Viking Rhine River Cruise: Rudesheim, Germany

Spending a relaxing afternoon cruising down the Rhine River was great, and it was really neat to watch the crew dock the ship.  Growing up on the water I've done my fair share of helping to dock little boats, but this was a different story, and they made it look easy.  When we were finally safely tied up, I was ready and waiting to get off the ship with Dad and Bryn.
Rudesheim is a cute little town set right along the river.  The street that fronts the river reminded me of old seaside towns.  It was lined with little restaurants and souvenir shops along railroad tracks that ran between the river and the town.  
Once you got off of the main road along the river, the town really came into it's own.  It is a maze of tiny, cobblestone streets, each one unique from the rest.  
There is also a cable car in town that will take you up the hill, over the vineyards (Rudesheim is in Germany's Rheingau region - renowned for its wines), and up to a monument.  While we probably did have time to ride up and back before dinner, as per usual on this cruise I felt rushed and was worried that if I took the time to ride the cable car, I would miss some things in town.  So, this visit we gave it a miss, and I'll just have to add Rudesheim to my ever-growing list of places I need to re-visit one day!
Another thing Rudesheim is known for is it's own special coffee drink - Rudesheim Coffee!  Mom and Bryn attended an onboard workshop to learn how to make it while we cruised earlier in the day.  One of the main ingredients for making the drink is a special kind of brandy, so we picked some up while we were in town.  (The brandy was meant to be a gift, but it got mixed up in our suitcase reorganizing and accidentally came home with us...oops.  That just means I'll have to get Bryn to whip us up some Rudesheim Coffees sometime soon!  Don't worry, I'll blog about it!)
Before long it was time to get back on board and get cleaned up for dinner.  Even if it was only for an evening, I'm glad for the chance to explore the little town of Rudesheim.

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