Returning 19 April 2019
We passed through a number of locks through the night and were woken at about 4:00 am as the ship was docking to allow the early leavers to depart for the airport. Unsurprisingly, we stayed in bed until about 6:00 as usual and Peter headed off again to the tea machine to bring back two cups of Earl Grey.
As we were completing our final packing, we were rather surprised to find that the ship was under way again! Were we getting another free day’s cruise? It seemed as if the first docking was on a temporary pontoon as we eventually tied up as planned on the St. Johann’s pier. We completed our packing and Rigi our chambermaid kindly helped us out with the luggage to the corridoor.
We found another table for breakfast and had a short conversation with some other guests before our usual fare of fruit, yogurt and a variety of cooked items. Many of the waiting staff has been moved into other tasks to help with the disembarkation process.
After breakfast we waited in the reception area until it was time to leave for our 9:00 transfer to our hotel in Basel. Chris and Ruth, who were not leaving for the airport until much later in the afternoon, saw us off from the ship and started walking into the city while we took the short coach trip to the hotel.
Once there we were met again by yet another friendly Viking representative, who made sure that our check-in was seamless, and amazingly had arranged for our rooms to be ready for us at 9:30! She also agreed that, since her walking group was small, Chris and Ruth could join in with us ( provided they could reach the hotel on time). They duly arrived, ever so slightly out of breath, for our tour, which started with a short tram ride into the alt Stadt.
Once again, the walking tour was excellently and amusingly led by Julie who took us around the streets and past the major attractions, many of which were closed because of its being Good Friday. There was an amazing vista of the river, which included a ferry powered just by the flowing river as she told us the story of the fashion for swimming in the river on warm summer days, with a clever waterproof flotation device that also contained ones clothing and possessions.
The tour ended at the impressive Rathaus that was adorned with frescoes, and Julie made sure that we all knew the way home ( number 6 tram R for return and A for away, towards the Messe).
We then decided it was time for a celebration lunch out, as we were sure that Chris and Ruth would starve on their journey home!
We went across the road to the brasserie for flamenkuch and, as it was a movenpick restaurant, we has to finish with a small ice cream dessert
Having said our farewells, We returned back to the hotel on the tram and enquired as to whether we could book an excursion to Luzern and the Pilatus mountain for tomorrow. The concierge enquired, but eventually advised us that there were insufficient numbers for the tour to proceed.
We talked to the ever helpful Julie who explained how we could do the tour ourselves by taking a bus to the railway station, then a train to Luzern, a bus to the cable car terminus and a cable car to the peak, with the possibility of a rack train down and bus back to the Luzern station.
So that is what we decided to do.
Just before bedtime, we learnt that Chris and Ruth had arrived safely back home.