I enjoyed my own personal Easter sunrise—I was up in the ship’s lounge enjoying more of that wonderful coffee at 6 a.m., and I watched the river come to life. I was serenaded by a pair of geese along the riverbank and laughed at the antics of the newborn spring lambs frolicking in a nearby field. After breakfast, many of us walked into Zutphen for the Easter service. Dutch and English voices were raised together in song, which made for a grand celebration of life!
Back on board later in the morning, as we watched the crew prepare the boat to get underway, I spotted a little boy along the water’s edge, watching the proceedings with rapt attention. He was obviously fascinated, because he kept hopping from one foot to the other and tried to take in every detail. His ear-splitting grin and wide eyes told me he thought it would be such wonderful fun to be on the boat instead of watching from the sidelines. I wanted to shout, “Oh, it is! It is! And your turn will surely come someday!” But instead I waved and he waved back with tremendous enthusiasm.
For those of us who stayed on the ship instead of taking the excursion for that day, this was a great time to get acquainted with fellow passengers and find similar interests to discuss. Or you could stroll around the ship and check out the interesting décor in the lounge. It was a good day to be content. The ship glides through the water with barely a ripple, and if you shut your eyes you wouldn’t even know you were moving. I found out I should have packed my binoculars, for I was in the middle of a bird-lover’s paradise. Even without the birds to watch, there are plenty of other sights to enjoy, with or without binoculars. Some looked for more challenging pastimes and discovered the boat’s vast collection of board games.