the Champs de Elise, stopping for lunch at a sidewalk cafe on the way





Ending up at the Eiffel Tower, we are going back tomorrow to go to the top

Later tonight we are going to the Crazy Horse Club




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