We left Pompano at 9:30 am and took a flight from Ft. Lauderdale to JFK. From JFK, we flew to Charles DeGaulle in Paris. We then took a small jet and arrived in Basel, Switzerland at approx. 1:30 pm. We were then transferred to our ship, the MS River Rhapsody. Our cabin #318 was on the Sonata Deck. We had a briefing with the Captain and staff members. There are 135 passengers on board. The weather was rainy and overcast, but we took a few pictures. We had a delicious dinner and met some wonderful people.
Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011
Today, we took a trolley into Basel, Switzerland. It is a beautiful town and we took a lot of pictures. Their public transport system is terrific and we received passes. We started in the Marktplatz and took a nice ride around the city. Basel is a well-known center of art and culture. We returned to the ship in late afternoon. The ship sailed at 5:00 pm. Being that this was our first ever River Cruise, we were very impressed with the smooth sailing. Up to this point, the weather was rainy, but we we hoped it would change as we headed to Strasbourg, France.Monday, Sept. 5, 2011
We arrived at Strasbourg, France at 6:00 am. We went through various locks. There will be a total of approx. 39 locks on the trip. The cruising was great and we slept very soundly. The breakfast was super and then we left in a small a boat to cruise the canals of Strasbourg. We then left the small boat and spent time in town, looking at a beautiful cathedral and returned to the ship in late afternoon.
Dinner was spectacular again and we then had nice entertainment in the lounge.
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011
The ship sailed today at 1:15 pm, heading towards Speyer, Germany. Most of us took a bus tour to Baden Baden, Germany and would meet the ship in Greffern. Baden Baden is a beautiful town and we enjoyed the city very much.
There is a casino which we visited and only the very rich live here. The city, located in The Black Forest, is known for it's spas. We tasted some water that is supposed to have healing powers. We then got back into the bus and headed up the mountain to a little town called Mummelsee, where the famous Black Forest cake is served. 
We all tried some, but many did not like, due to alcohol in the cake. The restaurant was located on a small lake where people were paddling little boats. It was a most beautiful day and we really were very fortunate. As we headed out of the Black Forest, our guide told us that there were no bears in the area, except one time when one wandered in, scared the residents so much, that he was put down, which created a real uproar.
We finally arrived back at the ship, which had travelled from Strasbourg and was now docked in Greffern. The ship departed at 6:15 pm and we headed towards our next stop, which was Speyer, Germany.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
This morning was quite overcast, with misty rain, as we prepared to do a city walking tour of Speyer, which was founded by the Romans in approx. 50 AD. Much of the town was destroyed in the 17th century, during the Palatine War of Succession. The Romanesque Cathedral did survive and was an architectural marvel of that era. The cathedral was constructed between 1030 and 1125. The cathedral was plain inside, but magnificent. We then did a tour of Speyer and returned to the ship for lunch. The weather cleared and this afternoon we travelled by bus to our home hosted get together. Grand Circle does a terrific job, as it gives us the opportunity to meet the local folks ip close and personal. Our group of six went to the house of a young couple, with two small children. They had just renovated the home and it was beautiful. They served us her own homemade apple and raspberry cream pies, along with wine and coffee. She took us on a tour of the house. She showed us her new and state of the art heating system, which uses sawdust pellets. Her Dad popped in, and did not speak much English. He had a book with him, about Martin Kuther King, for whom he had much respect. It was a fun afternoon and we took some photos and headed back to the ship.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The ship left Speyer at 12:30 am this morning, during our sleeping hours. The Captain told us that we would be sailing past Lorelei Rock, which rises 440 feet above the river and has a fabled story to tell. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the Rhine River.
