Danube Waltz

October 21-28, 2018

The adventure begins!

We couldn't wait to get started on our cruise down the beautiful Danube River. The Danube River is located in central and southeast Europe, flowing 1,725 miles from southern Germany to the Black Sea, running through or forming a part of the border for 10 countries. We traveled to five of those countries (Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary), with stops at charming historic towns and cities all along the way.

Don, Sandy, and Bill just couldn't wait to board the plane!

First stop - Amsterdam - where we were able to find some "must have" souvenirs while we waited for our connecting flight to Germany. 

Next, it was on to Munich, where we spent mere minutes as we awaited our bus to Passau - and our ultimate destination - the Viking Legend.

The Viking Legend - our home for the next 7 days.

All Aboard!

We passed off the muster drill with flying colors.

Ship Tour
This little 'slow boat' carried 188 passengers with a crew of 45. We had a restaurant, library, deck, atrium, sun deck (brrrrr) to take in the fresh air, and French balconies in our rooms. The best part about river cruises is that at each port you walk right off the ship into the city centers.

Whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner...it was yum, yum, yum.

Our waiter, Ruan, took really good care of us!

And there were even a few times when we could actually enjoy the beautiful passing scenery out on deck!

Passau, Germany

Our port tour began in Passau. This is one of Bavaria's oldest cities (founded by the Celts more than 2,000 years ago!) It is know as the "City of Three Rivers," because it rests at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. Passau is also where two nations meet; it is here that the German-Austrian border begins. 

We all enjoyed our stroll around this beautiful and historic town...

Our twin coats kept us toasty warm.

There are nearly 100 churches in this tiny town. We visited one - the ornate St. Stephen's Cathedral with its 17,000 pipe-organ, the largest church organ in Europe. It was here that Liszt was inspired to write his "Hungarian Coronation Mass". And, yes, we were lucky enough to hear an organ concert on this magnificent instrument.

Back on board, it was Apple Strudel making time with Chef Mihai.

Though the strudel was very tasty, the steps for making it were way too complicated and complex for our liking! In other words, we have absolutely no plans of ever making this strudel any time soon!!

Locks on the Danube River

Locks are used to enable vessels to overcome the differences in height along the river and consist of one or more (usually two) chambers. We passed through 19 locks on our journey down the Danube. Don documented one (for our record).

Because of these locks, the impossible is now possible.

The next morning, our ship docked in...

 Linz, Austria

The childhood home of Adolph Hitler, Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and the capital of the state of Upper Austria. 

Approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) north lies the Czech border and the town of...

 Česky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Český Krumlov feels like it came right out of a fairy tale from the Middle Ages - quaint houses, a grand castle, and a meandering river.

  

The centerpiece of the town is its castle. 

 One of the most amazing bird's eye views of the town is right within the castle grounds.

Back down in town, we "strolled", visited the shops, ate schnitzel and potato salad, and "strolled" some more.

The gingerbread was delicious, BTW. 

 Wachau Valley

The Wachau Valley, where the Danube River makes its way toward Vienna, is blanketed with vineyards, forests, castle ruins, and cute villages. This is probably as pretty as river valleys come!

 

When on a river cruise, you never know what surprises might await you ashore. This interesting statue is on the Danube River in the Wachau Valley near Durnstein where, during the 12th century, Richard the Lionhearted was held captive here for ransom during the crusades.

And then there was "the nose"!

Welcome to...

Krems, Austria

The next day, we docked in Krems, the oldest town in Lower Austria. At one time, Krems was even more important than Vienna - because of its iron, grain, salt, and wine trade. 

Krems is known as one of the prettiest towns in the Wachau Valley. The Old Town looks just like it must have looked in the 18th-century. Charming - but you must always keep one eye on the cobblestoned streets, lest they trip you up. 

On the hilltop overlooking the splendid Wachau Valley and the Danube River is the...

Gottweig Abbey

This has been a working monastery for more than 900 years! Approximately 40 monks currently live at the abbey where they not only worship and hold retreats, but also care for an apricot vineyard and produce "all things apricot" that are available for purchase in their gift shop. Well, it's mostly wine and schnapps, but we did find juice and jam, as well. 

Before our tour, however, we enjoyed a tasty meal in the restaurant. 

A restaurant with a view!

This is how the birds see the Abbey.

This is how the tourists see the Abbey.

Before leaving the Abbey, we attended a cooking class where we learned how to make MARILLENKNÖDEL (Apricot Dumplings).

Go Sandy! Go!

Dinner that night was "A Taste of Austria" featuring local Austrian favorites.

This was followed by a tour of the galley.

The next morning, the Viking Legend arrived in 
Vienna, Austria
Renowned as the "City of Waltzes," Austria's capital city is Europe's center of classical music. Strauss, Beethoven, and Mozart composed many of their finest pieces here. 

After breakfast, we set out on our "Essential Overview of the City of Waltzes" coach and walking tour.

Let the walking tour begin...
Hofburg Palace

 Along the streets of Vienna...

Both of these creations were made out of chocolate!

The chocolates we bought may not have been as fancy, but they were probably just as delicious!

After all, you can't go wrong with Mozart!

They were getting ready for Christmas.

This is what it will look like in a few weeks.


St. Stephen's Cathedral
Located in the center of the city, St. Stephen's, with its Gothic architecture, is the most important religious building in Vienna. 

That evening we watched "The Sound of Music" in honor of our stay in Austria.

The next morning we woke up in

Bratislava, Slovakia

WHO KNEW?!

This charming city (called 'The Beauty on the Danube') is the only national capital that borders two other countries, Austria and Hungary. 

Charming. Enchanting. A Hidden Gem.

We drove up to Bratislava Castle.

The castle provides excellent views of Bratislava, Austria and, in clear weather, parts of Hungary. For us, two unfortunate-lies - the weather wasn't that clear and the French President was visiting that day so we weren't allowed inside. I know. Who knew?!

We then descended the mighty hill to the Old Town...

Bratislava used to be protected by city walls and 
St. Michael’s Gate
 was one of the four entrances into the city on the perimeter. The gate was built in the 14th century and is the oldest building in the town.

Bratislava has been called “a town of fountains”. Here are two of those fountains.

You will find several statues around Old Town. 

Yes, we did 💜 Bratislava!

When it came to shopping, the puppets were cute, but we went for the chocolate!

We had a great guide. Him. ↓

 Not him. ↓

And lastly,

Budapest, Hungary

Home to 1.7 million people, Budapest spans both side of the Danube River - historic Buda on the east bank and cosmopolitan Pest (pronounced "Pesht") on the the west. 

Budapest is often called  "Little Paris of Middle Europe" and/or "The Queen of the Danube". 

Let the tour begin...

The Chain Bridge is one of Budapest's most famous landmarks. The magnificent suspension bridge was built in the nineteenth century across the river Danube to connect Pest with Buda, at the time still separate cities.

Parliament House

Officially known as the Church of Our Lady, the Matthias Church is one of Budapest's most important churches. Many of Hungary's kings were coronated here and the church is home to important tombs and ecclesiastical treasures.

Meanwhile, down in the Pest side of Budapest...

Harry Houdini was born on March 24, 1874 in Budpest, Hungary, with the name of Ehrich Weisz.

Hence, this museum in his honor.

The House of Houdini would have been a fun place to visit. 

But, there were other things to see...

 

 

An option, for sure...

Heroes Square

 The Széchenyi fürdő (Széchenyi Bath) - one of the famous Turkish Baths.

All that sight seeing made us hungry!

With our tummies full, we were ready for more exploration...

Peter Falk's Colombo statue was a unique surprise.

The Shoes on the Danube Promenade

We walked by the Shoes on the Danube Memorial, near where our ship was docked. The memorial honors Hungarian Jews who, during World War II, were ordered to take off their shoes and stand at the edge of the water so that when they were shot, their bodies would fall into the icy river. The memorial consists of iron sculptures of 60 randomly placed pairs of shoes in the style of that era attached to the stone wall. This was truly a sad and touching memorial.

 

The Last Supper

With the Budapest lights as a backdrop, we enjoyed our final meal on board the Viking Legend. 

  

And just like that...
it was over.

But as they say...

So, thanks for the memories, Bill and Sandy.
We had a wonderful adventure!