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TRAVEL<br />
This page:<br />
Guests on a Viking<br />
Longship enjoy a<br />
closer view of the<br />
castles lining the<br />
Rhine River near<br />
the town of Kaub,<br />
in Germany<br />
Tour de<br />
FORCE<br />
Lisa Small discovers stunning<br />
architecture, delicious cuisine and vibrant<br />
culture on a Grand European Tour<br />
To get to the very heart of<br />
some of Europe’s most<br />
beautiful and historic<br />
cities there is perhaps no<br />
better way to travel than by river, as<br />
I discovered with great pleasure on<br />
my glorious Grand European Tour<br />
voyage with Viking. Just the name<br />
of the cruise was enough to stir my<br />
romantic sensibilities, conjuring<br />
up images of days gone by when<br />
wealthy young men embarked on<br />
a two-year Grand Tour of Europe<br />
in search of great enlightenment,<br />
education and inspiration.<br />
I too was hoping for all those<br />
things from my 15-day adventure<br />
exploring the cities, towns and<br />
diverse landscapes that line the<br />
banks of the Rhine, Main and<br />
Danube rivers. And I wasn’t<br />
disappointed. In fact, by the end of<br />
my journey I had gained so much<br />
more, including new friends, more<br />
luggage and a few extra pounds.<br />
Isn’t that the mark of a good trip?<br />
River cruising really is a different<br />
way of seeing the world. Every day<br />
brings new scenery and exciting<br />
destinations, from ancient rural<br />
towns to thriving cosmopolitan<br />
cities; vineyard-covered hills to<br />
mountainous forests watched over<br />
by crumbling fairy-tale castles.<br />
River cruise ships are so much<br />
smaller than ocean liners, but this<br />
means they can transport you right<br />
into the very centre of the city and<br />
moor up, putting all the sights<br />
and attractions within walking<br />
distance of your floating hotel.<br />
When you’re docked somewhere<br />
overnight, it makes it really easy to<br />
spend more time getting to know a<br />
place on your own – and the staff<br />
on board are great with directions,<br />
so I was never afraid of getting<br />
lost or missing out on a wonderful<br />
opportunity that came my way.<br />
The Viking Longship might<br />
have been smaller compared to<br />
its ocean-going cousins, but it<br />
PHOTOS: © ISTOCK<br />
46 VIKINGCRUISES.CO.<strong>UK</strong> | SUMMER <strong>2020</strong><br />
SUMMER <strong>2020</strong> | VIKINGCRUISES.CO.<strong>UK</strong> 47
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