When my husband and I first opened the Mayflower Cruises and Tours catalog, we pored over the pages with the eagerness of kids at Christmas. National parks, rail adventures, ocean cruises—so many choices! Each had its appeal, but one option kept pulling us back: a river cruise through Europe. 

When I read about the Jewels of the Rhine, with its promise of castles, vineyards, tulips and wine tasting, my choice was made. 

Preparation became half the fun. We purchased travel and medical insurance to ease our minds, and I dusted off my bike to start training for the possibility of cycling through Dutch villages and past German vineyards. 

Our evenings turned into European samplers. I boiled potatoes for my grandmother’s German salad while my husband Frank built a charcuterie board of Gouda cheese and herring to honor the Dutch. 

We toasted with French Pinot Noir, savoring every sip as if practicing for the real thing. I brushed up on high school French with YouTube songs, dancing along while chopping onions. Maybe I’d even learn a few Dutch and German phrases before we left. 

That evening, as we clinked glasses over Swiss pears, our son called. 

“You must be excited about your trip,” he said. “When is it again?” 

I closed my eyes and sighed. I was already there.

But twenty-four days before our departure, our dream trip nearly slipped away. Frank suffered a major health crisis and ended up in intensive care. For a moment, we wondered if we’d have to cancel.

Four days after his release, his doctors urged us to go: “If it were me,” one said, “I’d go.” We chose to embrace the moment, filled our prescriptions and packed our bags.

Frank and Amy Laundrie surrounded by flowers at Keukenhof Gardens. Photo by Shirley Braatz

SPRINGTIME ALONG THE RHINE

Our cruise began in the Netherlands, where spring greeted us in full bloom. At Keukenhof Gardens, the sweep of some 700 varieties of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils felt like stepping into a living painting. The expanse of color—striped, bright, exotic—swirled together in a spectacle beyond words. 

Our ship followed the curve of the Rhine into Germany, where Schwetzingen Palace stunned us with baroque domes, pavilions and elaborate gardens. In Cologne, we craned our necks at the soaring cathedral begun in 1248 and admired Roman mosaics tucked into quiet corners. In Koblenz, at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle, we discovered a city that offered it all—festivals, history, art and food.

NIGHTS TO REMEMBER

Evenings on board were just as memorable. A violinist amazed us with a mash-up of Bach and Led Zeppelin, playing with such passion that he spoke of music as his prayer for peace. Another night, a couple performed with bells, weaving Edelweiss into rock and roll. 

Amy Laundrie, whose dream cruise blossomed into memories worth retelling. Photo by Frank Laundrie.

Between concerts, we lingered in the lounge, swapping stories with travelers from New York, San Diego, Texas, England and Scotland. 

I laughed with a teacher who grew up on city subways and admitted she’d never seen a cow until her teens. I countered with tales of farm pigs breaking through the fence of my childhood playground. 

Our final days in Switzerland felt like a dream. We strolled lakeside promenades lined with flowers and villas, watched swans glide across the water and marveled at Lucerne’s covered Chapel Bridge, its beams decorated with centuries-old paintings. Markets overflowed with cheeses, olives, tulips and wine. We rode a cable car down Mt. Pilatus, cowbells echoing through alpine air.

By the time we raised our glasses for a final toast, I realized this journey wasn’t just about tulips, castles or chocolate-covered pears. It was about savoring anticipation, pushing past uncertainty, embracing today and treasuring the people who share the road. Travel gives us more than photographs—it fills our memory box with jewels.

And on the Rhine, ours sparkled brightly.