Celebrate World Tourism Day

Today is World Tourism Day

September 27th is a day to observe all the wonderful things about travel and vacations.  

A great getaway relieves stress and brings people together.  It can also give us a chance to learn about new cultures, visit historic places, taste exciting foods, and experience new things.  Let us help you see the world.

"Let us work together to maximize the immense potential of tourism to drive inclusive economic growth, protect the environment and promote sustainable development and a life of dignity for all."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Earlier this year, the leading global Travel & Tourism private sector and government organisations - the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC) -  launched a commitment for aligned advocacy and action to harness the full potential of the sector to create jobs, drive inclusive growth and foster development.

“Powering Travel & Tourism into the Next Decade: An Agenda for Growth and Development” was launched at a press conference in Madrid on the behalf of the GTAC by three of the founding members: Tony Tyler. Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA); Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO); and David Scowsill, President & CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

GTAC is currently comprised of the following members: Airports Council International (ACI), Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), World Economic Forum (WEF), World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

When You Travel - You Contribute to Economic Growth

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Sunday in Trier

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Urbanian Run Trier 

 Historic Center

Old Town Trier

Sunday, July 19, 2015, the historic old German town of Trier was host to the Urbanian Run.

When we arrived at Trier, workers were setting up fences, signs, and advertising along the course.   Registration of the runners was also taking place near the Porta Nigra.

While the rest of the shops may have been closed due to it being a Sunday morning, there was still plenty of activity at the various race sponsors' booths.

Our tour concluded before the 5k & 10k runs began, so we didn't get to witness the event.  If you want to learn more, see their website.

Ice Cream

There's always room for ice cream.  You just need to decide how many scoops and what flavors you want.

As they say, life is short, so eat dessert first.  When returning the ship you could have your main course.

Looking for a Meal

If you want something more than ice cream, you could also checkout some of the local cafes.  Select from your favorites back home or one of the local establishments.

When our free time was over, we all met back at Porta Nigra for the short walk back to our bus.


Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Trier - Churches

Trier - Market Square

Trier - City Tour

 

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Announcing National Plan a Cruise Month

October is National 
Plan a Cruise Month

Explore the World of Cruise Vacationing
October 1 - 31, 2015
 

If you've ever thought about going on your first cruise, October is the time to begin that journey.



Fall is the Perfect Time for Vacationers to Plan a Trip at Sea  


We're joining with member travel agencies from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) across the US and Canada to host National Plan a Cruise Month. Through a multi-dimensional campaign, the cruise industry has come together to help everyone fall in love with cruising by featuring unprecedented cruise vacation offers – from chances to win dream cruise vacations each day of the month and discovering new cruises and destinations to receiving the best cruise deals and promotions.

Cruising is all about you. You can find adventure, culture and education or, relax the day away. Dine on fine cuisine. Indulge at the spa. Reconnect with family. Share romantic moments. All this, in the destination of your choice, for a few days, a week or more, on a cruise that's right for you.

#CruiseSmile #Sweepstakes – A Cruise-A-Day Giveaway

To celebrate National Plan a Cruise Month, CLIA created #CruiseSmile, a daily chance to win a cruise from October 1 through October 31, 2015. Each day, #CruiseSmile will feature and giveaway a different cruise vacation - a total of 31 cruise vacations for two - showcasing there truly is a cruise for every travel style and budget.

Announcing the giveaway, CLIA said that together with their partner cruise lines they "are excited to give travelers a chance to see the world while discovering the variety of travel experiences the cruise industry has to offer. We know that once a traveler takes a cruise for the first time, they fall in love with the cruise vacation experience. We want to spread the love of cruising through the #CruiseSmile campaign giving everyone a simple way to enter to win a variety of cruise vacations.”

How to Enter #CruiseSmile 

The campaign will offer a chance for consumers to win a different cruise vacation for two each day during the month of October (for a total of 31 cruise vacation giveaways). Every day in October you can upload a photo of a great smile and be entered to win a cruise for two from a variety of CLIA member cruise lines. Participants can also enter by uploading a photo directly to Twitter or Instagram, using hashtags #CruiseSmile #Sweepstakes and can tag a friend for additional chances to win.

Contest entries do not roll over from day to day and entrants must upload a new photo each day to be eligible for that day’s prize. The sweepstakes is open to entrants 13 years of age or older. If a minor is selected, a guardian must accept that day’s prize on their behalf. Winners will be selected at random each day in October. Some blackout dates apply and are to be determined by the cruise lines. Visit www.CruiseSmile.org for additional details.

Cruise Planning Resources

We have a special page with Cruise Line Videos for you to explore. Just click the cruise ship of your choice and watch the video for behind the scenes tours.  We'll also be featuring articles about cruising all month long in addition to our normal blog posts, so be sure to come back often to explore.

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

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Trier City Tour

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Beyond Porta Nigra

Trier offers pleasant market squares, Germany’s oldest Christian church, and a cornucopia of architectural styles: Roman, baroque, neo-classicism, renaissance, and gothic.

window shopping

On Sunday the shops in Trier are closed with the exception of some cafes and terraces.  A few souvenir stores were open.

Even though the stores were closed, it was possible to  get an idea of what products were available in the shops.  Looks like we missed some good sales.

Market Fountain

The Market Fountain from 1595 shows St. Peter, the patron saint of the Cathedral as well as the city, standing on top, surrounded by the four cardinal virtues of good city government, Justice, Strength, Temperance, and Wisdom (originals in the Municipal Museum), but also by monsters and frolicking monkeys.

Church of Our Lady

The Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Dear Lady) is a 13th-century parish church in Trier, separated from Trier cathedral by a narrow passageway. Built in the Gothic style, it makes an attractive foil to its older Romanesque neighbor.

We were able to tour the Church of Our Lady but not the Cathedral as a mass was in progress.

Free Time to Eat or Shop

Following the guided portion of the tour we had time to explore the shops that were open or to do some more window shopping.   This McDonald's isn't your typical looking restaurant but they do serve some of the same meals from back home.
Ice cream and candy are always a good treat, so indulge your sweet tooth if you are so inclined.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Trier - Churches

Trier - Market Square

Trier - City Tour

 

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Grevenmacher to Trier

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Early Morning Arrival

Artistry II arrived in Grevenmacher around 4 AM.   It served as a base for our visit to Trier which was a 30 minute drive away.  The town Grevenmacher is not too exciting.

Scenic Overlook

Our complimentary tour of Trier began with our bus departing the ship at 8:30 AM.   We made a stop at a scenic overlook with a fabulous view of Trier.   Along the way, we past several of the Roman ruins.   We'd had a choice to tour Roman Trier, but since we've seen other Roman ruins, opted for the Trier City Tour instead.

Arriving in Trier

For the newly arrived guest, the Porta Nigra is the best place to begin a tour of Trier. The gate dates back to a time (about A.D. 180) when the Romans often erected public buildings of huge stone blocks (here, the biggest weigh up to six metric tons).

Trier is Germany’s oldest city. Some say Trier is even older than Rome and that it was populated over a thousand years before the Romans arrived. Many Roman remains have survived, including a 20,000-seat amphitheater; the Porta Nigra, the only surviving fortified gate from the original Roman settlement, which still gives access to the town’s center; imperial baths; and the Roman bridge, Germany’s oldest bridge with stone pilings dating from 144-152 AD—all evidence of this once grand Roman city. Trier also offers pleasant market squares, Germany’s oldest Christian church, and a cornucopia of architectural styles—Roman, baroque, neo-classicism, renaissance, and gothic.

Porta Nigra

The Porta Nigra is a large Roman city gate in Trier, Germany. It is today the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The original gate consisted of two four-storied towers, projecting as near semicircles on the outer side. A narrow courtyard separated the two gate openings on either side. For unknown reasons, however, the construction of the gate remained unfinished. We will continue our tour of Trier in additional posts.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Grevenmacher to Trier

Porta Nigra

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Avalon Artistry II Chef's Dinner

On Board Chef's Dinner

Bernkastel

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Artistry II's very own chef gave a personal twist to our dinner in Bernkastel. This Chef's Dinner, which is featured once each sailing, was very special indeed.  As usual, there were regional wines paired with the meal.

Appetizers

Everyone was served an extra course, seen here in a spoon.  "Amuse Bouche" - Trout Filet with Horseradish Dip. 

Additional appetizers were "Vitello Tonato" - Slices of Boiled Veal with Tuna Dressing, Olives, Lemon, and Capers.  The Final choice was Caramelized Goat Cheese with Honey Peanut Vinaigrette.

Soup Selections

The two soup choices were Chicken Broth with Lemon Grass and Wonton and Cream of Green Beans Soup with Cheese Croutons.

We really enjoyed the soup selections at both lunch and dinner time.  Despite the warm temperatures outside, they still were a great addition to our meals.

Main Course

The choices were Filet of Pork "Wellington" on Madeira Sauce Served with Sauteed Leak and Basil Potatoes or Broiled Filet of Talapia on Walnut Butter Sauce Served with Yellow Endives and Violet Potatoes.

Both choices were excellent.  Of course, you had the standard alternatives to pick from if desired.

Dessert

Last but not least, we opted for the Small Chocolate Cake with Warm White Chocolate Sauce. 

Alternate selections included an ice cream creation and a strawberry smoothie.

Despite this being a special dinner, unlike on ocean cruises, you don't need to dress any differently, unless you want to.

Check our other posts for lunch and dinner selections throughout the cruise.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Artistry II - Chef's Dinner

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Bernkastel Wine Tasting

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Avalon Waterways 

River Cruise

Provided Front-Row

View to Wine Country

A short 15 minute walk over the bridge from where our ship was docked and we were at a local Vinothek for a complimentary wine tasting event.   This wasn't your typical wine tasting with just a few varieties.

VinoThek

Upon entering the VinoThek, we were given a German Pretzel (bretzel), handed an empty wine glass, and directed to the wine cellar downstairs.

Bernkastel and the surrounding Moselle River valley is most noted for Riesling wines, so those were predominantly the wines we tasted.  There were a few red varieties for those that prefer red wine.

As you can see in the picture, the wines were displayed in bins with descriptive signs overhead.   Each variety was numbered and a chilled barrel contained one bottle for each variety.

You could pour as little or as much wine into your glass for tasting.   It was best to cleanse the pallet between tastings by taking a bite of your pretzel.   We quickly lost track of how many wines we tasted.   I think there were more than twenty that we sampled.   Someone would ask if we tried number 25, and we'd have to try that of course.

Finally, we narrowed down our search to two different bottles.   We opted for the high-residual sugar varieties which were very sweet.   Not being able to make up our minds, we bought both bottles.   Avalon allows you to bring them back on board and consume them in your cabin without charge or you can bring them to the dining room and pay a corkage fee.

We almost skipped this complimentary event because we had a long day and thought about relaxing before dinner.   Do not miss this wine tasting event - it was one of the cruise highlights.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page

Bernkastel - Wine Tasting

Click on the image to the right for more Blog posts about this trip.

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