Back in July, we got word from our sister-in-law, Cindy, that Grand Circle Travel (the company that we’ve traveled with in the past) was offering free airfare for a trip that we’ve all been interested in taking. Old World Prague & the Blue Danube will give us an opportunity to explore more of Budapest and then take us to many new places.

I was very amused to see that the ship that we’ll be on, the M/S River Adagio, is the same ship that we were on when we did the cruise from Bucharest to Budapest in 2011. In fact, we will be in the same cabin we had been in on that trip. At least there’s a chance we won’t lose our way back to the cabin if we have too much wine at dinner. (**grin** Those that know me know this is kind of impossible since I don’t like wine.)

Doesn’t look like it will be too crowded this trip. The ship’s capacity is 164 and the information they sent us indicate that there will be 140 on board plus the crew of 38.

Grand Circle has made a few changes. There is complimentary wireless internet access in the public areas but connectivity will depend on where we are. They are also now including beer, wine, and soft drinks during meals which will be nice. Also, they are including the gratuities for the local guides and motorcoach drivers which we had to cover in the past.

So, all in all, it looks to be a nice trip. Included are 8 nights on the ship; 3 nights in a hotel in Prague; most of the meals; 7 included tours (Budapest • Bratislava • Vienna • Durnstein • Melk Abbey • Cesky Krumlov • Prague Old Town)--although we’ll skip the one in Budapest since we’ve been there a few times; and a visit to a school and a home-hosted visit, both in Bratislava).

Preliminary ideas of things we hope to see and/or do: a couple of walking tours in Pest that hopefully will include the history of communism and the Jewish District; armour museums in Vienna & Prague; and I really, really hope we might get to see the Lipizzaners in Vienna. We shall see what we shall see, of course.

So, watch this space over the next couple of weeks and I hope to keep up with my travelogue as I have done in the past.

Time to start a new adventure (written 4 November)

Travels with Shava/Sue

8 November - 20 November. 2015

Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Prague, and more

Itinerary• 8 November - Depart for

Budapest• 9 November - Arrive in

Budapest• 10 November - Budapest• 11 November - Budapest and

the Danube Bend • 12 November - Bratislava with

school & home-hosted visits• 13-14 November - Vienna• 15 November - Durnstein,

Wachau Valley, and the Melk Abbey

• 16 November - Linz• 17 November - Linz to Cesky

Krumlov to Prague• 18-19 Novmeber - Prague• 20 November - Depart Prague

Grand Circle Travel: Old World Prague & the Blue Danube

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Old World Prague Travelogue

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And we are off on another adventure (hopefully still with a small “a”.)

I think that I’ve said this before, but I love going places and really do not necessarily enjoy traveling. This trip has once again proven that. As usual, we chose to fly out of Chicago which meant taking a bus from Madison to O’Hare. Our friend, Vick (our critter/house sitter again for this trip), was able to drive us to the bus stop. Timing was such that we had to leave the house about 11:15 to catch a plane that was due to depart at 17:05. (By the time we made it to the ship at 16:00, it was Monday and we’d been traveling for almost 22 hours on the road/in the sky.)

The bus was only a little late but got us to the International Terminal exactly on time. The line to check in was one of the slowest I’d ever encountered. (We were originally scheduled to leave around 16:00 — KLM with a change of planes in Amsterdam — was changed about 2 weeks ago to be Air France with a change in Paris. (The change wasn’t one that made me too happy because instead of one change of planes, they tried to route us through Detroit first and then to Amsterdam with ONLY 40 minutes to change planes in Detroit. Luckily, we had booked the air travel through Grand Circle and I appealed to their people to get it changed. We had to leave a bit later — less time in Budapest once we got here — but a decent interval between flights in Paris.)

We boarded in Chicago on time but were delayed taking off by about 40 minutes or so for a couple of reasons. Luckily, they made most of that up in the air and we still had about a 4 hour layover in Paris.

The flight was packed and there seemed to be even less room in the aisles and in the seat as on other flights, the food sucked, and I had a terrible time trying to sleep. I ended up watching 3 movies (a Lego Brickumentary [Story of Legos], Selma, and Inside Out) and may have gotten 2 hours of sleep (not consecutive hours, though). And the food sucked!! I think I got spoiled on Turkish airlines this past March. I won’t even describe the food (and those of you who know me know this is odd) and we will just move on from there.

The DeGaulle airport isn’t a bad place to hang out but since I didn’t get much sleep, it is not that memorable. Except that I wish I had been hungry (just cuz the food on the plane sucked [yes, I’ve said that three times now] doesn’t mean I didn’t eat) because the shops in the Paris airport had the most amazing looking breads and pastries.

The flight from Paris to Budapest was a bit nicer. A little more room. A bit quieter (both the engines and the other passengers). My only complaint there was they didn’t understand good service when it came to dealing with my walker. This is the first trip that I’ve tried bringing the walker along to give me a place to sit from time to time. I don’t need it for stability but my back

has gotten bad enough that I need to sit when I can. On the first flight, I was able to bring the walker all the way to the door of the plane and then they loaded it with the other pieces of luggage that wouldn’t fit inside (too many people carry too much in the way of carry-ons). The walker is then brought up like the strollers and other things that are gate-checked. This time I was told I had to leave the walker by the check-in counter and walk down the gangway without it. Granted, I’m more mobile than a lot of people that have walkers but I wasn’t too happy about that. Worse yet, when I asked, they said it would be waiting for me at the gate after we arrived but it wasn’t. It actually ended up on the carousel at baggage claim with the rest of the luggage. I think Air France is going to hear from me on that after we get home.

So, after all of that happening, it meant we were the last ones to catch up to the other passengers and the GCT representative. The airport is about a half hour from the city and the ride on the bus was uneventful.

We were pleased and a bit amused that the ship’s captain, Boris, is the same captain as was when we were on the M/S River Adagio when we took the Eastern Europe trip a few years ago AND he recognized us and greeted us with a great smile.

Settling in was easy and the shower was something that felt luxurious (even though it’s as small as they ever are). It was already dark out when I came up to hook into the WiFi and send an email to a tour company that we had set up an alternative tour with (more on that later). I went up on deck to enjoy the air and the feeling of the city at night. We were docked much further west than we have been before because it’s easier to get the buses near the ship here (on the Buda side). The ship was to move before lunch to the Pest side tomorrow (today, actually).

The introductory talk was around 18:30 and then dinner. We sat with Paul & Cindy along with their friends, Karen & Michael. The cold appetizer was melon with a proscuitto-style ham and the hot one was a seafood risotto. Ed and I both chose the filet of pike perch (the other entree’ option was braised beef — much too well done for my taste. Dessert choice was tiramisu (Ed’s choice) or a cheese plate (my choice). The cheese was the best part of dinner. Everything was tasty enough but I wasn’t seriously hungry and definitely really tired. Dinner conversation was nice.

I hit the bed almost immediately after dinner. Sleep came almost right away but I was up a few times (midnight, 2:00, 3:30, and finally around 5:00 I gave up, came down to the lounge to write for a while.

So, today, we’re off on anew adventure. We’re skipping the included tour and have set up a private tour to go to the Jewish Quarter and learn more about the Communist and post-Communist era.

From Madison to Chicago to Paris to Budapest

November 2015

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Sleep was elusive on the first night which didn’t really surprise me. We’re 7 hours ahead of home, and even as tired as I was, waking happened at midnight, 2:00, 3:30, and 5:00. At 5:00, I gave in to being awake and went to the lounge to write up the first couple of days. Writing took a while since this seems one of the most congenial groups that we’ve traveled with. I ended up some great conversations and scattered moments to write.

We had decided to forgo the GCT-planned activities since we have been to Budapest a number of times, I had contract a company called “Free Budapest Walking Tours”. It’s a small, indepentently owned tour company that either works on tips for their regular tours or will set up a private tour. I asked for a private tour that included two of their tours — The Jewish District and the Communism Walk. For 130 euros (plus 27% VAT) for 2-4 people, it was a great experience.

Described thusly: “Sights include: Dohany Street Neolog community synagogue (interior visit) Jewish museum (ex-Theodore Hertzl house), Heroes’ Temple, Emmanuel Tree, Carl Lutz memorial, Rumbach street Status Quo Ante community synagogue, Gozsdu Courtyard, the former center of the ghetto, Kazinczy (Orthodox community) Synagogue, Mikve and few art nouveau buildings of the neighborhood, Liberty square area with last standing Soviet War memorial, Nuclear Military Bunker, Living Memorial, World War II Memorial, Parliament area with 1956 Hungarian revolution memorials, revolution bullet halls. Tour focuses: Jewish Quarter history and architecture, Contemporary questions about Jewish people life. The political history, media, culture, religion, healthcare, propaganda, education, housing, daily life both Communism and post-Communism.”

We (Cindy & Paul decided to join us) caught a taxi from the ship since we were docked on the Buda side of the river far from the center of activity. For 10 euros, we were driven to the meeting place by the Grand Synagogue. Our guide, Anna, met us at 10:15 and we started out. Anna was well versed in everything that we covered. The pace was good for most of it for me (well, for the first 4 hours — we found my limit for walking, even with the walker) and was very comprehensive.

When we got to Anna’s favourite coffee shop, Ed joined her in a cup of Kosher coffee (we were in the Jewish District after all.) Too bad the rest of us don’t like or

Budapest: A Different View

Old World Prague Travelogue

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drink coffee but it was an interesting little shop. After a while (around 13:00), I asked if we could stop for a bite. She took us to a small, open-aired Jewish restaurant (remember that Jewish District thing?) We enjoyed some well-prepared knishes (I had lamb, Ed had goose), a hot dog covered with a lot of stuff (Paul & Cindy shared), and a dessert similar to hamentaschen but made with a potato dough (filled with a prune mixture). The food was tasty and reasonably priced.

Continuing the walk, we learned a lot more over the next several hours. We wanted to see the Terror House Museum (more later on that) but Paul & Cindy had gone there the last time we had sailed through this area. They had booked a tour of Parliement for 15:00 and Anna continued to show us interesting sites and teach us many things as she brought us close to the Parliement.

After they peeled off, Anna introduced us to using one of the city’s trams (Budapest has very good public transportation that includes trams, buses, and subway trains) which got us close to the Terror House Museum. I erred at this point and said I could walk the last bit — I should have agreed to catch a bus for the rest of the way.) She escorted us to the museum and we parted ways around 16:00.

The Terror House Museum was the site where the Arrow Cross (the Hungarian Nazi Party) (and other entities) had had their headquarters and historically a place that witnessed many atrocities. We opted out of the audio guide, which I kind of regretted later) and proceeded through the exhibits that included video clips, interviews, and artifacts from both the Nazi and the Soviet eras. There is no way that something like this is fun but it was a very interesting and powerful museum to experience.

We caught a taxi back to the area that the ship had moved to (it had been repositioned around lunchtime to the Pest side of the river, close to the Chain Bridge). For about $4.50, it was well worth this for I really was sore and hitting the wall in terms of being tired.

The ship was moored next to another cruise ship so that we had to enter the one next to the dock, take an elevator up to the next floor, then up some stairs to the top of that ship before we could cross over to ours. We made it back at 16:00, which just gave me time for a quick shower and change of clothes before the Captain’s welcome reception and dinner.

During the reception, wine or champagne or juice was served along with various canapes and we spoke with a couple from Colorado. The captan and the the hotel manager introduced all of the crew (except the night desk clerk) and one of the tour directors did the Port talk (an overview of what the next day would bring.)

Dinner was excellent but way too much food. GCT always goes all out for the Captain’s Welcome dinner and the Captain’s Farewell dinner which will be the last night we are on the ship. Starting out with 2 cold appetizers, a hot appetizer, and a palate cleanser, and continuing on to the entree’ (Ed and I both chose the veal — other option was tortellini), and finally dessert. Since the ship started moving down river to be in position to start the night cruise, we decided to forgo dessert and go up to the sundeck (after grabbing my camera).

Budapest truly shines at night. Almost all of the buildings along the river are illuminated and look wonderful as do the bridges crossing the water. It was a bt chilly but very clear and a pleasant way to spend an hour or so.

It was 22:00 by the time I made it back to the cabin. I was really sore and pretty tired so I took some painkillers and a muscle

relaxant and was soon down for the count. Morpheus did not disappoint me this night and I slept soundly with a full brain and belly.

The next day will be a half-day in Budapest and a leisurely sailing to Bratislava, Slovakia.

November 2015

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I have to admit that I am really regretting such a short time in Budapest. Maybe in the future of our adventures we might be able to spend an extra day or two at the beginning or an end of a trip.

I slept much better last night, getting up around 5:30 first and then again at 7:15. I went off to the dining room after dressing but wasn’t feeling particularly social, so I sat by myself with the tablet & keyboard to write up yesterday’s activities. When someone asked me if they could join me, I said “sure but I’m not really very awake so please excuse me if I’m uncommunicative.”

I tried to eat light and had a couple of eggs over easy, a bit of stewed fruit, and some cheese. I finally broke down for the breakfast special (crepe stuffed with cottage cheese & raisins.) Tasty but I really wasn’t that hungry. I wrote while I was eating.

Timing was good and I finished writing at 8:40 and the safety briefing was scheduled for 8:45. So, down to the cabin I went to get the life jacket and back to the lounge. The ship is required by law to have a drill before a ship can sail.

Ed and I took off for a tour of the Parliement building around 9:00 for a 9:45 tour. The building is so impressive and, though the tour wasn’t very long, it was worth the time to go there. I don’t think I’d recommend it to anyone on their first trip to Budapest but I’m glad we did go. The tour only goes through a few halls, including the central hall which holds the crown of the Hungarian kings. Pictures were allowed everywhere but the central hall and being such an impressive edifice there were many other places to take photos. The tour guide was decent and only rolled her eyes a few times having to accomadate me and the walker.

We walked back and had about 15 minutes to spare before the “all aboard” time. I am finding the walker to be a useful tool especially for my back but the more we walk the more I find I need it for support, too. This, unfortunately, is causing my shoulders to ache more than usual so, by time we made it to the ship, I was hurting a lot more than I liked. After consulting with Ed, we decided that I should book a massage. They had an opening about 13:45 but there was a concern that was during lunch. I didn’t care about lunch so booked a back massage and had some hot chocolate and a banana for lunch.

The masseuse was very good but realized how screwed up my back was. After a very relaxing 45 minutes, I definitely was more relaxed and in less pain. The masseuse suggested that I book a full Swedish massage later in the week so she can go further down into my hips and legs. She also suggested that I

try to drink a LOT more water.

It was only about 14:30 when I got back to the cabin, I decided a nap sounded better than hanging around up on deck watching the countryside as we sailed past. Around 16:00, there was anannouncement that we were approaching Visegard and we were going to sail past it soon. So, I got my shoes on, grabbed the camera, and went up on deck. The castle was of the old Hungarian kings and built in the 13th-century. It was getting dark and chilly so we came down to the lounge.

About two hours later, there was another announcement that we were approaching the city of Esztergom and the view of the Basilica. This was a beautiful sight, all lit up.

Another hour to relax and talk to people and we were at the time for the port talk about tomorrow in Bratislava, Solvakia.

Being Veteran’s Day, the bar served special drinks that were red, white, and blue and the musician played “God Bless America” and we all sang along.

We broke out of our bubble tonight for dinner and joined some new people for dinner. Ed was really on and they seemed very entertained by his stories. The goat cheese appetizer was wonderful, the soup was good, and the Pork Tenderloin

Wellington was very well prepared. Dessert was a special cake in honour of Veteran’s Day and was brought in with sparklers and music. And they didn’t cut the cakes (which were decorated like the American flag) until we sang the national anthem. The cake as as good as I expect in Europe. They do a much lighter/less sweet cake than we’re used to in the U.S.

After dinner entertainment is the “Liar’s Club”. Not my favourite thing but seems better than going to bed too early or reading or watching a movie in the cabin. (Even though “Sound of Music” is one of the movies available today.

Budapest and away — sailing up the Danube

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The night was good and sleep was deep. Awake first around 5:30 would have been fine but the next thing I knew it was 7:30. A light breakfast of a couple of eggs, English muffin, and a bit of fruit was plenty.

We were off to the buses by 9:00 and off to visit a school that the Grand Circle Foundation supports — United School of the Holy Family. It’s a Catholic school but is run with state money and teachers who are not with the church (no nuns or priests). The school was elementary and all the way through high school. The principal is very proactive about finding more support for the school than the state provides and is very much into information technology. Every classroom has a smart board which is amazing. The kids start learning English in 1st grade and some classes are taught only in English (4 days of the week they have mathematics and 1 of those days is taught in English by a teacher from Ohio.) Their third language is started usually in the 6th grade.

Our first stop in the school was a program of music with three parts. The first was 2nd, 3rd, and 6th graders singing some religious-based songs; then, the 5th graders did a couple of pieces with some of the kids playing instruments; and finally the 2nd graders doing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and a song about snowflakes. (Videos are linked on the last page of this document.)

Our second stop was a 1st grade classroom where the kids were working on mathematics. They sang “One Little Indian” and another song (see video at end). They also showed us how they used the smartboard to teach using games.

We came back to the ship to go the bathroom and such before embarking on an hour walking tour of the city centre. There are still a number of buildings that are more Baroque/Hapsburg period) but also many buildings left from the Soviets (“Social Realism”). It was an interesting walk at a reasonable pace.

Many of us decided to continue experiencing and exploring while others went back to the ship. We continued to explore. Paul & Cindy decided to go back to get jackets (it was chilly

and windy even though it was supposed to get up to 60F) and I asked them to bring back my fleece vest. Ed & I went to a nice place that had many, many kinds of cakes. I had some herbal tea while Ed had a local beer (Slovakians like beer better than wine) and we shared a piece of poppy seed/cherry streudle. It was dense and rich and hit the spot.

We wandered around the city for another hour or so, skipping lunch, and I was hurting pretty badly on our way back but I’m glad we did it. It was pleasant to wander around this capital city for a while.

Bratislava — Schools, a home, & history

November 2015

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Sore as I was, I wasn’t going to miss the next activity — the home-hosted visit. This is the activity that I love and find that GCT does very well. They find hosts that speak English and are willing & interested to bring Americans into their homes, converse with them and answer questions on pretty much whatever topic the visitors are interested in. GCT, in this case, advertised in the local newspaper for interested people and then selected those with reasonably good English. In the past, at other home-hosted visits we’ve been on, they’ve broken the group into largish groups--8-10 of us. This time, our group was only 5 of us (Paul & Cindy, Joan [a retired speech pathologist from Florida], and Ed & me). Our hostess, Ivana, was well-educated and well-spoken. She was very prepared for us and, after giving us a tour of her whole apartment, showed us a short video (link on last page of this document) that showed us about more of Slovakia. She also had a number of pamphlets about different aspects of Slovakian life and culture. She showed us maps and we discussed agriculture, manufacturing, religion, living conditions, the dfferences of life during Communism and post-communism for both the urban dwellers and the rural folk. We had over an hour and a half with her and it was very informative and enjoyable.

Ivana gave us a couple of gifts, different kind of cookies, and we exchanged e-mail addresses. Good-byes were said with hugs before we were picked up by Kryztoph and the bus. All in all, it was a lovely visit and we came away with a greater understanding of the Slovak people and culture.

Back to the ship, I was still sore ad a little tired but I showered and changed before going to the lounge for the port talk. I wrote while others chatted around me about their day. It was nice and relaxing.

Dinner was quite good (shrimp salad, corn chowder, and a lovely piece of beef that was actually rare enough for me [they actually understand “blue”]). I skipped dessert, though I heard

it was an excellent apple crumble, because tonight’s entertainment is a group of Slovakian folk dancers and I wanted a good seat so I can video the performance.

Ed needed some more exercise, since he’s been working hard to stay at my pace, so he skipped dessert and ran back to the grocery store in town and found some local beer and a couple of mixes (potato seasoning that says it’s American and a chicken seasoning that says it’s Kentucky--he couldn’t pass this up.)

The evening’s entertainment was pretty awesome. A Slovakian dance group (4 men, 4 women, and their spokesperson) along with a small dance band (2 violins, a viola, a string bass, and a vocalist). The dance floor was

small(ish) and I might have beeen sitting too close for the video to be really good, I still think that the recording should be good enough to get across the flavour of the performance. See videos on last page.

The bed was comfy when I got there after the performance and sleep did not elude me. (Then again, a bit of vicodiin and flexiril doesn’t hurt when one hurts.)

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A decent night’s sleep and not too sore this morning. A light breakfast (some cottage cheese, fruit, an English muffin and some tea) was all I really needed to get going. The breakfast conversation was nice and next thing I knew it was time to go to the buses.

Unlike Budapest & Brataslava, we are docked a fair distance away from the city centre of Vienna. The plan was a city tour for a couple of hours, a coffee break, a bit more of the tour, and then back to the ship for lunch. They were offering a shuttle service from and to the ship through the afternoon as well. We decided not to follow all of that plan. Since we are docked here all night, there was no hurry to come back.

The buses took us from the ship to the City Centre with a local guide. Ours was Beata and she was very good. And funny. She had a great sense of humour. The bus took us around the Ringstrasse, which encircles the city, and then dropped us off for a walking tour. We covered a couple of miles at a nice pace. There were two things I wanted to see in Vienna — the Armour Museum and the Spanish Riding School (where they train the Lippazaners and riders). The rehearsal for the Spanish Riding School was

during the city tour and since we’ve never been to Vienna I didn’t want to miss much of it. There is a performance tomorrow but it starts at 11:00 and lasts 2 hours ... and the ship sails at 13:00. As much as I want to see them in action, it’s not in the cards this trip. However, we did get to see the horses really close up as they moved from the stables to the arena and back again.

Our break was in the coffee shop near the Riding School and a hot beverage was included in the tour. Cindy & I had hot chocolate and Ed & Paul had coffee. It was a pleasant break.

Shortly thereafter, we continued the tour and Krystoph pointed out where the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien was to us. We peeled off the orgnized tour and went to discover that Armour section. There were a lot of pieces on exhibition and after about 7 or 8 rooms, I think we were both tired and decided to move on. We wandered through the Musical Instrument Museum on our way out. There were a lot of nice things there in both museums.

Mostly late period and dress/parade/costume armour but a good display. There were also many saddles, a few horse bows, bow and arrow quivers, and a few other things.

Adjacent to the Armour Museum was a Musical Intrument Museum. (There was an Ephesus Museum, too, but since we had just been to Ephesus this past March, we didn’t see the reason to look too far into it. The instruments were very interesting and the audio guide included how many of them sound. All of this is part of the Winterpalais.

We wandered back to the sqaure outside of the Spanish Riding School (which is in the building adjacent to the museums), we decided to take a fiaker (horse carriage) ride. The short tour was 20 minutes and it was chilly but pleasant. We were cold when we were done so we slipped into a cafe for something warn to drink.

We had found out from the fiaker driver that the Christmas Market near the City Hall was opening tonight so we set out to find it after the stop for hot drinks. We had to stop at an ATM for some cash and only had 100 euro bills which we thought would be too much at the market. So, we found a

Vienna — Horses, Armour, Instruments, & Christmas

November 2015

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restaurant across from the market area--the Landtmann--and shared a dinner that was billed as typically Viennese--boiled beef served with horseradish. It was too bad and turned ot to bevery good with the horseradish, a cream sauce, and pureed spinach. Served with a moundof friend potatoes, it was plenty for both of us and on to the maket we went.

Ed got some gluwein (hot mulled wine) right away and then we wandered. Lots of christmas ornaments, souvenirs, cookies and other sweets, brats, and other goodies to eat. The lights and sounds and smells of the markets are so much fun. This was as big as the biggest market we had seen when we did the GCT Rhine Christmas Market cruise five or six years ago.

About 19;30, I hit my wall and it was time to take a taxi back to the ship. When we got back, we smelled popcorn and found out that they had decided to have a movie night for those who didn’t take the optional tour to go to a concert. True, a concert in Vienna would be pretty awesome but Ed’s not that keen on classical music and I’m not that keen on Baroque music. The movie they are showing is “The Third Man” with Orson Wells & Joseph Cotton. Set in Vienna, the city is as much a character as any of the actors. So, a cuppa hot chocolate for me, a bier for Ed, and a bowl of popcorn and we are pleased with the way this day went.

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Another decent night’s sleep and a very light breakfast (2 eggs over easy, a bit of stewed fruit and an English muffin) had me feeling recovered from yesterday quite nicely. I must have been pretty wiped out last night since a friend already has pointed out a typo that made no sense. Sorry for that for those that were trying to figure out what I was talking about. You, dear readers, have to understand that I do no editing of these travel accounts until I’m home and putting together the full travelogue.

We had three options this morning. There was an optional trip to a palace (can’t remember the name and can’t get a signal right now) which cost extra; OR there was an escorted walk to the Prater amusement park (which has one of the oldest ferris wheels in the world) which was a bit far for me; or a shuttle bus that would get us close to the city centre. Obviously, we opted for the shuttle bus. I don’t come on these trips to stay on the ship if I can help it.

A few friends who have been to Vienna recommended that we find the Naschemarkt and we asked Krzysztof to show us on the map on to get there. He suggested the subway line that runs directly through the city centre and explained that we could get discounted tickets for pensioners that give us two trips (one each way).

The subway stop was very, very close to where the shuttle bus dropped us off (Swedenplatz) and two stops later we were at Karlsplatz which was about 2 blocks from the beginning of the Naschemarkt. The odd thing that I noticed was there was a small machine that you are supposed to put your ticket through to validate it but there was no real monitoring of it. We weren’t even sure at first if we were supposed to so we just went through, thinking there had to be some kind of gate somewhere. There never was. We never got stopped or checked but we could have. Wish it had been more obvious how to make it work.

Two stops later, on the red U1 line, we got off at Karlsplatz and didn’t have too much trouble finding the market. It really was very kewl, as Krzysztof had said it would be. The Naschemarkt is a series of shops and booths and restaurants that sell pretty much anything and everything that has to do with food. There was a handful of thing shops selling stuff like baskets and scarfs and such. But mostly it was food. The locals use it as their regular shopping and there was all manner of fish, meat, cheese, breads, olives, spices, sweets, dried and fresh fruits & vegetables and much, much more. Many were run by Turks so it felt that we were back in Istanbul. Samples were pretty much put in our mouths and everything was lovely. Candied ginger or pineapple or watermelon; cinnamon-coated chocolate almonds; falafel dipped in hummus, etc.

We walked and walked and walked. It started getting really crowded which made it difficult to get through, especially with the walker. There were so many colours, scents, and sights that it makes the mind reel a bit. We bought a bit of bread, a variety of olives, and a bit of candied ginger. Mostly, I just took photos and took it all in — experiencing as much as I could.

I was pretty much walked out and we still had about 45 minutes before we had to catch the shuttle back to the ship. We decided to take the subway to the city centre — Stephensplatz — and walk around a bit more there. Sitting down for a bit helps me to continue to move for a while longer. There was a small Christmas Market around the Stephansdom (cathedral) and walking around that, checking things out, and taking more

Vienna Naschmarkt and beyond

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photos was perfect to finish up our time in Vienna. (It seemed to me that every gargoyle around the Dom were different and, as I have said many a time before, I love my zoom, I took many a photo of the gargoyles.)

We timed everything just right and made it back to the shuttle with about 3 minutes to spare.

It was about 13:00 and time for lunch. Instead, I decided to stretch out for a bit and relax before another massage that I booked for 14:00 and napped for a bit. The massage was nice and relaxing (I dozed for a bit during it) and the massuese, Orsi (pronounced or-she), did a lot of work on my legs. I felt pretty good after she was done.

The discovery part of the day was a demonstration on how to make Apfelstrudel which I went to but spent most of the time writing up today’s activites. They are serving the strudel for dessert tonight.

Well, it’s time for the special reception for Inner Circle (3 or more trips with GCT) passengers so I guess I’ll stop writing now and put away the electronics and go to that.

The reception was okay. They offered us champagne or orange juice when we entered and then waiters brought around some canapes. They also offered us a cocktail which, when served, was very weak. Mostly it was a time that GCT could let us know how much they appreciate, not only repeat customers but, using us as ambassadors (propagandaists) to spread the word of how great GCT is.

The port talk outlining tomorrow’s activities went quickly after that. The smaller towns we are visiting tomorrow will be nice.

Dinner was quite good — dolmades to start followed by a cream of garlic soup. I had the chicken cordon bleu and Ed had eggplant which was followed by the apfelstrudel that they had shown us how to make earlier this afternoon for dessert.

After dinner “entertainment” tonight was all four of the tour directors explaining what it was like to grow up behind the Iron Curtain. Stories about their families or friends with an interesting Q&A discussion after.

BTW, dear reader, my keyboard is acting up and the “u”, “y”, “h”, “j”, “n”, and “m” are not working well. So, if I miss fixing something, please forgive me..

Old World Prague Travelogue

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I really wasn’t interested in breakfast this morning so I ate some dates & figs that we picked up at the Naschemarkt. Just enough to get me going on what looked to be an interesting day ahead of us.

We had sailed to Dürnstein overnight and we got started by walking into town — probably 3/4 of a mile. We had a nice commentary from Krzysztof as we walked. The weather had decidedly become more Novembery and was chilly & rainy. Good thing we packed silk long underwear and layering was pretty easy. I decided to forego the walker since we’d been warned that most of the walk would be over cobbled streets/sidewalks. I did bring the cane, though, which was a good thing.

Dürnstein is where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned by Leopold of Austria when Richard was returning from the third crusade. The ruins of that castle are high over the city. No way was there enough time for me to hobble up the hill but I told Ed to go ahead. Paul went with him. Most people did a bit of shopping but I forgot to ask Ed for some money. The Wachau Valley, where we were, is known for it’s wines and apricots. Buying some apricot jam or cordials would have been fun but not necessary. Instead, I had a nice time exploring the town and taking photos, despite the rain and cold. I even found a different road out of the main area of the town, taking the road less traveled.

I was slow but I made it back to the ship with a minute to spare. Again, despite the rain and cold, I went to the upper (“sun”) deck and watched the captain & his crew pull up the gangway and cast off.

Three of the program directors had some fun providing colour commentary as we sailed through the beautiful Wachua Valley. We sailed past small villages and a few ruined castles. Eventually, it got too cold on the upper deck, even for me, and I came back down to the lounge. After the colour commentary, we had the disembarkation talk since there won’t be time tomorrow. (One of the interesting things we found out during the commentary was that the Danube is so low right now that in some spots there was as little as 10” between the ship and the bottom of the river. I heard from someone who is on a Viking cruise that had started in Amsterdam that they had to leave the ship and continue by bus for a while because the river was so low.)

I dozed a little during the disembarkation talk but I think I heard all of the salient points. Lunch was next (first lunch we showed up for so far — no city or town to stay in midday *sigh*). It was a large buffet of Austrian specialties and I had roast pork with spaetzle and a bit of the pickled beets as well as some

of the tasty sauerkraut & potato soup. I split 3 different desserts with Ed (rice pdding with chopped fruit in it, a chocolate torte, and something that seemed like shredded bread pudding with the most awesome plum sauce.)

Not too long after lunch, we arrived in Melk well-known for its Abbey, which is over 800 years old. The buses took us up to the parking lot and we walked down to the Abbey. Or local guide, Angela, was terrific. The Abbey is still an active monastery with 30 monks in residence. The museum is a bit odd, being very modern with coloured lights and interesting displays. The part of the library that we got to see was fantastic (no photos are allowed to be taken in the library--we’ll see later if mine turned out. ;-) ) The church was described as “Baroque on overdrive” and it really was.

There was a shuttle bus that could take us back to the ship or we could walk back. The walk was described to us as about 20 minutes through the town and forest. For me, closer to an hour but I figured if not now, whe would I have the opportunity again. I was slow but Ed stuck by me and we did it. Considering Ed is getting a cold, this was really sweet of him.

I took a shower and tried to nap for about an hour and a half but there seemed to be an announcement every five minutes or so. The last annoucement was for everyone to come to the lounge for group photos (I guess the usually do the at the Abbey but with the weather the way it was [it had at least stopped raining], this seemed to be a better way to get as many people as possible in the pics. (See end of this document for all of the group pics.) The port talk was next and then everyone else went to dinner. I really am not used to 3 large meals a day so I figured I would stay and write and have some quiet(ish) time to myself. I way quiet(ish) since thhe crew had to set up the lounge for tonight’s entertainment--the Crew Show--around me. I had a cup of hot chocolate and an apple--and had asked Ed to bring me a cheese plate. He just brought me not only cheese but a bit of salad and some of the olives & pickled garlic that we got at the Naschemarkt. It really is perfect for me tonight. Way too much good food available way too much of the time.

The crew show was a lot of laughs and fun. A couple of really good singers, some decenf comedy, and some funny moments when it didn’t run perfectly. (See videos at end of this document.) Ed decided to crash after he brought me the cheeses and such. It’s now 22:30 and time for me to crash, too. Tomorrow we will be in Linz.

Dürnstein, the Wachau Valley, and Melk

November 2015

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Old World Prague Travelogue

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Definitely feeling the pace of the trip this morning when I was trying to wake up. So tempted to climb back into bed and just start over. But up I got and got going. A bit of eggs, English muffin, brie, and stewed fruit was enough to get me started for the day.

About half of our fellow travelers took the optional tour to Salzburg and the rest of us decided to stay here and discover Linz. Two of the tour directors went and two stayed behind. Those of us that stayed behind were given an escorted walk to the town square of the old city even though they can’t legally lead a tour in Austria. We stayed with Krzysztof and had about a 30-minute introduction to the city.

While we were walking, we noticed a small tourist vehicle that looked like a toy train without tracks. The price was reasonable, 16 euros for 25 minutes, and each car of the “train” had commentary in a different language. This was pretty much perfect for us to get more of a feel of where we were. Linz is known for white wines, linzer tortes, and sewing machines. Not being interested in sewing machines we sought out the other two while we explored the city for a while. The torte was tasty as was the tea I washed it down with and Ed went for the red wine instead of the white. Either way, we enjoyed the break in a little cafe’.

The distance I can walk seems to be shrinking, even with the help of the walker, but we went slow and enjoyed our morning. We got back to the ship in time for Ed to go find some lunch and me to nap a bit in the sun on the sun deck. The ship had been docked next to another ship, which happens when there are more cruise ships than docs availalble. We got back in time to have our ship unhitched from their, theirs to slip out of their berth, and ours to moved sideways closer to the shore.

This afternoon, Krzysztof has offered to escort us up to a place called Pöstlingberg which overlooks the city of Linz and the Danube. Krzysztof says he has never been up there either so it will be an adventure for all of us. The view is supposed to be spectacular.

And it was spectaclar! Krzysztof and Ezther, one of the other program directors, came with us and helped us buy the tickets we needed for the tram. This ride is billed as being the steepest incline in the world for an adesion vehicle in the world. At one point it’s about an eleven degree angle. The ride

was 6 euros each for the roundtrip fare. The church is highly decorated inside — more Baroque-on-overdrive. But the view from up there can leave one speechless. We didn’t stay up there for long and caught the next tram back to the main part of the city.

We started to walk around but I realized that the past 9 days had caught up to me and it might be good to conserve some energy for Prague. Back on the ship around 16:00, we started packing (we have to go to Prague by bus). I got about 1/2 done and then took a shower followed by a two-hour nap.

Tonight was the Captain’s Farewell Drink and Dinner. Champagne (or juice) and canapes in the lounge followed by our last port talk, and then a fantastic dinner. I am glad I pretty much skipped lunch since the dinner was lavish. A starter, followed by a cold appetizer of proscuitto wrapped around a piece of tasty cheese served with a honey mustard followed by a hot appetizer of porcini ravioli in a cream sauce followed by a sherbert as a palate cleanser. The entree’ choice was filet mignon or a spinach/feta dish (I did the filet and Ed did the spinach — both were excellent). Dessert was a plate of chocolate bon-bons and a grand production of the entire crew, armed with sparklers, escorting the Baked Alaska in. This dish was served with chocolate & strawberry sauces & whipped cream. We ate with Paul, Cindy, Michael, & Karen and

ate in the section we had eaten most of the past week so we had our favourite serving team of Orlando & Zuzanna. It was a great way to top off the time aboard the M/S River Adagio.

I think that we really lucked out with both the crew and our fellow passengers on this trip. The crew has been very attentive and always smiling & the tour directors very accommadating

and personable. By far the best combination that I think we’ve had on any of our trips with GCT. And the other passengers have been great. So friendly and interesting to talk to. And it hasn’t felt like we’ve had any “ugly Americans” amongst them.

Tomorrow we leave the ship behind, unfortunately, for a bus ride to Prague. We will stop in Cesky Krumlov, a village that dates back to the 15th-century, on our way. They have added a new optional activity for tomorrow night after we check into our hotel: a Bohemian dinner that is supposed to have folk dance and music, food and unlimited drinks. We have decided this sounds like a fun way to spend our first night in Prague..

Linz — Discovering Linzer Torte at the Source

November 2015

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We had the last night on the M/S River Adagio and the last breakfast. Sleep mostly eluded me — I slept in 1 hour chunks — and breakfast was very light. Our bags had to be packed and by our door by 7:30 and we disembarked at 9:00. So, I had a bowl of museli with yoghurt and sliced banana and called it good.

A lot of the ship’s crew was on the top deck to see us off, waving as the bus pulled out. This was the first cruise we’d taken with GCT that we did not go right to the airport from the ship and it felt weird. We were told that Prague would be worth it.

The Czech border, as is true across Europe, is not manned, and they had built a road around the checkpoint that was built in the 70s. A kilometer or two later, the bus was stopped by border patrol but the driver, Viktor, said that we were all Americans and they let us in with no further delays.

About an hour later we had a rest stop (not nearly as nice as the rest stop places we had in Turkey, to be sure, but decent enough) and then, about fifteen minutes later, we were in Cesky Krumlov. During the stop, I started to wonder if I could learn to be speak Czech well enough to retire there.

The city, population about 14K, is situated on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained intact thanks to its peaceful evolution over more than five centuries (or so says one of the tourist brochures I looked at.) We had a great walking tour for about an hour and then over an hour to explore on our own. As much fun as the shops looked, I wanted to explore the castle. We didn’t go into the museum or the tower (both of which cost something to go and do), we explored the four courtyards instead and marvelled at the views of the city from high above. It really was awesome. I’m not sure how I did it but I climbed the steep incline almost as far as it went and was still able to walk down.

A note on using a walker in a Medieval city--OUCH! The cobblestones make it very bumpy and the bumpiness aggravates both my carpal tunnel but my shoulders as well. The walking is almost easy in comparison but having it is a lifesaver since I can sit down when I need to. I am glad that

we brought it along and will be forever grateful to my loving husband for being such a willing sherpa for me. And patient. Did I mention he was really patient with me?

We met up with the rest of our group back at the town square and follwed Krzysztof to a Medieval-themed restaurant for an included lunch. The food was excellent (onion soup with sops, a piece of chicken breast in a very tasty sauce served with mixed vegetables and a wonderful scalloped potato casserole.) We finished off with a couple of small pancakes covered with a tasty blueberry compote. Krzysztof sat at our table and we learned more about him and he us.

Back on the bus, way too soon in my opinion, it got very quiet very quickly. I suspect we all went into a food coma, including Krzysztof, and dozed until we got to a rest stop. This one had a McDonalds and the McDonalds had a beautiful bakery section AND they served beer. (Seems to me that a Big Mac and a beer make a very different kind of happy meal.)

Beer is more popular than any other beverage in the Czech Republic and they consume more beer than any other European country. Pilsner comes from the town of Pils. Budweiser comes from the town of Budweis and should never be mistaken for the stuff from St. Louis!

We only had another hour and a half to go to get to Prague and we were at the hotel by 18:00. We got our room keys (they need to be used to operate the elevators and the lights in your room as well as open the room door), grabbed our carry-ons, and went to find our room. The Park Hotel is a 4-star hotel but a 4-star by Eastern Europe status. It’s decent but not over-the-top in any way.

We’ve been told that the Czech people are friendly but they don’t smile much. So far, I’m not finding that to be true. Not only are they friendly but their smiles are wonderful!

We met up with Krzysztof around 19:00 so he could orient us a bit to the neighborhood the hotel is in. Then, Paul & Cindy, Michael & Karen, and Ed & I went off to find dinner. Tereza, Michael & Karen’s tour director, is a Czech and she recommended a place called Potrefena Husa. This translates to something like “Crazy Goose House.” The guys all had beer, I didn’t see what Cindy was drinking, and Karen & I had apricot juice mixed with

Cesky Krumlov — I think I’m in Love

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sparkling water. Ed and I split a mixed schnitzel plate and got a side order of something called Carlsbad Dumpling. Everything was really good especially with some of the wonderful gravy that Karen had with her roast beef dinner (and wasn’t going to eat.) Everyone seemed to be happy with their choices andwe had a good time.

After dinner, Ed & I took a circuatous route back to the hotel to check out the neighborhood a bit. Now, we’ve both showered andI’m ready to fall over (Ed’s already in bed.) We had two full days here in Prague before we have to fly home. I’m looking forward to it.

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Decent night’s sleep followed by a relatively light breaking of the fast. The hotel may not be too close to te older parts of the city but it does offer a very nice breakfast buffet. Lots of cold & hot meats, cheeses, salad, eggs, and pastries. I could have easily overdone it but held back.

The day started with almost four hours of a walking tour in the Prague old town. LOTS of cobblestones made the going a little rough for me at times but the pace was good. We walked and were shown sites along the way — from old monuments to newer ones; from an older park that used to be part of the monastic garden to the Charles Bridge; from the astronomical clock at high noon to the edges of the Jewish quarter; from the Medieval to Baroque to Art Deco architecture. The high point of the morning was a wonderful talk by one of the tour directors, Tereza’s, step-father who had been a high school teacher (recently retired) who gave us a first hand account of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia as well as a good overview of the history of the Czech Republic from 1918 to the present day. Our guide was very good and kept us moving and informed until the tour ended at almost 13:00.

Paul & Cindy, Ed & I, and Irene, another of the folks on the tour, found a great restarurant thanks to Krzysztof that had a Golem for it’s theme. Cindy, Irene, and I all had a bowl of soup that was billed as the “Elixir of Life” — very tasty combination of meat & veggies (including peppers). Ed had potato dumplings stuffed with meat & cabbage and Paul had a rolled meat dish stuffed with sausage and stuff. Both guys had a couple of beers (after all, we’re in the Czech Republic, right?)

We had about 30 minutes before we were supposed to meet up with Krzysztof for an informative walk through Wenescelas Square about the Velvet Revolution. We got to figure out a little about the public transportation system by taking the subway as a group to start the walk and then the tram/trolley back to the hotel afterwards.

We had a chance for a nap (Ed slept/I tossed & turned) for a couple of hours before meeting a bunch of our fellow travelers and two of the tour directors, Szaby & Ezter, to bus to a local restaurant that does a Bohemian-themed dinner and show. The whole thing is a wonderful production of food & drink (unlimited wine/beer/soda plus a aperitif & some champagne) plus a really great dinner (a starter that was potato mixed with cabbage & ham; entree’ of a kebab with a wonderful potato au gratin casserole & green beans cooked with bacon; and a dessert of crepes filled with a fruit jam served with ice cream & whipped cream & a drizzle of choclate sauce). There was a lot of entertainment (unfortunately, I seemed to have lost my videos — totally sucks!) which was extremely good. All in all a lovely evening.

The day has been very full and now my bed is calling me. One more full day here in Prague and then we have to pack to head home. I miss my bed, my critters, and my long, hot baths (not necessarily in that order) but I wouldn’t have missed this trip for anything..

Old Town Prague

Old World Prague Travelogue

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November 2015

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Another restless night, although I think I did get more sleep than the night before. Very light breakfast (museli with yoghurt and some fruit and a small pastry) before venturing out on our last full day of this trip. I actually think that I’ve eaten less on this trip than I do at home. Not because the food isn’t wonderful but because we’re trying to see as much as possible and trying to get around on a full stomach isn’t very comfortable.

We found our way up to Prague Castle, paid the admission fee and got audio guides for each of us. We might have been too ambitious about how much we could see in 3 hours and could probably done it a bit cheaper but you live & learn, right? We explored as much of St. Vitus’ Cathedral (check my photos for the stained glass windows!!!) as we could and wandered through many courtyards. It was a chilly, windy day and starting to drizzle. We explored quite a bit and tried to get indoors when we could. Along the Golden Lane we found an exhibit of armour that was impressive but not real. A lot of it Ed can make a lot better but it was still fun to look at it all.

After we’d explored for a couple of hours, I suggested that I wait in a cafe’ near where we were and have Ed go back to return the audio guides. I had a wonderful cup of hot chocolate and relaxed, out of the rain — I was the only one in the cafe besides the server. Ed finally got back, a bit angry. It seems that although our tickets were good for 2 days, they were only good for admission to an area once. This meant he had to pay again (about $5) to come and get me since he had no way to tell me what had happened.

On our way out of the Castle, we had wonderful views of the city and passed a toy museum which was very tempting to check out. Instead we went across the street to the Lobkowicz Castle where I thought I had read there was an armour museum. Turns out, it was mostly arms (guns). But it was still a nice museum and we wandered through most of it seeing mostly17th- and 18th-century paintings and artifacts.

And then we started down towards the old town. Wow! That was a long and steep walk, over cobbled sidewalks which were slippery from the rain. Ramps and stairs combined pushed me close to my limit. And then we walked more — to the Charles Bridge and over it, and a few more blocks to find the trolley stop to catch a trolley to get us back to the hotel. This did push

me beyond my limit but I had no choice but to push on.

We caught the correct trolley almost immediately and it wasn’t too crowded. We were supposed to get off on the fourth stop but after two stops, the driver came and barked some stuff we didn’t understand. She then put ona reflective vest and proceeded to direct everyone out of the cars and down the street. We followed, caught the next #17, and found that our stop was the next one after that.

Boy, was I tired and sore. It was about 16:00 and we were supposed to be ready for the farewell drink and dinner by 17:30. I kind of napped but really didn’t sleep.

The farewell drink was with everyone from all of the groups and then we were off to a local restaurant with our individual groups. Traffic was the worst we’d seen the whole trip and it took about three times as long getting to the restaurant than it would take getting back to the hotel.

Dinner was great. Starting with a aperatif that was followed by a tasty mushroom soup, a goulash of beef in gravy served with potato pancakes, and a cream cheese strudel for dessert. Beer, wine, or soda was included.

Since everyone has a different flight time tomorrow, tonight was the time to say good-bye. I really think that this was the most congenial set of fellow travelers that we’ve had on any of the GCT trips to date. And the best set of group tour directors we’ve had as well--the worked so well as a team.

And now, I best get some sleep. Our bags have to be outside the door by 5:45 and we have to be ready to go at 6:15 (it’s 22:17 right now.) I love going places but I really hate traveling!!!.

Prague Castle and more

On the Bosphorus

Red Group

Green Group

Yellow Group

Blue Group

M/S River Adagio Crew

Pictures

Click on the links below to access our photos.

• Arrival in Budapest• Budapest: Tour of the Jewish Quarter and the Communism Walk• Budapest Parliament & sailing to Slovakia• Bratislava (School, tour, & home visit)• Vienna: Horses, Armour, Musical Instruments, & Christmas Market• Vienna Naschmarkt• Durnstein, Melk, and sailing the Wachau Valley• Linz• Chesky Krumlov and the trip to the Czech Republic• Prague Old City• Prague Castle

Videos

Click on the links below to access our videos:

• Visiting the United School of the Holy Family, Bratislava, Slovakia• Slovakian Dance & Music Show Part 1• Slovakian Dance & Music Show Part 2• M/S River Adagio Crew Show Part 1• M/S River Adagio Crew Show Part 2• M/S River Adagio Crew Show Part 3• And a video about Slovakia recommended by our host