Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/613755
www.travelweekly-asia.com | 3 VOICES It's been an odd morning on the AmaSerena, sailing the Rhine. Just yesterday we were strolling nonchalantly along the streets of Strasbourg, the capital of France's Alsace region, and today we woke up to the awful news of a series of terror attacks that had taken place last night in Paris. The mood was decidedly subdued at breakfast in the AmaSerena's main restaurant this morning, despite the fact we were sailing past some incredibly charming forest scenery of Germany's Rhineland region as we made our way towards Mannheim for the day's excursions. But at a time when many people might be thinking twice about a trip to Paris, France or even Europe right now, being on this AmaWaterways river cruise has also served as a reminder of the power of travel despite the challenges the world faces. Despite the rough start to our day, shaken by the reports from Paris, by the afternoon we had all set out on our various excursions, most to the Heidelberg Castle in the German city of the same name, some to the ancient German town of Speyer, and an even smaller number of us set out on a hike known as the Philosopher's Way, across the Rhine from Heidelberg. By the time we returned to the ship, several hours later, smiles abounded and for a brief moment the news of the day was forgotten. Indeed, as our effortlessly charming guide Klaus guided me and nine others passengers up a 1,300-foot climb amid soothing late-fall scenery, the complex problems currently facing Europe and the world were replaced by our more tangible challenge of tackling our hike, and ultimately by our rewarding success upon reaching the top. DISPATCH FROM FRANCE WHY THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO STOP TRAVELLING TO EUROPE Travel Weekly USA's Michelle Baran was sailing on AmaWaterways' new AmaSerena along the Rhine River from Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam when news broke of the terrorist attacks in Paris. This is her dispatch from the ship on the day following the attacks. I realised as we giddily made our way back down and into the historic centre of Heidelberg just as the sun was setting over the Rhine, how silly it is that the knee-jerk reaction at times like this is often to fear travel, to recoil from it, when really it should be to lunge toward travel as a means of escape. The attacks will likely deal a blow to France's tourism industry, which was already hurt by the Charlie Hebdo attack at the start of the year. Hopefully, there will still be plenty of travellers that continue on with their journeys, whether to Paris or elsewhere in Europe. As we're experiencing here on the Rhine, there isn't a better place to be.