Basel and Zurich, Switzerland

Click here for more pictures: Switzerland Day 1

It was pouring down rain this morning! We boarded buses at 9 am and headed for our tour. We arrived downtown Basel at 10:15 am and had a one-hour tour. It rained the whole time, but we got some free time to have lunch and shop. We found a store to buy some chocolate. After exploring around town, we found a McDonald's for lunch. We also went to the department store, Pfauen, to use the bathroom and found a wonderful eating place on the 5th floor, but we had already eaten. We were back on the bus by 1:45 pm. It took about 90 minutes to drive to Zurich, and a lot of us took a nap.

We arrived at the Radisson Blu hotel, which is right in the Zurich Airport. It was a little chaotic, and we weren’t given much instruction about how to get to our rooms. After we were given our room keys, we dropped our stuff off in the room. Then we went exploring. We could have taken a 5 pm shuttle to town, but we would have had to wait until 8 pm to come back. Instead, we found out that we could go to the Circle and find lots of food. We found a food court (with McDonald's, KFC, and other places) as well as a grocery store. After eating dinner, we went to the grocery store for some Coke Zeros and more chocolate. When we got back to our room, our luggage was there, so we could get comfortable and relax. The only TV channel I could find that spoke English was the BBC News channel, and I was able to put on the closed captions.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

American Cats

The U.S. #2372-75 1988 22¢ Cats postage stamps were part of the “American Cats” series issued by the U.S. Postal Service. These stamps were released on May 1, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Each of the four stamps showed a different popular cat breed: the Exotic Shorthair, Maine Coon, Manx, and Siamese. The stamps celebrated the beauty and variety of cats, which are some of America’s favorite pets. Designed by artist Nancy Stahl, the stamps were colorful and realistic, showing the cats in natural poses that showed off their personalities.

Collectors loved these stamps because they highlighted the special qualities of each breed. For example, the Maine Coon is known for its long fur and friendly nature, while the Siamese cat is famous for its blue eyes and chatty personality. The Manx is easy to recognize because it has no tail, and the Exotic Shorthair looks like a Persian cat but with shorter fur. These stamps helped show the diversity of cats and reminded people how much joy cats bring into our homes.

National Cat Lovers Month is celebrated every December. It’s a special time for people who love cats to show their furry friends extra attention and care. Cats have been our companions for thousands of years and are known for their playful, curious, and independent personalities. During this month, cat owners might buy new toys, share cute photos, or donate to animal shelters. It’s also a great time to learn more about how to keep cats healthy and happy through good food, regular vet visits, and lots of love.

Many animal organizations use National Cat Lovers Month to help more cats find homes. Shelters often hold adoption events and share stories about cats waiting for families. People who already have cats can celebrate by spending more time with them or teaching them fun tricks. Whether you have one cat or many, this month reminds everyone how special cats are and how much joy they bring into our lives.

References:
Cat stamps from the author's collection.
Mystic Stamp Company. “U.S. #2372-75 1988 22¢ Cats.” https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/2372-75/USA/
Linn’s Stamp News. “1988 22¢ Cats Stamps.” https://www.linns.com/
National Today. “National Cat Lovers Month – December.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-cat-lovers-month /
Cat Fanciers’ Association. “Celebrating Cats All Year Long.” https://cfa.org/

Strasbourg, France

Click here for more pictures.

We got off the ship at 8:45 for our tour of Strasbourg. There were five ships in this port, and some of them were docked side by side, so passengers from other ships had to go through other ships to reach the shore. The bus ride to the town was about 15 minutes, and we walked around the town. Our guide took us to a free and clean restroom near the Cathedral. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go inside the Cathedral because it was Sunday. The architecture of the Cathedral was very ornate. We also went by St. Thomas church, where Mozart played, and Albert Schweitzer also played the organ. 

After the tour, we had an hour to go shopping before we returned to the bus. There were a lot of decorations with storks because every year the storks stop here as they migrate to South Africa. Some nests could be 1000 lbs!

The guide told us this story that parents tell their children about how babies are made:

The stork is sitting above a hidden lake. When a parent wants a baby, they go to a well and yell down the well, saying they want a baby. This wakes up the old gnome. The old gnome takes his net and tries to catch girl or boy souls in the lake. Girl souls are harder to catch than boy souls. When the old gnome catches one, he gives it to the stork. If the parents put a piece of sugar on their windowsill, the stork will deliver a baby to them.

Around noon, we headed back to the boat and had lunch. Darryl from Abiline, TX joined us (Beth, Barb, Betty, Don, and me). He told us about Grand Circle Travel, which we want to check out. After lunch, we went back to our cabin to pack, and then it was time for Afternoon Tea. After tea, we went back to our cabin to finish packing. 

After dinner, we went back to our cabin. We have to have our suitcases outside our cabin by 6 am.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Speyer, Germany

Click here for more pictures.

Today, when we got off the ship, it was below freezing, and there was frost and ice everywhere. They even announced a warning about how slick it was outside and to be careful. At 9 am, we took a bus to Speyer and had a walking tour. We went into the cathedral, and it was pretty. Someone said we were doing an ABC, standing for Another Bloody Church! This made me laugh. Then we walked around town. We passed a phone booth for children to call Santa Claus. They talk privately in the booth and teel what they want for Christmas. It is recorded and the next day, it is written in the newspaper so parents can look for their child's name and age and find out what they want for Christmas. 

We had an hour after the tour to go shopping. Barb, Beth, and another lady from Pennsylvania joined us as we explored. Then we all took the bus back to the ship. We heard Elliot talk on the phone that another cruise ship had lost 2 of their guests and was looking for them.

After lunch, we returned to Speyer on a bus at 2 pm. It was a 20-minute ride to the town from Germersheim, where we were docked. As we were walking, we came across another yarn shop and I just had to buy yarn! Then we found a store that sold mittens that reminded me of the thrummed mittens I had knit for Don. They were so nice and warm that I bought them. At 5 pm, we took the shuttle bus back to the ship.

 

At 6 pm, Elliot talked about the disembarkation procedure. All that information was very overwhelming! Our orange tags were waiting for us in our cabin, along with instructions about the day we leave. At 6:30 pm, he gave a port talk about Strasbourg, France, where we will visit tomorrow.

For dinner, we joined Barb and Beth (from Lebanon, PA) and Joyce and Myron (from Canada), and we had a great dinner. We really enjoyed talking with all of them!

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Mainz, Germany

Click here for more pictures.

We met our tour group at 9:15 am and had a walking tour of the old city. 80% of the city was destroyed in WWII. The market, which is held 3 days of week, was occurring and there were a lot of people in town. We went to the Guggenheim Museum, which was held at the Museum of Natural History since the original museum was being renovated. We got a demonstration of how the press worked, and we saw four of the original Bibles that were printed. After the tour, we went to 2 yarn shops and I bought some yarn.

Around noon, we returned to the ship for lunch, and it was very slow, but eventually we finished lunch. Then we walked back into town, and we stopped at the department store where we bought 2 boxes of chocolate-covered cherries: one with vodka and one with wild punch. Don also bought some wild peach rose wine. We walked around town and enjoyed seeing the architecture.

We returned to the ship around 4 pm and signed up for an appointment with the program director, Elliott. We had time to eat 2 of our cupcakes and they were delicious! Elliot connected us to the Viking rep, whom we talked to over the phone in our cabin. We ended up buying 2 certificates for future cruises and booked a cruise for next year, and only had to give a $50 deposit.

Around 6, we had a cocktail party and then a port talk. For dinner, we sat with Jayne and her mom, Betty (Charlotte, NC), and Barb and Beth (Lebanon, PA). We had such a great time talking with them! After dinner, Jayne invited us up to their room to see what a verandah suite looked like. It was 2 rooms, where one room was the bedroom and the other room was a sitting room. The sitting room had a balcony that you could sit out on, and the bedroom had a French balcony (door opened, but no room to sit).

Original photo by Pat Hensley