The day began in Rudesheim where we took the gondola up the mountain to be treated to far reaching views of the Rhine valley and the surrounding towns. The journey, high above vineyards, was pretty spectacular.
An afternoon of scenic cruising followed. I haven't been bragging about the weather for the last week. Cool and cloudy most days. We had all the blankets out on deck as we sailed passed medieval castles, some in ruins and others meticulously restored. Had to give in when the rain came but we stayed in reception, crossing from one door to the opposite so as not to miss anything. It wasn't completely unpleasant but certainly not as perfect as last week's scenic cruise.
To continue the royal theme APT have a deal with Princess Heidi Von Hohenzollern, who married into Belgian royalty. Sadly her husband died in 2001 but prior to this they had restored the 14th century castle, which they inherited. Their intention was a to sell but once they fixed it up for sale they fell in love with the acoustics in the main hall, The Hall of Mirrors. As musicians they decided to keep it and make the castle a cultural centre. A chamber music festival is held annually and the castle is also used for events such as weddings and conferences. All APT ships stop there for dinner which keeps them busy more than 4 nights a week in cruising season. Heidi greeted us and invited us to explore the grounds and building before striking the gong to call us all to a lovely meal in the Hall of Mirrors. We were served by delightful wait staff who are in hospitality training. The synchronised service was very impressive. The grand piano was brought to life by a young music masters student who played Chopin and Schubert between courses.
Definitely a very royal day!
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