Poor Warnemunde (said Varnemunde) was afflicted by rain when "Queen Elizabeth" visited. The place is full of charm, not too big, you can easily get to cities like Rostock but we didn't. Our ambitions stopped at buying biscuits in a shop near to the ship to take back.

Virginia took me to Waterbeach station, and I caught the 7.57am train to Kings Cross. 1st class didn't seem too different to 2nd class, but I at least got a seat and room for my larger case. I then navigated to St Pancras and found reaching the Eurostar train rather like reaching the airplane for a flight - check-in and baggage and passport control queues to wait one's way through. I worried about losing the magic sheet of paper for the eTicket from Deutsche Bahn. Crowded in the waiting room, at least a stampede for a Disneyworld train left some seats spare. First class in the Eurostar was very comfortable, quiet, not crowded, breakfast included (albeit lunchtime). We stopped at Ebbsfleet and then I assume went through the Channel Tunnel with no fanfare. Strong rain lashed the train, raindrops crawled horizontally along the windows. An easy train change at Brussels Midi station, though carriage 29 was not covered from the rain! On the ICE train the carriages each had a carriage number on a digital display, at first I though each carriage was numbered 2! The ICE train had quiet compartments, I should have decamped to one as I found I was sitting close to a whimpering child. The journey passed anyway. We arrived at Cologne Hauptbahnhof at the appointed hour, and I found my way to the Hotel Berg where I was residing. Large door key which one left on leaving the hotel. I had something edible at the station Macdonalds, with flies for company, got postcards done, verified phone and Wi-Fi access worked.

Most of us had advanced our clocks so we made breakfast before reboarding our blue coach. The plates for breakfast were rectangular with 3 sections, the scrambled eggs didn't taste quite right to me. We crossed from France into Belgium, an event marked by a sign with 12 stars and mobile phones receiving welcome texts as they changed to cells in a new country. I did manage to doze on the coach making up some sleep, despite the roads in Belgium being less well maintained. Stopped at a smelly and child infested services in Belgium (toilets free anyway) before resuming our odyssey to Germany. We stopped again to allow the gold coach to get to the boat first, and by now the sun was in evidence! This second stop near Cologne allowed the Zoll (German road tax officers) to pounce and check we were legal. Apparently an accountant of National Holidays bungled paying the tax, and the German Zoll impounded a coach leaving drivers and passengers high and dry! We boarded the "MV Virginia" safely, not being given the cabin we had booked. Cabin not very wide, twin beds. At lunchtime had to make a big decision - what table should we sit at? Where we choose to sit would be where we sat for all the meals which followed. A decision I felt reluctant to make! We sat with Mary and Raymond and Brenda and Dennis who were nice and friendly people, in fact everyone on the cruise was pleasant. Everyone apart from Virginia and I seemed to be retired. I knocked over my water that lunchtime but managed to avoid a repeat performance. The restaurant was on the lowest deck and weirdly the bottom of the windows was at the ship's waterline. It would have freaked me out to have a cabin on that deck! After lunch we wandered to see the Dom (cathedral) in Cologne, a Catholic church with stylish modern looking stained glass and arrays of hard to photograph flickering candles. The outside of the Dom looks dark and gothic and massive. We also saw a curious artificial stream with stepping stones in concrete, and some of old style Cologne where the outside cafes were putting blankets on chairs so patrons could wrap up if they felt cold! Dinner was four courses, the main having chicory smothered in cheese sauce, I guessed leek and others aubergine. Again to my surprise at certain times beer and wine and soft drinks were free on the ship, including dinner time. Entertainment in the lounge bar area was a well-built guy playing an electronic keyboard - a medley of Sinatra and other similar tunes. He was Eastern European as were a lot of the staff on the boat.

Last but one stop on the Monday was Ruegen Island in Germany - was looking forward to seeing an Oceanarium but not enough other cruisers wanted to so that got cancelled. Instead we had a disappointing tour. We passed by the Prora Colossus which would have been interesting to stop at (this is a vast holiday complex Hitler built but never used, the longest building in the world.) Last stop Aarhus. We went with Dad to see the Frigate Jutland in Ebeltoft but sadly Dad couldn't manage the steps up to get into the boat itself. The trip which took in a neolithic stone circle got back late to the ship which a number of the tours did. One rationally knows the ship won't leave without you, but I always worry until I'm back on board!