Today we are taking the Viking included excursion Freiburg Yuletide Market & Organ Concert. The excursion is scheduled for 1:30pm and, by 1:15pm, guests begin to gather in the Reception area to disembark the vessel. This excursion requires that we once again utilize the services of the Viking motor coaches to shuttle us from the docking location into Freiburg.

Since our excursion does not depart until 1:30pm, we have time to enjoy a leisurely lunch at Aquavit Terrace. This is our favorite place for lunch because it is less crowded and there are tables for two. Even though there are only two ‘two-top’ tables in Aquavit Terrace, they set up eight more two-top tables in the Lounge at lunchtime.

The lunch menu changes every day and there is also a selection of Always Available items (see below). The Fish and Chips caught Rickee’s eye today as that is one of her favorites. She also tried the Chicken Consommé, which she really enjoyed,

Personally, I cannot seem to move past the cheeseburger. This makes the fourth cheeseburger I have had this week on Eistla! The beef patty is thick and has the same texture, or grind, as the cheeseburgers on Viking Ocean. To my tastes, the grind is a bit overdone and it gives the meat a slightly mushy feeling when you bite into it. But, the beef itself is very good and I love that they pile on a LOT of melted cheddar cheese. The bun is also fresh and very good. The salad that comes on the side is also a big improvement over the coleslaw they serve on the Viking Ocean ships (maybe this has changed fleet wide?).

Rickee enjoyed her Fish and Chips, which had a very crisp tempura-like batter. I love that they serve the Fish and Chips with malt vinegar, which is the only way they should be eaten. The mushy peas were good, but not hot. Our waiter commented that Rickee was the first, and only, person he has served that knew what the mushy peas were! Another huge plus are the French Fries. They are perfectly fried to a crisp exterior while remaining soft on the inside. The fries are some of the best we have had on any cruise. And, they are served HOT! Today’s fries were more of a steak fries variety, but still just as delicious.

After our lunch, it is time for us to meet in Reception for our 1:30pm excursion.

As we exit Viking Eistla, we are disappointed to find that there is no bottled water available for us to take with us today.

*We disembark Viking Eistla in Breisach, Germany*

It is a short walk to the Viking motor coaches that will transfer us to Freiburg for today’s excursion.

It only takes about 15 minutes to drive into Freiburg. We meet our local guide, Anna, who is very knowledgable and very personable. She went out of her way to point out a lot of interesting details about Freiburg that many tour guides might ignore.

*Anna, our local tour guide in Freiburg*

The main destination attraction in Freiburg is the Gothic Cathedral. Some have claimed the 116 meter-tall tower to be the most beautiful spire on earth. Construction of the Cathedral began in 1200 and lasted for more than 300 years. The tower has 16 bells, the oldest of which dates back to 1258.

*The Cathedral of Our Lady Freiburger Münster*

Surrounding the Cathedral is a large plaza populated by cafes and shops.

As we walk toward the Christmas Market, we pass by the Lindt chocolate shop, which required us to make a short detour to purchase some of the delicious chocolates.

*A visit to the Lindt chocolate shop is a must*

The Christmas Market in Freiburg is extensive with dozens of vendor stalls lining several streets. We had about an hour and a half of free time to explore the market before our organ concert. This is the last Christmas Market we will visit on this trip, and honestly, after three of four, they start getting repetitive. Still, Freiburg is well worth a visit at Christmas time.

At 4:00, we all gather inside the Cathedral for a 30-minute organ concert. The acoustics and the sound coming from the organ were quite impressive. As it turns out, this was probably our favorite included excursion.

We are back on board Eistla in time for an evening cocktail and one last chance to say goodbye to our new friends. Andrea is the Bar Chef and she has done an amazing job of making sure we always had our favorite beverage.

Whether at lunchtime or cocktail hour, Alexandra was always there to make sure we got exactly what we ordered. She was always smiling and was great fun to chat with.

After our cocktail, we have to go back to our stateroom and finish packing for the trip home. We have to have our large checked bag outside of our stateroom before midnight and we are off the ship at 4:20am for the transfer to the Basel airport. Watch for our upcoming video review on our YouTube channel.

Day 7 - Freiburg, Germany

Day 6 - Strasbourg & Gengenbach