Budapest

The official last day of our River cruise.  We again woke up to a glorious morning and as we rounded a bend on the Danube there stood the Margaret Bridge and the Parliament .

After all of their strife the last in the last 50 years of their life, Hungary has now joined the EU in 2008.  With the help of the EU they have been able to start their rebuilding and restructing their country.  It is most impressive .

After their independence from communism, they have had a long way to go and the country has taken full advantage of capitalism and free trade.

Budapest is on both sides of the Danube- Buda on one side where it is  hilly and the older part of the area and the home of the Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion, the Citadel, to name a few. This is also the area of the spas-Gellert's ( one of the most famous spas). There are under ground caves everywhere in this area.  Pest on the other side is where the largest functioning synagogue in Europe is located in the Jewish quarter.  This is also where the US Embassy is and a beautiful park with  statue of President Ronal Reagan. There is also a very small memorial obelisk  to remember the Russians and it is surrounded by large trees.  Very hard to see.

And of course the shopping streets!!

Buda on the left-Pest on the right

St. Stephens

Look at the roof! Gorgeous!

Ronald Reagan and the girls

After a wonderful lunch at Tigre and another bottle of wine, aptly named URBAN, we strolled back to the ship for our final farewell.

This evening was special because it was John and Diane's 8th anniversary so we took the back dining area of the ship to have a final dinner with some friends we had met on the ship.

Diane and John

John and Dennia from Rancho Santa Fe

Connie and Ken Heiberger from Ohio

Karen and Tony Hoffusau

After dinner there was a night cruise up and down the Danube to see the lights.  

SPECTACULAR!!!

WHAT A WAY TO LEAVE, WHICH WAS DEPART AT 3:30AM.

Bratislava and off to Budapest

Arriving in Bratislava we awoke to a beautiful morning.  The ship was parked in the docks by town, so we didn't have to take buses or the choo-choo train into town.  Bratislava is the capitol of Slovakia and is often referred to the "Beauty on the Danube" because it has been influenced by so many people of different religions and nations. In 1993 the Slovak Republic was formed and foreign investments moved in and put the city on the map.
Another piece of trivia, the 3 capitols of 3 different countries are in a triangle and close proximity to each other- Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. ( Less than 3 hours time driving)

Bratislava repainted many of their buildings in an effort to shed the greyness of the Communist era. To lighten the mood quirky statues are placed in the historic center, such as:

CUMIL- is he resting or looking up skirts?

Napoleon's Soldier

After a quick lunch on the plaza we went to the SKY Bar which is next door the US EMBASSY and a beautiful view of the city. They have also built a beautiful modern shopping center on the Danube which is filled with all the stores and more statues.

Off to Budapest and the last lock of our cruise.  Unfortunately we missed this one because we went through it in the middle of the night.  Suppose to be biggest we did, close to 100 feet.

Wachau, Durnstein and Vienna

After our tour of the Abbey in Melk, we boarded the ship and cruised down the Wachau Valley which is one of the most beautiful area of Austria.  Besides of the cultural heritage you have the beautiful vineyards growing on the hills and apricot trees.
There are only 4 castles on the Wachau Gorge and the most famous is in Durnstein where Richard the Lionheart of England was imprisoned.  He apparently insulted Leopold V,  the Duke of Babenberg during the crusades  and on his way back to England he had to go through Austria.  He dressed as a peasant but he paid for his food with an English coin-off to the castle for you- you English cad!!  He only stayed for a couple of months because he had to get home and be with Robin Hood!!!
Durnstein is called the "Pearl of the Wachau" and it is quite a beautiful village. The monastic church has a blue facade and the whole area takes on the hue of  the Blue Danube. 

Where is Robin Hood?

Now we are off to Vienna.  Unfortunately it is a Sunday when we arrive so all the shops are closed and the museums are open  for only scheduled tours.  We took a drive around the city-on the Ringstrasse, did a short walk through the downtown area, off to the Spanish Riding School with the Lippanzers, which was very special.  We had front row seats and those horses are magnificent!!!

Off to Lunch at DO+CO for lunch.  This a a hotel in the middle of the platz (Plaza) and it has round windows on the 7th floor overlooking St. Stephens Church and the area.  Great View!

After lunch we did a  leisurely stroll though the city streets to the canal of the Danube and to get ready for an early dinner and then a concert in the evening of Mozart and Strauss at the Palais Auersperg.  This was presented by the Vienna Residence Orchestra. During the concert we had ballet dancers, opera singers and waltzers!! It was a most enjoyable evening because of not only the music and entertainment but the musicians were having so much fun during the performance. Laughing and joking with one another.

Back to the ship for Goulash, hotdogs and desserts.

Into Slovakia tomorrow- Beats me where Bratislava is.  Used to be part of Czechoslovakia but gained freedom in 1993 from the communists.  Part of the "Velvet Revolution".

Melk

Saturday the 16th- it must be Melk. We arrived this am in time to go to the  Abbey of the Benedictine Monks.  This Abbey is still used today as a church and a school.  There are 800 students here from 10 to 18  years of age, I guess you could say the school is semi-private.
The Abbey has been rebuilt several times and the last time was after Napoleon left the area.  He burned his papers and part of the structure.

It has been preserved quite well and the marvel of touring is the introduction of TV's to tell the story of the Abbey.  The Melk Cross was made in 1362 and was inlaid with jewels.  The library was very grand with as many of the original books.  They even have hidden doors through the bookcases where the monks could go to read with the sunlight. Unfortunately, no photos. 

The ABBEY

The Church

View from the Gardens

The courtyard

The Melk Cross

The Fresco in the Church - again painted on a flat ceiling

The Charming town of Melk

Pharmacy stop

Regensburg, Weltenburg Danube Gorge, Passau and Salzburg

Regensburg is a small medieval city on the Danube and the home of Germany's oldest sausage restaurant..It is a quaint little town dominated by the church with the twin spirals.  Today was Ascension Day so all the stores are closed and also Father's Day.  The little town was packed and for this holiday from Thursday to Sunday people are on vacation.  Lots of beer drinking and festivals. It was also  quite interesting to see so many people 

in the traditional Bavarian outfits, especially the young me wearing their Lederhosens. . Lots of fun. 

The largest employers in Regensburg is BMW and the University.  It used to be the home of the Messerschmitts ( airplanes).  Now the town is referred to as Laptops and Lederhosens.

Sausage- oldest restaurant in Germany

Lederhosens

From Regensburg we boarded our deluxe motor coaches for an hour and half ride to a ferry to go down the Danube Gorge for Kelheim to Weltenburg  to see the Kloster Monastery.  I do believe every German in the area was on this trip on the ferry ( where we had to sit inside and couldn't see the Gorge ( which was rocks anyway!) or in the river and they were having a blast.  One group had a homemade float with not only their coolers for beer, but music and a cover for the sun.  Once we got off the ferry it was a chaotic mess but we finally trugded our way to the Monastery where  the brothers Assam had built their masterpiece. It was done in gold leaf and frescos and quite beautiful!!

The ceiling looks like a cupola but is actually flat. Our guide in the church was a riot, she said it was hell today being in the church!!

Half of the German population

St. George He is done in silver

The Fresco on a flat surface

From here back on the buses to Liberation Hall.  This is a new building to celebrate the Liberation of the nations in the 1800's and the view is spectacular view.

After a pretzel and a beer we were off to the buses where Julie ran into a friend of hers from Sugarland.  She was on Viking!! Such fun!

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Nuremberg and the Continental Divide

Wednesday the 13th we docked in Nuremberg early in the am.  For our tour we did the ring around the city by motor coach ( BUS!!).  Julie, Diane and myself have had enough of castles and churches so we went shopping which was right in the middle of town and it was charming.  The stores are like any other major city and they were having street markets everywhere.  We really did not have a lot of time in the city because one if the highlights of this cruise is crossing the Continental Divide where you go through 3 locks that are 81 feet deep!!

  In the afternoon there was a lecture about the locks and how they were made by a Dr. Urban.

Dr. Urban said he had no relatives in Carrizo Springs, Texas that he knew of.   
Through the locks we go!

This is the marker for the Continental Divide

Today is Regensburg and the Danube River and the Gorge.
More to follow! The unfortunate happening today is Ascension Day, a Catholic holiday so all the stores are closed! But the town looks beautiful from the River.