Living the high life aboard Avalon Expression

GRAHAM Crouch discovers that there are plenty of good things to see and enjoy on Europe's waterways.

avalon expression

MEDIEVAL castles and Rhineland villages glide lazily past like a European movie reel highlights package as I kick back with a coffee on the open-air Sky Deck of a sparkling new river ship cruising Europe's grand waterways.

The Avalon Expression, a 135m slice of luxury on its maiden voyage, floats with barely a bump through the fast-running Rhine River, swollen with spring rain, down the World Heritage-listed Rhine Gorge.

Heading towards Koblenz at the confluence with the Moselle, we are on our way from Frankfurt to Amsterdam taking in sights such as the famous Lorelei rock and a side trip down the Moselle.

The Rhine Gorge, famous for white wine and fine food, has provided a taste of the German lifestyle during a morning visit to Siegfried's Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments in the town of Rudesheim. Tour guide Melanie, in full cabaret mode, takes us through the museum showing off a variety of remarkable self-playing precision instruments.

A morning stroll through the Old Town's narrow streets is wrapped up with a Rudesheimer Kaffee at a traditional coffee house.

The hit of brandy, sugar, and strong coffee topped with whipped cream and chocolate flakes shakes off any hint of lethargy. No wonder the town's atmosphere is described by the German word "Gemütlichkeit" meaning "cozy good cheer" or "laid-back contentment". I prefer "mule-kicking sugar hit".

Back on our floating 5-star hotel it is oh-so-easy to relax and reflect on the day before heading off to dinner. Avalon Expression is the fifth ship in Avalon's Panorama class fleet, accommodating 166 guests and 45 crew. The ship is a three-level affair with two upper decks featuring 65 Panorama suites and 2 Royal suites. The Panorama suites of a comfortable 18.6sq m feature floor-to-ceiling windows that slide open to create an open-air balcony, flat-screen television, writing desk, sofa, free movies and Wi-Fi. The lower deck has 16 staterooms designed for the more budget conscious although, with the Expression carrying fewer guests than most similar cruises, these could prove popular.

A neat design trick of putting the bathroom wall on a slight angle has created extra space for a larger shower recess in the suites. The bathroom decor has a deluxe touch with marble finish, L'Occitane bath products, recessed lighting and a magnifying mirror.

Gliding down the Rhine can work up an appetite and there are three eating areas aboard plus the Club Lounge at the rear. All meals and drinks with dinner are included in the ticket price, as are activities and excursions, entrance fees and guides.

The main dining room is on the lower deck. Upstairs, the Panorama Bistro features a lighter tapas menu with limited seating. Choices include treats such as a "culinary trio" of beef roulade, sea scallop mille-feuille and Alpine spatzle of egg-based noodles, roast onion and artisan cheese wrapped in a thin pastry crust. Naturally, it's washed down with local Rhine riesling and finished off with a Viennese "opera" cake for the sweet tooth.

The Sky Bistro on the rooftop serves up an Aussie-friendly barbecue menu of salads, steaks, local sausage and fish.

Port calls en route to Amsterdam are a daily adventure, such as Cochem, a flood-prone ancient town on the Moselle River with a population of about 6000 which swells with about 2 million visitors a year. They come to enjoy the cobblestoned streets, half-timbered houses, the restored Reichsburg Imperial Castle and, of course, the wine.

The Romans brought the first vineyards to the region and considered it a preventative medicine. Soldiers were punished for not drinking their daily rations. The Roman Catholic monks who occupied the monastery had a daily ration of 5 litres a day, our guide tells us.

Cochem locals continue to treat their wine with due reverence. The town's annual wine festival once featured a fountain with wine replacing the water, until health regulators put a stop to it.

The many castles along the river route were first established to protect the prosperity the wine industry brought the region.

Unfortunately the Sun King Louis 14th of France decided he wanted the region, and its wealth, for France and sent his troops in to break down the castles. World War II flattened a lot of the region's historic towns but many were rebuilt in a sympathetic style.

Cochem itself was mostly destroyed in 1945 when the Allies tried to bomb a tunnel ferrying troops and arms to France.

Enough remains of its historic past for it to be a fascinating place to wander. The Imperial Castle, although mostly restored in the 19th century in a classic of Gothic Revival style, is well worth a visit.

A highlight of a maiden voyage is the christening ceremony, and according to our host, Avalon managing director Patrick Clark, in ancient times the Vikings made a human sacrifice at the christening of a new vessel.

Happily these days a godmother is chosen and the author of 1000 Places To See Before You Die Patricia Schultz offered only a successfully smashed bottle of champagne on the bow to celebrate the Expression's coming of age.

The evening of the christening was like most on the cruise - a five-course dinner and some entertainment from a local band followed by an early night in anticipation of the next day's adventures. This is definitely a luxury cruise geared to a mature market rather than a party ship.

The final full day of the tour begins with the ship docked in downtown Cologne. Famous for perfumes and the massive gothic Cologne Cathedral, our guide assures us no visit is complete without sausage, cake and the local Kolsch beer.

Served in a very un-German like 200ml glass, it is the local brew delicacy and signals our departure from wine country. It seemed to sum up our visit through this part of Germany. Eat, drink, be merry - and soak up the history in style.

The writer was a guest of Avalon Waterways.

Go2 - AVALON WATERWAYS

Avalon Expression is a popular 15-day Magnificent Europe voyage between Amsterdam and Budapest. It cruises the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, with highlights including Amsterdam, Cologne, the Rhine Gorge, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.

A Magnificent Europe cruise aboard Avalon Expression departing October 23 is from $5281 a person, twin share, for a deluxe stateroom, from $6581 a person, twin share, for a Panorama Suite.

See travel agents, ph 1300 230 234 or see avalonwaterways.com.au

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