Tuesday 2 September

A lovely quiet night in our cabin but needed to set the alarm to get us up for breakfast at 7am, to be ready for the canal tour at 8.15. Our glass topped boat was smooth indeed as we motored through different UNESCO World heritage listed canals, having to do a number of turns that proved great prowess by the captain. Lovely architecture and such pretty sights, passing beautiful churches, 16th century merchant houses and 17th century homes.

Once off the canal boat we are given an orientation tour of Museumplein, but not being a big art lover, nor a fan of Rembrandt, I spy the Royal Coster diamond factory and museum across the road so tell our guide that e are going to have a look at the diamond factory as I had read earlier that it offers free tours. She didn't know any thing about it so came with us to check it out. The Royal Coster is the oldest operating diamond polishing factory in the world. We saw the workers grinding the diamond and setting it.

Unfortunately the museum was closed for renovations so we had to end the tour looking through the showroom.Amazing pieces with eye watering price tags. Loved the sign in the bathroom on our way out.

Time to meet back with our group and we then board a coach to take us for a photo stop of one of the few remaining windmills in Amsterdam as we make our way to Utrecht to meet up with the Vega again. it is known a Rembrandt's windmill, even though he never lived there, but immortalised it in his paintings.

Rembrandt's statue is nearby. We passed some amazing homes that are clearly owned by very wealth people. A number of them have their own little tea house near the front of the property. I'd love one of these but can't see it being a success in Klemzig. We arrive back at our boat/ship which apparently is more accurately called motorised vessel.

Back on board we have to get Nico to come to our cabin and reset the safe a Julie's passport is locked in it and the pass key we set isn't working! Time for lunch which is a bigger and then we all have to meet in the lounge for Andrew to go through the optional tours. Good grief, can that guy talk..... for almost an hour. There were a lot of oldies present who simply nodded off, bless 'em. We have started going through the locks, the first of 68, as we set off along the Rhine.

Time to head back to our cabin to decide on which tours we want to do, plus I can work on the blog and Julie can watch a movie. Tonight is the special gala Welcome dinner so we will need to glam up a bit. the movie bit didn't work well as it froze in the same spot twice so Julie abandoned hope and had a lie down and listened to her music. happy to read my kindle and watch the world go by.

Time to get ready for the captain's receprion so we doll ourselves up and head to the lounge for a complimentary bubbles and introduction to the captain again and more of the staff. Now time to head for dinner and it went significantly downhill from then on but in a funnyny way (at least I was laughing)... Oh dear, and it may have been my fault... There is no set seating so you aim for a favourite position or with people you know. We look for a 2 or 4 person table and as I saw a 4 person table that already had 2 women sitting at it by a window, I thought this would be a safe bet. We asked if the seats were free and were told that they were, so we plopped ourselves down and within seconds regretted the decision. Kathy from regional Victoria is a dairy farmer and nice enough but Marcia, also from the same area turned out to be the quintessential bogan and was telling us how effed up the country was within a minute of us sitting down. didn't even have time to put my serviette in my lap! Julie looked at me as though I had run over her cat and it actually went even further downhill from there. Marcia started with a salad that she ate most of with her fingers (and chewed with her mouth open). Rather than attempt to cut the lettuce into smaller pieces she simply picked it up and shoved it in her gob. the strip of bacon was picked up shoved in whole. Soup arrived next and I truly wished I could have taken a bet that she would finish it off by drinking it from the bowl, as this was exactly what she did. Her only comment at the end was that it was very salty. She then took herself off to the toilet so that by the time she returned, the lemon sorbet had been served. She asked us what it was so I explained that it was a palate cleanser and not to be drunk. We pointed out which spoon to use and she tucked in. I was practically ready to commit hari kari by the time the main was served as I know she had asked for the short ribs and I figured that if there were bones she would have both elbows on the table, gnawing away at them like a ravenous dog. There is answer to prayer, as there were no bones and the meat pulled away with a fork. She loved the mashed potato and said how good it was. Her plate was clean after devouring everything, but clearly not clean enough because not just once, but twice she licked her finger clean after scraping it around the plate. Julie was practically writhing under the table by this time and I whispered to her that it was all okay as it was all fodder for the blog. Marcia's very definite opinion that Australia is effed, didn't sit well with me and I dared not add oil to the fire to ask her opinion of Trump as she was so vocal on what she thought of both the Victorian and federal governments. I just did lots of head shaking and trying to calm Julie who was getting beside herself over Marcia's antics. I know that it is a bit high and mighty of me to be such a snob but honestly, all she had to do was look around and see what everyone else was doing and mimic them. Kathy knew how to eat with a knife and fork, so I really felt for her. I'm all for individual rights but not if it is going to put me off my dinner. I'm usually the one who does the eye rolling, but I've never seen Julie roll her eyes to the point they started looking like the wheels on a pokie machine... Thankfully dinner was at an end as neither of us wanted dessert. We left our regional Victorian dinner companions, wishing them well and vowing to let Julie choose who we dine with next. Julie headed up to the lounge to listen to the music, but I headed back to our cabin to do the blog and take to my bed. It has been a good day but I'm ready for bed.