Travel Panoramic views from the sundeck We also wanted a two-deck riverboat that permits 24-hour, 360degree views from its top sundeck. Dozens of low bridges span the Rhine and Mosel. Three-deck riverboats collapse their upper sundecks to pass below the bridges. It was a bonus to find a Canadian tour operator that charters a riverboat, theDa Vinci, with these qualifications. Journeys by Jerry Van Dyke in Cambridge, Ontario has offered European river cruises to Canadians since 1988. The company was named after Jerry Van Dyke, who founded it with his wife Anneka in 1980. Our 16-day journey from Amsterdam to Basel began and ended at our front door with private airport transportation. Canadian-dollar fares included return flights, airport transfers, tours, meals (both on board and on full-day excursions), wine, beer, soft drinks and juice with dinner, Wi-Fi, tips and taxes – everything except travel and medical insurance and personal shopping. Cruising along the Rhine to Düsseldorf Life along the Rhine was endlessly fascinating. One of the most important commercial inland waterways in the world, the river is navigable from its North Sea mouth to Basel, a distance of 1,230 kilometres. We read books on the sundeck and listened intently when Voyage Manager Heleen Reinds described the attractions that scrolled by us. (After a massive upgrade this winter, upper deck passengers will also be able to admire the riverside scenery from French balconies – two sliding doors that open most of each cabin’s exterior wall.) In Düsseldorf, knowledgeable local guides led us on walking tours of the world’s longest bar. Located in the Altstadt (Old Town) area, the bar is a series of lively beer houses, pubs and restaurants lining cobblestone pedestrian streets. Several passengers returned after dinner to sit at outdoor tables, listen to street musicians and sip glasses of Altbier, the light-tasting dark brew that’s a Düsseldorf specialty. Our guide explained that Düsseldorf is Germany’s fashion capital. She walked with us to Königsallee, an elegant boulevard where we window-shopped at designer boutiques and luxury jewellery stores. Dutch ambiance After our airport transfer to theDa Vinci in Amsterdam, we had free time to explore Amsterdam andmeet some of the 90 passengers. Most were from Toronto and southwestern Ontario, although our cruise also had couples and singles from other provinces. Dutch touches appeared throughout the ship, from fresh flowers to tasty cheeses. On Holland Night, some staff members dressed in traditional Volendam costumes. Passengers enjoyed jenever (juniper-flavoured gin) and Dutch foods. Another theme night featured Bavarian costumes and food, including sauerkraut and sausages. An Indonesian theme night paid tribute to Indonesian crew members with a traditional rijsttafel, a buffet of delicious Indonesian foods adopted by the Netherlands when the Dutch East India Company traded with the Spice Islands during colonial times. CSANews | FALL 2018 | 21
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