BLACK FOREST Fairytale For travel writer Gabrielle Sander, exploring the region – and its food – on an epic 26-mile cycle ride, was the highlight of her journey on the Rhine
W
hile picturepostcard sights, architectural delights and diving into new cultures are what make travelling the world exciting, it’s the promise of all the glorious edible discoveries that piques my interest the most. The local dishes you discover abroad; the ingredients you can pick up to evoke that holiday feeling back home. When that trip runs 800 miles along the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam, through 40
VIKINGCRUISES.CO.UK | SPR ING 2020
four countries, six cities and five towns, rich in wine and weissbier, cheese and charcuterie, schnapps, schnitzel and stroopwafels, the anticipation dials up a notch. My first Viking river cruise was a veritable spring feast for all senses: crisp April days offering muchneeded blue skies and sunshine after the long winter, technicolour tulips galore and sweet interactions with wildlife – the family of ducks that passed beneath our veranda balcony one morning in a neat
little row, and the swans we met at almost every bank along the way. Viking Eir, our comfortable home for the eight-day trip, delivered my partner and I seamlessly from one Rhine-side destination to the next; the lowlevel Longship designed perfectly to dock near the heart of the action. Each day brought a new adventure, through a rich itinerary of inclusive excursions, opportunities to explore alone, aided by the handy maps conveniently handed out at guest
