Norman and Mary's road trip: Group traveling

I have never taken a bike tour, bus tour or cruise before. So this is my first experience. Will I do it again, maybe. Personalities become clearer as the week goes by. And food....I would never eat this much at home, even though we bike during the day, there is way more food than I need.

We have on the tour, 14 people. Two are from New Zealand, a family of five from Cambridge, dad and mom with 3 girls, 9, 12 and 14, two from North Bend, just outside of Seattle, one young man, 24, from Hong Kong but schooled in England and just finished his training and is now a GI doctor. And another (older) couple from Connecticut. And of course Norm and me. I stay quietly in the background and let Norm talk with others. I avoid the Connecticut couple at all costs, loud, always talking and usually about nothing.

Here is our dinner table. Marcel is the leader, left side, red and blue shirt. Tonight's dinner, tomatoes with cheese and basil, chicken with leak sauce, asparagus, gnocchi, coleslaw, green salad and creme brûlée. Yes I ate it all. The day before a guest didn't want his dessert and the chef actually tore a strip off him for wasting food. It was shall we say awkward.

And it was delicious!

Meals are severed when the bell is rung. Don't think about eating something sooner. One guest tried to make some toast at 7:58am and was told, No, wait till 8:00.

Yesterday we traveled through some industrial areas. Surprised how much industry there is in Germany on the Rhine.