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- Jan 26, 2011
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The weather went from bright and sunny, but very chilly, to overcast and dark around 4pm as we exited the boat. We knew we had a three hour bus trip to go. We had hand luggage, which meant back packs and carry on rollers that we'd had to take onboard the smaller ship and our main luggage was on the road somewhere in a truck. It was all a bit coughbersome but there you go.
That bus trip, we had the CD on board ours, there were four bus loads and they were absolutely full, of people and luggage. The trip was fine for about two hours then the last hour was just difficult. It was raining heavily. Peak hour traffic. Autobahns. So many semi trailers. Very dark. So we got to Strassbourg and the CD showed us the usual berthing place for Viking and which was now flooded. So we continued on. We were the third bus. We could hear the CD trying to make all the arrangements for the next couple of days, on his phone. So many jigsaw pieces. Anyway, this bus is going down very narrow streets, he hit one pothole and thought he'd ruptured something like a tyre but that seemed ok. We headed down one dark - well lane actually, and came to a stop. Left or right. The driver didn't know. He was lost.
. He got out the bus and went over to another driver to ask where to go. Meanwhile we hear tooting and yelling from the cars backed up behind as only the French can do, then two drivers emerged and started to remonstrate. On the other side of the bus our friends were watching just how close the bus was coming to take out concrete bollards. I've said this a few times this trip 'you just can't make this stuff up'.Finally hes on the phone to the ships captain who gave him directions in German. Off we go. We arrived at the Viking berth. But. There were so many Viking ships, all identical from the outside, rafted together (so one is invisible from the road) and we couldn't find ours. We drove around and around looking for Tialfi. Finally we saw the first bus that had left and he told us where to find it. It was in a different berth.
Got to Tialfi around 7.30pm. Our rooms were identical to the last boat, that's how ship swaps work. Now, we were here for a night. On a FB group I'm one I'd been following the cruise before us that left two days earlier. So I knew at the start this was going to happen. We have ended our days cruising unless the water levels drop. And likely here for four nights. Stuck up against another boat and four days of buses. But Viking CD would not tell people that and they seemed, in the main, to be completely oblivious to it. That's how Viking likes it. They control the information flow, drip by drip.
Our view. I can touch the next boat.
Now rafting like this is not uncommon. I'd expected it for a night. That's normal. But four nights is not. Not without moving ports in between.
We had to have dinner, Weiner Schnitzel which was the way it is supposed to be. Delicious and tender and - Veal! How unique. Sorry, I realise I'm not taking food pictures but to be honest it's just food and I can't be bothered. Besides our new friends are entertaining us so much each night I forget to take them.
Anyways at 9.30pm we were called to another ship meeting. I'd say about 3/4 of the information they could have provided us with was withheld. And I don't think the CD is in any wiser position. So we had missed another port, Mannheim, which was a simple walk of the boat and explore in the morning kind of port. And Speyer at night time, again another walk off the boat and explore the night Christmas markets. Gone. But wait. We will offer a four hour drive round trip to see Speyer in the afternoon. Sigh. It misses the point. This is not a bus trip. I looked at MrP and said forget it. We will explore Strassburg ourselves despite Viking.
We do have a nice view from the restaurant here. Something I guess. Well, I mean, the swans add a nice touch to the silos that are next to them and which I'm looking at now while typing.
and they'd turned off the wrong pump.
