Saturday, November 5
Board your private cruise ship in Amsterdam. Then enjoy free time to explore the main shopping districts of the city, or choose an optional excursion to the Hermitage Amsterdam, a new museum. ($60)

After a gracious dinner aboard the ship, embark on a tour of the lighted canals that lace Amsterdam, floating past perfectly preserved houses from the 17th century.

Sunday, November 6
Right after breakfast, visit the Van Gogh Museum, with the largest collection of works by this master painter. Trace the progression from his early pieces through his move to France and on to his later works evidencing his vivid imagination.

Rejoin the Amacello upstream in Utrecht and share an inspiring church service while sailing through the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. That evening, at the captain’s invitation, enjoy a welcome reception and dinner as the ship sails into Germany, passing through Düsseldorf overnight on our way to Cologne (Köln).

Monday, November 7
After breakfast, a professional guide will lead you through the Cathedral of Cologne. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathedral has been under construction for over 600 years and may never be finished. If you’re game, climb the 509 steps to the platform on the south tower for an unforgettable view of this oft-contested city and the Rhineland, and after the tour, enjoy wandering the nearby pedestrian shopping area.

Once you’re back on board the ship, Clark Beim-Esche and Helen Mathis will offer afternoon classes while we sail to Koblenz (“confluence”), where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet and the astounding Rhine Gorge begins. Step ashore in the evening for a short walking tour guided by your cruise director. 

Tuesday, November 8
Today, we enter the renowned Rhine Gorge, filled with castles built by robber barons who collected tolls from passing ships. We’ll travel up das Rheintal, sailing past castle after castle as well as the fabled rock where legend says Lorelei drew ships to their doom with her siren songs.

Disembarking at Rüdesheim, choose between two activities: Visit the intact castle of Marksburg with its medieval kitchen, gothic architecture, and commanding view. Marksburg is the only castle in the Rhine Gorge never to have been destroyed. Or travel to Mainz, the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the moveable type press. At the Gutenberg Museum, see two original Gutenberg Bibles along with the process that brought the Bible to the masses.

Wednesday, November 9
Early this morning, our ship arrives in Worms, where Martin Luther faced the Imperial Diet in 1521 and was banned from the empire. Enjoy a guided tour of the Romanesque cathedral where Luther uttered the words that open Chapter 10 of Science and Health: “Here I stand. I can do no otherwise; so help me God! Amen!”

While we sail south toward Strasbourg, Helen Mathis and Clark Beim-Esche will teach in person, and Brian Roberts, a political science professor from the College, will join us via Internet, providing background on the European Parliament in Strasbourg. We’ll conclude the evening with a Christian Science testimony meeting on board our ship.

Thursday, November 10
Wake up in charming Strasbourg, France, with a busy day ahead. First, take a canal tour of the old city on the River Ill, where you’ll learn about trading fairs and the merchant system. In the afternoon, go inside the striking European Parliament building, and in the evening, see the Strasbourg Cathedral. You also have the option of visiting the Musée de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame, considered one of the finest collections of medieval art in France. (~4€)

Friday, November 11
On-board classes continue as we sail toward Breisach, where you’ll choose between another French experience in Colmar or a visit to the German city of Freiburg. In Colmar, tour the winding tributary, half-timbered houses, and a museum to Bartholdi, the sculptor famed for New York’s Statue of Liberty. In Freiburg, the gateway to the Black Forest, see the magnificent Münster (cathedral) and shops filled with woodcarvings and cuckoo clocks. Freiburg is also one of the greenest cities in the world, with entire communities living in low-energy housing.

Saturday, November 12
We disembark this morning in Basel, Switzerland. Transfers to the Basel-Mulhouse airport or Basel train station will put you on your way to your next destination.