Danube River Cruise - 5/10/14

Up at 4:45 and packing for departure.  Quick breakfast at the Sofitel and then on to the Budapest Airport. Boarding passes were not available for printing last night, so a bit of a kerfuffle at the airport to get all their assignments. All worked out except I forgot to empty the coins Deb was telling me to leave all morning; hence I set off the alarm which resulted in a full pat-down. Gary suffered the same fate due to a money clip, Deb, too, due to a stainless steel knee.  Beware of petty bureaucrats anywhere in the world; their need to exhibit their power over the masses is universal.

Out of Budapest on time and landed at Frankfurt, also on time.  Through passport control and on to the boarding gate.  Very intense questioning of passengers as we arrived at the gate; there may be an increased security alert in progress.  A full 747, but Deb and I got lucky with an empty seat between us!  Excellent meal (chicken) and a chance to watch the Lego movie.  Amazingly funny, even if it is a one hour, 44 minute advertisement masquerading as a movie.

Flight was scheduled for eight plus hours. We arrived in Chicago early.  With a three hour layover, negotiating immigration and customs is a piece of cake.  Bags back on the conveyor to the Omaha flight and us up through security and on to our gate.  A last round of drinks in the bar (and an ice cream at McDonald's for some) to cap off the day.  Our flight leaves on time and we are home at 7:35 PM. Children and grandchildren to pick us up and home we go, exhausted, much more knowledgeable about the Danube and Central Europe, and hoping we retain enough memories to be able to pass on to others. A very long day of travel, 25 hours from rising to putting the head back down on the pillow at home, but, all in all, a great experience.

Danube River Cruise - 5/9/14

Up at 5:00 AM for a busy day in Budapest. We are packed and disembarking the ship at 9:00 AM.  All are ready to roll. We transfer to our hotel for the next 24 hours, the Sofitel, located in downtown Budapest at the foot of the White Bridge; an excellent location from which to explore the city.

After securing the rooms, we all struck out in separate ways, Don, Ann and Deb and I off to visit the Budapest Synagogue, the 2nd largest in the world (New York claims the largest.)  It was a stunning facility designed in the 19th century.  During WWII, it was commandeered by the Nazi's but not destroyed, although significantly damaged.  Totally rebuilt after the war to its former grandeur, it is now flanked by gardens commemorating those who died in WWII from this community, and also a research center.  Don and Ann stayed to go through the Museum while Deb and I struck out on our own.  We toured the National Opera building, walked the city, lunched at a wonderful sidewalk cafe, shopped the shopping area and finally back to the hotel by 5:45.

Don & Ann went on to the National History museum.  George and Karen napped some, shopped some, and took a trip to the hotel casino to collect on their free drink ticket.  Only cost them around $25.00. Jan and Judy, accompanied by their escort Larry, walked the shopping area, making a variety of stops at Swarovski and Pandora stores.  Gary wandered a bit, did some shopping and general resting. He did manage to add to his commemorative shot glass collection.

At 6:30 we walked to a local restaurant (Evidences) for native Hungarian fare.  We enjoyed ourselves, however all agreed that it was time to back off from the huge portions of food we have been served, and sometimes consumed.

We walked back to the hotel and all settled in for a final pack and rest.  Our transfer to the airport is at 7:00 AM on Saturday for the long trip home.  It was a grand trip; no one vowed silence towards another' and we all will look back fondly and eventually get together to talk about it and share pictures, after we recover.

Unless something goes gloriously wrong at the airport tomorrow, this is the end of this transcription of the ten touring and toddling folks from the great Midwest.  Enjoy.

Danube River Cruise - 5/8/14

Up at 5:00 and out to check email and send email.  A cloudy day to start as we continue down the Danube to our destination of Budapest, Hungary.  We arrive around 8:30 AM and the view from the sun deck as Budapest appears in view. A magnificent sight as we round the bend from Marguerite Island. We dock three deep at the city pier and then off to a City Coach tour for three and one half hours. We learned quite a bit about this city of 1.8 million.  Many monuments and dazzling buildings.

We ended the tour with a walk through the food market, a large building lined with vendors selling produce, butcher's stalls souvenirs and much more.  Deb and I bought some supplies of Hungarian pepper, sweet, spicy and smoked, together with some sausage that we hope makes it through customs. 

Back to the ship for a late lunch and then, 8 out of 10 members retired to their cabin for a short rest (nap) while one pair ventured back into the shopping area for another go round.

Before dinner, we were treated to Hungarian folk dancers and music.  After a locally themed dinner, we cast off for an hour's ride up and down the Danube to see the City all lit up - quite a sight and many photos were taken, a lot deleted, and some good ones left to sort out upon our return.

Packed our bags for a morning departure from the ship and our last night in a hotel (Soffitel) here in Budapest before we leave on early departure Saturday morning for home.

Danube River Cruise - 5/7/14

Awake and up at 4:50 this morning in Vienna.  Showered and out to enjoy coffee and task of recapturing the previous day's events for our growing (up to six) reading audience. A pleasant and clear morning; good to know as today should be a busy one.

Off ship at 8:45 for the trip into Vienna and the "Hidden Culture Tour."  Others are on a standard City Tour and a Gentle Walkers tour.  All spend about 3 hours in Vienna, covering the same things from different angles. We all come back with the same information.  Vienna is a very old City and the guides all seem to want to impress us with the city's former glory and the power and glory of the past Austro-Hungarian empire.

After a return to the ship for lunch, it is off again on another coach trip to Schonbrun Palace.  This was the "summer" home of the Hapsburg dynasty, leaders of the Holy Roman Empire and then the Austro-Hungarian empire.  According to our resident expert, Deb, they were going for a competitive run against Versailles; Hapsburgs lost, but it is hard to see how from the opulence apparent in the interiors. We toured the palace and then had an opportunity to tour the grounds and garden.  With only 40 minutes to cover 7 square kilometers of gardens, we didn't make much of a dent.  A gentle rain started shortly after we reached the grounds, refreshing given our lack of moisture back home, but it did put a damper on the strolling.

We returned to the ship by 5:00 and sat for a lecture on the coming day in Budapest.  Then down to change and back up for the Captain's Farewell dinner.  This was our group's night to dine in the private dining room rather than the main dining room, so we didn't get to see the Captain down his fare.  However, given the small size of the vessel, he is a constant presence and we speak to him almost daily, so missing the chance to watch him eat wasn't such a hardship.

An early evening turn-in for some in preparation for our arrival in the final city destination of Budapest in Hungary, tomorrow morning around 8:30 AM.

Danube River Cruise - 5/6/14

Up at 6:00 AM this morning and out onto deck to watch the arrival at Melk, AU. Picturesque small town (pop. 5,525) along the Danube.  Primary point of interest is the Benedictine Monastery built on the hill side.  From the river, it is a short drive or 25 minute walk.  We leave via coach to tour the abbey and gardens this morning.

The building and museum are magnificent. The museum especially has been redesigned to present these very old artifacts (some dating from the 10th century) in a very modern setting. Upon reaching the actual church, we are bowled over by the magnificence of the interior.  Multiple alters surround the main knave. The high alter is completely covered in gold relief with sculptures abounding.  A true feast for the eyes.

Unfortunately, due to schedule and the crowd at the church, we had only 10 minutes to tour the garden, so barely had a chance to walk around the first lawn.  Obviously well tended, although the flowers were not quite in bloom. Hundreds of rose bushes covered in buds, tulips blooming and peonies beginning.  Lots of modern sculptures placed in the grounds.  It is a shame we didn't have time to investigate and tour.  We could have spent an entire morning just in the gardens.

Back to the ship for a cast off at 12:30, headed through the Waucha Valley of the Danube on our way towards Vienna.  A warm and pleasant afternoon of sailing and reaching our dock in Vienna at 6:00 PM. We had an early dinner as tonight we are taking in a Mozart and Strauss concert in Vienna.

The concert was held in a former city palace of one of the ruling aristocrats but to call this a house is not to do it justice.  The Concert room was magnificently adorned in marble with high ceilings. The orchestra was small, just 11 instruments including a piano, strings and a four piece woodwind section. The concert master was playing a Stradivarius which belongs to the City Orchestra of Vienna and is rarely played.  This evening's performance was being taped for Austrian television, hence the opportunity to listen to the Strad.

The group was outstanding.  They obviously enjoyed the music and their work.  In addition to the musicians, there were two opera singers and two ballet dancers performing the works by Mozart and Strauss. We left the concert at 9:50 and returned to the ship to be greeted by warm bowls of goulash!  Off to bed to rest for tomorrow's tours of Vienna.

Danube River Cruise - 5/5/14

Slept in until 7:00 AM today, due to the late night in the lounge.  Arrived in Passau, DE this morning and embarked after breakfast on a walking tour of the "City of Three Rivers," Danube, Innz and Ilpz. After the record flood of 2013, which saw a great portion of the city under 15 feet of water, especially along the water front and old town area, the City is still re-building.  Very few shops open, and a great portion of the public buildings are still under restoration.

A great majority of the passengers opted to take a bus tour to Salzburg, which left in the morning and would meet back up with the ship in Linz AU. Our group elected to stay with the ship; we departed Passau at 12:15 PM and set sail down river into Austria.  Naps this afternoon varied from 1 to 3 hours.  We arrived in Linz around 6:00 PM and had the opportunity for an unplanned but informative walk around the central area.  A very modern and progressive city, the third largest in Austria. 

Back to the ship for a fine dinner and then we spent time on the sundeck admiring the lights of Linz and watching the light shows from the ATS Technica building; this building is wired with LED's all over the exterior.  People can queue up to plug in their iPod music  and then watch as the lights change to the music they have loaded in their electronics.

Lovely trio of two violins and a guitar for entertainment tonight in the lounge.  All repaired to bed early in preparation for the overnight cruise to Melk, AU, our destination for tomorrow.

Danube River Cruise - 5/4/14

I was up at 6:00 and out on deck at 6:30 to watch us dock at Regensburg.  A busy day ahead for our intrepid band of travelers.  After breakfast, we launched into a walking tour of the City of Regensburg.

Our young guide led us throughout the old town, adjacent to the dock. A walled city, controlled by free merchants and not beholden to any other than the Holy Roman Emperor. The oldest bridge on the Danube is in Regensburg, built around 1050, and connecting with Bavaria.  The architecture is Gothic and not so much baroque as appears in other cities.  this is due mostly to the point that economic troubles hit the city in the early 16th century, and they could not afford to modernize the buildings. Therefore the structures remained the same, fortunate now, but disconcerting then.

We ended the walk and then a group of us stopped at the famous sausage restaurant at the foot of the bridge.  Legend has it that this restaurant served sausage to the workers who built the bridge.  All they serve is sausages (small ones) a sweet flavored sauerkraut, bread rolls, and homemade sweet mustard.  All washed down with local beer. The lunch was delicious.

We then rushed back to the ship to catch the afternoon tour bus to the Weltenburg benedictine monastery and a trip down the gorge of the Danube via ferry.  The monastery church was very plain looking on the outside, but inside it was a true treasure.  We had an American guide, who married a German woman, take us through the church and then explain each allegorical element of the decoration and architecture of the church.  Most interesting.

The gorge boat ride was fun and restful although one of our band took a dive up some steps and will definitely show some bruising.  Beer and ice cream on board the ferry.  Then back to the bus for the ride to the Liberation Monument, created in 1850 by King Leopold I to commemorate the victories over Napoleon and unification of Germany. Then, back on the bus and to the ship, arriving at 6:30, just in time for the evening lecture and dinner.

Dinner was very good, with lamb, St. Pierre fish (John Dory) or a vegan meal.  Afterwards to the lounge for a quartet of close harmony singers.  Deb bought the CD and Mark, Don and Ann closed the bar at 11:30.  A long day and overnight sail to arrive at Passau on Monday.

Danube River Cruise - 5/3/14

Nice night's sleep. I am up at 6:00. Showered and up to the lounge deck for coffee. Deb and I meet for breakfast in the dining room at 8:00, before leaving for the Nuremberg medieval tour at 9:30.

The tour was led by a woman from Saginaw, MI, who has married a German citizen and now lives in Nuremberg. She graduated with a degree in European History and was the smoothest and most knowledgable tour guide I have ever heard.  The City of Nuremberg was a major industrial power in the medieval era (1050 - 1550) and was a walled city of approximately 40,000 people.  The original walls are mostly still intact and the castle hill was very well defended.  We walked for an hour and one-half, covered a lot of ground, and returned to the ship at 12:15.  We departed port at precisely 12:30, being the first in a line of seven cruise ships to take off, and therefore the first to begin the series of locks leading to the continental divide. It was an enjoyable day of cruising, capped by a decent, but non-memorable meal. 

We were back in cabin by 9:30, I to sleep, and Deb to read, although she may have stayed up a little late.  We sailed all night, docking in Regensburg, DE on Sunday morning at 6:30 AM.

Danube River Cruise - 5/2/14

Up at 4:50 to shower and prep for today's trip via bus to Nuremberg in Germany for boarding the river boat and beginning the cruise down the Danube. Our bus departed promptly at 8:30, heading for Germany with a stop in Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) CZ. This resort and hot springs spa has been a popular spot for centuries.  The town area is stretched along a gorge bordering the river and hot springs.  All shopping and tourist spot, with many hotels, particularly popular with Russian tourists.  We stopped for about an hour and one-half. Deb and I walked back to the bus parking lot, thinking perhaps we were lost (others took the shuttle.) We did get back and left for Nuremberg just as the rain started.

We arrived at Nuremberg pier at 4:40, just as the rain stopped and the sun came out.  We boarded the boat and settled in.  A very good dinner after our orientation meeting.  Our cabin is on the lowest deck, but is essentially the same layout as the upper decks.  The major difference is the lack of large windows in our cabin.

After dinner, Deb repaired to the cabin to read.  Don, Ann and I went to the lounge to listen to the singer.  In bed by 10:45.