GenXnomad

21/12/2025

Love this ❤️
Twenty great things we gain from travel (and five we lose)

Christmas is a time of giving, and going away. But before you go, what better time to stop and give thanks for the gifts that a lifetime of travel can bring.

21/12/2025

The first time I tried to get the lid off a bottle of water and couldn't, I thought it was a design flaw. Then I found out it's a feature! It is now mandatory for all EU states to have phased out loose caps for plastic drinks bottles up to three litres. It’s part of an EU directive announced in 2018 that aims to reduce single-use plastic waste.

While it takes some practice to get used to, I'm happy that loose caps will no longer clog up waterways and be mistakenly consumed by animals in , and I hope considers something similar.

20/12/2025

Last day! Grey skies but there's always something to do in Paris. We took the metro to the Christmas market in the Jardin des Tuileries, then walked through the Tuileries, past the Louvre and over the Seine (note the half of the Eiffel tower visible! 😂), to a smaller market at Notre‑Dame in Square René Viviani. From there we wandered back to the hotel. About 10km of walking, around 10°C with a bit of rain, and plenty of people out enjoying the weekend. Tomorrow we head to the airport and start the trip home. It's been a great trip but I'm ready for some summer! ☀️

19/12/2025

This morning we left the boat and got on a coach, and 90 minutes later we were in our 3rd country for the morning (Luxembourg and then France)! Today was the first day of rain we've had for the whole cruise, if only it had held off for another day or 2! We had lunch in Reims and toured Reims Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then back on the bus. We are in Paris for 2 nights before heading home.

19/12/2025

We were so tired we skipped the full Trier guided tour and went off in search of coffee and Christmas market. However we did spend some time at the remarkably preserved Roman city gates, the Porta Nigra - hard to miss! The dark coloured stones of this UNESCO World Heritage Site once served as the formidable entrance to the city.

19/12/2025

Christmas Market no.17! 2 more mugs from Trier ✅️🎄🎅🇪🇺❤️

19/12/2025

On Thursday morning we visited Bernkastel-Kues, a medieval town on the Moselle. We walked through cobblestone streets lined with half‑timbered houses, saw the marketplace with its 1608 Renaissance Town Hall, an advent calendar house and the narrow Spitzhäuschen built in 1416. We finished with a wine tasting at Dr Pauly‑Bergweiler before heading back to the boat for lunch.

19/12/2025

Christmas Market no.16! Small market in Cochem ✅️🎄🎅🇪🇺❤️

19/12/2025

On Wednesday afternoon we visited Cochem, a medieval town on the Moselle. We started with a short drive up to Reichsburg Castle, rebuilt in the 19th century in Gothic Revival style, before returning to the town below.

On the walking tour we saw the medieval town gate, St. Martin’s church, the market square with the baroque Town Hall, and the Monastery.

19/12/2025

The last couple of days have been hectic! On Wednesday we had an early start up on the sun deck in 0°C as we cruised past the Castles of the Middle Rhine, a 65km stretch of the Rhine River between Koblenz and Bingen. The cruise Program Director Jen provided a charming Rod Stewart impression, and the captain let us into the wheelhouse which was really cool for a nerd like me! We were pretty frozen after 3 hours in the cold but totally worth it! 🫶

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19/12/2025

Wine vending machines in Germany. Be 16, insert ID, get wine 🍷 Spirits must be aged 18. So efficient 👍