Hank Schrader

September 24, 2020

River Cruise Reviews

Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

Hank Schrader

September 24, 2020

River Cruise Reviews

Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

By far, AmaWaterways has the most special wine cruises as compared to the other 7 river cruise lines that primarily market to North America river cruisers—as you may know we study all 8 lines (AmaWaterways, Avalon, Crystal, Emerald, Scenic, Tauck, Uniworld and Viking).

AmaWaterways has 60+sailings a year that have a special wine theme and the events are included in the cruise fare—that’s right, there is no additional cost to be on a wine themed cruise.

So, today, I’d like to tell you about wine cruises on AmaWaterways. I will tell you about the 4 European areas that have wine cruises included in the fare and explain what it is like to be on a wine cruise, as we have been on 4 with AmaWaterways.

I will finish up, by telling you about a special idea we have about a pre/post tour with a wine cruise and a tour of some key WW I and WW II sites in 2022, so please read to the end of this blog to learn more.

A Quick Overview of Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

The wine themed cruises are usually led by a Wine Host from a winery in the United States. The host will conduct some tastings of their wines, discuss wine and host a wine dinner on the ship paired with their wines.

We have been on two hosted by US winemakers and two cruises hosted by drink experts—one was a regional expert from France and the other was a beer cruise with a beer expert from the US . The Ledson wine cruise (on the Rhône) and the Bordeaux cruise were special—we would go again on both.

**Mark Thomas, then general manager of Ledson Winery, preparing for a tasting on the 2014 Wine cruise hosted by Ledson Winery**

The other bonus about these special wine cruises is that they are often in Spring or Fall, times when the cruises cost a little less than the most popular summer season.

When you consider that wine and food on AmaWaterways is already over the top—the fare is regionally –inspired cuisine, using fresh food sources and always paired with 2 daily changing wines—a wine cruise just enhances the chances to learn and enjoy wine even more!

France Wine Regions

The Bordeaux region and the Rhône region are the 2 main French wine regions that you can experience on an AmaWaterways cruise in France. On a Rhine river cruise route, there is often a bonus region of Alsace white wines.

Bordeaux region of France on the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde Rivers is about wine more than other sights on their “A Taste of Bordeaux” cruise. It is a round trip cruise out of Bordeaux and features wine tastings, chateaux’s and abundant vineyards along the Garonne and its tributaries.

**Wine Regions of Bordeaux. Map from AmaWaterways**

There are over 8,500 wine producing estates in this region—it is often considered the wine capital of the world. Usual port cities of Cadillac, Pauillac, Bourg and Libourne are included in most sailings of this region.

This is an important wine region of France and you will experience tastings of some of the most distinguished wines including Sauternes, Medoc and Bordeaux wines (my personal favorites).

Here is what wine expert Mark Thomas said about his favorite wines on this cruise (we traveled together on this route in 2017):

“Some of my very favorite red wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and various blended wines with these varietals in varying percentages. For white varietals, again some of my favorites: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with which some produce world-famous Sauternes.”

**Wine barrels in St. Emilion prior to Gran Cru Tasting**

My glass is ready—care to join me?

Rhône River

Imagine sailing on the Rhône River through the legendary wine growing regions of Provence, getting the chance to sample Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône!

**Wine Regions of Provence. Map from AmaWaterways**

**Beaujolais Tasting in Domaine de Averlys in 2016 on a Provence**

Here is what my travel chum and wine expert Mark Thomas had to say about the wines on this cruise:

“In Provence, Rose’s dominate. These delicious bold, crisp, fruity wines pair great with the local seafood dishes (Bouillabaisse, Fish soup, etc.). The red grapes that dominate the region include Mourvèdre and Grenache while the primary white grapes include Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette, usually blended together in some form or another.

As you head up the Rhône River from Arles toward Lyon, you first encounter the Southern Rhône region where the red grape varietal Grenache dominates. Often primarily blended with Syrah, and Mourvèdre, these wines are rich, earthy, gamey, and full-bodied especially in the area of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape. Other red blending grape varietals include Carignan, Cinsaut, and Counoise. The delicious white varietals of the Southern Rhône are the same as in Provence.

**Our cruise manager Kris on our 2016 excursion tasting at the HB Les Pavillon de Vins**

Moving into the Northern Rhône, you’ll find Syrah is king among the red varietals while Viognier in the appellation of Condrieu, along with gorgeous blends of Marsanne and Roussanne in the appellations of Hermitage and St. Joseph dominate the white varietals.”

Just so you know, we had never had a Viognier before going on this route and now it is one of our favorites—if you want to experience, new great wines, AmaWaterways is a great place to start!

**Viognier Wine and Cheese outdoor treat in Vienne**

Wow!—does it help to have your own personal sommelier to help you learn about wines?—you bet it does!

Alsace’s Wines

On an AmaWaterways cruise on the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel or reverse, there is a good chance to sample some wines from Alsace.

The key grapes grown in the region of Alsace are Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. According to wine experts, although these grapes are also grown in Germany, the Alsace wines have more flavor and are much drier than those produced across on the eastern side of the Rhine River in Germany. These robust white wines are also named for the grapes—a common practice in Germany but much less common in France.

**A wine store in Riquewhir, France—Kaisor Zimmer—Vins d’Alsace**

Since 1983, the official gran cru appellation status has been awarded to about 50 terroirs. Most of these gran cru appellation wines are dry whites.

Gran cru in French means great growth. This classification of wines is a regional designation of the vineyards that produces very good wines.

**Alsace vineyards near Riquewihr, France. Photo Mark Thomas**

Trust me, they are excellent!

3 of Germany’s 13 Wine regions—the Rheingau, Franconia and Moselle Regions

**Wine Regions of Germany. Map from AmaWaterways**

The Rheingau wine region produces elegant Riesling wines—about 78% of the total wine production along this stretch of the Rhine River are Rieslings. About 12% of the other grapes grown in this area are Pinot Noir (or Spätburgunder, as the Germans call it).

**The Vineyards around the town of Rüdesheim**

The town of Rüdesheim is a great place to sample some of these great wines. There are often 2 wine tasting tours here and both are fun and serve great wine. As an extra bonus, there is coffee drink I first had while in the military—Rüdesheimer coffee (coffee, flamed Asbach brandy and topped with whipped cream). If you have never had it, you are missing one of the great coffee drinks in the world!

The Franconia wine region is less well known producer of dry white wines made from Silvaner grapes. The official name is Grüner Silvaner. A lot of this wine is grown around Würzburg.

**Vineyards around the Marienberg Citadel on the Main River**

One unique feature of this wine is its special bottle—it is in a bottle called a Bocksbeutel (in German)—a distinctive green oval shaped bottle.

Sharing a bottle of Grüner Silvaner they brought back to our 2019 AmaWaterways cruise with Denise Thomas.

One feature of wine cruises on the Main River is a special wine tasting in Würzburg’s baroque Residenz Palace. Wine in a palace—how cool is that!

The Moselle region is famous for Riesling wines. Many writers claim this is the best of Germany’s wine regions, as the Rieslings (about 60% of the grapes planted here) have an exceptional balance between sweetness and acidity.

**Vineyards near Bernkastel on the Moselle**

On the Moselle, my favorite wine port is Zell. It is famous for its white wine Zellerschwartzkatz (Zell’s black cat)—I also first had this while in the military on various visits to Germany. The really great draw of this village is the story of Zell’s Black Cat Wine.

According to legend, a large quantity of local wine was being stored in barrels in a regional cellar. When people approached, a black cat jumped on the barrel from Zell and started hissing to protect its contents. Seeing the hissing, caused the wine merchants to believe the wine from Zell was special and better quality than the other wines stored in the wine cellar building. Today the black cat is the symbol of this town.

AmaWaterways has an exclusive wine festival celebration in Zell. The local children, dressed up like black cats, provide a performance that everyone who has visited Zell on AmaWaterways will remember. You don’t even have to be on a special wine cruise to get this unique experience!

**The children of Zell visiting us on an AmaWaterways cruise with an invitation to explore their city. They are accompanied with local wine queen and mayor.**

Just to let you know, the legend is true—the wine is great!

Portugal’s Douro Valley

This is a cruise for wine lovers, especially aficionados of the desert wine port (a fortified wine with alcohol added), also a cruise for those who want to sample and learn more about Portuguese cuisine, and for adventures who love new destinations.

While port is far and away the most import wine in the region, there is increasing recognition of whites and reds produced in this great wine growing region and I was surprised to learn about 50% of the total wine production is wines other than port.

The steep, dry slopes of the Douro and soil characteristics (terroir) produce remarkable wines.

**Some of the Douro’s wine vineyards. Photo from our clients the Howards.**

Perhaps the most surprising fact is how many different ports, from sweet to really dry, are produced here. One of our clients brought us a bottle of 30 year aged, dry, Tawny port—it didn’t last long in the Schrader household.

The Danube

One of the great reasons to go to Europe, especially on an AmaWaterways river cruise, is learning about a wine that would soon become one of our favorites.

Perhaps, the best wine region on a Danube cruise is in the Wachau Valley. It produces 2 great wines-- Wachau Grüner Veltliner and Riesling wines. I had never tasted Grüner Veltliner before this trip, but does it ever pair well with Wiener schnitzel, one of my all-time favorite entrees!

**Jeff and Hank share a glass of wine on our 2018 Danube cruise**

Now we look for this wonderful white wine to enjoy at home and in restaurants.

In researching this blog, I read one source that said Rieslings from the Wachau have more in common with Alsace Rieslings than the Moselle Rieslings—but for me they all are great!

I also learned that Moselle Rieslings wines are bottled in green glass, so they can be distinguished from Rhine Rieslings which are bottled in brown glass.

Since we have experienced Rieslings from all three wine areas while on 3 different AmaWaterways cruises, my advice—make your own comparison trips with our help! You can’t go wrong here—they are all good and I’m sure you will agree if you try our taste test challenge and book all 3 with us!

Our 2022 Cruise Idea

We are still working on an idea that might really appeal for many of you readers of this blog. We are planning 2 AmaWaterways River Cruises with a pre/post cruise to the other great wine region of France—the Champagne region of Reims. It won’t just be wine tasting, it will include a trip to the WW II sites of the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and the WW I historic sites around Reims (there is a 40 mile circuit that has some of the best sights in France).

We are still working on the details, so keep reading the blog for the latest updates.

We hope to repeat our great success leading military themed trips as we were able to achieve on our 70th and 75th Anniversary trips to D Day.

The bonus is we plan to invite Mark Thomas as our Wine Host on one of the cruises.

If you want to be on our list to be notified about this or other specials we might have please email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.

My Final Thoughts

It’s time to raise a glass or two—CHEERS, SALUD, PROST!

Does it get any better than this?—all the fabulous features of a river cruise and a special wine themed cruise included for free!

So now is the time to take action when travel restrictions are lifted. We will be ready to help!

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

September 17, 2020

Best Value Travel

Have Desire, Will Travel

Hank Schrader

September 17, 2020

Best Value Travel

Have Desire, Will Travel!

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Today’s blog title is inspired by an old TV show called “Have Gun, Will Travel”. It was a 30 minute black and white Western about a single gun for hire. The phrase really means, he is ready to go!

So, today, I’d like to tell you about why you should seek out travel experiences with our help—you should “Have Desire, Will Travel” and be ready to go when this pandemic mess is solved.

How “Have Gun, Will Travel” Inspired Me to Write About Travel Experiences

The hero of the show was Richard Boone (Paladin), a West Point graduate, who wore all black when on assignment, and was a Calvary officer in the Civil War. You can see the parallels for me now—West Point grad, Black Knights (Army Sports nickname) but as a young kid, I wasn’t thinking about that—he was just a cool guy in an action TV show.

His calling card was a black knight chess piece with these simple words “Wire Paladin, San Francisco”. Again, a parallel—email us for travel help @ hschrader@dreamdestinations.com .

Even the name Paladin has meaning in history—a Paladin was a trusted knight during Charlemagne’s rule. These noble knights (12) fought with Charlemagne against the Islamic invasion of Gaul (present day France). The most famous was Roland. While most of this is mythology, being a trusted advisor is an important feature of any relationship. Do you see the parallel here?—we are trusted advisors who services will remove the hassles of your travel planning and trips.

My Travel Experiences are a tale of Have Desire, Will Travel

I have been traveling all my life. My late father was a career Army Officer (thanks for serving our country for 33 years Dad!), so I started at a very young age to travel and learned to love it. My Dad also loved to travel and US National Parks were very special to him, so our family had camped in and visited most of the 59 major parks by my early teen years.

**My Mom and Dad on a hiking trip—one of our favorite activities**

I can also say I have spent at least one night in all 50 States in my lifetime and lived in 14 different states. Along with living on Okinawa and in Panama for several years, I have spent about 6 months total in Germany, so I have also experienced several different cultures for extended periods of my life.

The breakdown of different countries is something like this-- all of North America, all of Central America, all but one of South America, 35 of 50 in Europe, 13 Caribbean Islands, 2 Middle East, 1 Africa and 6 Asia—maybe 81 or so countries in total.

But this is not about where I have been, it is about what I have experienced. Unlike some travelers who want to see every country and brag about how many they have seen and even set criteria to make sure it “qualifies” as a new country or territory, I just want to experience how other folks live, work, play and the culture they have created for their lives, especially in Europe.

But this only is helpful to you if we can use my and Anne’s past travel experiences to help you have better trips. Let’s explore that further together.

Creating New Experiences in Travel

So, how do you create new experiences in travel—here is a partial guide for you!

I think the first step and the most important step is deciding: Why you want to go on the trip?

Have you read about it and want to see it firsthand?

Is this a romantic trip to share with your significant other?

Do you want to learn about how different cultures live their lives?

The next step is: What do you expect to see and experience?

Do you like small villages?

Maybe castles?

Do you want to concentrate on one country?

Do you have any activities planned or desired?

The next step is: What time is available, when do you want to go and who are your traveling companions?

How much vacation time do you have?

What time of year?

Who all is going—the family, your spouse or is it solo?

The next step is: How will you get there?

The classic planes, trains or cruise transportation questions—what arrangements and level of comfort do you need?

The next step is: What type of accommodations do you desire?

The question is also often the level of services vs. the budget—what fits best?

Now let’s put it all together and start making adjustments—reality vs. desires.

An Example from our Travels

We want to go to Europe for 2 weeks or more. We want to go on river cruise and visit Brugge again, as it is Anne’s favorite city in Europe.

We want to go to as many of the Christmas markets as possible.

**Anne and Hank at the Thurn and Taxis Christmas Market in Regensburg, Germany with the owner of the HutKoeing (Hat King) with our new hats**

Anne would also love to do a baking or cooking class if possible. We want to go with our travel chums (another couple who likes to travel with us).

**Denise (one half of our travel chums) and Anne bake gingerbread cookies together**

We will need to select a cruise, get flights and also use trains. We have a favorite hotel in Brugge but will need to find some other hotels for our planned stops.

**View from our favorite hotel room in Brugge**

We will use AmaWaterways, as it is our favorite European river cruise company and offers the best value for our money. Maybe use AmaWaterways for flights—it depends upon price and convenience

We will need some Euros, travel documents and figure out what clothes to take. We need to arrange for Libby, our dog, to go to the Doggy Hotel and make sure she gets the special play day package, to swim and run with the other dogs.

**Libby Ready to go to the Doggy Hotel**

I think this example helps you understand how detailed the planning for a good trip becomes to maximize the experiences.

How We Can Help

Does seem like a lot of details, doesn’t it? But the answer is to let us plan it for you—we can be your Paladin! We have the expertise to get it all right for you and find places and space you just didn’t know about. We are ready to go to dive into the details, so there is zero hassle to you!

My Final Thoughts

We are your Paladin—Have Desire, Will Travel! So now is the time to take action when travel restrictions are lifted! We will be ready to help!

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

September 3, 2020

Best Value Travel

Travel Enjoyment

Hank Schrader

September 3, 2020

Best Value Travel

Travel Enjoyment

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Travel is good. Not only is it good, there are many studies that prove it has significant health benefits. Right now, it sure would help raise my mood—it has been almost a year since we have visited Europe and I sure miss it.

For me, however, the biggest benefit is personal growth and learning—I just feel a little stagnate right now—yes, idle thoughts that could be quickly solved by a good dose of travel.

I yearn for that stimulation! How about you? Do you feel the same? I suspect so!

So, let’s examine the benefits of travel together and hope we can soon return to the normal world of travel—I believe it will happen in 2021.

Some Facts about Americans and Travel Overseas

According to a study conducted by Hostelworld Global Traveler Report (2017 data), Americans are about 50% less likely to travel abroad than Europeans. The report states that 29% of Americans have never left America.

The average American has visited 3 countries; UK residents average 10 countries; Germans 8 countries; and Frenchmen 5 countries. While it is true it is easy and cheaper to travel if you live in Europe to other countries, it saddens me to know so many Americans are missing learning and experiencing most of our wonderful world.

Far too often, Americans choose Canada, Mexico and somewhere in the Caribbean for their only international visits. We would hope they would expand to other worldwide locations—especially Europe.

The good news is that most of you reading this are not the ones who have only visited 3 countries—you are the exception and we applaud you!

I Learned at a Young Age the Benefits of Travel

My parents started my lifelong love of travel at an early age. My Dad loved the outdoors, and we often went camping as a family. As most of you know, my Dad was a career Army officer.

When he was reassigned to Okinawa (I was 12 years old), we visited most of our nation’s national parks on the way to the West Coast of America. We drove across America to get to a ship that took us to our new home—it sure was a great learning experience to see a lot of America!

**Landing on Okinawa with my Mom and Dad in the background**

But the real lesson was living and traveling in the Far East. You can read about a rice paddy, but until you see a small plot of land worked by hand by folks living so differently than you do, that you began to understand how complex our world really is.

**My School Days picture form 1962-1963**

Yet, you also quickly learn people all over the world are basically the same. They may look different in their outward appearances, but they have the same wants and needs as you and I do. Experiencing different ways of life, and connecting with locals, is a far better way to learn about the world than reading about different cultures in a text book.

I was lucky— I was exposed to our unique world at an early age and it quickly changed my life for the better. To this day, my wanderlust is still strong—thanks Mom & Dad for exposing me to the benefits of travel at an early age!

The 4 Health Benefits of Traveling

It is good for your heart health. A study of overseas travelers reported that there was a reduced risk of heart attacks in men and women.

Travel enhances your cognitive abilities—it sharpens your mind. New challenges in a different environment will stimulate your brain. It is especially true of folks who engage with the local people and their culture. Just experiencing different languages will improve your communication skills. Most travelers at least learn a few new words or phrases in a different language and are exposed to new foods, so it is easy to see how travel can sharpen your mind.

You get to relax and disconnect. Wandering old medieval towns of Europe, sharing an al fresco meal in Rome or Paris—that is my idea of relaxing—with a good glass of wine and locally grown, seasonal food!

Most of all, I want to slow down a little and savor life and my surroundings. I always seem renewed after travel and there is evidence that many folks upon returning from a vacation are in a better mood and more creative. I know I am.

5 Great Reasons Your Travel Experiences will Make You a Better Person

You will become more confident. Change is difficult sometimes but it will help you grow. When you travel, you become different. You leave your comfortable, known world and venture into the unknown.

The best part is that the unknown soon becomes familiar and usually awesome. Good or bad experiences still leave you changed, but I will tell you, most travel is great. The best part of venturing out is that you gain confidence in yourself. It is very empowering to know you can handle new experiences.

You can read about a place but until you experience it, you do not really understand it. Battlefields, Biblical sites, ancient towns, stunning structures, different food markets, and jaw dropping scenery are all different when you visit in person. Pictures and words are never the same as being there. It is amazing how many times I have visited a new place and the visit completely changed what I thought the place was like.

Travel will also quickly teach you how little you know about the world. Even as a former teacher of World Geography, who thinks he knows a lot about the world, I still have a lot to learn. Always after every trip I take, it just reinforces that there is so much more to learn and experience. It always makes me eager for the next adventure!

**Lake Bled Castle in Slovenia—I never knew about this wonder place until a visit in 2010.**

Travel will make you appreciate your life and the world we live in. You see some of the wonderful things humans have created. They have created amazing buildings and structures.

People of different cultures have found many ways to create good, tasty meals and great beverages and when you try some of them, you will wonder why you hadn’t tried them sooner. You will be amazed at how they have adapted their lives to their surroundings and environment. You will see beauty.

These experiences are life changing and you will have been given a true gift—a better understanding of our world and the people who live on our planet. Travel broadens your horizons.

Travel will provide you experiences that you will never forget. We have been lucky to have experienced so many, it is hard to select just a few, but I will try.

Wish you could have joined us savoring excellent wine and food floating on the rivers of Europe in a river cruise boat as castles peer down on us from the cliffs. Celebrating the holiday seasons in the many Christmas markets of Europe is always a highlight.

**An Advent Calendar House in Lucerne, Switzerland**

Watching a play in London is fun and was made even better riding the Tube (subway) with many folks dressed up as characters from The Rocky Mountain Horror Show.

Drinking beer at a pub in Dublin, Ireland with rugby fans from Ireland and Scotland just prior to their international test match later that day, is really getting down with the locals.

**Anne’s new drinking buddies at Kehoe’s Pub Dublin Ireland**

Gazing on some of the world’s great art in Paris, London and St. Petersburg helps you understand how creative humans can be.

**Magnificent artwork in the Louvre Paris France**

Learning to cook a great meal from a celebrity chef in Wales was a bucket list for Anne on her 60th birthday.

People watching in the many outdoor cafes of Europe can be so entertaining you will sit for hours enjoying the street life of Europe.

An excellent people watching Ristorante in San Marino

Walking in ancient ruins, imaging that we were famous ancients of an era long past, allowed us to bring history to life.

Doesn’t this make you want to go—just writing my blog has stirred my desire to get back to Europe soon!

My Final Thoughts

Travel is good! There are so many benefits of travel that outweigh the minor disadvantages of making travel arrangements (most of which we can easily solve for you), so now is the time to take action when travel restrictions are lifted! We will be ready to help!

One of the great joys of our business is helping others experience the benefits of travel—we hope we have provided real travel enjoyment in their lives.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

August 27, 2020

Europe Travel

My Favorite Top 12 Experiences in Europe

Hank Schrader

August 27, 2020

Europe Travel

My Favorite Top 12 Experiences in Europe

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Wow, do I miss traveling to Europe!!! I hope it returns soon—we have a river cruise scheduled in December—I sure hope we get to go!

As I sit at my desk writing this during a pandemic, my mind can’t help but wander on what great experiences we have had in Europe.

So, this week I’d like to talk about my 12 favorite experiences traveling in Europe.

No. 12. My first trip to Europe in 1971

After graduating from West Point on 9 June 1971, I went with a classmate to Europe for 6 weeks. Armed with a Eurorail pass, a bunch of American Express Traveler checks and a backpack, we went on a tour of the most famous places in Europe—Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Munich, Madrid, Vienna, Venice, Rome Nice, Paris and London.

In a way, it replicated most of the old Grand tour of Europe that the nobility often took. I fell in love with Europe and still can’t wait to return—it all started with that trip!

**Post Card I sent my parents. On 24 July 1971 I was on top of the Eiffel Tower.**

No. 11. Our First River Cruise

There is no doubt that I was stunned after taking a river cruise in 2009 on AmaWaterways. It changed my perception of how great travel could be. The Moselle River and Main River voyage through the heart of Europe will always be one of my favorite travel experiences.

**What a surprise—Hank ordering wine on our first river cruise in 2009**

In 2015, we led a group to this wonderful part of Germany and will return when we can.

No 10. Our tour of Croatia and Ireland

There may not be a 2 week period where we learned so much about Europe in depth as those two weeks in 2010. What a complete contrast—a Balkan country and an Irish Island. My two favorites—Dubrovnik, the pearl of the Adriatic, and marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Sligo.

**Hank and Anne ready to march in the Sligo St. Patrick’s Day Parade**

**A quick pint with some Leprechauns after the parade**

There can also be no better time than drinking pints in a Dublin pub just before the Ireland Scotland test rugby match during the Six Nations test matches.

**Dublin Koehoe’s Pub before the Ireland Scotland Rugby test match**

No 9. Our Celebrity Cruise in the Mediterranean

Seeing part of the world of Greek islands, Ephesus, Israel and the highlight for me Istanbul was an adventure beyond belief. The spice market, the Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace were thrilling. I also remember walking hand-in hand in Ephesus with Anne, just like Anthony and Cleopatra did thousands of years ago.

No 8. Our Route of Wine Traders Azamara Cruise.

Sailing from London to Spain along the coast on the western edge of Europe was special. My favorite part was a visit to Sintra in Portugal to see Pena Palace and Sintra National Palace. At the end of the cruise, we went to Granada and visited the Alhambra. Later on that same trip, we visited Carcassonne, the largest walled city in Europe.

No 7. Our 2 Baltic Cruises

This fascinating part of Europe is best understood from the importance of the Baltic Sea for development of the modern world of Scandinavia and northern Europe. The two standouts for me—Estonia’s Tallinn Old Town walled city and Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg. I also liked seeing all the Scandinavia capital cities and visiting Berlin.

No 6. Our British Isles Cruise

Sailing to Ireland and around most of England and Scotland is an experience not to be missed. Sharing pints in numerous pubs, visiting castles in Scotland and buying custom made kilts in Edinburg made this trip so memorable.

**Kilt Factory where our custom made kilts were made**

No 5. Our Danube River Cruises

We have sailed on the Danube River 6 times. The second longest river in Europe has helped us explore a region that is so unique. Visiting Budapest and Prague, my two favorite eastern European cities, once that seemed so exotic and unfamiliar, now beckons us to return!

**Anne with Lazlo on our Blue Danube River Cruise on AmaWaterways**

Sailing the lower Danube to the former iron curtain countries was wonderful—this area was once closed off to me during the cold war and I just thought I’d never get a chance to explore this part of Europe. We ended that trip by staying in Brasov, Romania with visits to Peles Castle and Braun Castle. Who knew you could visit the Iron Gates, 3 capital cities and end up chasing a vampire myth!

No 4. Our Provence River Cruises

France is such a great country, so diverse and an amazing place to explore. While it is hard to pick one favorite place, I always come back to the Rhone. Wine, Roman ruins, home to the Pope for over 100 years and Lyon, the gastronomical capital of France, are just some of the reasons these trips are special.

Tournon Wine Tasting.jpg — **Hank and Anne Wine Tasting**

Perhaps best of all, we met our travel chums, Denise and Mark on our first cruise in 2013 and now we travel together whenever we can.

**Our travel chums. Captain Dany, Denise and Mark**

No 3. Guiding Our Friends and Clients in Europe

There can be no better feeling than helping others learn more about Europe. We strive to help them see great sights, remove hassles and share great times together. We have helped folks visit with us guiding Amsterdam, Brugge, Ghent, Prague, Budapest, Paris and London

No 2. Leading 2 D Day Tours

There is probably more work related achievement that compares with the privilege of leading 2 groups on our D Day tours. My military background, coming from a family where my Dad fought in Europe in WW II and the responsibility of helping folks understand the D Day invasion, has challenged us and taught us a lot about how to make our participants understand what a debt we owe to those brave men who changed the course of history on 6 June 1944.

No 1. Sharing Europe with Anne.

It is hard for me to image what our Europe travels would be without each other sharing our trips since 1989. There are just too many to mention but several stand out in my mind—our cooking class in Wales with Angela Gray for Anne’s 60th birthday; hiking to Burg Eltz in March, after basing in Koblenz; Christmas markets river cruises on the Rhine and Danube; buying hats in Regensburg; traveling with our travel chums to share Christmas in Kastel Englenburg; waking up in 1990 in Baden-Baden to learn Germany had won the world cup with a street party right in the square below our window and finding Brugge, our favorite European city. Paris, Rome and London, including our visits to the Cotswolds, were also special. I know I have missed many others but we look forward to more adventures.

**Anne, Santa and Hank at Christmas Dinner**

**Anne, and Hank with our new hats in 2019**

My Final Thoughts

I know this list is not complete—I’m sure I’ve missed something wonderful. Makes you want to go to Europe, doesn’t it!

We would like to thank those of you who have trusted us for their travel needs and we look for to help you again and anyone else in the future who might need our help.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

August 20, 2020

River Cruise Advice

Best European River Cruise Advice

Hank Schrader

August 20, 2020

River Cruise Advice

Best European River Cruise Advice

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Sometimes it is possible to get so much good content on a website that it becomes confusing.

As I was studying our website, I realized that putting all the blogs about European River Cruising under the category of Europe River Cruise on our blog archives page made it very difficult to quickly find the answer to a question or search you might have about these wonderful trips.

So, with blog # 77 about river cruising, I want to tell about how you can quickly find out the exact information you might be looking for about river cruising in Europe, with the emphasis on our blogs.

I will begin by providing you a little history how our blogs have evolved, tell you about our 2 most important river cruise web pages and finish with our new blog archives organization on our website.

I hope you won’t roll your eyes and scream “TMI” (too much information)—there is really a point to this blog!

Our Blog History in Numbers

**Our 2020 visitor traffic as of 20 August 2020 for our website. What this diagram means is that about 65% who visit our site find something worthwhile to read!**

We first published our blog using a WordPress website that was not part of our website. In 2016, we started writing the blog regularly, publishing 36 blogs. In 2017, we published 44 blogs. In 2018, we published 31 on WordPress. Our total to date—112 blogs on the WordPress Blog Archives page.

We decided to move our blog to our new website and began publishing on our Squarespace website, starting with our 27 September 2018 blog and wrote 10 more as part of the website in 2018.

We wrote 42 blogs in 2019 and are on pace to produce 42 or probably more in 2020.

**2 of our most dedicated blog readers—Jeff and Anne in Prague after our post AmaWaterways Danube cruise at dinner in Prague.**

“LOVE IT!!!! Vive’ la France!!! Tres bien mon ami!!! ”

— Jeff R in response to our A Wine Lovers Route--Provence River Cruise on AmaWaterways

Our Blog Content

Our blogs, by design, are much more detailed than most other blogs—usually 2000 words or more. There are two types of blogs we use to help you understand our topics.

In the first type, we try to tell the story of each topic in a way you can see yourself there—can we capture the experience for you?

While some blogs easily fall into storytelling type of blog, others are designed as informational, data blogs, our second type of blog. Today’s blog is more the informational type blog.

Both have immense value, in my opinion. Sometimes you just need the data in a form you can understand and make comparisons. But this alone is not enough—you need to know what you will experience on a trip to get the full story. A key element of the blogs is a clear separation of facts (usually there is a source) and our opinion.

When possible, we use many pictures in each blog to help enhance our descriptions—Anne has some amazing pictures that are the true highlight of the blogs. We very rarely use free pictures unless we aren’t allowed to take photographs.

**With an amazing picture like this one from Anne on the Danube River, you can understand her outstanding contribution to our blog!**

As you can see from this blog, we break up our blogs into sub headings to make it easier to understand. Often, there is quite a bit of research that goes into the content—we try to sift through the overwhelming amount of information and advertising to paint an easily understandable summary of each topic. Most is first-hand information from our experiences, but some is news or research, or information facts (internet, blogs, books, travel publications, company brochures or other sources) that you might require to become a better traveler.

Our blogs have two goals—the most important is to inform you so you can decide if a trip you are thinking about is right for you. The second, a bit more subtle, is to help you decide if we are the right folks to help plan your trip.

Our 2 Most Popular Website pages

You might be interested in our reach from our website. We have had over 7,215 visitors our website so far this year. About 2,200+ first visit our home page and then over 4,800+ have gone to another page on the website. This means they find our content worthy of a second look.

By far, our Best Europe River Cruise Routes Guide (1,384 visitors) and our Europe River Cruise Comparisons 2020-2021 (958 visitors) are the two most visited pages on our site. It is a small wonder, because we feel these are as good a resource as is available to most folks on the worldwide web.

Why don’t you read them now? Here are the links:

Europe River Cruise Comparisons 2020-2021

Best Europe River Cruise Routes Guide

Our New Europe River Cruise Archive Page (Currently 41 Blogs)

Here is the link: Europe River Cruise Archive Page

We cover 5 topics on this archive page. They are:

· Our River Cruise Services (7 blogs)

· River Cruise Lines Comparisons (3 blogs)

· River Cruise Routes (14 blogs)

· River Cruise Advice (12 blogs)

· River Cruise Reviews (5 blogs)

So, what does this mean for you?

In short, it provides you a way to completely understand river cruising through our eyes.

Perhaps, best of all, it is very good content and often, many blogs are on the first page of Google or very near the top.

Here is what one reader had to say about our 10 Best River Cruise Blogs:

**Len and Jane on our 2019 AmaWaterways Captivating Rhine River Cruise.**

“#76 is a good blog! I agree with your ratings of your “best” blogs. These are great for folks trying to learn about European river cruise characteristics and options.”

— Len A in response to Our 10 Best River Cruise Blogs

Our Updated Blog Archive Page (Currently 52 Blogs)

Here is the link to our: Blog Archive Page

We cover 6 topics on our Blog Archive Page. They are:

· Europe Travel (12 blogs)

· Europe Destinations (8 blogs)

· Best Value Travel (16 blogs)

· Travel Planning (9 blogs)

· Ocean Cruises (1 blog)

· Veterans (6 blogs)

These 52 blogs also are another great resource. They are resources for you about our total travel agency services and will help you become a smarter traveler.

Here is some really good feedback from one of the blog readers about our blog Omaha and Utah Beaches, 1944

“I wouldn’t have thought such a huge tasking could be put in such a clear, succinct, one read, to-the-point summary. However, you did it brilliantly, especially throwing in the key numbers for us “numbers” guys and then supporting it with pictures. I’ve never seen it done so well, that’s a fact! ”

— Jakie S., Col (ret), about our blog Omaha and Utah Beach 1944

My Final Thoughts

I think our blog is exactly what we hoped it would be—it represents an unmatched resource for you to learn about European River Cruising, Europe Travel and how we can help you travel better and get more value for your money.

It is wonderful to hear so many good comments about our blog—it sure makes all the hard work worth it!

We would like to thank those of you who have trusted us for their travel needs and look for to help you again and anyone else in the future who might need our help.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

“Good Morning Hank,

You never cease to amaze. What a wonderful blog this is😊

”

— Shelie B. Amawaterways Business Development Mangaer Tx & La on our Dream Destination Brand Blog

Hank Schrader

August 13, 2020

Europe Travel

European Walled City Gates and Towers

Hank Schrader

August 13, 2020

Europe Travel

European Walled City Gates and Towers

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

One of my favorite things to do in Europe is to visit the old walled cities of Europe.

Many of the walls have been torn down, but often it is possible to find an impressive gate remaining from the remnants of towns that had walls built around them to protect these settlements.

So, I thought I’d provide you some of our collection of pictures of the awesome gates that once restricted access to many of the cities of medieval Europe.

An Overview of Obsolete Walled Cities

A walled city is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. From ancient to modern times, they have been used to enclose settlements and provide protection for those living in the city.

Almost every town in medieval times that could built defensive walls did so—they were essential to survive the harsh times of yesteryear. Today, walled cities have become obsolete due to improved weapons and aircraft used in modern warfare.

The good news is that the cities that did not destroy their old walls, now usually are special places where you can enjoy a bygone era that survives in today’s modern world.

Here is a look at some of our favorites:

Amsterdam, Netherlands. Once there were many gates to this city, but they are long gone. The best remaining example is now a restaurant. It was named the Waag (weight house) and is located in Nieuwmart Square, Amsterdam.

**Waag House (Weighing House) Amsterdam, Netherlands**

Arnhem, Netherlands. There are no walls left here, but the Sabre Gate is huge and impressive. It was originally used for defensive purposes but later was used to guard prisoners and insane people. It probably was built around 1357.

Berlin, Germany. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most famous landmarks in Europe. The gate was one of the 18 gates of the Old Berlin Customs Wall and built in 1730 or so. It has become a symbol of unity for the German people after the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989.

**The Brandenburg Gate Berlin, Germany**

Bordeaux, France. This gate is a little hidden, but well worth seeking out. This medieval gate is called the City Gate Cailhau and was built in the 15th century. The elegant gate was built to celebrate Charles VIII’s, King of France, victory in battle in 1495 (see the plaque picture below).

Brasov, Romania. This walled city had 5 gates but only one, Catherine’s Gate, remains today. Not only did it serve to protect the city, it was used to collect tolls for merchants to enter and sell their goods. The gate was built by the Tailors Guild in 1559.

Brugge, Belgium. There were many gates in the original walled city. Today 4 remain. They are: The Ezelpoort (Donkey Gate), which was built over a canal. The Kruispoort Gate is pictures below.

Not pictured are 2 other town gates. The Gentpoort gate is located on the old road to Ghent. The Smedenpoort is the blacksmiths gate and the current gate was finished in 1367. This gate shows many similarities with another surviving gate: the Ezelpoort.

**Poertoren Gun Powder Tower is on the edge of Lake Minnewater. It is just a nice photo and has no real significant historical and there is no access to this tower**

Carcassonne, France. Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. It is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defenses encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, the narrow streets and its fine Gothic cathedral.

The walls have 53 towers and 5 barbicans (A barbican is a fortified outpost or gateway or any tower situated over a gate or bridge). There is a castle inside the walled city complete with a drawbridge. It is the largest walled city in Europe.

There are 2 main gate entrances to the city. They are the Narbonne Gate and the Aude Gate.

Cochem, Germany. This delightful small town has two really good gate towers.

Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dubrovnik is known as the pearl of the Adriatic. This walled city is considered to be among the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages. The walls are about 1.940 meters long and 25 meters high (82 feet) at some points. It has 17 towers, 5 bastions and 2 angular fortification and a fort that is all incorporated into the walls. There was even a moat around the land portions. The city at one time was defended by 120 cannons.

It had 4 gates. Pictured below is the Pile Gate.

**The Pile Gate, was one of 4 gate entrances to the Dubrovnik. It was a drawbridge gate.**

These fortifications were never breached, but diplomacy skills of its leaders rather than military might was probably the reason Dubrovnik never fell to its enemies, according to some historians. We have walked portions and the views are stunning.

Freiburg, Germany. Pictured below is the Schwabentor Watch Tower Gate. It is one of 2 remaining towers in the city. The other, the Martinstor is a 13 century gate tower. The city walls are gone.

**Frieburg, Germany Schwabentor Watch Tower Gate**

Heidelberg, Germany. The Heidelberg Bridge Tower guarded the bridge entrance to the old city of Heidelberg. The bridge is over the Necker River.

Kotor, Montenegro. This walled city still has its walls intact. There are 3 gate entrances to the city. Pictured below is the main gate, known as the Sea Gate and is located on the western side of the city.

Mainz, Germany. This walled city once had 34 gates and watch towers. Only 3 remain. They are: the Iron Tower, the Wood Tower and the Alexander Tower. The Iron tower was both a watch tower and a gate into the city.

Miltenberg, Germany. The Wurzburgtor appears in some written reports around 1379. This medieval gate tower is on the eastern edge of the old town of Miltenberg. Originally, it had a gun platform with battlements, as this side of the city was most at risk from attack.

**Wurzburgtor watch and gate entrance in Miltenburg, Germany**

Munich, Germany. The Karistor Gate was an entrance to the historic center of Munich.

Regensburg, Germany. The watch tower over the stone bridge that was once one of the few bridges to cross the Danube River, is a classic gate and watch tower.

**Old Gate entrance in Regensburg, Germany**

Riquewihr, France. This small village in Alsace had good walls and a good watch tower.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. This may be the best known walled city in Europe and is very popular as a tourist destination. Rothenburg is Germany’s best-preserved walled city. Part of the walls have covered walled walkways and can be walked and provide great views of the city. The wall is about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) long and covered, with several towers and entrances at the gates.

San Marino, San Marino. This tiny city is completely encircled by walls on 3 sides, since a sheer rock cliff natural barrier defends the area that is not walled.

Speyer, Germany. This huge watch tower gate is quite a contrast to the modern city that remains now. This once walled city had 68 towers guarding it. The most important watch tower still remains and at 188 feet, is one of the tallest defensive watch towers in all of Germany.

**The one remaining tower in Speyer, Germany**

Tallinn, Estonia. Tallinn Estonia old town is a great place to visit. It is the oldest capital city in Northern Europe. With 1.9 km of its original city wall still standing, Tallinn has one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortifications—it has cool gates and 20 defensive towers. A large part of what gives Old Town its fairytale charm is the system of walls and towers that surrounds it. The old town is divided into lower and upper towns—and it is just a charming, fun place to explore. We have been there 2 times and are ready to go back soon.

**Gate entrance to the old city Tallinn, Estonia**

Trier, Germany. This is the oldest gate on this list—the Porta Nigra. It was built during Roman times.

Trogir, Croatia. This old gate was built in the 17th century.

York, England. York has been defended by walls since Roman times. It has the most intact walls of any city in England. We walked some of the walls and it was great to see this old town from the large walls.

**Monk Gate York England. It was designed to be a self contained fortress. Today it has a Richard III Museum in the old fortress area.**

**Royal Coat of Arms on Peter Gate York, England**

Inside the walls, the York Cathedral is especially impressive and there are other medieval half-timbered buildings and areas that are neat to visit. The walls had 4 main gates which restricted entrance into the town, provided protection and were also used to collect tolls.

Valletta, Malta.

**This is one of the shear entrance gates to this fortress**

Wertheim, Germany. The Spitzer Turm (Pointed Tower) gate does not lean because of an architectural problem, but due to 800 years of flooding from the Main River. The Sprizer Turm is 115 feet tall. It dates back to the 1200s and was one of the original 18 watch towers that ringed this city.

My Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this look at some great landmarks which once were so important for protection of towns and villages that now have become relics of the past.

I can’t help it—these are just cool!

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

August 6, 2020

Europe Travel

European Guilds

Hank Schrader

August 6, 2020

Europe Travel

European Guilds

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

I recently wrote about the history of brands and our brand Dream Destinations. Several of my readers reached out to me and said they would like to know more about Guilds and see more of our pictures (doesn’t surprise me—Anne’s pictures are much better than my prose!)

So, being your obedient blogger, I went back in our over 6,000 pictures of our European adventures to provide you some of the great photos Anne has taken for your enjoyment.

I will recount a little about the history of guilds and how they changed society in Europe during the Middle Ages—it should be fun! The last part will be pictures of guild houses we have seen in Europe.

Ready for our journey? Let’s go!

What are Guilds?

Guilds are associations of artisans who controlled the practice of their craft and merchants that traded goods. There were two types of Guilds—Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds. Each had a significant impact upon developing society a little over 1000 years ago or so.

In medieval cities, craftsmen tended to form associations based on their individual trade or skill.

In the Middle Ages, all craftsmen and most important merchants were members of guilds.

How Guilds Helped Change Medieval Society

Prior to the rise of Guilds, feudal society in Europe had 3 classes of people. These were the Nobility, Priests and Peasants. On the European continent, society was slowly changing after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, as a class of merchants began to emerge.

With trade expanding and a weakened nobility ruling class, merchants and trades people began to band together to promote their business interests. The key factor of their business interests was the free flow of goods produced or sold by the guild members without interference or as little as possible from nobles. Society now had 4 classes of people: Nobility, Priests, Merchants and Tradesmen, and Peasants.

Guilds generally flourished in areas of Europe from 1100 to 1500 or so.

By the 1300s, these guilds had developed sufficient power to preform functions more than just their business interests—they often became a form of quasi government. Many had Patron Saints, even had chapels and helped the less fortunate members of the guild and others in the community. This was especially true in the Low Countries of the Benelux region (shorthand for Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg).

These independent trading centers were often ruled by the guilds and their councils with a figure head noble ruler. Some guild members, called burghers became very wealthy and lent money to nobles (usually to help finance wars) and they actually had equal or more power than many nobles.

With their increased power and influence, the guilds built guild houses. These guild halls served as a place to hold meetings and often displayed their power and wealth.

These guild houses were often built near town halls, as merchants wanted to influence laws and regulations and, in some cases, served as ad hoc government centers. In England, for example, the guild halls actually turned into our modern day town halls.

The Key Goals of Guilds

With the key goal of preserving their business interests, guilds generally had 5 key goals. They were:

1) Establish a monopoly for a particular good or service within their area of influence;

2) They set and helped ensure standards of quality of goods and services;

3) They established standardized trading practices to help encourage the free flow of goods;

4) They established stable prices for goods and services due to their monopoly or virtual monopoly in a local area; and

5) They either became or sought to control local governments to help maintain their monopoly.

How Guilds help Transform European Commerce

The rise of towns and distinct divisions of labor helped take trade into an international dimension instead of the previous local only model. Stability in both prices and quality went up significantly. This was the beginning of modern commerce in Europe.

Merchant Guilds

In 1100 or so there was a growing class of merchants who no longer journeyed from villages or towns to peddle their goods. The rise of towns helped these merchants prosper—it was in their mutual interest to band together for protection and hire others to transport their goods. These groups became merchant guilds.

Merchant guilds were the first type of guilds to organize for their mutual benefit and added stability during times of political instability and offered some protection from greedy nobles. They also were the first type of guilds to dissolve (in the 1500’s and 1600’s) after other merchants gained better legal protections and could operate at less costs than guilds.

By 1300, merchant guilds covered most merchandise sold in a town and they often traded in long distance products by acquiring raw materials and having the craft guilds convert them into a product for sale—they made the initial and ending transactions.

Merchant guilds also conducted fish markets, ran taverns and had other trading activities for profit. The key difference between a merchant guild and a craft guild was no specialized technical knowledge or skill was required to be a member of a merchant guild as there was no need to create a master product—it usually only required enough money and education to conduct trades.

Merchant guilds were usually very prosperous and often the most important citizens of a town.

Craft Guilds

Craft guilds included work such as bakers, weavers, blacksmiths, masons, painters, metalsmiths, blacksmiths, butchers, leatherworkers, and even soap makers and candle stick makers.

The guild’s senior craftsmen controlled the working hours and conditions of work of their members. They also made sure work was of proper quality by setting standards and using apprenticeships to teach younger workers the skills and techniques they would need to succeed in their chosen trade. This was not an easy process.

First, there was an apprenticeship were the master craftsman controlled all aspects of the training and this could last several years—usually 5-9 years. Apprentices were provided food, shelter, education and clothing but no wages. Apprentices often started very young age. These were sought after positions for some families initially, who paid large sums to get their children into apprenticeships.

The next step was a journeyman with a little more freedom, they could earn wages and respect but again this could also last several years.

Finally, the person had to submit a work to be judged by master members of the guild before the craftsman could earn certification as a full-fledged master member, who could then set up their own workshop and train apprentices and journeymen.

Craft guilds not only set standards, they also had courts to levy fines for poor workmanship, or other disputes like unfair competition. In short, the guilds’ standards and rules governed all craft goods during this era.

An Example of How Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds Worked Together

The wool trade in Brugge is an excellent example of how guilds controlled making cloth. The merchant guilds would buy the raw wool (often from the Cotswolds in England) and sell the woven cloth after the wool was processed. The craft guilds would dye and weave the raw wool into cloth. By working together, all guilds involved in producing a product benefited and made money.

**This what a typical loom might look like in the Middle Ages but this picture was taken in 2014 in Brugge by Anne**

Decline of Guilds

Guilds held significant power but many of their policies led to their eventual demise. They controlled prices and determined what amount could be charged for goods (they considered it a fair price) but this stifled competition. Merchants who were not guild members often had to buy the right to sell goods from the guild and were told what price was acceptable for their merchandise. Some merchants started forming companies and bypassed the guild process.

Particularly upsetting to craftsman were the long process to become an accepted master craftsman member of the guild. Apprenticeships initially were highly sought after but eventually craft membership became so exclusive and was often only reserved to direct relatives that it could not be sustained.

As you can imagine, significant wealth and status came to master craftsman and the fewer there were, the more powerful and wealthy they were.

Merchant guilds and craft guilds often came into conflict of governing a city or town. Since the merchant guilds were wealthier, they tended to dominate governments. Often, the more numerous craft guilds lost out to the merchants and suffered economically by laws and practices. Friction was inevitable.

The rise of the company where merchants and craftsmen were combined together to increase productivity, and was more efficient. It also broke the monopoly of the guilds.

Cool Guildhalls

With guilds now just a part of history, they left some impressive buildings that now often serve as museums or commercial establishments such as restaurants. Here are some pictures of guild houses in Flanders (Antwerp, Brugge, Brussels, and Ghent); a part of the Hanseatic League in Tallinn; and Zurich.

Flanders

Antwerp—most of the remaining guild halls are on Market Square or very near market square (there are at least 10). While most guild halls were for merchants and artisans, one of the guild halls was for a group of archers, who held competitions and were a social group.

7 Guild Halls on the north side of Market Square. From left to right (they are numbered using odd numbers) #3; #5 Coopers House (barrel makers) ; #7 Archers House; #9; #11 Grocers House; #13; #15 (on the end). — **7 Guild Halls on the north side of Market Square. From left to right (they are numbered using odd numbers) #3; #5 Coopers House; #7 Archers House; #9; #11 Grocers House; #13; #15 (on the end).**

**Detail of 5 guild houses with their roof ornaments. These are from left to right (they are numbered using odd numbers) #3; #5 Coopers House; #7 Archers House; #9; #11 Grocers House (on the end).**

**Detail from the Archer’s Guild House #7 of St. Michael (their patron saint) slaying the dragon in Antwerp Market Square.**

**Detail of one of the roof ornaments on the southeast side of market square. It is either from the Tailors House (#38) or the Carpenter’s House (#40).**

Brugge—there are some standalone guild halls, but most were on Market Square.

**Some of these buildings around market square in Brugge were guild houses but the area was renovated in 1995, so many are hard to identify as they were remodeled.**

Symbol of the Tanners in Brugge—2 lions with a shield. There is no remaining guild houses here. This statute is in the small square is named Tanners Square after the tradesmen who used to work here. On the other side of the square is the fish mark… — Symbol of the Tanners in Brugge—2 lions with a shield. There is no remaining guild houses here. This statute is in the small square is named Tanners Square after the tradesmen who used to work here. On the other side of the square is the fish market. It now is an area for restaurants and a place to take canal boat rides around Brugge.

**The Fish Market in Brugge where Merchants used to sell the catch of the day. Now it is a craft market.**

Brussels—the grand palace (the main square in Brussels) has some of the most impressive guild halls. Some claim this is the most beautiful square in all of Europe and these guild halls help add to this impressive square.

**Detail of Top of the Guild House of Brewers**

Ghent—here the majority of the remaining guild halls are located on the Graslei Canal.

**On the left is the old corn warehouse. On the right side this is the House of the Grain Weighers Ghent**

Hanseatic League

Trade in the Baltic region was controlled by a special league, called the Hanseatic League. It was started in Germany and reached from Bergan, Norway to Tallinn, Estonia. By far, Bergen has the best remaining guild halls, but the walled city of Tallinn has some excellent examples of guild halls. Guilds in Estonia often were combined guilds of merchants and artisans.

**Great Guild Hall Tallinn, Estonia. It was a combined merchant and artisan guild hall, It is now the Estonia History Museum.**

One of the most unique guilds was the Brotherhood of Blackheads. They are an obscure guild that are only known to exist in Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia.

**Sign outside of the House of the Blackheads, Tallinn, Estonia.**

**Ornate door entrance to the Brotherhood of Blackheads. It was a guild of shipowners, merchants and foreigners.**

Zürich—there are 14 Zunfthaus (Guild Houses) in the old town area of Zürich.

**Wine Growers and Merchants Guild House Zürich**

My Final Thoughts

What a great look at how society developed in Europe! Anne really does take some great pictures. Travel with understanding a little about what you are seeing makes a big difference and we would be happy to help you visit any of these great places in Europe and learn more about how Europe developed!

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

July 30, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Cruising AmaWaterways with a Wine Expert

Hank Schrader

July 30, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Cruising AmaWaterways with a Wine Expert

By Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

National Wine and Cheese Day is celebrated on 25 July of each year in the United States. It has been observed since 2014 in the US but for Anne and I, it is celebrated quite often in our household and during our travels—we started early in the late 1980s when we first met. I guess you could say we are trendsetters!

If all that were not enough, there is also the birthday of Champagne happening in the first few days of August.

So, it got me to thinking about the wonderful trips we have had in Europe, pairings of wine and cheese, and what it is like to travel with a wine expert.

So, I’d like to tell you about why I am so fascinated with wine and explain the joys of traveling with a certified wine expert.

I will begin with some introductory thoughts about wine and food pairings, then talk about champagne (Anne’s favorite drink) and finish with an interview of our personal wine expert to help you learn more about wine and how we have enjoyed our travels together on AmaWaterways.

So, grab a glass of wine, some cheese and let’s explore together!

Wine Pairings

I really like wine, especially when it is properly paired with food.

Wine is a complex subject but it doesn’t have to be—it really is about what you like and how you can best enjoy it. I am sure part of the fascination for me is how it enhances food as well as how it is enhanced by food; but I also appreciate the complex process involved in making quality wine. Wine producers wear many hats—entrepreneur, farmer, chemist, blender, and business person.

Perhaps winemaking appeals to me because there is so much work that goes on behind the scenes, much like my days as a football and track coach, that few get to see. It is a process that yields varying results but when it all works out right, it is magical!

But just like game day, when you pull the cork to taste the results, opinions flow. Thankfully, with wine, most become more joyful as they taste more, unlike some fans when we were having a bad day on the field, thought I was one of the worst coaches on the face of the earth.

Certain foods go well with certain types of wine. In particular, cheese is one of the simplest to pair wine with, but most foods are enhanced with a good wine, in my opinion!

**Some of the wonderful cheeses onboard the AmaDagio during our 2013 cruise.**

Instead of hearing my ramblings, I will let my wine expert help you learn more about pairings during our wine adventures on AmaWaterways.

But before we do that, I must tell you about a wonderful wine pairing Anne and I had in Vienne, France and then I’ll talk about Champagne.

2 Stars in Vienne and a Courtyard Treat

We discovered Vienne, France while on an AmaWaterways River Cruise on the Rhone River. We liked the town so much, we returned for a pre cruise stay in 2016 before joining a cruise group we were leading.

Anne found a wonderful place for us to stay with a 2 Star Michelin Restaurant, Patrick Henriroux's. This gastronomic restaurant is located in La Pyramide, a 4-star Relais & Châteaux hotel. What a meal—all was superb!

As good as that was, the better find may have been our lunch in the courtyard with appetizers and wine. Just look at this picture and you will understand how special this experience was! Sometimes the “stars are right”, and while the dinner had amazing food and fabulous service, for us this courtyard was the most relaxing, perfect experience.

**Our bottle of 2013 Viognier Wine—it paired so well with the cheese!**

Champagne

Anne’s favorite drink is champagne. When we think about Champagne, our thoughts go to the good life—it is elegant, sexy, cool, celebratory, and a luxury for most. Champagne is in a class of its own—there are few alcoholic drinks you can start on early in the morning and not receive looks of shock. Even better, when people see you celebrating with champagne, they know it is a special event. We toast our successes, christen ships with it and generally celebrate life with it.

So, on the supposed birthday of Champagne (August 4, 1693), I thought I’d write about Champagne in honor of Anne’s favorite drink.

Champagne (edited by Mark Thomas, Certified Wine Expert)

I’m no expert on Champagne, but like most wine, I really enjoy drinking it. The good news for you is our wine expert, Mark Thomas, edited this portion, so your know it is very good information!

Wine is produced from grapes and the terroir or characteristics of the area (soil and climate are the most important items influencing terroir) in which the grapes are cultivated shapes the taste of the wine.

However, still wine and Champagne differ in how they are made by the winemakers. Without getting too technical, Champagne is created by trapping the CO2 gas that is produced during the fermentation process instead of allowing it to vent off like is done when making still wines.

We prefer dry Champagnes—Brut and Extra Brut in the lingo of Champagne. This term refers to the sweetness of the wine due to the amount of sugar added during the fermentation process. There are 4 main types of Champagne. They are 1) Prestige Cuvee, 2) Blanc de Noir, 3) Blanc de Blanc and 4) Rose’. Prestige Cuvee is a blend wine and the best wine produced by a winery. Blanc de Noir is produced by black or red grapes, typically Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Blanc de Blanc is produced by white grapes, typically with 100% Chardonnay grapes. Rose’ is a blend of white and red grapes.

**Four great champagne wines we sampled in Lyon during the Ledson 2014 Provence cruise.**

**One of the hosts explaining to our small tour group from AmaWaterways about the characteristics of the Champagne we are about to sample.**

What Glass Should You Use to Drink Champagne?

Now to the important part—what glass do we drink from? There are two types of Champagne glasses—the flute and the coupe.

The legend of the creation of the coupe is that it was modeled after a mold of the left breast of Marie Antoinette’s—great story, but probably not true. Experts favor a flute (retains more of the bubbles) but who can argue with the elegant, sophisticated coupe?

My advice—use both and drink more champagne!

**Mark pouring champagne at his home. We are drinking Roederer and of course, with a wine expert, he serves it at the correct temperature and with the correct glasses!**

Two Fun Facts about Champagne.

Legend says Champagne was invented by a Benedictine Monk, Dom Perignon. There is no doubt he made significant contributions to the production and quality of Champagne, but he probably did not invent it

Most folks know about him, since the best known of all Champagnes, Dom Perignon, the prestige cuvee from Moet & Chandon, is named in his honor. He supposedly said upon tasting Champagne “Come quickly, I am drinking the Stars” but it possibly appeared in a print ad in the late 1800s (thanks Wikipedia).

The world’s best-known fictional spy, James Bond, is an avid Champagne drinker. Do you know his favorite Champagne? The answer is both Bollinger and Dom Perignon (we learned this on the trivia quiz on an AmaWaterways Wine cruise).

One way to have the good life, in my humble opinion, —drink more Champagne!

Champagne and Travel

There are many ways to enjoy Champagne when traveling. Number one for Champagne lovers has to be the Champagne region of Northeastern France. The area of chalk plains and gentle hills between Paris and Lorraine is home to the most famous sparkling wines in the world.

In fact, by European Union (EU) standards and most countries of the world, the term Champagne is exclusively reserved for sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France.

According to the website About France.com, it is possible to visit 51 Champagne cellars around the towns of Reims and Epernay. Besides great wine tours and tastings around Reims, the medieval Gothic cathedral, with its exquisite rose window, is the location where the former kings of France were crowned—it is a site not to be missed.

In Epernay, along with the wine tours, there is a Champagne museum and the Abbey of Hautvilliers, where Dom Perignon created his version of Champagne.

Anne’s favorite pairing is with a dozen oysters on the half shell—did I marry well, or what!

AmaWaterways has added trips to this region as an extension of their river cruises in France—do you think I need to go on one with Anne? We would also be glad to help you visit in combination with an AmaWaterways cruise and maybe part of a group we would like to lead--please read on!

Cruising AmaWaterways with a Wine Expert

Since 2013, we have been fortunate enough to travel with two great folks, our Travel Chums, Denise and Mark Thomas.

**Mark and Denise in their formal Scottish clothes on Christmas Eve 2018 with Santa. Anne planned our adventure to Kasteel Englelenburg in Brummen, Netherlands.**

Mark is a certified wine instructor. So, I thought I’d let you see what it is like to travel with your own personal wine expert.

Mark, can you briefly tell us about how you and Denise got interested in wine and your credentials as a certified wine person?

**Denise celebrates her birthday at the Chef’s Table in 2018.**

**Mark and Denise in London 2019 on a Thames River scenic cruise.**

My wife Denise became interested in wine in college and she sought out opportunities to learn more about wine by attending tastings, food and wine pairings, and winemaker dinners. I became interested after high school when I was getting ready to join the Coast Guard. In the military, there is a saying, “hurry up and wait”, so I had a lot of time on my hands to read. And as a bachelor living in apartments around the country, I figured I needed to learn how to cook or starve! So, what better way to enjoy food but alongside nice wine. So, I read everything wine related I could get my hands on (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits Magazine, Food and Wine Magazine, etc). I remember the first bottle of wine I ever truly enjoyed with a meal; a 1979 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Pinot Noir. I won’t count all the Boone’s Farm, Mateus Rose’, Blue Nun, and MD2020 I drank before that though!

As far as my credentials, when I retired from the Coast Guard in 2010, I went to work for Ledson Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma, CA. I started out pouring behind the tasting bar, went on to work in wine club support, participated in tasting panels with the owner & winemaker, and accompanied him out in the vineyards learning all I could. In 2011, I was promoted to General Manager and remained in that position until I moved to Colorado in 2017. Today, I still work for Ledson from home doing wine club support, and I coordinate the entry of all of our wines into wine competitions around the country.

I researched credentialing avenues and decided to go with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, London, U.K. I passed the Level 2 Intermediate course in Wine & Spirits with Distinction in 2018 and then completed the Level 3 advanced course in Wines with Merit in 2019.

What was it like to help host the 2014 Ledson Wine Cruise?

Mark preparing for a tasting during the 2014 Ledson wine cruise. Mark selected the wines and made sure they were served correctly for the tastings. Ledson wines are great and he and the crew did an amazing job!

It was a great experience! The chance to interact with our wine club members as well as the other guests on the ship was a huge thrill for me. To see their reactions as they tried the different wines we served onboard, hear their stories about wines they’ve enjoyed over the years, and places they’ve visited while enjoying delicious meals onboard was a life enriching experience for me. It was also a great pleasure working with the crew onboard and how we all pulled together to ensure the tasting seminars, winemaker dinner, and tasting parties all came off without a hitch.

**Captain’s Table on the Ledson 2014 Wine Cruise. Captain Danny (left), Denise and Mark.**

What are the most important wines grown and produced in the Provence/Rhone region?

**Wine Regions of the Rhone River. Map from AmaWaterways**

In Provence, Rose’s dominate. These delicious bold, crisp, fruity wines pair great with the local seafood dishes (Bouillabaisse, Fish soup, etc). The red grapes that dominate the region include Mourvèdre and Grenache while the primary white grapes include Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette, usually blended together in some form or another.

As you head up the Rhone River from Arles toward Lyon, you first encounter the Southern Rhone region where the red grape varietal Grenache dominates. Often primarily blended with Syrah, and Mourvèdre, these wines are rich, earthy, gamey, and full-bodied especially in the area of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape. Other red blending grape varietals include Carignan, Cinsaut, and Counoise. The delicious white varietals of the Southern Rhone are the same as in Provence

Moving into the Northern Rhone, you’ll find Syrah is king among the red varietals while Viognier in the appellation of Condrieu, along with gorgeous blends of Marsanne and Roussanne in the appellations of Hermitage and St. Joseph dominate the white varietals.

What were some of your best experiences on the Provence/Rhone River cruise?

**Mark and Denise outside an awesome restaurant in Vienne, France**

Wow, so many great experiences come to mind. The town of Avignon, trip to the Pont-Du-Gard Aqueduct, the town of Les Baux, Olive farm visits, Truffle farm visits, Roman ruins, the lavender fields, the visit to the town of Grignon, tasting fresh nougat from Montilemar, sampling the food, wine, and cheese in every town we visited. The warmth and hospitality of the local residents was another great experience for us.

**Truffle Dog at work. This was part of the included tours on our 2013 Provence Rhone Cruise**

What are the most important wines grown and produced in the Bordeaux region?

**Bordeaux Wine Regions Map. Image from AmaWaterways**

Some of my very favorite red wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and various blended wines with these varietals in varying percentages. For white varietals, again some of my favorites: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with which some produce world-famous Sauternes.

What were some of your best experiences during the Bordeaux cruise?

First, seeing some familiar faces among the Captain and crew. Second, the beautiful city of Bordeaux, the food, the wines, the visit to the La Cite’ du Vin, dinner at La Tupina—Out of this world! Vineyard & winery visits and tastings in Sauterne, Pauillac, the Medoc’, Saint Émilion, and the hike around Chateau Boutinet, and finally, being close enough to Amboise to do a post cruise visit to see Vouvray, Tours, and taste the food and wines of the Loire Valley (Anne planned a private tour for the 4 of us with the help of a France Specialist we work with and have sent folks on after AmaWaterways cruises).

On our A Taste of Bordeaux Cruise in 2017. The 3 Amigos—Hank. Miro (the Head Bartender) and our wine expert, Mark Thomas. We first met Miro in 2013—what a great guy and so typical of the outstanding crew on AmaWaterways ships

**Dinner at La Tupina in Bordeaux—(from left to right) Hank, Anne, Denise and Mark**

**Oak Barrels in Saint Émilion on our Bordeaux cruise 2017**

**Pauillac Winery—we had a great tour and tasting here!**

What are your thoughts about the quality of wines served on board AmaWaterways cruises?

I think they are very good! The wines vary based on what ship you are on and the wine regions you are in, and the wines change up each night based on the food served and the areas you are visiting. The ship also has a diverse wine list for those who wish to dive a little deeper into a particular wine region or varietal. The crew is also very intuitive and accommodating to those they see appreciate great wines; they will go out of their way to let you try other wines if they have them open. They do their utmost to ensure you enjoy what you’re drinking with your meals.

**Denise and Mark enjoying wine on our 2018 AmaKristina river cruise**

What are some of your favorite pairings of wine & cheese?

Keeping in mind that taste is a very personal and subjective thing, there are some classic wine and cheese pairings (although they may not be right for you), give them a try. Some of my personal favorites are:

1) Goat cheese with any high-acid white wines such as Sancerre (Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc), Chenin Blanc, Chablis, etc.

2) Brie with Champagne or Chardonnay

3) Comte with Chardonnay

4) Taleggio with Condrieu (French Viognier)

5) Bleu Cheese with Cabernet Sauvignon

6) Stilton or Gorgonzola with Vintage or Late Bottled Vintage Port

Most cheeses pair best with white wines due to their increased acidity. If you like, you may also try and pair these cheeses with lighter red wines like Pinot Noir, Gamay (Beaujolais-Villages), or Chinon (French wine: Varietal: Cabernet Franc).

What are some of your favorite pairings of food and wine so we can enhance our dining experiences during meals?

I, like Anne love Champagne & Oysters on the half-shell. I also like to pair:

Grilled Salmon and Pinot Noir

Roast Duck Breast and Merlot

Grilled Rib-Eye and Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Bordeaux from the Medoc’, Pauillac, Graves, or Pessac-Léognan (Something Left-Bank that is Cabernet dominant).

Roast Turkey and Pinot Noir

Lemon Grilled Scallops and Sauvignon Blanc

Steamed Mussels and Pouilly-Fuissé

Dungeness Crab and Chardonnay

BBQ Ribs and Zinfandel

Braised Lamb Shanks and Syrah

Hearty Beef Stew and Petite Sirah

Question. How can we best learn more about wines?

Read all you can and taste new and different wines. We tend to gravitate to what we know. The best way to learn about wine is to drink more of them. Experiment with different varietals that you haven’t had before. Take a wine course at your local college or a wine course online. The ability to interact with fellow wine enthusiasts and foodies is exciting and eye-opening!

Question. Would you like to lead a wine group for us during an AmaWaterways cruise?

I would love to! Any chance to broaden my knowledge of the world, experience new cultures, and meet new people is a huge honor and privilege for me!

My Final Thoughts

What a great experience! We would like to thank our wine expert, Mark Thomas, for his unique knowledge and sharing his ideas—as you can see, he ROCKS!

Please reach out to us if you would be interested in travel with Mark and us on a wine cruise in 2022.

· AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

· Viking River Cruise Specialist

· Scenic River Cruise Specialist

· Emerald Waterways Specialist

Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

July 23, 2020

Best Value Travel

The Dream Destinations Brand

Hank Schrader

July 23, 2020

Best Value Travel

The Dream Destinations Brand

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

We have been in business for almost 25 years. It has been a great experience and we love helping folks find the right trip for their vacations.

I just finished a webinar for over 1100 participants yesterday for AmaWaterways (22 July 2020) and my talk was about how to boost river cruise sales to help other travel agents. It was fun—I had a blast!

**Photo AmaWaterways who kindly granted us permission to use this slide in this blog**

However, during the presentation instead of how to increase sales, it became crystal clear to me what I was really talking about was our brand—who we are, what we stand for, how we do business and what it means for our clients. Our success is really due to our core values not the techniques we use.

Just before the webinar, Kristin Karst, one of the co-founders of AmaWaterways ask me if we ever thought about becoming a bigger agency by hiring others to expand our business. I replied that we want to assure our clients got the best and we were pretty happy being a small mom and pop organization (I have the best boss in the world—my wife Anne!).

Her reply was to me—“Quality over Quantity.” She went on to relate how she and her then co-founder partner and future husband (Rudi) started just like that as their premise to begin their business—there is a wonderful picture of her she shared working on a laptop at her kitchen that I could easily relate to—they were small then but had wonderful ideas.

It brought back fond memories of us staring our home based business.

They have gone on to build the best European River Cruise Company, in our humble opinion. Their tag line is “Leading the Way in River Cruising” and their core values include “partnership; passion and prepared.”

In short, they have created a river cruise line they would be proud to travel on themselves.

Thinking about their wonderful brand and our partnership in offering their great products, it got me to thinking about the importance of our brand.

So, this week I’d like to talk about the history of brands, our business brand and what it means for you.

The History of Brands

A brand is designed to represent something.

Brands didn’t really take off until the Middle Ages. It really started with the coat of arms system in northern Europe.

**Sometimes Coat of Arms symbols were used on shields**

I’m sure most of you know about these symbols—it has unique elements to help identify the organization—who they were, most probably their family allegiances and usually their alignment and allegiance to a king or royal family.

In a time when most could not read, this visual symbol conveyed a clear statement of who they were and what they stood for in their society.

This was continued later by guilds and shop keepers by the visual signs and symbols of their trade—remember most still could not read during these times.

While the exact origin of these signs is unknown, many think they originated in the Alps region of Germany. There is actually a German word of these emblems zunftzeichen which implies these wonderful signs represent the pride and tradition of skilled craftsmen who provided quality goods to their town or village.

These wrought-iron signs were made by specialized blacksmiths. These craft men helped advertise the business represented by the sign, but they also benefited by their artful signs and became sought after by local merchants.

The wrought-iron signs were commissioned by local tradesmen who were members of a particular guild, such as bakers, shoemakers or tailors.

Guilds are associations of artisans or merchants who control the practice of their craft. In medieval cities, craftsmen tended to form associations based on their individual trade or skill. In the Middle Ages, all craftsmen were members of guilds.

As society advanced, these “coats of arms” and shop signs developed into brands—slogans, trademarks, tag lines, and branding.

So, now it is time to go from the history of brands to our brand.

Our Brand

Our Mission

We spent a lot of time thinking about who we wanted to be in the business world. It first started with our mission statement.

Our mission is: Anne & Hank Schrader, of Visit Dream Destinations LLC, are certified travel professionals who will provide you with the highest quality, expertly planned domestic and foreign leisure travel with a focus on cruises, European river cruises and European vacations for discriminating travelers.

Our Tag Line—Savor life . . . make memories . . . Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey starts here!

I think is really sums us up—we are all about creating trips that are exceptional that will help you enjoy life better, make unforgettable memories by traveling to great places and it all starts with us.

But what does this mean for you?

I think it means we have to develop a way to work with you to achieve our mutual goals of a great trip.

For us, it boils down to the core values of trust, knowledge and care.

So let’s see how we approach these elements

Trust

For us to be successful in our business, we have always recognized the importance of developing trust that we are who we say we are. Trust and integrity are valuable traits and, in my judgement, in short supply in our country. Too many make promises they can’t or won’t keep.

My whole life has been devoted to service after graduating from West Point—20 years as a US Army Officer; 20 years as a coach and teacher and 24+ years helping others travel to the right location.

Anne is equally dedicated to trust and integrity—she always thinks about what is best for our clients, every single time.

We think trust is the cornerstone of our relationship with you. We try to under promise and over deliver a great travel experience for you.

We strive to make your travel experience better by helping you make wise choices, eliminate hassles, and help you get the best value for your money.

In short, while working with us, we want to provide a trip that will exceed your expectations.

Travel Knowledge

Our brand, Dream Destinations, requires us to have extensive travel knowledge--Do we know what they are talking about?

With over 24+ years of experience selling travel to many satisfied clients, we know both what you need to make your travel experience better and the knowledge of what is available to match you with just the right vacation.

We have extensive first-hand knowledge and do comprehensive research on trips. We have planned hundreds of successful trips to delighted clients and we are eager to plan yours.

Like a little proof? Here are two great examples:

Our 75th Anniversary Tour to D Day was, by any measure a huge success. No other 2 person agency attempted such a tour for 33 folks. We planned it for 3 years, our cost was several thousands of dollars less than many other large scale tour operators, and we avoided many pitfalls of waiting for long periods to see and experience the awesome events of that horrible day 75 years ago.

“Trip of a Lifetime!”

— Jim B. 2019 Dream Destinations 75th Anniversary of D Day Tour

Our knowledge of Europe river cruises is exceptional. We have been on 18 Europe river cruises, written over 76 blogs about all aspects of Europe river cruises, have 3 items on the first page of Google, we have 51 port guides (they are free) for you, and we have helped dozens enjoy river cruising in Europe. And if that we not enough, we have 50 free guides to most Europe Cities you might want to visit before or after your Europe river cruise.

“ “The travel pros—if you are interested in experienced, unbiased advice on European river boat tours. Hank and Anne have personally done all the tours, and helped us find exactly the right tour and company - three times. Dream Destinations handled the reservations flawlessly, kept us up-to-date on deadlines, and provided great recommendations on activities of interest. We go with them every time.”

”

— — Jane and Len A Rhine River (2015) Rhone (2016) Seine (2017) and Rhine (2019) All were on AmaWaterways

Do they care about me and what I need?

We treat each of our clients as friends, because we don’t sell travel to clients—we sell travel to friends. There is a big difference—how your trip goes makes a world of difference to us.

We like to say we are small enough to deliver personalize service but big and experienced enough to get you just the right trip.

We try to match you to just the right experience and make it logical, realistic and affordable in your price range. We do not sell on price—we sell on value.

What we do not do

Our goal is to provide you with information but not bombard you with offers you do not want. We really try to get to know you and match your desires to opportunities when they arise.

We are low-key and strive to provide the right info in a relaxed, no pressure situation. In my opinion, there is a big difference about being eager to be your travel professional and being an obnoxious salesperson.

We are excited to help, but know the boundaries—the truth is we want to form a partnership with you—not just sell you something.

It is as simple as this—we inform, you decide.

We also realize you are busy and we respect your time by trying to contact you in the form (phone, email or written) that works the best for you at the time that is the best for you.

In short, we respect you!

My Final Thoughts

I think our brand is exactly what we hoped it would be—it represents who we are and what we stand for.

We would like to thank those of you who have trusted us for your travel needs and look forward to helping you again.

We also look forward to helping anyone else in the future who might need our help.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

July 16, 2020

Europe Travel

11 Notable European Gardens

Hank Schrader

July 16, 2020

Europe Travel

11 Notable European Gardens

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Anne loves gardens. There are many great gardens in Europe, so I thought I’d tell about 11 really good gardens that you might want to visit during your travels.

She uses great terms to describe these wonderful places—relaxing, lush, easy to stroll through, beautiful and memorable among others.

So, let’s learn about 11 notable gardens in Europe.

Versailles

The gardens at Versailles are simply magnificent. Starting in 1661, the gardens, fountains and statues took 40 years to create. This was a huge task—thousands of workers created this area from the marsh lands of the original terrain. To maintain the original appearance, the gardens have to be replanted about every 100 years.

There are 55 fountains in the gardens and 155 statues. The area is so vast, that Louie XIV, the Sun King, actually wrote a guide how to visit these gardens, with a walk of 4 to 8 Km to see the entire grandeur of the gardens.

Kuekenhof Gardens

Only open for about 6 weeks each year, these gardens always make lists of the most beautiful gardens in Europe. In 2021 they will be open from 20 March to 9 May. There are over 7 million bulbs planted in autumn to bloom in the spring. You can see 800 different versions of tulips.

Along with the massive rows of tulips, there are pavilions with flowers displays. Bring your good walking shoes, because there are 10 miles (15 Km) of hiking paths in these gardens.

Royal Gardens at Wisey

We visited this wonderful exhibition in 2011. Located in Surrey, south of London, this is the second most visited gardens requiring a paid entrance fee in England.

It covers 240 acres and has formal and informal gardens along with model gardens intended to show how a visitor might create a small garden of their own.

One of our favorite areas were the different glasshouses with desert, tropical and temperate climate flora and fauna.

Alhambra

The gardens here are unique. They are called the Generalife Gardens. “Generalife” means garden of the architect.

These are amazing examples of Arab gardening. Since water was so important in the Arab world, most of the gardens feature striking plants with water features that dance and constantly interplay with the lush shrubs and flowers.

Cawdor Castle Gardens

The 3 gardens areas of Cawdor Castle are fun to visit. They are named the Flower Garden, the Walled Garden and the Wild Garden.

The Walled Garden is a fine example of a Victorian Garden. Over half the garden is a maze. It also has an orchard of fruit trees.

The Flower Garden has a French influence and is a more formal garden layout that bursts with color.

The Wild Garden is an untamed area of 750 acres. It has azaleas, rhododendrons, primulas, daffodils, willows and bamboos in a natural setting

Residenz, Wurzburg

The gardens here are whimsical, and colorful. These gardens were built when the Residenz was fortified, so all the gardens had to be inside the walls. There are 2 gardens here.

The first is the Court Garden, a Baroque, formal garden. The central feature of this garden are 8 large yews that shaped in perfect cone shapes.

The second garden is an English garden of meadows and small forests.

Peterhof

The fountains here are among the best in the world. There are 64 fountains on the palace grounds. The fountains operate without the use of pumps, taking advantage of springs and elevation to provide the required water of the fountains.

The two most important fountains are the Grand Cascade and the Sampson Fountain. The Sampson Fountain was constructed in 1730 and is a symbol of Russia’s victory over Sweden. It is the largest fountain on the grounds, with water that shoots up 66 feet in the air.

There is even a joke fountain that sprays the unwary if they step on a stone in the walkway.

New Palace Rose Garden, Bamberg

The roses here are one of the best displays of roses we have ever seen. There are about 4,500 roses planted in 70 different flower beds.

It is unmatched for fragrance and color and also offers great views of Bamberg on the outside walls of the garden.

Dunvegan Castle

The lush gardens here make for a pleasant walk on this Scottish castle grounds. Located on the Isle of Skye’s, the 5 acres of gardens are a delight. There are 4 gardens—the Walled garden, the Rose garden, the Water garden and the Woodland Walk garden area.

The Water Garden has ornate bridges and island and waterfalls and was my favorite part of the gardens.

The Walled garden was the old vegetable garden, but now has a diverse range of plants and flowers, and includes a water lily pond.

Real Alcazar Gardens

In Seville, these peaceful gardens are surrounded by strong walls. These are among the oldest gardens in all Europe.

There are at least 12 different gardens here and each has a legend associated with the garden. For example, the Queen’s garden takes its name from the room that Queen Isabella gave birth to Prince John and could view the garden from this room.

There are 170 different types of plants in these 60,000 square meters of gardens.

Chateaux Chenonceau

This estate in the Loire Valley in France has extensive gardens. It has a wonderful duck pond, well maintained gardens and an interesting carriage house on the grounds.

There are many different gardens on the grounds. The main two are the gardens of Catherine de Medicis and Diane de Poitiers. There is also a maize, a green garden and a vegetable garden to see.

Diane's garden is a French formal garden based on eight grass triangles

Catherine's garden features an avenue of orange trees, climbing rose trees and flower borders on the edge of the moat.

My Final Thoughts

Just one more fascinating reason to visit Europe—wonderful gardens. If you are interested in gardens, we have a wonderful contact in England who can help us arrange tours to take advantage of peak times of blooms.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
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Emerald Waterways Specialist
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Hank Schrader

July 9, 2020

River Cruise Routes

The Lower Danube River Cruise Route

Hank Schrader

July 9, 2020

River Cruise Routes

The Lower Danube River Cruise Route

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

The Danube is 1,170 miles, making it the second longest river in Europe after the Volga River in Russia. This is a river of legends; serves as a borderline between countries; has four capital cities on or near its banks and romantic sights of medieval castles, baroque churches and abbeys and rococo palaces. There are 2 routes here. The upper portion is primarily in Austria and Hungry. The lower segment is in the Balkans.

The lower Danube is the gateway to Eastern Europe. This segment begins in Budapest and ends near the Black Sea. It starts with the rolling hills and vine-clad slopes of the Pecs in Hungary; then moves to the boundary waters that separate Serbia and Croatia; then traverses the narrow gorges of the Iron Gates, a stunning passage that divides the Balkan and Carpathian Mountains and either ends in Bucharest, Romania or at the Black Sea.

**The Lower Danube River Cruise Route. Photo from AmaWaterways**

Why Go on this Route?

This is a unique chance to visit some lesser known areas of Europe. Since these countries are not part of the Schengen area, it is much easier to visit on a river cruise—border formalities and many money issues are handled for you.

We enjoyed this trip, the friendly people and learning about new areas. We aren’t alone—here is an opinion from one of our great clients:

“What a great trip! I am an experienced traveler, have traveled all over the world, and this is the best trip I ever had! To be able to see 8 countries, explore a many venues and participate in a multitude of events created a unique vacation I will never forget. The food, wine, staff and overall experience was awesome! It allowed me to make a whole new set friends. I want thank my professional travel team of Hank and Anne for helping me make it possible.

— Jeff R Danube Cruise (lower and upper 2018) on the AmaCerto”

Pretty good reasons to go explore this region, don’t you think so!

The Ports

Budapest, Hungary

All routes either start or end in Budapest. It is the most interesting and beautiful city on the Danube route. It is really two cities linked by the Chain Bridge. The Pest side was the former home of the Royals and Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion are two great places to visit.

On the Pest side, my favorites are the Parliament Building and the Great Market. It is worthy of a couple of days or more.

Great Market Budapest — **Great Market on the Pest side**

Pecs, Hungary

Pecs is a city of art and history. It is the 5th largest city in Hungary. It first was a Roman city called Sopianae. The Hungarians conquered the area in the late 9th century. In the Middle Ages, Pecs was a center of learning and education. It was conquered by the Turks in 1543. When the Turks were expelled (they ruled for about 150 years), it became part of the Habsburg Empire. It has the largest Turkish ruins in Hungary. It is also famous for Zsolnay ceramics.

Here are some photos:

Old Fort Tower Pecs, Hungary — **Watch Tower of the Old Fort in Pecs Hungary**

**Fountain with Zsolnay porcelain spigots in Pecs Hungary**

Pecs Hungary — **Building in Pecs, Hungary**

Vukovar, Croatia

This is a somber stop on a Lower Danube cruise, as Vukovar is the only town since WW II that was almost completely destroyed during the Kosovo War in 1991. Vukovar held out for 3 months against an overwhelming Serbian force and many of the residents were killed.

Cross on the Danube—a tribute to all who gave their lives for a free and independent Croatia

The war sights are the main stops here. The cemetery is quite moving.

**Memorial statue in the Vukovar Cemetery. The statue has a symbolic flame at its center, and the stones present the image of the Christian cross facing outward in all directions.**

Eltz Manor Museum is the other main tourist site.

Novi Sad

Novi Sad is the 2nd largest city in Serbia. As with many places on the Lower Danube, the Ottoman Turks controlled this town for about 150 years (from 1526 to1687) and then it became part of the Habsburg Empire. Later, it was part of Yugoslavia, then a separate country and was bombed during the Kosovo War. It is now part of the Republic of Serbia.

The Petrovaradin Fortress is the best known landmark in the area. Novi Sad is also considered the cultural capital of Serbia. It has an interesting main square; the exquisite Bishop’s Palace and plenty of colorful wall paintings.

Here are some photos:

**Petrovaradin Fortress Novi Sad, Serbia**

**Bishops Palace Residence, Novi Sad. Serbia**

Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade is Serbia’s capital.

The two key sights here are the Kalemegdan Fortress and the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava.

The fortress, on the banks of the Sava River and the Danube River is huge and once protected an entire city inside its walls. Today it is just a park to stroll through with displays of armaments in the Belgrade military museum, Ruzica Church, the zoo, and the observatory and planetarium.

**Part of the Outside display of Belgrade Military Museum**

St. Sava Cathedral is the largest Orthodox Church in the Balkan region and the 2nd largest in the world. Its’ dome is 70 meters high with a 12 meter cross on top, has 50 bells and 18 golden crosses. It can hold 10,000 (all standing—there are no pews) and work continues on the inside with mosaics. It represents faith and freedom to the Serbian people.

**A mosaic inside the St. Sava Cathedral**

Knez Mihailova Street-- is the main pedestrian and shopping zone in Belgrade, and is protected by law as one of the oldest and most valuable landmarks of the city. It features a large number of impressive buildings and mansions built during late 1870s.

**One of the ornate buildings on Knez Mihailova Street**

Princess Ljubica’s Palace—this palace was supposed to be the lavish seat for the Serbian Court, but warfare with Turks prevented it. Today it is a museum with a series of lavishly furnished rooms.

**Outside of Princess Ljubica’s Palace**

The National Assembly of Serbia—this perhaps is the most photogenic building in Belgrade. It used to be the home of Yugoslavia’s Assembly.

Iron Gates

The Iron gates is one of the most scenic cruise routes in all Europe.

The Danube narrows into an impressive series of gorges between the mountain ranges of the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains.

**The rugged cliffs of the Iron Gates on the Lower Danube River**

The banks of the river along this natural border between Serbia and Romania are lined with sheer-faced rocks that stretch high overhead

**A convent Orthodox Church in the Iron Gates**

One of the favorite sights is the rock carving of Decebalus (the last king of Dacis, who fought against the Roman emperors Domitian & Trajan to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponded to modern Romania). He gazes down at passengers as they cruise the Iron Gates towards Vidin.

Vidin, Bulgaria

Located in the northwest corner of Bulgaria, Vidin is known as the “The Danube’s Eternal Guardian.”

The best known site is the Baba Vida Castle. This well preserved castle is fun to visit and tour.

**A great view showing how the fort could defend the Danube Waterway**

Legend says that Vida (daughter of a wealthy Bulgarian Boyar), due to the unsuccessful marriages of her sisters, rejected all proposals for marriage and built the castle to protect Vidin and remained there for the rest of her life.

Vidin is the gateway to Belogradchik (about 50 km away), a hill town that has gigantic pillars of rust colored sandstone rocks and a fortress.

Here are some photos:

Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest is known as the “Paris of the East.

We first visited to the Open Air Museum, dedicated to preserving the traditional architecture of rural Romania.

The most impressive site in Bucharest is the Palace of the Parliament only for its sheer size—it is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon.

Another great stop is a tour or walk in the newly renovated Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest.

Vlad (Dracula) statue in Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest. — **Vlad (Dracula) statue in Lipscani district, the historical center of Buchares**t.

Ruins of the Old Courtyard in the Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest. — **Ruins of the Old Courtyard in the Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest**.

**Annunciation Church of Saint Anthony Lipscani district Bucharest**

Pre/Post Cruise Extensions

Brasov—a great place for a pre or post stay. It is a chance to see what a Transylvanian old city looked like. It is also a good gateway to Braun Castle (14 century) a military outpost controlling the entry route to Transylvania and nowadays is associated with the myth of Dracula.

**Old Gate entrance to Brasov, Romania**

I would also try to visit Peles Castle (built from 1873 to 1914) the former summer residence of the Romania Royal Family. I recently wrote about this fabulous structure in our 33 Palaces of Europe blog. It is the most visited museum in Romania.

Istanbul—the European portion of Istanbul is one of the most fascinating and interesting cities in the world. It is offered as a possible post stay to your cruise.

My three favorites were the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Spice Market.

This is a city worth several days and is another unforgettable experience.

My Final Thoughts

This is a chance for folks to explore a part of Europe that once was part of the Communist Block. It is a world many haven’t seen but it is special. A turbulent history of war and conflict has shaped this area but it has a lot to offer.

We highly recommend this cruise.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

July 2, 2020

Veterans

The Significance of American Independence Day 4 July 1776

Hank Schrader

July 2, 2020

Veterans

The Significance of American Independence Day 4 July 1776

By Hank Schrader, USMA ‘71

www.dreamdestinations.com

As you know, Saturday 4 July 2020 is our Independence Day. In a bold move on 4 July 1776, the 13 Colonies declared their independence from British rule.

We now celebrate Independence Day as the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence has 3 important parts. First, is the goals of our nation. Second, is the complaints about British rule, especially against King George III. Third, why the 13 Colonies wanted to be free of British rule.

We had been at war for a year when the Continental Congress adopted and signed the Declaration of Independence, expressing our desire to become an independent nation.

The best known part of this document is in the Preamble. Among other statements, it declares that the authority to govern belongs to the people; all people are created equal; and we have unalienable rights—among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The document also states it is the right of the people to alter or abolish a form of government that does not come from the consent of the governed.

It ends with the words that the 56 undersigned delegates pledges “our Lives, our Fortunes and our Scared Honor”.

Words have meaning and these may be some of the most important words ever written about the form of governing the citizens of a nation.

We hope you give a few minutes of thought about these words and the principles of our nation.

Anne and I wish you a Happy Independence Day.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

June 25, 2020

Europe Travel

Palace Intrigue--33 Interesting Palaces in Europe

Hank Schrader

June 25, 2020

Europe Travel

Palace Intrigue—33 Interesting Palaces in Europe

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

I really enjoy palaces of Europe but find them hard to write about. I guess that is why I have never written a summary blog about the palaces of Europe.

Perhaps the reason is palaces are difficult to precisely define—there are often more than a residence of royalty or a bishop or an important person and are often confused with castles.

A starting point is that a castle was primarily built for defensive purposes (designed to resist an attack or defend access to others of the surrounding area), while a palace is a residence.

Most have many rooms, are ridiculously lavish, have manicured grounds with statues and fountains and exceptional gardens. However, there is a blurring caused by function between castles (mostly defensive structures) and other functions (once a palace but now an art gallery or a museum).

I will try and sort through this for you and provide some interesting details about palaces of Europe and why you might want to visit them.

This really only an overview—each palace probably deserves a separate blog.

Ready for my personal palace tour?—Let’s go!

What exactly is a Palace?

As stated above, a palace is residence, but certainly no ordinary residence. The owner is also a factor—a royal, head of state, elite person or key religious leader.

Then there must be a factor that makes the buildings and grounds special. Vast size, ornate, royal, imperial, splendid, gorgeous, grand, private, glorious, mysterious, ancestral, gilded, elegant, and impressive are just some words often used to describe a palace. It often is decorated with the finest artwork, frescoes, or ceiling paintings; and ornately furnished with the finest available materials. They are designed to impress and show the owner’s wealth and power.

There are usually gardens and special manicured areas, often with fountains and sculptures or statues that adds to the appeal of the palace. Access is usually limited and the owners are provided protection and a degree of seclusion.

Let’s take a tour of some important palaces of Europe!

2 Palaces that now are Famous Art Museums

The Palace of the Louvre in Paris and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg are the best examples of a converted palace.

Louvre—with an unusual glass pyramid entrance to this world-renowned museum (the rest is an older style palace building), it displays many of the best art works in the world, to include Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. It is the most visited museum in the world, has about 380,000 works of art and occupies over 650,000 square feet. This former royal palace became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution and displayed many confiscated royal works of arts. The collection has expanded since then to become the premier art museum in the world. Not all areas are open to the public, and works of art also are often relocated around the museum or sent out on loan. This helps keep any visit to the museum “fresh.”

**Louvre Palace Exterior—to see the size of this palace look carefully at the people walking in the courtyard**

The Winter Palace--Hermitage Museum—in St. Petersburg, Russia. Some of the highlights—the Jordan Staircase leads to 1st floor & Western European works—da Vinci, Michelangelo, Valazquez, El Greco, Murillo. Goya, Rubens, Rembrandt, Cezanne, Matisse, Monet, Degas, Gauguin, Renoir Pissarro & Picasso. The 1812 Gallery, the Malachite Hall, the Gold Drawing Room, opulent Pavilion Hall, the gold Treasures Gallery, the Jewelry Gallery—the last two require extra fee. It is one of the top 3 art museums in the world. There are long entrance lines and a skip the line options are well worth the extra expense.

**Exterior Winter Palace, St. Petersburg**

**Jordan Staircase in the Winter Palace**

Castles that really are Palaces

The Alhambra, Buda Castle, Prague Castle, Peles Castle, and Windsor Castle are really more of a palace than castle and fall into this category; however all could be defended, especially the Alhambra and Windsor Castle.

The Alhambra is the Moorish citadel formed by a complex of palaces, gardens and forts in Granada, Spain. It consists of 4 areas. The defensive area, including the outer walls, is known as the Alcazaba. Inside the walled area, there are 2 palaces. Nazaries Palace is the Moorish palace and is a work of outstanding beauty. After the Moors surrendered in 1492, the Spanish later built the Palace of Carlos V and added a church. Outside the defensive walls are the Genalife gardens.

**Alcazaba defensive wall of the Alhambra**

Nazaries Palace is special place. I especially liked the Fountain and Courtyard of the Lions. In the heart of the palace, the only people entitled to view this area was the sultan, his harem and the most trusted servants. The detail on the walls is unique and stunning.

Buda Castle, in Budapest Hungary, overlooks the city from its elevated position atop Castle Hill. It is often referred to as the Royal Palace. Today it is home to 2 museums, the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.

Prague Castle--In spite of many wars and fires, the Prague Castle (Prague, Czech Republic) has grown into a unique architectural complex. It contains the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, a convent, several towers and many palace wings. It includes the only privately owned building in the complex, Lobkowicz Palace, with its highly acclaimed museum (art works, porcelain, firearms and musical instruments).

Peles Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, Romania. It is on a medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia. It was built between 1873 and 1914. Many rooms have a theme-- there is a Concert Hall, a Music Room (India), Turkish Salon, Great Salon (Italy), the Council Room (Switzerland), and the Moor Hall. Rooms have great art works, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows and Cordoba leather-covered walls. It was the first European palace to have electricity. We really enjoyed our small group tour of this palace.

Windsor Castle was built by the command of William the Conqueror in the late 11th century. It has been the home to 39 monarchs of England and is the oldest royal residence still in continuous use in the British Isles. Visitors can tour the State Apartments, Queen Mary's famous dolls' house, St George's Chapel, and the Albert Memorial Chapel. Located in Windsor, England, and it can be visited in a day trip from London.

This is my favorite castle/palace in the UK.

**Changing of the Guard Windsor Castle. This is where the royals stay when at the castle**

Odd Palaces

Although named a palace, these two just are not true palaces.

The Palace of the Parliament—The People’s House—this imposing structure is the second largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. This huge structure has 1,100 rooms; is 12 stories high; and has 8 underground levels. It was commissioned by Ceausescu during his systemization plan (1972). It is built in a distinct, plain socialist style. This popular attraction, located in Bucharest, Romania and is fascinating for its size, but just is not ornate enough to be a true palace.

**Palace of the People Bucharest, Romania**

The Palace of Westminster is better known by its current name—the House of Parliament of England. It houses the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It has over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles of corridors. There are 3 towers on this Gothic style building—the 323 foot Victoria Tower, the 315 foot Elizabeth tower, more commonly known as Big Ben, and the 299 foot octagonal Central Tower.

**Elizabeth Tower that is more commonly known as Big Ben**

**A good view of the Palace of Westminster from the Thames River**

Themed Palaces

Some palaces are more a theme site than a real palace—a fantasy rather than a residence to rule and impress others. I think 3 qualify here—Neuschwanstein, Kronborg, and Pena Palace.

Neuschwanstein—this is the fantasy castle and palace world of Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria. The palace is located on a hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. It was not a traditional palace designed as a residence for a ruler—it was a retreat so Ludwig could escape into a dream world. Neuschwanstein in English is “New Swan Stone Castle.” You must take a tour to visit—it takes about 35 minutes. Only 14 rooms were completed—some of the original plans called for 200 rooms.

**View of the hills around Neuschwanstein**

Kronborg Castle—this is the fictional site of Hamlet’s home, but it is a real castle that is more palace than castle. Kronborg Castle was built on the narrowest point between Denmark and Sweden to exact tolls from passing ships. An annual Hamlet festival is held in the castle. The statue of Holger Danske, a powerful Viking, who is known as the national hero of Denmark, is also inside the castle. It is the largest renaissance castle in Europe.

Pena Palace is a fairy-tale land residence high on hilltop overlooking Sintra, Portugal. This fantasy palace is very colorful and a mix of architectural styles. This palace has great rooms and is one of the best visits in Europe. Although the rooms may seem small for a palace, they are wonderfully decorated. The best rooms for us where the Chapel, the Dining Room, the Noble Room, both King and Queen Bedrooms and the Kitchen.

Really Big Palaces

The largest palaces in Europe are perhaps the most important (I have listed them from largest to smallest but all are really big!).

Hofburg—the imperial palace and former residence of Franz Joseph and other members of the Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg) dynasty is a complex of buildings that house a number of Vienna’s most impressive sights. It has 2,600 rooms. You can tour some rooms. It now houses 3 museums and is the current residence of the President of Austria.

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms on a 40 acre site in London, England. The Queen of England still lives here. On tour you can see some of the 19 State Rooms (the 2 best are the White Drawing Room and the Throne Room), the Picture Gallery, the massive Ballroom and the Grand Staircase. There is also the famous Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace—only during spring, and summer—sometimes every other day and cancelled in very wet weather. The ceremony starts at 1130, it is free, but go early. Huge crowds sometimes make it hard to see.

**Changing of the Guard Ceremony Buckingham Palace**

Topkapi Palace--It was home to all the Ottoman sultans for a period of nearly four centuries. Topkapi Palace is in the European half of Istanbul, Turkey. This splendid palace is a museum now. The Treasury of the Museum of Topkapi Palace is considered one of the most celebrated treasuries in the world.

Versailles—this is the palace that every King wanted—opulent, innovative rooms like the stunning Hall of Mirrors, gardens, statues and fountains made of gold—there never has been a palace that displayed the wealth and power of the royals like Versailles. It has 2,143 windows, 1,252 fireplaces, 67 staircases and 5 chapels. The gardens and fountains are exceptional. It deserves a full day and is a relatively easy day trip from Paris, France.

My favorite room is the Hall of Mirrors. It is 250 feet long, with 17 windows and has stunning garden views. There are 17 arched mirrors combined with 24 candelabras; busts of Roman Emperors; along with painted ceilings telling the story of the Sun King’s battle victories. It was often filled with noble ladies in silk gowns, and men in wigs and fine clothes who loved to look at themselves in the mirrors. This is the room where the Treaty of Versailles was signed that ended World War I.

Royal Palace of Stockholm—has over 600 rooms, covering 7 floors and several sections of the Royal Palace are open to visitors. This includes the treasury, which houses the Swedish crown jewels and the Hall of State, where the king’s silver throne gleams. The changing of the guard ceremony takes place daily at noon.

**Cannons outside the Royal Palace of Stockholm**

Hampton Court Palace—this is the 500 year old palace of Henry VIII and his favorite residence. It is just outside London, England and an easy day trip. It has 1,000 rooms and impressive gardens on the 60 acres of this palace. 2 of the best areas are Henry’s State Rooms and the Tudor kitchens. This is a really worthwhile place to visit and we recommend it.

Schönbrunn Palace—this palace of 1,441 rooms was the summer residence of the Habsburgs and is located in Vienna, Austria. About 40 of the rooms and their furnishings are open to the public. Tours include the apartments of Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elizabeth (Sisi) and the Arch Duke Franz Karl, as well as the Blue Staircase, the Mirror Room and the Hall of Ceremonies. There are also lavish gardens. It is a must see for most folks.

Amalienborg Palace & Square—Queen’s residence—there is a changing of the guard when she is present at noon. Located in Copenhagen, Denmark, the palace consists of 4 rococo mansions. There is a museum in the palace, which displays some rooms and beautiful items belonging to the royal family.

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is located on Dam Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is both a city Hall and a Royal Palace. It was built during the Dutch Golden Age and opened in 1655. It is open to visitors when not being used for official state functions.

Smaller but Impactful

Peterhof—the palace is probably the finest display of waterworks in the world. It is 18 miles west of city of St. Petersburg. A tour of the palace and grounds is best reached by hydrofoil boat from a pier opposite the Winter Palace. The Grand Peterhof Palace and Grand Cascade are at the center of the World Heritage-listed ensemble of gardens and palaces. Laid out in accordance with Peter the Great's wishes, the complex was completed in 1725 and is in many ways reminiscent of Versailles.

**Samson Fountain Peterhof. This symbolizes the defeat of Sweden by Russia during Peter the Great’s reign**

The National Palace in Sintra, Portugal is located in the center of town and has wonderful themed rooms, including the Swan Room, the Magpie Room, the King’s Bedroom and the Stag Room. It was built in the 14th century and was the favorite summer residence of the Portuguese kings.

Grand Master’s Palace—in Valletta, Malta, was the headquarters of the Knights of St. John for more than 2 centuries. It is now the House of Representative of Malta and features grand staterooms and the Knight’s armory. The knight’s armory is one of the finest collection of weapons and armor in all of Europe.

**Courtyard Grand Master’s Palace Malta**

Doge’s Palace—once the seat of government of Venice, the palace of justice, and the home of the Doges, the palace is a maze of grand halls that hold treasured works of art, including Tintoretto’s famed Paradise in the Hall of the Great Council. The Doge of Venice was the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice but was elected and not considered a royal. It is now a museum.

Blenheim Palace—is the ancestral home of Winston Churchill. It is located in Woodstock, England and is a grand palace to visit. Highlights of the place are the great hall (67 feet tall room), Sir Winston Churchill’s birth room, the West and South Corridors, the Green and Red Drawing Rooms, the Green Writing Room, the Saloon, the First, Second and Third State Rooms, the Long Library (my favorite room), and the Chapel. The Park and Gardens are also excellent.

Religious Palaces

These 2 are special for very different reasons.

The Palace of the Popes in Avignon, France was once the religious center of the Catholic Church--for about 100 years, this was the home of the Popes. In 1305 the cardinals elected Frenchman Clement V as Pope and he declined to move to Rome in the Vatican—he feared the dangerous conditions and unrest in Italy. After 4 years, in 1309, he moved his court to the papal enclave at Avignon. 9 Popes reigned in Avignon and they increasingly fell under the influence of the French crown. This schism of the Catholic Church was finally resolved in 1417, when the court was moved back to the Vatican. This is a rather austere palace.

Würzburg Residence Palace is located in Würzburg, German. The palace has over 300 rooms and was the home of the prince-bishops. The gardens and sculptures are exceptional. You can tour 40 rooms of this impressive building. The baroque palace was built in about 24 years and features 2 impressive sights—the huge staircase area (at 23 meters high) with the world’s largest fresco painting and the Imperial Hall.

Würzburg Residence Palace Exterior — **Würzburg** **Residence Palace Exterior**

Würzburg Residence Palace Gardens — **Würzburg** **Residence Palace Gardens**

The Château’s of the Loire Valley

Château de Chambord—this former hunting lodge has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases and was designed to impress visitors. On first sight, it does just that—this place is massive. 80 of the rooms are on display. This is a great example of French Renaissance architecture. There are 4 main areas of interest of this palace.

The most famous feature of this place is the double helix staircase that allows people to use them without being seen by others. The second area of great interest is the furnished apartments of the first floor. The third area is the keeps—the vaulted rooms of the second floor. The roof (4th area) is quite unique—it has 11 different types of towers, 3 unique style chimneys and various columns and spires.

**Château de Chambord furnished apartments**

Château Chenonceau—built over the Cher River, this is a fairy tale looking palace. As you approach the palace, the forecourt has the Marques Tower, the old keep of the fortified castle that was demolished as the new chateau was built.

My favorite room was the 200 foot long Gallery. It instantly reminded me of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles except with 18 windows instead of mirrors. The Gallery is actually the bridge over the river Cher. The dazzling chandeliers and tufa and slate floor of black and white tiles is stunning. It would be easy to imagine a wonderful evening ball here—there would be plenty of room to dance and socialize and this was exactly how this area was used by the royals for lavish parties

Château du Clos Lucé—located in Amboise, this complex is famous as the last home of genius Leonardo da Vinci, where he spent his last 3 years. In 1516 Leonardo traveled to France and among the items he brought was his painting the Mona Lisa and accepted a position working for the King of France as an engineer, painter and architect. Chateau du Clos Luce is an interesting look at Leonardo’s creativity—each room seems to emphasize his talents for painting, building and inventing. The models of some of his inventions and ideas are really well done.

**Leonardo’s Studio Château du Clos Lucé**

**Display of one of Leonardo’s War Machines Château du Clos Lucé**

Palaces on my Bucket List

Several rank here but there are 2 stand outs—these are places I still have to visit.

Catherine Palace--built by the same architect as the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the Catherine Palace is a gilded rococo masterpiece, and home of the famous Amber Room. This is in a village of Pushkin (named after the famous poet) and sometimes also call Tsarskoye Selo (Tsars Village) because of the parks and palaces built there in the 1700’s by empresses Elizabeth and Catherine.

Sanssouci—the palace of Fredrick the Great is translated as “Without Care, or carefree.” Built in 1747, it is small (only 10 main rooms) compared with other royal palaces but has excellent terraced gardens and the rooms are interesting. This palace of the Prussian royal is located in Potsdam, Germany, about 16 miles from Berlin. It was the summer place for Fredrick, and his retreat from the pressures of ruling in Berlin and his royal ceremonies and duties.

My Final Thoughts

Wow—I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I enjoyed writing it!

This is an amazing collection of palaces but by no means the only one’s worth seeing in Europe. The hardest part of writing this was whittling down to a manageable number. Also, everyone has different tastes, so this may just be a starting place for your exploration. We would be proud to help you see any of these or other European palaces.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

June 18, 2020

Europe Travel

Picturesque Squares--My 15 Favorite in Europe

Hank Schrader

June 18, 2020

Europe Travel

Picturesque Squares—My 15 Favorites in Europe

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

In almost every town in Europe, there is a square. Squares have always been important to cities and their citizens.

So, I thought you might enjoy hearing my thoughts and see some pictures about what I consider my 15 favorite squares of Europe.

Don’t expect any real rationale for my selections—I have organized it alphabetically by countries of Europe; there is not one favorite square over another; and my only rationale is that I liked them—something was cool in my mind.

Before I start, I do have to give some homage to the 2 most important ancient squares—the Acropolis and the Roman Forum.

So, let me defend my thoughts—I’ll tell you a little about my 15 favorite squares, maybe some history, but the real criteria is why they appeal to me.

Ready for my personal square tour?—let’s go!

Why Squares Are Important

Town squares are a unique Europe innovation.

They go by many names, such as: agora, forum, piazza, plaza, Platz, or market place

These town squares often are the most important place in a city. Many have town halls located on them and are ringed by other buildings. Most have restricted entrances, and are enclosed spaces which, in essence, makes it an outdoor building.

They helped cities develop a sense of community, often display culture items, important business buildings and foster democracy as a meeting place. Most also have at least one important religious building, sometimes more.

Perhaps more importantly, this gathering place is an ideal venue to exchange ideas and viewpoints. This area serves so many functions—people watching, political discussions, all sorts of markets, and fosters a sense of belonging because of these interactions.

2 Ancient Squares

The Acropolis means “upper city.” It is the symbol of the golden age of Greece. The largest building on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which was a temple for the goddess Hera. The buildings here were built from 447 BC to 420 BC. It towers over the Agora of Athens. Both areas were gathering places for the ancient Greeks. This is the birthplace of democracy.

The Roman Forum was the center of ancient Roman life. It was the commercial, political and religious focus for all Romans. Almost every important event in Roman life happened here—elections, ceremonies, religious observances, parades for triumphant armies, speeches, markets, and political decisions and creation of laws. Many of the functions of the Roman Forum now happen in the current day squares of Europe.

Belgium

There are 3 great squares in this small country.

Antwerp is our first stop. The Grote Markt square has an impressive town hall and the wonderful statue of Barbo.

Barbo statue. According to the legend, a terrible giant, called Druoon Antigoon, lived on the banks of the river Scheldt. He demanded tolls, when refused, he cut off the hands of offending sailors. A Roman soldier, Silvius Barbo, killed the giant and by cutting his hand off, he ended his reign of terror.

With a legend like this, great place to visit!

Brugge is next up. The best place to start are the two squares—Market square and Burg Square. Markt (Flemish) or Market Square is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the well preserved medieval buildings and famous belfry. You can climb the 366 or so stairs for awesome views of the city, but we prefer to listen to the bells from the ground of the square.

Burg Square houses the city hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood (built by a Crusader to store drops of the blood of Jesus he brought back from Jerusalem). You can easily see the wealth of this city at one time by studying the opulent, gilded buildings. The city hall is a Gothic structure that was built in the late 1300s, making it the oldest town hall in Belgium. Don't miss the upstairs Gotische Zaal (Gothic Room) with its ornate decor and wall murals depicting highlights from Bruges's history. Most spectacular of all is the vaulted oak ceiling, dating from 1402, which features scenes from the New Testament. Here are some photos of Burg Square:

Brussels is the 3rd square in Belgium. The Grand Place (Grote Markt)—a fine medieval square—considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It is a pedestrian only zone, North West of Central Train Station. The square has a daily flower market and a weekly bird market. From April through September, there is a music and light show.

One of the buildings on the square is the Gothic Town Hall—the town hall was the only building left intact when the Grand Place was destroyed by the French in 1695. On top of the slim tower on the hall, St. Michael, the patron saint of Brussels, protects the town. Limited English tours (40 minute). Admission charge for the tour.

My favorite building on the square is the Municipal Museum in King’s House—this is not a royal residence, but a civic museum. It is located opposite the Town Hall across from the Grand Place. Among its collections are 18th and 19th century ceramics and tapestries. It also holds the collection of the costumes for Manneken Pis—that’s why I like this museum so much!

Czech Republic

In Prague, the wonderful Old Town Square is fun to visit.

Old Town Square-- famous for its historical monuments, Old Town Square is a Prague must-visit. Climb to the top of the 660-year-old Old Town Hall Tower for spectacular views of the Baroque-style St. Nicholas Church (north corner of the square, it has a fine interior), Gothic-style Church of Our Lady Before Tyn (twin towers) and Old Town itself. The Astronomical Clock (Orloj)--on the side of the Tower--consists of an astronomical dial embellished with zodiac symbols, a calendar dial and colorful, moving sculptures. As the clock chimes, biblical figurines come out, and spectators may watch the "Walk of the Apostles." An hourly bell toll features a figurine representing death. The clock comes to life from 0900 to 2100.

On the square is the Church of St. Nicholas--There are plenty of impressive Baroque churches in Prague, but the St. Nicholas church at the Old Town Square is one of the most beautiful thanks to the colorful frescoes, intricate ironwork and stucco that decorate the interior.

Old Town Hall--Prague's old Town Hall was built in 1364. The astronomical clock in the town hall's tower is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Originally the building served only as the city hall of the old town, but later became the city hall for all of Prague. It is now only used for ceremonial functions. Hopefully the renovations are complete now, as it was covered up on my last visit.

We have visited several times, and led tours here at all times of the year. It never gets old—especially during the Christmas markets.

Estonia

In this small Baltic country, the old town area of Tallinn is a jewel not to be missed. The Medieval Old Town is wonderful. It’s mostly intact city wall includes 26 watchtowers, each topped by a pointy red roof. The Old Town is actually 2 towns that merged together after years of feuding—the upper and lower Old Towns.

Town Hall Square (in old town)--A marketplace through the centuries, Town Hall Square is the starting point for exploring Tallinn's Old Town. The 15th-century Town Hall dominates the square; climbing the tower earns a commanding view of the entire Old Town. It is in the lower old town.

Germany

3 great squares make my list in Germany.

Let’s begin with Freiburg.

Münsterplatz is a cobblestone square in front of the Freiburg Münster (Cathedral of Freiburg). This quaint churchyard has plenty of colorful buildings, most of which were reconstructed following the end of WW II. Besides the church, the Historical Merchants' Hall and Wentzinger House are some of the many historical buildings within the square.

Münstermarkt Freiburg is an open-air farmer’s market that takes over most of Münsterplatz. Normally, there are about 65 stalls selling fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, and food items such as pastries, wines, and sausages. There are vendors selling woven baskets and other items. We bought some wonderful wooden utensils during one of our visits.

Next up is Munich.

Marien Platz—old town square, since 1158, is the place to gather in Munich. It is host to many festivals, and markets, especially the Christmas markets. It has a famous glockenspiel (1908), which performs at 1100 and 1200 all year. The story is of a 1500 wedding, of a Bavarian Duke (blue & white) and his French bride (red & white), knights and celebrations. The inspiration for this unique device is that jousting tournaments used to be held in the square.

In the center of the square is a statue dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Nuremberg also ranks high with me. The Market Square is a place of constant activity. It is home to one of the best Christmas market in all of Germany.

If not being renovated, the Schoner Brunnen--the Beautiful 19 meter Fountain on the edge of Market Square is quite impressive. There are two rings on the fence that are some popular legends about the power of the fountain. One is that if you turn the “golden ring” and make a wish, it will come true. The black ring, is said to bless women with children.

The market also has an impressive church on the square. Church of Our Lady constructed as an imperial royal chapel. Every day at noon the "Männleinlaufen" (mechanical clock and glockenspiel) chime to the delight of watchers below.

Italy

With a lot of choices, again I have 3 favorites here.

In Rome, Campo de Fiori is just awesome. The original name means field of flowers. During the day, it is best known for its flowers and fruit and vegetable markets.

After the sunsets, the area becomes a great meeting place since it has a wide variety of restaurants, cocktail bars and terraces.

We really like this area and try to visit when we are in Rome.

The next is St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. St. Peter's Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. In the center of the square is an ancient Egyptian Obelisk. The obelisk actually acts as a giant sundial.

Flanking either side of the square is a series of columns, which are to represent the welcoming arms of the church to the faithful. 284 columns and 88 pilasters that flank the square in a colonnade of four rows. Above the columns there are 140 statues of saints.

This is the home of the Vatican and the square is used for gathering of Catholics and religious ceremonies.

Venice, with its impressive San Marco Square should be visited at least once in your life. St. Mark’s Square—this is the most famous plaza in Venice. It is surrounded by sidewalk cafes and shops. A great way to visit this square is to arrive by gondola. Here are the most famous sight around the square:

Campanile—this is the dramatic bell tower overlooking St. Mark’s Square. Visitors can ride the elevator 300 feet to the top, but beware that when the bell chimes it can be an ear shattering event.

St. Mark’s Basilica—this Byzantine masterpiece sits by St. Mark’s square in the heart of Venice. It houses outstanding examples of mosaics and priceless works of art including the Pala d’Oro—a 10th century altar fashioned in gold and encrusted with precious gems. The exterior holds facsimiles of the four famous gilded horses. Free for the church, but Treasury, Golden Altar and San Marco Museum all charge separate admission.

Doge’s Palace—once the seat of government and the home of the Doges, the palace is a maze of grand halls that hold treasured works of art, including Tinotetto’s famed Paradise. Admission charge

Bridge of Sighs—connecting two wings of the Doge’s Palace—according to the legend, a condemned man would be led over the bridge on the way to prison and sigh.

Romania

The city of Brasov in Romania is square that I really enjoyed. The main square of Brasov is a great place to see people, eat and enjoy the buildings around this area. Town Hall Square has colorfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Perhaps the most famous sight is the Black Church, the largest gothic church in Romania. Its name comes from damage caused by the Great Fire of 1689, when flames and smoke blackened the walls of the church. The interior is impressive and well-kept and houses one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe

We had a great time during our stay.

San Marino

Although very tiny, I just really like the Liberty Square in this equally small country. San Marino is an enclave—totally surrounded by Italy. It is the oldest republic in the world.

In the center of the tiny square is the marble statue of liberty towering over a fountain. This is where citizens used to get water and the water is still drinkable today.

On the north side of the square is the city’s town hall, Palazzo Pubblico. It is modeled after buildings of the 13th and 14th century but was built in the 1900s. You can tour the hall and I just really liked the uniformed guard protecting this important building.

Cafes ring the east side—on the west is a protective defensive wall.

The folks of San Marino view this square as an important symbol of their fight for independence.

Spain

The most unusual square on my list is in Seville. Plaza de Espana was created in 1929. This monument was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929.

It is truly a massive structure. It was created to showcase the achievements of Spain in industry and culture. Today it houses museums. It is often used in films as a good backdrop.

Sweden

Stockholm is the last of my 15 favorite squares.

Stortorget in the Gamla Stan—the old town is a medieval district with step-gabled buildings and cobblestone lanes. Stortorget, is the oldest square in Stockholm. Stortorget used to be the political heart of town until 1732, when the city hall was moved to the Bondeska Palace. In 1520, it witnessed a large execution as the Danish conqueror Kristian II had 82 Swedish dignitaries arrested and beheaded. It is a lot more fun to visit today.

My Final Thoughts

Wow—I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I enjoyed writing it!

This is an amazing collection of squares but by no means the only one’s worth seeing in Europe. The hardest part of writing this was whittling down to a manageable number. Also, everyone has different tastes, so this may just be a starting place for your exploration. We would be proud to help you see any of these or other European squares.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

June 11, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Our 10 Best Europe River Cruise Blogs

Hank Schrader

June 11, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Our 10 Best Europe River Cruise Blogs

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

I have written 75 blogs about Europe River Cruising—this will be number 76. I currently rank # 1 on Google in a search for “Europe River Cruise Blogs.” About 18 months ago, I wrote a blog about our 5 best Europe River Cruise Blogs.

It is time to update and provide you a better look at our best work. The goal is simple--to help you get a better understanding of a Europe river cruise vacation and experience.

To organize my thoughts, I thought I would first provide you a little background about how I write and research these blogs, and the goals of the blogs.

Next I will provide you my selection of the best blogs we have written. In my selection process, I decided not to include company specific blogs or food, service or cabin blogs—these are great for more detailed looks at a specific company or aspect of Europe river cruises but not the best overall works about Europe river cruising.

For each blog, I will provide a summary of the blog and then tell you why it matters—and provide a link to the actual blog.

Ready, to learn more?—let’s GO!

How I write and Organize Our River Cruise Blogs

Our blogs, by design, are much more detailed than most other blogs—usually 2000 words or more. There are two types of blogs we use to help you understand characteristics of Europe river cruises.

In the first type, we try to tell the story of each topic in a way you can see yourself there—can we capture the experience for you?

While some blogs easily fall into storytelling type of blog, others are designed as informational, data blogs. This is our second type of blog.

Both have immense value, in my opinion. Sometimes you just need the data in a form you can understand and make comparisons. But this alone is not enough—you need to know what you will experience on a Europe river cruise to get the full story. A key element of these blogs is a clear separation of facts (usually there is a source) and our opinion. When possible, we use many pictures in each blog to help enhance our descriptions.

Our blogs have two goals—the most important is to inform you so you can decide if a Europe river cruise is right for you. The second, a bit more subtle, is to help you decide if we are the right folks to help plan your river cruise.

Our Top 10 Blogs

Our # 10 Blog—European River Cruise Ports

**Melk Abbey on the Upper Danube River**

Summary—this is a very good way to learn about what you can see at the various ports on a specific route. This a description about a section on our website under the River Cruises and it has great value for you in your search for accurate and useful travel information. It is called European River Cruise Ports and provides you an easy way to get specific information about the many ports you can see while on a river cruise in Europe. These are in a PDF PowerPoint format. They are organized by rivers or countries to make it easier to find a specific port you might be interested in.

Why it Matters—making the best use of your time while on vacation is a key to having an extraordinary trip. This is an unmatched resource—51 port guides to help you decide on what you want to see while in a particular port. The best part is you can order any port guide or all 51 from our website.

So, why should trust us to provide you a guide about European River Cruise Ports?

We have been on 18 European River Cruises; between the both of us we have been traveling to Europe for 49 years; and we both have been in the travel industry for 24+ years of experience and helped dozens of satisfied clients, so we do have some very good credentials to let you know what you will see in a specific port.

European River Cruise Ports

Our # 9 Blog—The Great Value of a European River Cruise

**Tournon Castle at night on the Rhone River**

Summary—value is not just the cost of a trip, it is what you get for your money. We have planned almost every type of vacation you might want to take. However, no matter how many we plan, we just keep realizing more and more the exceptional value you get when you take a river cruise, especially in Europe.

We try to travel to Europe 2-4 times a year, except maybe in 2020, (just like you, we are limited by travel costs and government restrictions) and have taken river cruise number 18 last year. I think that really makes our thoughts about river cruising even more important—we speak from experience. Our experience is that for most trips, it’s hard to beat the features of a river cruise, especially if you take a pre and post land option along with the cruise.

So, let’s explore the value of a Europe river cruise!

Why it Matters—learning about if the cost of a river cruise equates to a good value is important. For us, river cruising helps you escape the fast paced world we live in and have an experience you will always remember. There is a good balance of public and private space on the ship. You will usually be wined and dined in style. You will see sights you never knew existed. And most importantly, you will get a great glimpse of the culture of the area you are sailing through.

The Great Value of a Europe River Cruise

Our # 8 Blog—How to Get the Right Europe River Cruise for Your Next Vacation

**Church in the Iron Gates Section of the Lower Danube River**

Summary--Every time we plan a river cruise vacation, in some form or another, we have several steps we go through to get the right match for our clients. Our goal is to get our clients the best river cruise trip possible, based on what is most important to them.

In broad terms there are really 5 factors we consider. They are 1) the route (destination); 2) the desired activities during the cruise; 3) what do you want to see during the cruise? (We consider both while on the river and while in port); 4) time available for the vacation; and 5) what company do you want to sail with on your upcoming river cruise?

So, let’s explore these factors together to help you get the best possible river cruise for your next trip.

Why it Matters—after reading this blog, you should be able to objectively decide if the 5 factors we use are enough for you to get the right cruise for your vacation. We believe that better information + understanding the nuances of each company = a great travel experience.

Did we get it right and help you learn what to ask about during the planning process?

How to Get the Right Europe River Cruise for Your Next Vacation

Our # 7 Blog—River Cruise Advantages and Disadvantages

Summary—I write all the time about Europe river cruising and its value. But there is no vacation option that is right for all. Many who have never taken a European River Cruise, have no idea how much is included and the many benefits of this travel opportunity. While for most folks, river cruises are a great choice, for some this vacation just is not right for them

Why it Matters—a vacation needs to be tailored to the best interests of the person who wants to travel. For me, and most folks we work with, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. If you can afford this type of vacation, most will be thrilled beyond their wildest expectations.

River Cruise Advantages and Disadvantages

Our # 6 Blog--Are We River Cruise Experts and Specialists?

**Hank and Anne at the Captain’s Table on an AmaWaterways Cruise**

Summary--Almost every blog I write starts with the byline—Europe River Cruise Expert. Great sounding words, but are we really Europe river cruise experts?

According to the 2015 Census, there were 105,085 travel agents in the U.S. To evaluate what constitutes an expert in the travel industry, I believe there are 6 good measures that can provide a comprehensive and objective evaluation to determine if a travel advisor is truly an expert.

Here are the measurement factors: 1) experience; 2) certification; 3) knowledge of the industry; 4) first-hand knowledge of the industry; 5) professional organization membership and 6) can you trust them? You can use these 6 factors to determine the difference between travel advisors and help you decide—what makes us special about our knowledge of river cruises? How do we use that knowledge to help you get a better river cruise vacation experience?

So, let’s explore what makes a travel advisor a river cruise expert and try to answer the question—Are we Europe river cruise experts?

Why it Matters—it is easy to claim to be an expert, but what backs up that claim? The real important factor is can we use this expert knowledge and information to help you have a better river cruise experience.

After reading this blog, do you agree we have unique qualifications as Europe cruises advisors and can we help you?

Are We River Cruise Experts and Specialists ?

Our # 5 Blog—River Cruise Vibes 2

Summary--I have wanted to write this blog for a long time.

Since 2009, I have studied Europe River cruising to try to learn all I could about the river cruise industry. A few industry experts have tried to make comprehensive comparisons of the different lines. Each has a slightly different approach.

We have taken a unique approach by creating a PowerPoint presentation. Our 86 slide 2019 Comparison Guide is very good but even that lacks one factor—the vibe of the line and its ships. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vibe as “the feeling that someone or something gives you.”

So, here goes—my evaluation of the vibe or feeling you will get on 8 river cruise lines.

Why it Matters—there is little information of the company vibes in one place together available to the consumer. Did we provide a good summary of each lines feelings? Will that help you decide on which line best fits your desired vacation experience?

River Cruise Vibes

Our # 4 Blog—Our 11 Step Europe River Cruise Planning Guide

**AmaKristina Lounge decorated on a Christmas Markets Cruise.**

Summary—Have you ever wonder what you should consider when planning a Europe River Cruise? I promise you, there is little clear cut information about what you should consider to get the best possible river cruise that is right for you. This is the process we use to ensure every facet of your upcoming river cruise will provide you the best possible vacation.

Why it matters—using a proven process helps us provide the best possible river cruise for our clients. We pride ourselves in making planning an art form—so let us provide you a step by step guide to ensure you will get the best possible river cruise for your vacation.

So how do we do it?—we ask a lot of questions by having you tell us what is important to you.

Our 11 Step Europe River Cruise Planning Guide

Our # 3 Blog—Why Buy a Europe River Cruise from Us?

**Anne and Hank at a SunDowners Party on a Scenic River Cruise**

Summary--There are about 75.000 to 100,000 professional travel agents in business in the United States. There are also the giants of the internet (Travelocity, Expedia, etc.) and wholesalers (Costco). You can also buy direct from many travel vendors. To be sure, you the consumer, have a lot of choices and ways to buy travel.

With the plethora of options, it got me to thinking—Why should you buy a river cruise or for that manner, any travel from us?—from Anne & Hank Schrader, of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC!

I will begin by answering this question by explaining what the Europe River Cruise Trends are and then talk about sellers of travel (travel agents and others).

For sellers of travel, my game plan here is to define our competition first, and then tell you who we are, what we stand for and who are customers are.

Finally, I will explain why you should buy a river cruise from us.

Why it Matters—you have lots of choices and deciding if we are the right folks to use is critical to your success. Europe river cruising is a wonderful vacation but is often sold by agents who just don’t know enough about the product to make a good vacation an exceptional one that exceeds your expectations. Did we convince you that we are the right folks to use to plan your Europe river cruise?

Why Buy a Europe River Cruise From Us?

Our # 2 Blog—What is the Best Europe River Cruise Route?

**Europe Rivers Routes. Photo from AmaWaterways.**

Summary--this blog covers the key rivers of Europe that are available to sail on for a vacation. The purpose of this blog is provide you a comprehensive guide of the available Europe River Cruise Routes, so you can decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation.

Why it Matters—destinations are the real key to river cruising. River cruising is about the destinations, in my opinion, so the correct itinerary is critical to provide you the river cruise experience you desire for these special trips. We hope this quick summary will provide you a good overview of what is possible in Europe river cruising.

What is the Best Europe River Cruise Route ?

Our # 1 Blog—Our New 2018-19 Europe River Cruise Comparisons

**The first slide of our 86 slide presentation**

Summary--As many of you know, we have one of the best, in-depth, Europe River Cruise Comparisons available anywhere on our website. We have updated our 2016 version to provide even more accurate information on the ever changing Europe river cruise scene.

We want to emphasize all of these river cruise lines are good values and special trips. Many have won awards and there is really no official ranking system to provide you a valid comparison method.

To help overcome the lack of an official ranking system, we have found that The Berlitz River Cruising in Europe & the USA guide to be as fair an evaluation as presently available to the public. This book evaluates individual ships in its rating system instead of entire companies, so we have decided to compare the best rivership from each company to determine a ranking system as our method of comparison.

We have also provided our own personal rankings of each line with comments.

Why it Matters—this is an excellent summary—it ranks always on the first page of Google (this is earned—we have never paid to boast anything on the internet). Getting unbiased information about the various river cruise companies is difficult. There is no one company that is right for everyone. We believe we know enough to guide you to the right company that matches your travel style. Did we convince you?

READ OUR COMPLETE 86 SLIDE PRESENTATION

My Final Thoughts

It is my sincere hope you agree with us, that we have met our two goals—great useful, information and we are the right folks to help you plan your river cruise.

Now it’s your turn! What is your favorite river cruise blog? Please let us know! Also, don’t be shy, if we can do something better let us know your thoughts.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, especially a pricey Europe river cruise, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

June 4, 2020

Veterans

Pointe du Hoc--Rangers Lead the Way!

Hank Schrader

June 4, 2020

Veterans

Pointe du Hoc--Rangers Lead the Way

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

The crossing was rough—the weather was stormy and the seas were not kind to the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions. Most could not get any sleep, as the dread of an upcoming mission along with the rough seas made them restless. It is always that way before critical missions—no amount of training and preparation could ease their minds—they were going Pointe du Hoc to destroy an artillery battery on the top of a 100 foot cliff.

The capture of Pointe du Hoc was considered critical to the overall invasion plan. It was clearly one of the most dangerous areas of Normandy—high ground with good fields of fire and hard to capture during a raid. The 155 mm cannons could fire upon the landing zones of Utah and Omaha with devastating effect on the invading force. It had to be neutralized.

Pointe du Hoc was defended by elements of the 716th and 352d Infantry Divisions, along with artillerymen--it became a heavily fortified bastion for the Wehrmacht as part of the Atlantic Wall. Approximately 200+ German troops (125 infantry and 85 artillery men) were garrisoned in or around the Point du Hoc position.

The rangers had to take this defensive area or the whole D Day mission might fail.

This is the story of the Ranger mission during the D Day battle.

An Obstacle too Difficult to Take from the Sea

The Pointe du Hoc cliffs were considered too difficult to scale under combat conditions. This point of view was firmly held by the Germans. And, not surprisingly, most American military commanders also thought it was a suicide mission.

**A good view of Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 Tour.**

**The east side of Pointe du Hoc where the rangers landed on 6 June 1944**

Yet, it was vital to the success of the overall invasion scheme. The 100 foot cliffs were almost 90 degrees from the base to the top.

**The sheer cliffs of Pointe du Hoc. Notice the narrow landing area. It is easy to understand why the Germans believed it was not feasible to attack from the sea. This is from our 2014 tour.**

The Germans planned the defense on the land bridge of Pointe du Hoc facing away from the sea by concentrating their forces for an inland assault. They developed a defensive position consisting of heavily fortified concrete casements interlaced with tunnels, trenches, and machine-gun positions around the perimeter.

The Germans lightly defended the approach from the sea—they though it would be easy to stop invaders trying to climb the cliffs with just a few defenders.

Rudder’s Rangers

On the fateful day, Lt. Col James Rudder led 225 men in an assault on the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc.

But to understand this superb combat unit, we must return to the days of 1943, where Rudder formed the Rangers. The 2nd Ranger Battalion was activated on April 1, 1943 at Camp Forrest, Tullahoma, Tennessee. They were volunteer units. Each soldier had to possess superb physical qualities and sharp mental skills. They also trained in Florida. Each ranger became skilled in all types of weapons, hand-to-hand combat and handling difficult terrain. The unit was deployed to Scotland next. Here they trained on scaling cliffs and trained with British Commandos.

The rangers were organized into 6 line companies, A to F per battalion sized units. Each company consisted of 65 men and 3 officers. The companies were organized into 2 platoons.

The Plan

The plan was for part of the 2nd Ranger Battalion to assault the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc at 0630 and take possession of the German position by 0700. This group was named Force A.

Force A had 3 ranger companies in the task organization. Company D was to scale the cliffs from the west; Companies E and F were to scale the cliffs from the east. They would then destroy the cannons once on top of Pointe du Hoc. After destroying the weapons, they were to establish a defensive perimeter on Pointe du Hoc and prevent the Germans from moving reinforcements down the coastal highway that connected Grandcamp and Vierville.

The rangers were to hold the ground until relieved by the 116th Infantry Division. Relief was scheduled for noon on 6 June 1944.

Force B, Charlie Company of the 2nd Rangers, was to assault and capture the area on the far right flank of the Omaha Beach on exit D-1. Their objective was Pointe de la Percée.

Force C, was comprised of the entire 5th Ranger Battalion, along with A and B companies of the 2nd Rangers. Here were their missions:

1). If the initial landing force failed, Force C was designated to assault and capture Pointe du Hoc, by landing at Omaha and moving inland to take Pointe du Hoc.

2) If the mission of Force A was successful, they were scheduled to also land at Pointe du Hoc as reinforcements, assuming the objective was taken by 0700.

A Landing that Started Off Wrong

At 0445 the rangers of Force A were loaded into landing crafts that held 22 men per landing craft. They men and supplies were loaded into 10 landing craft and 4 DUKW's amphibious vehicles. As they approached the beachhead, they were 3 miles off course, and LTC Rudder realized the error—they were headed to Pointe de la Percée, the objective of Force B.

**This a DUKW landing craft. LTC Rudder’s had 4 mechanical ladders ready to use in the assault.**

The landing craft had to travel exposed back to the correct landing site. By the time they arrived at the objective, 1 landing craft and 2 DUKW’s were sunk.

They were due to start their assault at 0630, but the currents and navigation errors delayed the landing until 0710. Since the plan called for the assault to begin at 0630, the naval bombardment stopped at 0625. This allowed the Germans to regroup and take up some defensive positions.

The Germans, however, were slow to reorganize, and this aided the assault.

The first landing crafts made it to Pointe du Hoc at 0710. Their landing area was only 30 yards wide and the tide was rising. There was no time to assault from both the west and east sides of Pointe du Hoc—they all had to go up the cliffs from the east side.

Some equipment was not useable. The 75-foot mechanized ladders mounted on the amphibious vehicles couldn’t get into positions to be used—it was too slippery for the tracks to get into position (there were only 2 available as they were transported by the DUKW’s and 2 were already sunk). They had lost ammo supplies. Ropes, men, radios and all their other equipment were soaked.

The only thing in their favor—the intense shelling and bombing had caused some of the cliff face to collapse into rubble piles. In a few places, the climb would only be 60 feet.

The rangers were going to scale the cliffs under their own power using ropes and rope ladders.

Over the Top and Success of Force A

Scaling the cliffs was one of the most impressive military feats ever successfully accomplished by a US unit in combat. Companies D, E and F landed and scaled the cliffs by using rocket-fired grappling hooks attached to ropes. They developed the scaling techniques primarily by trial and error during their training sessions. Their training was intense and it paid off—under pressure and enemy fire these soldiers responded, despite incredible odds against their success.

The landing problems resulted in an assault only from the east side of Pointe du Hoc. Some of the soaked ropes didn’t reach the top, but finally some worked correctly. They only had 15 casualties in the initial assault. The German defenders cut ropes, threw potato mashers and fired on the exposed soldiers. The rangers countered with mortar fire and small arms fire at the German positions above. Also 2 US destroyers fired their guns effectively at the cliff side German defenders.

5 minutes after landing, some rangers were already on top of the cliffs. Within 15 minutes of landing, the majority of Rudder’s assault force had made it on top of Pointe du Hoc.

Once up top, small groups of rangers went off to accomplish their missions. They were stunned by the results of the bombardments—one soldier said it looked like the craters of the moon. It looked nothing like the mock-ups and photos of the site.

**A really good view of the bomb damage craters at Pointe du Hoc**

But the biggest surprise was that the 155 mm cannons were missing—the Germans had placed painted telephone poles in the concrete bunkers to fool the aerial reconnaissance. The German ruse had worked.

Each gun position had been assigned a number and the rangers knew their primary mission was to destroy the position assigned to their unit. Now they had to find the missing cannons.

**This gun bunker was still under construction and not yet completed.**

**This is the Observation Post Bunker at Pointe du Hoc. It is the present day site of the Ranger Bayonet Monument on top of the bunker**

**One of the hardened gun positions at Pointe du Hoc.**

**Artillery Position #4 position at Pointe du Hoc**

**Gun Position # 6 Pointe du Hoc. This position was not yet hardened. In 1943, all the 6 gun positions were unprotected and open.**

Rudder divided his forces into two units. One group established a command post in the bunker area. The second group went off in search of the missing cannons. They were located, unguarded, in an apple orchard about a mile from Pointe du Hoc. With thermite grenades and other explosives, the rangers destroyed the weapons and ammunition supplies.

By 0830, Pointe du Hoc was secured and 5 artillery cannons were destroyed. Here is a picture of the 6th cannon, now on display:

155 mm Cannon on display at Pointe du Hoc — **This is the 6th 155 mm cannon now on display at Pointe du Hoc.**

Force A, led by LTC Rudder, was the first American unit to accomplish their mission on D Day. They had captured Pointe du Hoc and established blocking positions on the road.

Force B

Meanwhile, Force B (Company C, of the 2nd Ranger Battalion) was assaulting at Omaha and later would capture Pointe de la Percée. Their landing was at Charlie (farthest western sector of Omaha) on Omaha Beach, at 0645 in the second landing wave. They landed after Company A, 116th Regiment was being torn apart on Dog Green (now more famously known as the Bedford Boys, as 19 from the town in VA were killed in the D Day assault on 6 June). They too came under intense fire from 3 Widerstandnesten or Wn (resistance nests) defensive positions, Wn 71, Wn 72 and Wn 73. They fought their way to the seawall.

There were two possible plans for Force B. If the D-1 Draw was clear, move up the draw and attack Pointe de la Percée and eliminate Wn 74 (plan 1). Plan 2 was to climb up the cliffs (the worst option).

Force B lacked most of the specialized climbing gear that was allocated to Force A. With the draw not yet captured, the only option was climb the cliffs. Hugging the cliffs, they found a section to climb. PFC Otto Stephens climbed first, using his bayonet to dig hand holds. He and 2 other rangers established a rope for the remaining rangers, so they would be able to climb up.

The situation was so bad on Omaha, that the Force B commander, Captain Goranson, decided he had no other option than to attack Wn 73 and then proceed to attack Wn 74 on Pointe de la Percée. This turned out to be a great combat decision—Wn 73 was a really effective fighting position and Wn 74 was primarily a radar position, guarded by 2 anti-aircraft guns and several machinegun nests.

Only 29 of his 64 Rangers were able to fight—the rest were killed or wounded. The remaining 29 men began slowing clearing the trenches of Wn 73. They were later joined with 20 soldiers from 116th who also climbed the ropes. All worked together, clearing the trenches, to eliminate their lethal machinegun nests and other defensive positions.

At around 1400, Captain Goranson, after leading the men to clear the German defensive positions and block German reinforcements, led a patrol to Pointe de la Percée. He found it abandoned, with the defensive positions Wn 74 destroyed by naval fire as they approached. He returned to link up with Force C. Around night fall, Force B had only 12 men able to fight.

Force C

Force C was reluctantly waiting off shore, hoping to reinforce Rudder at Pointe du Hoc. His soldiers bobbed up and down in the rough seas. There was no signal received by the Battalion Commander, LTC Max Schneider, from Force A—he had ordered his landing crafts to lay-to offshore. Schneider knew how important it was to reinforce Force A at Pointe du Hoc.

There was no more time left; at 0740 six landing crafts with the rangers landed at Omaha beach at Dog White. They were met with intense fire. LTC Schneider, the only ranger officer with combat experience, moved the rest of the force to landing zone Dog Red. This was a pivotal decision during the early phases of the invasion landings at Omaha. He managed to get most of his force intact over the exposed 200 yards to the seawall—brush fires helped obscure the defenders from accurate fire upon his landing unit.

Getting a well-trained, elite unit almost intact to relative safety was a key factor in the fight for Omaha.

Shortly thereafter, he met up with BG Cota, Executive Officer of the 29th Division. It is here where Cota, urging the men off the beach, yelled out “Rangers lead the way!” They made it up the bluffs and probably were the key reason in the 29th Division sector succeeded in accomplishing their mission in taking their assigned sector of Omaha beach. LTC Schneider led his men through the obstacles, past the barbed wire and up the cliffs. They continued the assault to their initial objective near Vierville and later linked up with the remainder of Force B. They had been in almost 10 hours of constant combat.

However, they were badly shot up and could not effectively reinforce Rudder’s men at Pointe du Hoc on 6 June 1944 but they still wanted to try. Key leaders denied them the chance on 6 June 1944. The 29th Division had lost so many men, it needed the rangers to help defend the small beach head positions inland. Despite LTC Schneider’s pleas to go reinforce the stranded rangers, he was ordered to stay and help defend the beach head.

3 ranger companys were not as important as securing Omaha—a tough but correct command decision.

Hanging On at Pointe du Hoc

Rudder had signaled that he had landed late and taken Pointe du Hoc, but the message was garbled and not understood by the commanders at sea. They committed the reserve rangers (Force C) to land at Omaha beach. By the time he communicated success, and ask for help, the reply was “no reinforcements”.

Rudder’s group was now on their own.

Later that day, the Germans started their counterattacks. By night fall, Rudder’s men were forced back into defensive positions in a small 200 yard perimeter.

At 2100, 1st platoon of A Company, who had been unable to link up with the rest of the 5th Ranger Bn., had fought their way to Ponte du Hoc and linked up with Rudder’s men, with a force of 23 soldiers. They would be his only reinforcements on 6 June.

By 7 June, Rudder had a fighting force of fewer of 100 of the original 225 who had begun the assault. Ammunition and food were running low. He did get some reinforcements from the sea. About 60 men from the 1st Platoon of Fox Company of the 5th Rangers and a dismounted cannon platoon, help reinforced Rudder’s men and evacuate some wounded soldiers.

Rudder held on until 8 June, when the 5th Rangers and men from the 29th Division finally linked up with his force. His men had withstood 5 counterattacks.

The Price for Victory

The 2nd Ranger Battalion (a total force of about 488) had 77 killed and 152 wounded and 38 listed as missing. At the time of the relief, Rudder’s original force of 225 had less than 75 men capable of fighting.

Rudder was wounded twice in the battle and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). Thirteen other Rangers were awarded the DSC for their roles at Pointe du Hoc and the other ranger missions.

The 5th Ranger Battalion (again about 488 men, according to the Table of Organization & Equipment (TO&E)) had 23 men killed, 89 wounded and 2 missing.

Both the 2nd Ranger Bn. and the 5th Bn. were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre.

**Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2014 tour.**

Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 tour. — **Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 tour**.

My Final Thoughts

Competence | Courage | Sacrifice | Rangers Lead the Way

To me, the value of visiting a place like Pointe du Hoc, is to see first-hand the difficulties this unit had to endure to insure the success of the D Day invasion. Reading about this in history books or blogs just doesn’t due it justice—when you walk the terrain, the hardships and sacrifice leap out at you. It really is about the best of America military forces—superbly trained soldiers, given a near impossible mission, and they triumphed.

We have led two tours in Normandy in 2014 and 2019 and those experiences have made this operation much more real for me. We owe a debt of gratitude to these folks—their sacrifice and courage will stay with me for the rest of my life.

**Coin we handed out to our tour members from our 2019**

If you have never been to Normandy and seen the D Day Beaches, I would encourage you to go.

When you are spending your hard earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 48+ years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

May 28, 2020

Veterans

Omaha and Utah Beaches 6 June 1944

Hank Schrader

May 28, 2020

Veterans

Omaha and Utah Beaches 6 June 1944

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

In November 1943, the Big Three (Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill) agreed in a conference in Tehran, that the Allied Western Forces of the United States and Britain would invade France in 1944 and open a second front against the German Fortress Europe.

The clock was now ticking for the D Day invasion of France. It was a race between German defenders and the Allied invasion force.

The ideal strategy was simple for the planners of the D Day amphibious invasion—attack lightly defended beaches, secure the beach, and move men and supplies quickly inland. Next, establish or capture a port quickly to reinforce with more men and supplies. Then, defeat the German forces and win the war.

Executing it proved to be one of the most difficult military tasks every attempted.

During the massive planning operations, Pas du Calais (the most favorable landing site) and Normandy were under consideration. Both had enough good characteristics to work for an amphibious landing. But Normandy was the best choice for two reasons. There were: 1) in 1943 it was a lightly defended part of the German Atlantic Wall and 2) the Germans anticipated an attack at Pas du Calais and fortified it and constantly moved more soldiers into defensive positions.

The German Defenders

The Germans realized they weren’t prepared to properly defend the vast Atlantic Wall in 1943. The German commander, General Gerd von Rundstedt, drafted a report to Hitler about the scant fortifications and poor quality units defending the area. Hitler responded by adding General Erwin Rommel (known popularly as the “Desert Fox” for his Africa campaign) to oversee improving the defenses.

The Germans knew an invasion was coming—they just didn’t know where or when. The choice that the Germans believed the Allies would select was an invasion of Pas de Calais, as it was the most logical invasion site—only 20 miles from England and had 20 miles of good landing beaches. The allies bolstered that illusion by creating a fake force under the command of LTG George Patton, complete with fake equipment, field barracks and even a docking area near Dover. They relentlessly bombed the Calais area in the build-up phase, as well as other targets in France. In an unusual operation, they also dropped dummies by parachutes, to harass and confuse the Germans.

**Dummy Paratrooper on display in the Caen Memorial Museum**

Field Marshal Rommel was also convinced Calais was the prime invasion site and deployed the 208,000 man 15th Army to defend this area. The deception plan of D Day was working as hoped for the Allies.

The first priority for the Germans was protecting the major harbors, as any invading forces would need constant supplies, more men and equipment.

After securing these major ports, they then began building “Widerstandnesten” (resistance nests) along the beaches. These were a series of pillboxes, gun positions, anti-aircraft weapons and trenches. The beaches were littered with obstacles, mines (over 4 million mines) to enhance these resistance nests. Inland, flooded lowlands and stakes were planted in the ground to cut into gliders during landings and make possible airborne landing zones potential death traps.

A key concept for the Germans was to stop the invasion on the beaches, so all defensive resources were placed at or near the beach areas and no defense in depth was planned. There were reserve units to stop breakthroughs but the best reserve unit of panzer tanks could only be released by Hitler. If the Allies could breach these tough defenses, and cut off the reserve forces, they had a good chance of success.

By June 1944 all the beaches used for the D Day landings in Normandy had at least some of these defensive measures in places.

Unknown to the allies, the best defended beach in Normandy was Omaha.

The stage was set for that fateful day 6 June 1944.

Concept of the Overlord Operation

You might be surprised to know the last successful armed assault across the English Channel happened in 1066 (yes, the famous Battle of Hastings). 8 centuries later, this was about to change.

Amphibious landings are complex operations. Trying to attack with 5 divisions over a 50 mile front in Normandy from a base in England would require naval forces, air forces and army units from British, Canadian and American forces. The allied armies and massive equipment needed to ensure success only added to the complexity. 150,000 soldiers would be required, with a fleet of 5,333 ships and an air armada of over 12,921 planes.

Synchronizing an operation of this size remains one of the most amazing military feats in the history of the world.

An Overview of the Invasion

**Overview of the D Day Invasion Plan Portsmouth D Day Museum 2014**

Operation Overlord, the code name for the D Day invasion, was a complicated multipart attack. To soften up and destroy some of the defending German forces, the area was bombed for about 6 weeks prior to the invasion. On the early morning hours of 6 June 1944, American and British paratroopers parachuted and later landed in gliders to secure the western flank (American forces) and the eastern flank (British forces). Then, prior to the start the landings, a naval bombardment of about 30 minutes in duration started, followed by an aerial bombardment. Next, the amphibious landings took place on 5 objective beaches.

The 3 beaches in the British Second Army sector, were Gold, Juno and Sword. They were attacked by British and Canadian units.

The 2 American beaches, under the U. S. First Army (commanded by Lt. General Omar Bradley), were Omaha and Utah.

**Ike gives the OK to Go! Portsmouth D Day Museum 2014**

The rest of this blog is the story of American forces attack on D Day in Normandy on the Omaha and Utah beaches.

Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach was the objective of the 1st Division (the Big Red One) and the 29th Division (the Blue and Gray Division). On the west of this 4 mile stretch of sand and bluffs, was Pointe du Hoc (next week I will tell you the story of this mission). The east limit was the town of Ste.-Honorine-des-Pertes. The beach was divided into 4 sectors (from west to east)—they were named Charlie, Dog, Easy and Fox.

A veteran (Charles Norman Shay) from the Big Red One who survived D Day with Hank. His unit crest is from the 16th Infantry Regiment—he was a medic. Hank’s first Army unit was in the 1st of the 18th Infantry of the Big Red One. Taken 3 June 2019. He… — A veteran (Charles Norman Shay) from the Big Red One who survived D Day with Hank. His unit crest is from the 16th Infantry Regiment—he was a medic. Hank’s first Army unit was in the 1st of the 18th Infantry of the Big Red One. Taken 3 June 2019. He remained in the Army and retired as an E-8 (Master Sargent). He was awarded the Silver Star (not visible in the picture) for his actions on D Day and the Bronze Star.

The terrain at Omaha was advantageous for the German defenders—bluffs over 100 feet tall, back from 300 yards or more of beach depending upon the tides. It offered really good fields of fire against any attack. The best way off Omaha was fighting up the 4 draw exits through the cliffs.

**Part of Omaha Beach as seen from the American Cemetery—these were good defensive positions for the German defenders to engage the American soldiers.**

**View of the Omaha sector from Pointe du Hoc. Taken in our 2014 tour**

Those of us, like me, with military training, instantly recognize the huge terrain advantage the defenders had, when visiting the Omaha beach area. Properly integrated defensive fire, with adequate numbers of defenders, would make the open area of the beach an instant killing zone, and the draws, if properly defended, would be hard to successfully attack without tanks in support.

American planners believed Omaha was lightly defended—in 1943 it was almost completely undefended. Rommel quickly upgraded these defenses, but the intelligence reports still reported poor fortifications and an under strength regiment of German defenders.

What the attackers faced at Omaha on 6 June 1944 were 85 machine guns nests, 38 rocket launchers, 35 pill boxes, 18 antitank gun positions, 8 artillery fortified positions, 6 mortar pits, and 4 field artillery positions. These were part of the Widerstandnesten system.

**Machine gun bunker guarding the beach and D-1 Draw. Take during our 2014 tour.**

There were 14 Widerstandnesten (Wn) positions in the Omaha sector. They were numbered Wn 61--Wn 74. The strongest was Wn 72. These positions were maned by a battle harden division (3 battalions) of very good soldiers. If these positions could survive the aerial bombardment and naval gun fire of an attacking force, they stood a good chance of stopping the invasion at the beach.

Wn 72, covering the exit draw D-1 was the best constructed of all of the Widerstandnesten in the Omaha sector. It protected an 88 mm cannon. It is now the memorial to the 29th Division. Here are 2 photos:

**Wn 72 Omaha Beach. It protect a 88mm cannon. Photo Hank Schrader**

Memorial of the 29th Division, Omaha Beach

When the first soldiers hit the beach, the beach erupted into withering fire from all directions—it was utter chaos!

Success at Omaha was still in doubt 6 hours after the attack begin.

The chaotic battlefield resulted in over 2,000-2,500 men killed, wounded or missing at Omaha—no one is really sure due the confusion and carnage of this intense battle site.

The plan was for the bombers to destroy as many as possible of the defensive positions and soldiers defending this area (part 1) and then naval gun fire would take out many of the remaining defensive positions (part 2). Despite dropping around 13,000 bombs, almost all were off target, too far inland. As the invasion force neared the coast, thick smoke and fog obscure the bluffs ahead, but the naval gunners opened fire. Bright flashes and horrible noise arose from the assault area. Soldiers were confident as they approached the beach area. With all the explosions, they expected most defenders were killed. That would soon change.

The first wave of 1,450 soldiers landed from 35 landing crafts. The beach was only wide enough to support two regimental size units. On the western sector, the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division landed; on the eastern sector the 16th Regiment of the 1st Division hit the beach. They were immediately engaged by the Germans. The defensive fire was devastating, and accurate, as it was delivered from very well designed defensive positions. In less than 5 minutes, 90% of the first wave were killed or wounded.

**Sculpture on Omaha Beach, from our 2014 tour.**

They were unsupported by tanks for the most part. 112 tanks were available for the attack in the Omaha objective area. 64 were released to swim on their own at 0300. Many of these tanks sank. Of the 56 tanks allocated to the Big Red One sector, only 13 made it ashore. A total of 58 tanks reached the Omaha beaches during the attack; by 0700 14 are destroyed. By the end of the day only 3 tanks are operational. Here is a picture of an amphibious tank outfitted to swim ashore:

**Tank outfitted to swim. From our 2019 tour. Photo Hank Schrader**

On the beach, 270 desperate engineer soldiers were trying to open 16 pathways for the tanks to get off the beach from the obstacles. They have 27 minutes to achieve their mission according to the plan; only 1 pathway is opened on time. Most of the engineers are dead or wounded by the end of their 27 minute first mission.

The landing waves continued. Rifle and machinegun bullets constantly flew around; mortar and artillery shells rained down; explosions, screams, destroyed and abandoned equipment and vehicles litter the beaches (especially the destroyed burning tanks); and confusion was everywhere. The only reasons most survived was there was just too many of them for the Germans to shoot everyone and the heavy smoke that offered some concealment to the exposed soldiers.

Without tank support, the original plan to take the heavily fortified draws was not a good option for soldiers only armed with light weapons.

At 0730, several hundred surviving soldiers were huddled against the seawall, and the outlook was bleak. Most of their leaders had been killed or wounded.

In the west, General Norman Cota, commander of the 29th Division, landed and sprinted to the wall around 0730. As he rallied the soldiers, he realized going up the draws, according to the original plan wouldn’t work. The only good option was to climb the less defended bluffs.

He found a group of rangers and told them of his plan and then yelled out “Rangers Lead the Way”, which has become the official ranger moto. Within an hour, the rangers and soldiers from the 29th reached the top. The German defenses were oriented to the sea and Cota’s growing band of soldiers captured the Vierville draw (D-1) about 2 hours later by attacking them from their rear. It took the engineer soldiers 8 hours to clear the Vierville draw of mines and other obstacles.

The beach head was still an intense killing zone at about 0830. Several thousand soldiers were stranded and easy targets for the Germans. A frustrated destroyer skipper (Lt. Commander Ralph Ramey), defied his orders, steamed his destroyed as close as possible and began to blast the cliffs with his 5 inch guns. Soon, all the other destroyers followed. Within 30 minutes, they had destroyed 6 gun emplacements. The tide was turning. With less effective fire raining down on the trapped men, leaders began moving soldiers up the bluffs and into the draws. The crowded beaches were slowly clearing.

With men still vulnerable on the beach, and landing craft prohibited from landed more soldiers as there was no space, soldiers were trying to fight their way off the killing zone. In 2 hours of intense fighting, by 1100, the beach started to clear up as the men were making progress against the Germans. Some landing craft commanders again defied orders and started to land more troops. These soldiers and equipment were still under fire, but it was not as intense as at 0630. The reinforcements help rally all in harm’s way--momentum now was on the American side.

By 1300, Gen. Bradley, who had considered abandoning Omaha and land the remaining soldiers at Utah, received a message that troops who had been previously pinned down on the beach were moving up the heights behind the beach area. Victory now seemed possible.

3 hours later, the Colleville Draw was in American hands. Now three of the four draws were under American control. Not until about 2000, would the 4th draw, Les Moulins, be captured.

**The stone marker is the site of the first American Cemetery established directly on the Omaha Beaches. The buried here were later moved to the larger American Cemetery.**

The Americans had won at Omaha. The unrealistic plan had called for the assaulting soldiers to capture the draw exits and bluffs by H+2 (0830). It had taken all day, but they had captured the beachhead and high ground and pushed in land in some sectors.

**Les Braves sculpture Omaha Beach 2019.**

**Memorial on Omaha Beach 2019. This is located on the Les Moulins Draw.**

Utah Beach

The story at Utah was completely different than Omaha.

Utah Beach was the objective of the 4th Infantry Division (Ivy 4). They were supported by the 82nd Airborne Division (most common nickname is the All American Division) and the 101st Airborne Division (the Screaming Eagles).

There was a 4 part plan at Utah--the strategy here had the added dimension of paratrooper support from the 16,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Divisions. They were to land after midnight by parachutes and later with gliders (part 1), followed with naval shelling (part 2) and air force bombing support (part 3). Then the landings by Ivy 4 (part 4).

The Airborne Assault—Part 1 of the Utah Beach

Part 1 of the plan, the airborne and glider assault, was the largest parachute assault ever attempted up to that time. The 101st mission code name was Albany; the code name for the 82nd mission was Boston. The overall mission was to act as a blocking force to help secure the western flank of Utah landing zone; capture the 4 causeway exits; and to establish crossing points over the Douve River to assist the link up of the beachheads of Utah and Omaha.

A former member of the 82nd Airborne poses with Iron Mike. Iron Mike is a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives capturing and defending the bridge at La Fiere. It was part of the mission to capture and secure the river crossings during the … — A former member of the 82nd Airborne poses with Iron Mike. Iron Mike is a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives capturing and defending the bridge at La Fiere. It was part of the mission to capture and secure the river crossings during the D Day airborne landings. The original statue is at Ft. Bragg, NC, home of the 82nd Airborne..

The plan was for a night jump of both divisions to be followed up by the gliders.

A night jump is an amazing experience for many paratroopers—I still remember my first night jump in Ranger school (jump #6—my first after 5 airborne school jumps) but we were dropped at about 2000 feet, and nobody was shooting at me. The exit height was 700 feet in the D Day airborne assault! To qualify for the D Day assault, 3 successful jumps was the standard in the training prior to the airborne assault. Most paratroopers carried 125-150 pounds of equipment into the battle drop zones during the assault.

**In 2014, Anne took this picture during a fly over the American Cemetery. This is a type of plane that was used by the American Forces to jump into either Albany or Boston Area of Operations.**

**Thompson .45 cal. Machine gun and ammo used in the D Day Assault. This is on display in the Airborne Museum in Ste. Marie Eglise, France.**

**A paratrooper Carbine with its jump case. Most soldiers jumped with their weapons ready instead of using the protective case. Airborne Museum**

**Paratrooper equipment and uniform on display in the Airborne Museum**

Jump plane on display Airborne Museum 2019

The Airborne Forces, though initially scattered (one account I read reported 75% were dropped at the wrong drop zones), performed with great success in one of the most daring behind the lines attacks in the history of warfare to secure their blocking positions. Some have been critical of their overall success since mission objectives were not achieved in the time frame desired, but this just ignores the fog of war—planners often think more is achievable than realistic when executing on the ground—plans look good on paper until someone starts shooting at you!

There were two reasons for their success, in my opinion. First, the scattered forces confused the Germans—they could not focus their forces on one single area. Second, the resolve of the soldiers and their leaders—makeshift units operated to accomplish the mission, when unit cohesion was lost. Again, the individual fighting spirit of the soldiers to do the job won the day.

It was not easy—after a week of brutal fighting about 2,500 were killed wounded or missing in action from the 2 Airborne Divisions.

The Landing at Utah Beach

At 0550, the Navy opened fire on the beaches of Utah (part 2); shortly thereafter 270 B-26 bombers began extensive bombing raids (part 3). Although many defensive positions in the beach area survived this onslaught, the defenders (“Russian volunteers“ and older, less able German soldiers) were seriously shaken, and put up little resistance.

**Higgins Landing Craft on display at Utah Beach**

Sculpture of assault at Utah Beach taken on 5 June 2019

Despite the perceived initial success with the shelling and bombing of the objective area, it looked like initially the landing was not going as planned (part 4). The actual landing site was wrong for the first wave of landing crafts—3 of the 4 guide boats hit mines and the other landing boats got disoriented. The planned landing site was off by 1000 meters.

It turns out this lucky mistake put the Americans at a lightly defended portion of Utah, with fewer obstacles, as compared to the more heavily defended planned landing site. A quick change of plans happened—the Americans took advantage of the poorly defended area and began pushing inland.

BG Teddy Roosevelt, Jr, assistant division commander, who landed with the first wave on Utah, recognized the error but also quickly realized the poorly defended area was a huge advantage and as we like to say in the military, “seized the initiative”. He and Col. James Van Fleet, commanding officer of the 8th Regiment, started sending troops inland on route #1 and pushed into the other route causeways as the beachhead expanded. By 1100 hours, exit causeway route #1 was secure—the soldiers of the 4th had linked up with soldiers of 101st. Around noon, all 4 causeway exits were secured.

Going inland on causeway #1. This is the Leadership Monument. The WW II Foundation selected Maj. Dick Winters of Easy Company as the symbol of leadership during the D Day Invasion. It was dedicated on 6 June 2012.

For his actions on this day, Roosevelt was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Other factors helped Utah to have the fewest casualties of any of the D Day beaches—fewer than 200 dead, wounded and missing from the amphibious landings. The navy skippers launched the swimming Sherman tanks closer to the shore than called for in the plan and 28 of the 32 made it ashore. Their immediate firepower was a critical element of success on Utah. Also, the engineer units were outstanding. They quickly breached the obstacles on the beach area and created avenues through the seawalls—men, vehicles and tanks started pouring onto and slowly off the beaches.

**1st Engineer Special Brigade Monument Utah Beach**

The rapid success on Utah caused too many soldiers and vehicles landed with no safe place to go. Congestion and traffic jams ensued (along with surrendering Germans) and could have proved deadly as many of the mines were not yet cleared, but by noon all was under control.

The beach defenders and defensive positions ultimately was not the major problem for the Utah attackers; it was the exit routes. These flooded fields that restricted movement and offered the Germans easy targets exposed the attacking force, as the attackers were forced to use the 4 exit causeway routes from the beachhead area for their vehicles. Some luck, determined leaders and resolute soldiers, overcame this dangerous situation.

Utah turned out to be a roaring success. As the darkness started, around 23,500 troops and 1,700 vehicles had landed.

Lester Holt with Hank Utah Beach 5 June 2019

My Final Thoughts

D Day was a success but what really stands out to me is the resolve of the soldiers, sailors and airmen who made the operation work. Heroic, innovative and resourceful, these military forces should be honored for their deeds. They did not really see themselves as heroes--most just wanted to live to see 7 June 1944.

The war’s end would not come for 336 days of more combat. It would have never happened so soon, if these forces had not taken the first step on 6 June 1944 that ultimately ended the German occupation of Europe.

If you have never been to Normandy and seen the D Day Beaches, I would encourage you to go.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

May 21, 2020

Veterans

Memorial Day 2020 and WW II Cemeteries in Europe

Hank Schrader

May 21, 2020

Veterans

Memorial Day 2020 and WW II Cemeteries and Monuments in Europe

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71

www.dreamdestinations.com

There is a lot of confusion to the exact purpose of three major recognition days for all US military members and former members. Armed Forces Day honors those currently serving in the military. Memorial Day honors those who have died while on duty in the military services. Veterans Day is a tribute to all who have previously served in our armed forces.

Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of May, as part of Armed Forces week. It honors the Army, the Air Force, the new Space Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard. The first 5 service branches are organized under the Department of Defense; while the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security. In 2020, there are more than 1.3 million on active service and more than 800,000 reservists defending our country. In 1949 Armed Forces Day was first established when the Army, Navy and Air Force were organized under the Department of Defense, instead of each service just marking their own individual recognition day. The Marines did not come under this initial new holiday, and keep their separate celebration. They later joined in. In 1961 Armed Forces Day became a National Holiday. Each year of Armed Forces Day has a unique theme—some past themes are Dedication and Duty, Freedom and Patriotism.

The Memorial Day holiday has its origins from the end of the US Civil War—it was originally called Decoration Day. Although the correct purpose of this holiday is to recognize those who actually died while on active service, for most American it also includes those who served their country and have passed on. I know I personally honor my Dad on Memorial Day, even though he did not die on active duty but later in life after his retirement.

Veteran’s Day is celebrated on 11 November each year. The significance of this date commemorates the end of the fighting in WW I. For students of history, like me, we like to say “on the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month the guns fell silent”—an easy way to remember the date of the end of hostilities of WW I. This original celebration has changed in America from an Armistice Day observance into Veterans Day, the holiday that we celebrate today. About 19.6 million men and women have served our country.

WW II American Cemeteries and Monuments in Europe

I cannot think of a better way to recognize the courage and sacrifice made by our Armed Forces in World War II, than to tell you about the Cemeteries and Monuments dedicated to our Armed Forces in Europe.

There are 13 American cemeteries and 3 monuments in Europe. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), there are 89,033 soldiers honored in the 13 cemeteries. 73,177 are buried; 15,856 are listed as missing. There are 3 monuments maintained by the commission—one in England and 2 in Normandy, France.

To help us learn more about these tributes for our fallen and missing soldiers of WW II, I have organized this by country to help make their unbelievable sacrifice a little more understandable.

This is a hard blog to write—the sheer numbers are staggering. Despite this tragic tale, these places are dignified and respectful. It is like Arlington Cemetery where my father and mother are buried—they use similar markers for each deceased, regardless of rank, but each has his or her legacy engraved on the markers. Here is what a marker looks like in Arlington National Cemetery:

**Henry Schrader Gravestone Marker in Arlington National Cemetery**

In Europe, the markers are a cross or other religious symbols. Here is a photo of an unknown hero from the American Cemetery in Normandy:

**Unknown Soldier Buried in the Normandy American Cemetery**

American Cemeteries in Belgium

There are 2 American Cemeteries in Belgium. The Ardennes American Cemetery contains 5,317 buried, with 65 percent of those being fallen airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces. There are also tributes to the 463 reported missing in action. This cemetery served as the central identification point for all of the Europe Theater of Operations towards the end of the war and continued that mission of identification until 1960.

The Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery has 7,992 soldiers buried here and there is recognition for 450 missing in action. The majority of the fallen Americans are from two major efforts of WW II. The first battles were a result of the U.S. First Army's drive in September 1944 through northern France, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg into Germany, and the second group of dead were from the Battle of the Bulge.

The American Cemetery in England

Cambridge American Cemetery is the only American Cemetery in England. The site was donated by Cambridge University. 3,812 are buried here; there is also tributes to the 5,127 reported missing in action. Most were crew members who died in the Battle of the Atlantic or in bombardments of Europe later in the war. In 2014, a visitor center was opened to help explain this critical phase of WW II. It even has a downloadable app to help visitors learn more about this vital war effort.

American Cemeteries in France

There are 6 American Cemeteries in France.

The Brittany American Cemetery is located near the eastern edge of Brittany. Here are buried 4,409 dead soldiers and there is recognition for 500 reported missing in action. Most of these military members died fighting in the Normandy and Brittany campaigns of 1944.

The Epinal American Cemetery is located near the Moselle River. It has 5,254 buried here, most of whom lost their lives in the drive by the 7th Army towards Germany in the northeastern portion of France. It also recognizes 424 missing in action.

The Lorraine American Cemetery contains the largest number of US soldiers killed in Europe—there are 10,489 buried here. Another 444 were reported missing in action and their names are listed on the plaques displayed here. Most of the dead here were killed while driving the German forces from the fortress city of Metz, France toward the Siegfried Line and the Rhine River.

The Normandy American Cemetery, perhaps the best known of all WW II cemeteries by Americans, is the final resting place for 9,385 killed and 1,557 reported missing during this campaign. It lies just yards from the Omaha Beach area. Walking this area is special—the rows of dignified markers honor these dead. It was the first cemetery established in Europe by the Americans. When I was walking this hallowed ground, it is a stark reminder of what it took to invade Europe—the sheer number of markers is just overwhelming.

Anne and I led a tour here in 2014 for the 70th Anniversary of D Day (June 6, 1944) and a tour in 2019 for the 75th Anniversary. During the 2014 ceremonies, each gave site was marked with a small American and French flag. It was indeed memorable and touching and a fine tribute to our lost soldiers. Here are 3 pictures from our 2014 and 2019 tours:

**American Cemetery in Normandy with French and American Flags 2014**

**This pictures shows the endless rows of the dead at the American Cemetery in Normandy 2014**

**2019 picture of the American Cemetery taken on 3 June 2019 as the cemetery prepares for the 6 June 2019 observances. Photo Anne Schrader.**

The Rhone American Cemetery is along the route used by the U.S. Seventh Army in its drive up the Rhone Valley. It was established on August 19, 1944 after the Seventh Army's surprise landing in southern France. There are 860 dead buried here and recognition of the 294 missing servicemen who were in this battle area.

The smallest WW II cemetery is near Paris. The Suresnes American Cemetery is primarily a WW I cemetery, but it also has 24 unknown soldiers killed in WW II buried on the grounds.

Italy

There are 2 American Cemeteries in Italy.

The Florence American Cemetery has 4,399 soldiers buried here and there is recognition of 1,409 reported missing in action. These are soldiers of the 5th US Army, who died in the fight to capture Rome and in the heavy fighting battles in the Apennines Mountains that lasted until almost the end of WW II.

The Sicily-Rome American Cemetery has 7,860 buried in the cemetery and 3,095 are listed on plaques as missing in action. According to the ABMC website

“The majority of these individuals died in the liberation of Sicily (July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area (September 9, 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions.”

Luxembourg

One of the most well-known cemeteries in Europe by Americans, is the American Cemetery in Luxembourg. Along with the 5,075 buried here and the 371 reported missing, it is the burial site of LTG George Patton. Anne and I visited this sacred ground in 1989 while I was still on active duty. It was truly emotional for me—I was so humbled and grateful for these soldiers. Many of these soldiers lost their lives in the Battle of the Bulge and the subsequent drive to the Rhine River. My Dad was part of the Battle of the Bulge and he survived—I am sure knowing that made me respected these dead heroes even more.

Netherlands

There is only one American Cemetery in the Netherlands. It has 8,301 buried here; another 1,722 are listed as missing on the plagues displayed at this site. According to the AMBC, this cemetery has a unique connection to the Dutch people.

“Since 1945 members of the local community have adopted the grave sites of our fallen. They bring flowers to the cemetery and research the life of the service member as a way to honor their sacrifice.”

It is a nice tribute to those buried here.

ABMC Monuments

There are 3 monuments in Europe commemorating the struggles our soldiers went thru in route to our victory in Europe. The first 2 are in the Normandy area. They are the Point du Hoc Ranger Monument and the Utah Beach American Monument.

As a graduate of the US Army Ranger School, when I first walked the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, I realized how difficult the climb was from the beach and I just could not imagine completing the climb under hostile fire. The monument is a ranger trench knife built on top of one of the bunkers of Pointe du Hoc. The mission of the second ranger battalion was to scale the cliffs and eliminate the 155 mm artillery cannons the Germans had placed on this key defensive position. In recognition of their successful mission, the monument was created by the grateful French people.

Here are some pictures of this monument:

**Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument from our 2014 visit.**

**Pointe du Hoc Bayonet Monument Inscription**

Pointe Du Hoc Ranger Monument from our 2019 tour. Picture Anne Schrader.

The monument on Utah Beach is a tribute to the successful amphibious assault landing on June 6, 1944. It commemorates the achievements of U.S. VII Corps forces that landed and fought in the liberation of the Cotentin Peninsula from June 6, 1944 to July 1, 1944.

The monument is a red granite obelisk set in a small park overlooking sand dunes of the historic site.

**Utah Beach Monument. Picture from the American Battle Monuments Commission Website**

The newest monument is in Dartmouth, England and was dedicated on June 6, 2017. Dartmouth was one of the staging points for the D Day invasion.

My Final Thoughts

While researching this blog, I realized how many members of our Armed Forces scarified their lives against nations determined to defeat us and impose their will upon our country. I hope you will take a few minutes to reflect on this monumental effort and the cost to many who made the ultimate sacrifice. They deserved to be remembered and honored. I hope this blog did them justice and I hope you will remember them also.

May we never forget—be thou at peace to each who gave so much for our country.

Hank Schrader, Major (Infantry) USA Ret.

Hank Schrader

May 14, 2020

Europe Destination

Reasons to Visit Some of the Least Vistited Countries in Europe

Hank Schrader

May 14, 2020

Europe Destination

Reasons to Visit Some of the Least Visited Countries in Europe

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

Trying to define exactly what Europe is a matter of debate. Some include 44 countries; others 51—the additional countries are partly in Europe and in Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Cyprus and Turkey). The reason for this is geographers have used two key land features, the Ural Mountains and the Ural River to divide Europe and Asia. Since the landmass is not totally separated by a sea or an ocean, the division is really due to the distinct historical, cultural and political identity of Europe that is quite different from Asia and not by any true geographical physical boundaries.

If I were deciding upon what is Europe, I would count only the European part of Turkey, exclude the former Russian countries of Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine and most of Russia except St. Petersburg. I also would include Cyprus. While the Schrader Europe (41 countries) has no bearing on any geography division, Schrader Europe really is about the quality of tourist sites or experiences that appeal to enough travelers to make a visit worthwhile, in my humble opinion.

But this is not a geography lesson; this is a blog about why you should consider visiting some of the least visited countries in Europe.

As a concession to the correct definition of Europe, we do have PowerPoints on all 44 countries in Europe on our website. They are organized by the 4 regions of Europe and include a special section on Little Treasures that provides information on some of the smaller European countries. We also have city guides for 6 of the 8 countries covered in this blog—Reykjavik, Vaduz, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino and Belgrade. It is easy to order them from our website.

So, let’s visit 8 of the 10 least visited countries of Europe. Although Moldova (#1 least visited) and Belarus (#4 least visited) are in the top 10 of the least visited, there are not many reasons for the average person to visit and I am not writing about them in this blog.

A word about the data—it is from the World Tourism Council, some is outdated, and with the travel world on hold currently with COVID-19, is just for comparisons purposes only. I include the country’s rank (#1 being less visited), but choose not to include the number of visitors, as I cannot verify the data widely available is all from the same year, or has any meaning as all as numbers are sure to plummet in 2020. However, it seems the trends and rankings are quite valid—the 8 countries I have listed are the least visited countries in Europe for at least the last 5 years or more. I decided to list them alphabetically instead of ranking 1-10.

Ready? Let’s go!

Bosnia & Herzegovina (#7)

A small country of the former Yugoslavia, most folks know this country from the 1984 Winter Olympics and the devastating civil war that followed (1992-1995). Bosnia, as it is commonly called, has a very small coastline, especially compared to its immediate neighbor Croatia. We have not really visited here except for a 10 minute stop while on tour in Croatia.

Sarajevo was featured on TV during the Olympics before the brutal civil war and was a beautiful city. The war damaged some of the city, but it has since recovered. A great place to visit is in the old town, Sarajevo Bašcaršija, which features towering mosques, bustling bazaars with traditional handicrafts like copper plates and gold-gilded tea sets. Also try the outdoor cafes for sipping strong Bosnian coffee.

Another good place to visit is Mostar, which many call the most picturesque city in Bosnia. It has perhaps the most famous site in the country—the Stari Most bridge which arches across the Neretva River right in the center of the old town. Destroyed during the civil war, it has been reconstructed with great care.

The last good place to visit is just outside the city of Blagaj. There you can see the Velagić House and a monastery complex, both of these structures are dramatically built into the side of a cliff.

Iceland (#8)

This island nation has the northernmost capital city in the world. It is full of wonderful natural sights. I briefly visited while in the Army, but had little chance to enjoy the country as it was an official visit with military work that precluded any tourist destinations.

Most of the best sights in Iceland are the natural wonders. These include: the Blue Lagoon (a famous geothermal hot springs lake); the Golden Circle (The Golden Circle is the popular tourist route that includes Gullfoss waterfall, Geyser, and Thingvellir National Park); and the Northern Lights (best seen September to April, but often not visible due to clouds, rain or snow—it might take some luck and patience on your part to see the aurora borealis).

Reykjavík, the colorful capital city, is known for its nightlife. A little remote, but can be access by flights or for the really brave, an ocean cruise (I guess I don’t qualify as a Viking raider!).

Liechtenstein (#2)

This is one of the world’s smallest countries—it is only 62 square miles! I have driven through the entire country and visited its capital Vaduz in 1989. Vaduz has about 5,000 inhabitants. Most of the country is Alpine mountains or Alpine valleys. The language of Liechtenstein is German and they use Swiss Francs for currency. The capital is Vaduz and there are some interesting things to do including hiking up the castle of the Prince and visiting the stamp museum and Prince’s Art Gallery.

If you have ever seen the movie, The Mouse that Roared with Peter Sellers, for me, Liechtenstein was the model for the small country, that to avoid bankruptcy, declared war on the United States. The plan was to attack with a small force and surrender, so to have the US bail them out as it had done to other European countries under the Marshall Plan. However, in this farce, the small force captured a Q Bomb and now was the most powerful country in the world. It just seemed to me to fit, as I sat drinking a beer in an outdoor café, gazing up at the castle—I guess I’m a true romantic—small does not have to mean uninteresting!

Luxembourg (#10)

Luxembourg is a holdover of the Holy Roman Empire feudal system. This place is a gem, with interesting sights packed into a tiny country. The walled city, Luxembourg City, is a fortress city with steep cliffs surrounding the old city complex. Anne and I visited in 1989 and liked our brief overnight stay.

The old town is charming and the steep city walls make for great views in Luxembourg City and the surrounding rest of the town. Other sites in the town are the Grand Ducal Palace, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the underground tunnels. Expensive but a great place—it is one of the richest countries in the world.

Outside the city, there is an awesome castle complex at Bourscheid Castle. There is an American Cemetery about 5 miles outside town and is the final resting place of Lt. General Patton and many other soldiers—quite a moving place to visit. World War II history buffs will also like a visit to the Ardennes region, with its Battle of the Bulge Museum.

**American Cemetery in Luxembourg—Lt. General Patton is buried here**

North Macedonia (#6)

The ancestral home of Alexander the Great, this tiny country does not have very many visitors but has endured a battle over the name of the country that has hurt tourism. Recently, the country in 2018 resolved a 27 year dispute over the correct name for this former part of Yugoslavia, after Macedonia declared independence in 1991. The problem here is that Greece has a part of their country also called Macedonia and both claimed the name. It finally has been resolved by renaming the new country—the correct name is now The Republic of North Macedonia.

Of all the countries of this blog, tourism has a way to go, in my opinion, as this country has not been able to join the EU (European Union) and the political disputes have hurt the tourism sector.

In the capital, Skopje, the old bazaar and Kale fortress deserve a visit. Perhaps the best place to visit in the Republic of North Macedonia is Ohrid. Ohrid is known for its churches. Two of the most famous are the church of Kaneo, and the monastery of Plaoshnik. They are stunning buildings on Lake Ohrid. Ohrid is known as Jerusalem of the Balkans, for the fact that it once had 365 churches, and was a very important area in the growth of Christianity.

Monaco (#5)

A remnant of the Holy Roman Empire, Monaco is an old principality—it is only about 2 square miles. It has the highest population density of any country in the world. This country is known for being a tax haven and is home to one of the most famous casinos in the world—Monte Carlo Casino. It has one of the best formula one races in the world—the Monaco Grand Prix. In Monaco, they speak French and use the Euro for currency.

I visited in 1971 and the first place I went was the casino—it was not lost on me that James Bond gambled here! The changing of the guard at the palace and the wonderful aquarium of Jacques Cousteau are also worth a visit. Just wander here—it is a playground of the rich and famous!

San Marino (#3)

This is an independent country completely surrounded by Italy (we in the geography world call this an enclave). It is only 24 square miles. It is the smallest and oldest republic in the world. The town of San Marino does not allow automobiles. Attractions include the 3 forts on the 3 peaks of Monte Titano, a Basilica, and shopping in the village’s narrow streets. San Marino postage stamps are highly sought after by collectors. The language used here is Italian and they use the Euro.

You have to love a place that has cross bow competitions, and parades at noon of villagers dress up in medieval costumes. We really enjoyed our visit and want to return. A little hard to get to but what a gem!

Serbia (#9)

It might seem strange for a relatively large country to be on this list, but it does not draw many visitors compared with other European countries. There are some very impressive fortresses and several large houses of worship. A good place to start is Belgrade, the capital city. Kalemegdan Fortress, on the banks of the Danube, is huge and an interesting site to visit. Also, the large Orthodox Saint Sava Church is an impressive structure.

**Kalemegdan Fortress, on the Danube near Belgrade, Serbia**

**Weapons Display, in Kalemgdan Fortress**

**St. Sava Orthodox Church, Belgrade, Serbia**

The Iron Gates on the Danube and Novi Sad deserve your time. We visited on an AmaWaterways lower Danube cruise and it was a great way to be introduced this interesting country.

**Petrovaradin Fortress near Novi Sad on the Danube River**

**Church on the Banks of the Danube in the Iron Gates**

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what unique places these 8 countries are for me! As we grapple with how travel will be after we resume our explorations, perhaps these lesser known places with draw more interest away from some of the sometimes crowded tourist top places to visit in Europe. I certainly hope so!

Please let us know if you have visited any of these 8 countries and as always, your pictures are welcome!

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

May 7, 2020

Best Value Travel

A Gift for You on National Travel Advisors Day

Hank Schrader

May 7, 2020

Best Value Travel

A Gift for You on National Travel Advisors Day

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

May 6 is National Travel Advisors Day. I suppose some deep thinkers could come up with all the wonderful reasons to enter this profession, but for us it is really simple—we just like to help folks travel better.

In our almost 25 years advising folks about travel, we have learned how to navigate the maze of travel options to deliver great trips for our great clients. The only thing that really counts in this business is that our clients are happy with our help.

A Thank You Gift

To say thank you, we would like to offer you a $50.00 on-board credit per cabin on any AmaWaterways cruise you book in May 2020 through us. The booking can be for sailing seasons 2020-2022. We picked this option, as our client satisfaction with AmaWaterways is off the charts good, and it always is good to get even a small discount on any travel booking.

You don’t even have to select your cruise yet. Just let us know you want to take advantage of the offer using this button

Get My $50 on-board credit

If you might need some help deciding upon which route to go on, either call us or read our route guide. Here is the link:

European River Cruise Route Guide

Now, to the Rest of Our Weekly Blog

So, this week, after a very brief summary of our qualifications, I’d like to introduce you to the real stars—some of the wonderful folks that have trusted their travels to us.

Just to make this a little easier to read, I have organized these folks by trip types, but don’t think they only take one type of trip—most often could easily fall into several categories.

Ready?—Let’s go!

We Are the Right Folks to Plan your Next Travels

If I had to select only one reason we are really good travel advisors, it is we try to match the trip to its purpose—why do our clients want to go on this particular trip?

Here is what you can expect from us:

· We design vacations that match your travel style

· We will help you reach your Dream Destinations

· We are your Travel Solution and Inspiration

We have 24+ years as a full service travel agency. We like to say we are small enough to give you personalized service, yet big and experienced enough to get you the right trip.

Our knowledge of Europe river cruises and Europe travel is exceptional. We have been on 18 Europe river cruises, written over 60 blogs about all aspects of Europe river cruises, have 3 items on the first page of Google, we have 51 port guides (they are free) for you, and we have help dozens enjoy river cruising in Europe. And if that we not enough, we have 50 free guides to most Europe Cities you might want to visit before or after your Europe river cruise.

River Cruisers

Perhaps our best overall ability to help you travel is our travel specialty, European River Cruises. Here are some folks who we have helped enjoy the special means of travel:

**AmaWaterways Rivers & Castles Cruise 2015.**

**AmaWaterways Danube Cruise 2015 Group**

**AmaWaterways Captivating Rhine Group 2019 at the Chef’s Table.**

**AmaWaterways Enchanting Rhine River Cruise**

**AmaWaterways Provence River Cruise Group**

**AmaWaterways River Cruise Group 2015**

Tour Clients

We handle both individual trips and group trips. In my humble opinion, our best ever group trip was the 75th Anniversary of D Day Trip. We would like to introduce you to some great folks who have trusted us with their travels:

**70th Anniversary of D Day Group in London**

**70th Anniversary of D Day at Victory Services Club in London**

**75th Anniversary of D Day at Ste. Marie Eglise Airborne Museum**

**Bob and Johanna at Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument**

**Lester Holt and Hank at Utah Beach June 5th 2019**

Special Occasions

Great memories, perhaps romantic, maybe a milestone or just family travel—another aspect of the business that makes us proud to have helped.

**Sisters Amber and Mindy in Las Vegas**

Ocean Cruisers

We have help many here also and sent folks to almost every sea and ocean on earth.

**Celebrating my 60th Birthday with family**

Avid Travelers

Avid travels do it all—from African safaris, to exotic locations, from Asia to Europe and Alaska, we have helped many folks. Why don’t we meet them?