Four Spectacular Days in Switzerland

Before we boarded Uniworld’s S.S. Antoinette in Basel, Switzerland, I thought it would be fun to plan a four-day pre-cruise adventure by land to see some of Switzerland’s gorgeous countryside. I don’t know about you but when I think of Switzerland, mountains and lakes immediately come to mind and that was what I was bound and determined to see. Although Switzerland is a small country, you really can’t cover it in four days so I had to make a decision about what section of this gorgeous country we were going to see.

Knowing that we were going to end up in Basel, I focused on the northwestern part of the country. As I started doing my research, I quickly realized that buying a four-day Swiss Pass would be an excellent investment as it would entitle us to free travel throughout the Swiss Travel System with a few notable exceptions.

We landed in Geneva and spent a day exploring the city, including Geneva’s Old Town and the shore of Lake Geneva. Not wanting to spend a fortune for dinner (our dollars didn’t buy us many Swiss francs and a very ordinary dinner could easily cost at least $100), we found a cozy little restaurant called Fifty-Fifty with a convivial atmosphere. We met a Brazilian couple, David and Daniela, sitting next to us who lived in Geneva and struck up an interesting conversation with them. Before long, the owner was offering us a glass of the house limoncello.

The next day we were off to Montreux to catch the GoldenPass Line, one of Switzerland’s classic scenic train routes which goes from Montreux to Lucerne. Our plan that day was to take one train from Montreux to Zweisimmen and catch another train from Zweisimmen to Interlaken. However, due to a bridge undergoing renovation, we had to get off the train at Château d’Oex and bus it to Zweisimmen. Yes, even the super precise Swiss Travel System hiccups once in a while.

In Interlaken, we stayed at the Hotel du Lac, a charming hotel located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun that has been run by the same family for generations. Our corner room had a gorgeous view of Lake Brienz. The cream of asparagus soup I had at the hotel restaurant was very tasty.

Our primary reason for coming to Interlaken was to visit the Jungfrau region, where majestic Mt. Eiger, Mt. Mönch and Mt. Jungfrau make their presence known. The $64,000 question of the day was how far up this Alpine massif were we willing to go given the weather conditions. Our Swiss Passes would get us from Interlaken (elev. 567 feet) to Wengen (elev. 4,180 feet); to go any higher we would have to start shelling out Swiss Francs – lots of them. At Wengen we decided to bite the bullet and pay an additional 84 Swiss francs and take the Wengernalp cog wheel railway to Kleine Scheidegg (elev. 6,762 feet), where the views of the Eiger north face were spectacular. We spent over an hour breathing the clean fresh air, photographing the stunning landscape and appreciating Mother Nature at her finest.

As much as I had wanted to board the Jungfrau Railway, Europe’s highest-altitude railway which runs partly through a tunnel hewn out of rock to Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe, elev. 11,333 feet), it was obvious at Kleine Scheidegg that we would see nothing but fog if we took the trip. If our Swiss Passes would have allowed us to do it without paying an additional 250 Swiss francs, I would have done it in a heart beat just to experience this pioneering masterpiece among mountain railways. However, for 250 Swiss francs, a view of fog just doesn’t cut it.

From Interlaken, we took the GoldenPass Line to Lucerne, where we spent two wonderful days. In Lucerne, we particularly enjoyed strolling across the Chapel Bridge, the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe and walking on the walls of Old Town Lucerne where we savored some beautiful views of the city. The highlights of our visit, however, were the trip to Mt. Rigi (its name stems from the Latin “Regina Montium” or “Queen of Mountains”) and a boat ride around Lake Lucerne.

We started our venture on a boat from Lucerne to Vitznau and transferred to the cogwheel railway that led to the summit of Mt. Rigi (elev. 6,000 ft). The weather was gorgeous and the views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Lucerne from the top of Mt. Rigi were breathtaking. It was everything that I imagined Switzerland to be and more! I’ve never been fond of German food, but the bratwurst and fries I had for lunch at the summit sure hit the spot. We then walked partly down Mt. Rigi to catch the cable car from Rigi-Kaltbad to Weggis.

Rather than returning by boat directly from Weggis to Lucerne, we decided that there was still a lot of Lake Lucerne to explore so we opted to take the five-hour boat road all the way around the lake to discover its idyllic bays and romantic inland lake fjords. Lake Lucerne and Lake Tahoe are both beautiful but Lake Lucerne is surrounded by Old World European elegance. I happened to strike up a conversation with a Swiss woman who was traveling with her father and he pointed out the location of a secret munitions factory in which he worked during World War II. We then cruised by Tell’s chapel, where according to legend, William Tell leapt from the boat of his captors during a storm and escaped, allowing him to assassinate the tyrant Gessler and initiate the rebellion that led to the foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy. God knows how many other interesting stories I could have uncovered about Lake Lucerne if I had spent more time.

After four days of unpacking, re-packing and running around to catch trains, buses, boats and cable cars, I was ready to board the S.S. Antoinette, my floating boutique hotel which would take me down the Rhine from one fabulous destination to another.

More photos of Switzerland

St. Petersburg was a Disappointment

I was really looking forward to our two days in St. Petersburg because I had heard about how dazzling it was so I felt let down when we disembarked the Emerald Princess and were met by a bunch of grouchy immigration officials who obviously didn't like the idea of getting up at the crack of dawn to meet a shipload of tourists.

Samson and the Lion at Peterhof Palace

After being hauled around on a bus for two days and herded through the Hermitage, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Yusupov Palace, Peter and Paul Fortress, Church of the Spilled Blood and the Peterhof Palace, I was dragging my butt and felt much like a wet noodle.  It was hard to believe how crowded all of these places were and how quickly we shuffled through them.  It all seems like a blur.  And the traffic -- it was horrible.  It took us about as much time to travel between sites as it did to tour them.

Although the palaces and churches were magnificent, I still can't help thinking that St. Petersburg was a pretty depressing place overall.  Gray skies (I was told that St. Petersburg gets only about 30 days of sunshine per year), buildings that were once brightly painted but had obviously faded and the generally dour people made a lasting impression on me.  During our tour of the Hermitage, I was struck by the women who were sitting in chairs in each of the rooms.  I smiled but never once received a smile in return.  In fact, if I actually caught the eye of any of them, they immediately looked away.  

We did, however, have a very informative Russian guide who I could actually understand when she spoke English.  She was quite proficient at giving us a titillating account of the history of the Romanovs, the most interesting of which was how Rasputin met his maker in the basement of Yusupov Palace.

In retrospect, I should have been smarter about my visit to St. Petersburg.  Instead of trying to see everything in two days, I should have selected two or three sites to see and done it at a leisurely and more enjoyable pace.  In fact,  I could have spent the entire two days at the Hermitage!

More photos of St. Petersburg

Copenhagen -- The Beginning of Our Baltic Cruise

After five fun-filled days of visiting family in Stockholm, we flew to Copenhagen and were immediately hit with sticker shock.  When we arrived at the Copenhagen Marriott and looked at the menu at the restaurant there, we noted that it cost $40 for a standard American breakfast and $30 for a Caesar salad with chicken.  This was particularly hard to stomach given that we were going to be boarding the Emerald Princess the next day and knew that we wouldn't have to spend a single dollar for food.

One of the highlights of our brief stay in Copenhagen was the boat ride along the canals.  Thank God we decided to spring for the expensive one which was covered because during our one hour ride we rode through a cell that dropped an awful lot of rain within five minutes.  In an open boat, we would have been drenched!  I must say that Copenhagen is an ideal city to see from the water.  We had an excellent guide who not only pointed out all of the interesting sites but also took us up alongside Abramovich's beautiful sleek smooth yacht, which he said cost $400 million to build -- about as much as it cost to build the Emerald Princess.

During our ride through the canals, we were particularly struck by the golden steeple of Our Saviour's Church.  Given that our guide told us that we could have one of the most striking views from the city if we were willing to climb the 400 steps to get to the top of the church, I was ready to go.  The trip up the stairs was anything but routine -- it included narrow passageways and steep ladders to climb.  Although it was very windy at the top, the glorious view was worth every step of the way.

 There were a couple of disappoints in Copenhagen:  Tivoli Gardens and Christiania, a "free city" founded in 1971 by a group of alternative thinkers.  I found Tivoli Gardens to be tired and dated.  If you've been to enough amusement parks in the United States, Tivoli Gardens is old-fashioned and underwhelming.  Believe me, it's no competition for Disney World.  Although the guide book made Christiania sound like a quaint, fun and bohemian place, I just found it to be weird and dirty. (Do I sound like my mother 40 years ago when she eyeballed me in dirty jeans and a suede jacket with fringe?)  After taking one look at the restroom, I decided to "hold it" until I was back at the Marriott. 

More pictures of Copenhagen

Stockholm -- My Favorite Baltic City!

If you ever take a Baltic cruise, I recommend that you book one which embarks and/or disembarks in Stockholm because you will want to spend more than one day there.  I was lucky enough to spend four wonderful days visiting my husband's nephew, Bruce and his wife, Tove-Lise and their daughter, Isabelle.  Steve and I arrived at the Stockholm Arlanda Airport on a gorgeous sunny day where Bruce picked us up and promptly took us to his 42-foot yacht, Tirawa, which is docked within a few feet of his home on the water in Djursholm on the outskirts of Stockholm.    I was so excited to be there that I hardly noticed the jet lag.  We sailed in the archipelago east of Stockholm past scenic islands for a few hours before giving up on the dying wind and motoring to our destination in the Nacka region.  You don't have to get very far out of Stockholm before you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. This poor, sun-deprived girl from Seattle just loved soaking up the rays on the foredeck!

Tove-Lise was a very gracious hostess during our stay as she juggled her schedule to spend some time showing us around.  We visited Skansen, an outdoor museum where we experienced life in Sweden back in the early 1900's; we visited an old furniture-making factory, glass-blowing studio and old-fashioned grocery store and drug store, spice shop and farm.

I had the pleasure of having Isabelle escort me through the Vasa Museum which houses the Royal Warship Vasa.  The Vasa sunk in 1628 while it was still in the Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage.  Rumor has it that there were just too many heavy cannons on the upper decks for this boat to float!   Isabelle was particularly fascinated with the skeletons of some of the crew that were salvaged so I spent a good deal of time looking at old bones and other archeological finds.  There was a particularly fascinating demonstration of the reconstruction of a face from a mere skull and I stood there wondering whether the crew member whose face was being reconstructed actually looked like that.   There was also some speculation about the diet of the crew members, which was based on examining what was left of their teeth and bones.  If my teeth are found 300 years from now, will archeologists be able to determine that I was a chocoholic?

We visited Drottningholm, where the Swedish royal family currently lives.  Although the palace was beautiful, I thought the most interesting part of the grounds was the theater.  The Drottningholm Court Theater dates back to 1766 and still offers live performances during the summer.  During our guided tour, I was chosen to demonstrate the thunder machine, which is a large wooden box near the ceiling that contains stones.  As I pulled ropes that were connected to the box, the box tilted and the stones moved from side to side to create the sound of thunder.

I  experienced a new and unexpected taste treat in Sweden -- smoked reindeer!  It was particularly good sliced thin with a bit of horseradish.

More photos of Stockholm

Our Brazilian Adventure on the Azamara Journey



Steve & Colleen with Captain Karlsson

 It was a joy to sail on Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey on a repositioning cruise from Santos, Brazil to Miami. Over the course of our 18-day cruise, the crew began to feel like family. The captain, Leif Karlsson, was very personable and spent a lot of time talking to Steve and me about his favorite cruises as we concluded our tour of the bridge. Captain Karlsson’s favorite cruise was to Antaractica because it was challenging to navigate through the ice and the scenery was stunning. Our Hotel Director, Niyazi Korkmaz, had a cocktail with us one evening to give us some tips about Istanbul. Our favorite server at the Cova Café was a young Brazilian woman who was on her first cruise and first job at sea; although her English was excellent, she enjoyed relieving a little stress by talking to me in Portuguese. The harpist was a woman from Austin, Texas who was working on board along with her husband, who managed the Internet Café. According to her, they shared a room that was a quarter of the size of my balcony stateroom and it wasn’t large!
  


View of Rio from Corcovado Mountain

 The 694-passenger Azamara Journey was a gem and so was the destination. I lived in Rio de Janeiro from June 1976 to June 1977 and returned in 1992. However, this time I was cruising with my husband, Steve who had never been to Brazil. He just couldn’t believe how beautiful Rio is. I must agree that the views of the city from Corcovado Mountain and Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf Mountain) are some of the most spectacular in the world.

 One of the options we took advantage of in Rio was the escorted tour by H. Stern, a prominent jeweler based in Rio de Janeiro with 130 retail stores all over the world. H. Stern provided us with a private car, driver and English speaking guide for the two days we were there and it didn’t cost us a thing. Our only obligation was to tour the jewelry factory, which was fascinating. Under the watchful eye of my dear husband, I was dragged out of the factory before I could buy anything. Much to my chagrin, I left a pair of beautiful earrings with a rainbow of sparkling Brazilian gemstones on the counter.

Our next port of call was Paratí, Brazil, a picturesque colonial Brazilian town with a lot of architecturally interesting buildings. We decided to walk into town. It was hot and humid and I introduced Steve to the strong, fruity flavors of Brazilian ice cream. I also managed to buy myself a hand-painted, one-of-a-kind skirt with a distinctive Brazilian flair. Thank God we visited this little town in the morning because on the way back in the tender, a tremendous downpour began.

 

Streets of Salvador

 Our next ports of call were Ilhéus and Salvador da Bahia, where the heat was stifling. In Ilhéus, we decided to hire a private taxi to show us around. The driver was Brazilian and didn’t speak English but my Portuguese was apparently good enough. In Salvador da Bahia, the H. Stern bus took us into town which we explored on our own. Since I remember enjoying the distinctive Bahian cuisine that features palm oil, pepper sauces, dried shrimp, soft-shell crab stew and coconut milk, I insisted that we go to a traditional restaurant for lunch to savor it. Salvador da Bahia is very different from any other region in Brazil. Nearly 80% of the population is of African descent and the religion is distinctly different from Catholicism. Perhaps it could be compared loosely to New Orleans.

Sometimes I feel like I left some of my heart in Brazil when I left in 1977. Although I don’t know my way around Rio like I once did and my Portuguese is a little rusty, the warmth and gracious hospitality of the Cariocas (residents of Rio) made me feel right at home.

More pictures of the Azamara Journey and Brazil

Venice – One of the World’s Most Romantic Settings

A couple of years ago, I was one of 20 Cruise Holidays franchisees to participate in the Cruise Holidays President’s Circle cruise, which was a seven-day Mediterranean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas that departed from Venice.   If you’re taking a cruise that begins and/or ends in Venice, do yourself a favor and spend a few days exploring its fascinating sites. I guarantee that you will experience at least one of the following:

1. You will get lost while wandering through the rich labyrinths that are part of the magic of Venice
2. You will fall in love all over again
3. You will wish you had more time to play in Venice
                                                                                  
A few words of advice about staying in Venice: Stay as close to the heart of Venice in the vicinity of St. Mark’s Square as you can afford. Transportation in and around Venice can be very expensive and besides, if you’re only in Venice for a few days you don’t want to waste precious time traveling to the major sites such as St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) and the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale).

On all of our trips, Steve is the designated photographer and in Venice he remarked that all you need to do to take a great picture is to aim the camera at just about anything because Venice is so incredibly picturesque. My favorite memory was the gondola ride with the young Italian on board singing O Sole Mio with his heart in his hands. Just for the record, I was with Steve in the gondola.

Steve's photos of Venice

Wine and River Cruising

I’ve always thought that wine and cruising made a great combination. Even if a glass of wine (or two) isn’t part of your daily routine at home, it’s easy to get into the habit while cruising on the Mediterranean or the European rivers. Whether you’re admiring the lush Rhône Valley vineyards from your perch on the Sun deck or enjoying the vineyard-rich, UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley while savoring a Sacher Torte in the dining room, you will undoubtedly find yourself in the mood to sip a glass of wine while cruising in these renowned wine-growing regions.

However, if you’re more serious about your wine, there are European wine-themed river cruises. In 2011, Avalon Waterways will be offering four of them:

• The Blue Danube Discovery Wine River Cruise from Budapest to Prague on the Avalon Tranquility, July 15-27 and from Prague to Budapest on the Avalon Tranquility, October 27-November 6.  You will participate in a wine tasting excursion in Budapest or Prague and visit a Wachau wine cellar in Melk.  While onboard, you will attend an Austrian sweet wine lecture and tasting and enjoy a food and wine pairing gala dinner. Do you know the difference between an Austrian Grüner Veltliner and a German Riesling Spälese? It is one of  the many things you will learn on this cruise.

• Windmills, Vineyards, & Paris Wine River Cruise from Paris to Amsterdam on the Avalon Luminary, October 3-15. You will explore the Moselle wine-growing region, visit the charming wine village of Bernkastel and taste several of the region’s varietals, attend fascinating lectures on French and German wines and enjoy a food and wine pairing gala dinner onboard.

• Burgundy & Provence Wine River Cruise from Arles to Paris on the Avalon Scenery from October 31-November 10. You will tour a wine cellar in Beaune and have the opportunity to taste some of France’s famed Burgundy, Chardonnay and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. On board the Avalon Scenery, you will be treated to a Beaujolais wine tasting, a food and wine pairing dinner gala dinner and a wine and chocolate tasting.

Are you a member of a Wine Club? Do you have a favorite sommelier who knows his or her way around the wine regions in Europe? Then let me help you design your dream wine cruise. We’ve all heard of food and wine pairings. I think it’s time to do some cruise and wine pairings!