Well, we just finished another cruise–we being NR, the magazine that floats. This one went down the Rhine River. (Whether we went up or down was a matter of some dispute. We traveled south, put it that way.) It was a marvelous cruise–wish you had been there. Perhaps you’ll join us on a future one? (For the relevant website, please go here.)

I took a few notes, and thought I’d share them with you. I have nothing like a proper journal–just some Impromptus-ish observations, which may amuse.

Our slate of speakers was first-rate–a trio of mighty Brits, Paul Johnson, David Pryce-Jones, and Anthony Daniels (who is also Theodore Dalrymple, so you got two writers for the price of one); the crack American columnists Mona Charen and Cal Thomas; AEI slugger Michael Novak; and John O’Neill, the hero of the 2004 presidential election. (O’Neill was the Swift Boat vet who blew the whistle on John Kerry’s dizzying delusions.)

There were also some of us NR rats about. And a shipful of very interesting passengers.

I have told you before–in this column–about how diverse our cruisers are. At dinner one night, I sat with a man born in the Forbidden City, the son of the emperor. (He wound up a Taiwanese general, and he now lives in Virginia.) Also at that table was a man named Oldfield–a descendant of Barney? To be sure.

There was also–I kid you not–a female French theater director. She reads not only NR, but Human Events. You can’t necessarily judge a book by its cover, or by its occupation (or nationality . . .).

‐Friends, I think I’ll knock off for now. I’ll be back with a few more notes tomorrow–or possibly Thursday. (Not sure.) And that’ll be it.

See you soon.