Leaving the River

We are sharing the final segment of the river portion of our European trip  on our Living Richly in Retirement online journal. We appreciate everyone who has read and commented. 

Entering Austria, our first stop was in the pretty little touristy town of Melk, home of the iconic Benedictine Melk Abbey. 

Formerly a royal palace with lavish baroque architecture, it features beautifully adorned marble statues and fresco-covered walls. Perched above the Danube River, it provided beautiful photo opportunities. The abbey continues to function as a monastery for Benedictine monks and hosts a monastery school for 700 students. For us, the most fascinating aspect of the tour was the reusable casket. At one point in the Abbey’s history, a body would be placed inside the casket and transported to the cemetery. Following the funeral service, a trap door would be released, causing the body to drop into the grave. This casket would be utilized again.

At this point, we have seen and heard all we care about castles, cathedrals, abbeys and architecture.

Continuing down the river, through Wachau Valley

to a wine tasting at Winzer Krems winery.

And then we arrived in Vienna. Our first impression was another ancient architectural city flooded with tourists. However, during our free time we ventured out of the busy inner city into other areas. Strolling through a city park we encountered masses of school children. Inquiring from a local, we learned that it was the first day of the last week of school, which is a week of daily excursions. About two miles from our ship we found Hundertwasser Village, 

a former car tire factory converted into an apartment building using the concepts of artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Unfortunately, at the time, we were not aware that we could tour the inside. 

Heading back to the ship, a traditional Vienna coffeehouse got our attention so we stopped for Austria's national dessert,  Sachertote and  a cup of coffee in a traditional Vienna coffeeshop.

Having purchased the optional excursion to a classical concert, we were expecting to be entertained with beautiful music in one of the grand concert halls. Instead, we found ourselves bussed to the House of Strauss, where the highly respected Johann Strauss once performed his masterpieces. 

That was impressive, but more so was twenty-year-old Alma Deutscher, a former child prodigy who composed her first full-length opera at age 10. As she conducted the small orchestra, she also played a few of her pieces, including a movement from the Violin Concerto which she composed at age 9 and our favorite, The Waltz of the Sirens, worth checking out on YouTube

Our 2-week and 4 countries, our river cruise comes to an end in Budapest, Hungary.

After a bus trip around the city, we visited yet another church. With its colorful mosaic roofs and outstanding views, Mathias Church Buda Castle was a bit more interesting than some of the others. 

Saying good-bye to our new friends and the fabulous crew of the Gymir we board a bus for a few days Prague, Czech Republic before heading home.

When asked if we would recommend the Viking Grand European  River Cruise, it depends on the type of travel one enjoys. For us it was what we wanted at this stage in our lives. A snapshot of many different villages and cities, free of planning and decision making. The accommodations and crew were outstanding.

As always, the one thing that makes travel rewarding for us is the people we meet. Everyone has a story. We would love to share some of the interesting stories with you and answer any questions, maybe over a glass of wine.

Rolling on the River, Part 3

Thank for joining us as we continue our European Cruise. As we mentioned earlier, this is our travel journal. We tried to keep it short but you might find it a bit lengthy. 

Leaving Würzburg, we continued toward the lovely town of Bamberg, one of the few German towns not destroyed by WWII bombings. 

We could not leave town without trying rauchbier bier, which is made and served only in Bamberg. Often described as bacon beer as it initially has a heavy smoke flavor that mellows with each zip. At first we were not too fond of it but by the time we finished our pint we rather enjoyed it. 

Moving on down the river canal through more locks, our next stop was Nuremberg, which played an important role in the Nazi regime and was the site of the Nuremberg Trials following WW II. It is a rather large city which necessitated a bus tour to see the many historical sites. 

After the bus tour we followed our guide through the old part of town. Nearly destroyed in the war, the medieval and Roman relics were rebuilt, mostly using stones that could be salvaged. 

Albrecht Duer House and Museum

Want to know what happened to all the rubble from the bombings? It was piled up to form hills and covered with soil and grass.

You may be familiar with German gingerbread known as Lebkuchen. Quite different than the gingerbread we make at home, it is the pride of Nuremberg. 

We skipped the Regensburg tour to take the optional excursion to Munich, which we found a bit disappointing. After a two hour bus ride, stopping at BMW World 

for a restroom break and tour of the show room, we continued on the bus to see places of interest. Unfortunately we saw the 1972 Olympic complex and other historical places through the bus windows. Disembarking from the bus, a tour guide led us through the old town, pointing out the many medieval and Roman buildings that were rebuilt after the war. As it happened, it was a national holiday celebrating Corpus Christi. (A religious day in the Catholic Church that commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples.) We observed an enormous procession following the archbishop to the cathedral for the service. 

Video of the Procession

Following the walking tour, we had a substantial lunch at the Ratskeller restaurant.

The best part was the mustard
served with the pretzels

It was a traditional lunch of meatloaf wrapped with cabbage, with mashed potatoes and apple strudel for desert. 

We had 3 hours to explore on our own. Due to the national holiday, all the shops, museums and points of interest were closed. However the restaurants and bars were open. Tiring after aimlessly walking around, we stopped for ice cream to have a break,  after walking some more we stopped for a beer. Due to the heavy lunch we did not need or want more food but due to all the cigarette smoking in the outdoor spaces,  we needed to buy refreshments so we could take a rest and smoking is not allowed inside. A 2-3 hour bus ride back to the ship left us pretty much exhausted.

Stopping in Passau the following day made up for the disappointing Munich excursion. 

Our guide for the morning tour was Francis, a local law student formerly from Amsterdam. Having spent some time in the UK his English was excellent. We found it interesting that the the law schools are government run. If one passes the entrance test their 8-years of tuition is paid for by the government. 

As Francis led us through the charming little alleys 

                                                

and historical landmarks, he did so with a bit of humor injected into his narrative. 

St. Stephen Cathedral, home to the largest cathedral organ in the world, with 17,974 organ pipes. Many of the pipes were being repaired at the time of our visit, but we did hear a brief concert.

Taking the suggestion from our ship steward, Suzy, we did a bit of shopping and had gelato for lunch.

Of course, ABN bought a hat.

After lunch, a shuttle took us to Oberhaus, a fortress that overlooked the town and 

where we could take great photos. 

Passau was worth the 12,000 plus steps calculated on our smart watches. Of all the places we have visited these past 8 days in Germany, Passau rates near, if not at he top. 

Back on board, we were treated to a Taste of Germany Dinner, after which we joined friends
in the lounge for a lively evening with our talented pianist, Bistra and program director, Gavin as they performed dance tunes.

Gute Nacht from Germany. Tomorrow we will wake up in Austria.

Cruising on the Rhine

Thanks to all of you who read our last post and for all your comments. We hope for some of you we are bringing back fond memories of your travels. And for others, we wish to inspire you to get up and go. We are now in Day 8.

Leaving Koblenz, Germany we continued down the Rhine River, past the Lorelei Rock where legend has it many a sailor lost their lives to the beautiful maiden Lorelei who distracted them with her lovely voice. 

As we entered the Upper Middle Rhine we enjoyed a picturesque two hour panorama of storybook villages, castles and 

steep vineyards where the grapes are still harvested by hand. 

Leaving the Rhine River, we continue our journey on The Main River, through several locks to the lovely town of Miltenberg. We were greeted by a rain shower when we arrived. While it was a bit inconvenient, it was also welcomed as the rain raised the water level which meant we would not need to be bused to our next location. 

Stumbling Stones

It was a brief shower and we were able to enjoy the tour of the little Bavarian town with cobblestone streets, flower boxes and traditional houses. It is one of the few towns in Germany that did not need to be rebuilt after World War II. However it did not escape the horrors of the Nazi regime. We were introduced to the stumbling stones that are found though out Europe. These brass plates are placed in city streets and sidewalks to commemorate the lives that were lost in the Holocaust. 

Our guide told us of a more recent incident in which a group of Neo-Nazis came to Miltenberg for a rally. The citizens were not pleased but because of their freedom of speech laws could do nothing to stop it. Not to be deterred, the priest of the nearby Catholic Church rang the very loud church bells so they could not be heard. After about 45 minutes they gave up and left town.

We took the opportunity to join our Idaho friends for a pint of
Faust Beer at the oldest brewery in the Rhine-Main area founded by the Faust family in 1654. Four generations later, the brewery is still owned by the Faust family.

Our next stop was Würzburg, a modern city with the typical shopping area with stores much like those we find at home. After walking around a bit, we stopped on the popular Alte Mainbrücke  (Old Main Bridge) to take photos and enjoy a glass of wine.

We continue to be amazed with the Viking Crew. Our cabin steward, Suzy, is from Romania and is always cheerful as she keeps our room tidy.  She said she has been with Viking for five years, working 9 months of the year with a 3 month break in the winter. On her days off she visits the port cities.

53 year old Art who serves in the lounge cafe, has been with Viking for 13 years and said he has done the Around the World tour three times. He shared that the staff can join any of the excursions on their off days. What a great job for the young and adventurous souls!

As we continue down the Main River—through a total of 34 locks, we will soon merge with the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. Our next stop is Bamberg, Germany.

Let’s catch up!

As we mentioned in our last post, we are taking a few weeks to do some exploring in Europe. As this is our journal, the posts may be a bit lengthy. 

Our luggage for 3-weeks

After an over night flight we arrived in Amsterdam five days ago.  

Typical streets in Amsterdam. Bicycles are quite popular for transportation.

Having recovered from jet lag we are enjoying a cruise to Budapest.

Stopping briefly in the UNESCO city, Kinderdijk, Netherlands, we toured the famous windmills. It is difficult to imagine a family of 15 living in one windmill.

  

Kinderdijk is also the home of The Cat in the Cradle legend.

"According to legend, the Saint Elizabeth’s Flood of 1421 ravished the land around Kinderdijk and drowned up to 10,000 people. The following day, an infant girl was found drifting in a crib. The baby had remained afloat by the tireless efforts of a cat jumping back and forth to keep the cradle balanced. The story became a popular Dutch fairytale. And the village was named Kinderdijk meaning children’s dike." Encircle Photos

Next a brief stop and short walking tour in Cologne, the 4th largest city in Germany. 90% of the city was destroyed in WWII. The 14th century cathedral was one of the few structures spared by the Allies. 

And then on to Koblenz, Germany, another UNESCO city with a sobering Holocaust history. After a brief stop and walking tour we are back on the ship, cruising past the picturesque forests, vineyards and castles on the Middle Rhine.

Freudenburg

Currently we are cruising through 35 locks on the Main River toward Austria.

As much as we are enjoying the sites, it is the people we are meeting that makes this an incredible trip. The Viking crew is taking very good care of us and we are making new friends from around the world. 

The local tour guides have made the Holocaust and WWII feel real. Although they were not yet born, they have heard the stories and read the accounts from their grandparents. Fifty one year old Ralph in Cologne expressed sincere gratitude for the Allied Forces that freed them from fascism. He wants his 6 and 9 year old daughters to never forget and plans to take them to Auschwitz when they are 16 so they can feel the emotions.

Thomas led our tour in Koblenz. He emphasized the unification of Germany in 1990, stating they learned a valuable lesson of hatred and is pleased they are now friends with France. 

We still have a lot of friends yet to meet as there are about 200 folks on board. Sixteen are from Canada, 38 from Australia and the rest are mostly from the U.S. The crew come from various countries including Romania, Philipines, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic to name a few. 

More later but for now we are off to the lounge for an informational meeting.