For the third year running we spent our New Year on the Rhine with the many friends we have made on these trips.  This year as well as travelling with our dearest friends Nick and Olwen, Jane's sister in law Ann and her friend Maxine came along for the first time and we met up with Jean and Gaynor, Marion and Ed, Roger and Carol, all of whom we had met on the last New Year trip.  Of course our Leger drivers were our favourites and good friends John and Tony.  The boat for the trip, as in previous years, was the Rhine Princess and although not quite in the class of the Viking boats this is by far our favourite for service and atmosphere; the cabins are spacious, clean and well serviced, the staff and food excellent and the cocktail menu extensive.

The first day was spent with a walk around the city of Cologne to the old market followed by a leisurely sail down the Rhine to our overnight mooring at Andernacht.  Nick and myself spent the first evening sampling the many cocktails on the menu which was a regular habit for most evenings on the boat.  This year the quality of the cocktails was an improvement on last year but not up to the standard of the first year; our personal and selfish recommendation is the employment of a dedicated, experienced cocktail barman for next year.  On New Year's Eve we went to the Drosselgasse in Rudesheim (again) and sampled the famous Rudesheim coffee which is a variation on Irish coffee but made with Asbach brandy instead of whisky...very nice.

The theme for our New Year's dress was the roaring 20's and the girls, especially were in their element with their flapper dresses.  John, Tony and Ed went as gangsters, myself and Nick had purchased period waistcoats and Nick had his rather nice scarf and a fob watch; I had purchased a formal cravat but despite many efforts I gave up trying to tie it and donned a standard black bow tie instead.

We had a fantastic New Year's evening and managed to celebrate both the German NY at 12 midnight and the British NY at 1am.  The boat was moored as usual at Koblenz and the firework displays incredible lasting for around 30 minutes; I can't think of a better way of spending New Years eve than on this boat at this place with these people.

On New Year's day, after recovering from our exertions the night before, we walked around Koblenz during the morning before setting off back to our overnight mooring at Bonn.  The next day we boarded the coach and made our way home after another fantastic Leger New Year having reaffirmed our friendships and agreed to book for next year (which we have now done).

I have accumulated the photos taken by Nick, Jane and myself and displayed them below...Mike