Since we just put in a wake up call for 5:30am, and have to leave for the airport at 6:15, I'll do my best to sum up the last three days while also making it to bed before 1am.
As Papa mentioned in his interview, we left Germany on Sunday and took a bus up to Prague. We arrived at our hotel, the Imperial Hotel, right around lunch, and had a bite to eat at the Imperial Cafe. We had a little bit of time before the "briefing" with our Czech host, Jana, so I decided to check out the fitness room while Papa unpacked. Turns out, the fitness center is in the basement - floor -1 in the elevator. Once I got down there, it was about as sketchy as this hotel can get (certainly not as sketchy as the Diamond after dark), mostly because it was deserted. After scoping it out, I still had about 20 minutes to spare, so I decided to check out the computer situation, but the elevator had other plans. Firstly, you must swipe your room key to activate the elevator. This I did, as I pressed the button labeled "receptiton"...
*Boom* (normal elevator noises) *Second Boom* (not normal elevator noises). *Beep* (I swipe my card again, thinking I made a mistake). *Click* (I press the reception button again) *.......* (silence..) *Beep, click*, *......*. *Beep, click*, *.......*. It was then that I determinded that I was indeed stuck in the elevator.
I pressed the call button, hoping that the person who answered could speak English. They could, and said they would send someone to fix it right away. 30 minutes went by, and I heard a few bumps and scratches, but nothing significant. I called again, asking them to alert Papa of my situation, so as not to worry him when I didn't show up for the meeting. Just as I hung up, the door slowly began to open, revealing the face of my rescuer. He kindly showed me the staff steps, and I actually made it to the meeting on time, not to mention before Papa.
When the business was through, Jana took us for a stroll around town to get our surroundings. For those of you who have been to Prague before, we are just up the street from the Municipal House and the Powder Tower, not too far from Celetna. Jana showed us how to walk to the Old Town Square, where we could find lots of restaurants, shops, and beautiful buildings. Papa and I especially liked the Astronomical Clock, and joined the crowd of people waiting to watch the hour turn; each of the 12 Disciples made an appearance, along with other cool things.
On the way to Old Town Square, I noticed a Mozart and Dvorak (two of my favorite composers) concert at the Municipal House that evening. We decided to go, eating first at the French restaurant located in the House as well. Both were excellent; either that hall had the best acoustics I've heard in a long time, or that was the best chamber orchestra I've heard in a long time. A mix of both, I think.
The next morning (Monday), we took a tour of Prague Castle, the largest castle in the world. We slowly made our way back across the Vltava (we know it as Moldau) River via Charles Bridge. While reading a little bit about Prague in Tom Dunlap's "Europe on a Shoestring" book, I read about an all-vegan restaurant that was pretty close to Old Town Square - Country Life. Papa and I had scoped it out the day before, and decided to have lunch there after our tour. It was really good, but we definitely saw a different side of Prague. For one, I think we were the only ones in there from the U.S., which is something that hasn't happened often on this trip. For another, neither Papa or I have dreads, gauged ears, tattoos, or a drug-dealer on speed dial. Spending 9 months of the year in Athens, I'm used to this crowd, and I think Papa could handle it. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, but put simply, we were a little out of place. Also, I know some think of veganism as a little drastic and strange, but until I get a tattoo that says "vegan", you have nothing to worry about with me haha..
Earlier, we noticed a poster for another concert at the Municipal House - The Best of Gershwin. We decided that since we'd had good luck there the night before, we might as well try it again. We bought the tickets, and headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up. Papa's camera battery finally died on Monday, after a long and painful battle. As we were walking home, we not only stopped at the Palladium (a shopping center with 200+ shops...to quote Papa, it was "the shopping queen's paradise"), but also at a Canon store; Papa wanted to buy a battery charger since I was running out of room on my memory card. The guy working there was pretty nice, and offered to charge Papa's battery in the store if he could come back two hours later to pick it up. Two hours later, as we headed to dinner and the concert, we picked up the battery, fully charged. Side note: In Prague, the currency is the Czech Koruna, and approximately 20K=$1. When I asked Papa how much he charged him to charge the battery, he said 50K. He laughed when I told him it had only cost $2.50.
Both dinner and the concert were excellent, but for the sake of time, I'll move onto today, Tuesday, our last day in Prague.
For the first time since we left ELO, we were able to sleep in. I don't if Papa took advantage of this, but I did, and didn't wake up until 9am (when compared to 6:30 and 7:00 that we're used to, 9 is sleeping in). After breakfast, Papa and I headed back to Old Town Square to do some last minute gift shopping. There are so many shops and gifts to choose from, that this took longer than we thought, but it was fun, too. We stopped for lunch and split a veggie pizza (no cheese), which was actually really good; Papa claims it was the best meal yet.
At 1:30, we met up with Jana and the others and headed out for our last tour. First, we walked to the Estates Theater, where our guide, who must've been 85 or older, gave us a very entertaining tour. Not only was the building beautiful, but it also has some very interesting history. Most notably, Mozart conducted his opera "Don Giovanni" on the Estates stage where it premired in 1791. Apparently, Mozart was better received in Prague than he was in Vienna, and he spent lots of time here. Our guide played little excerpts of certain pieces for us, and even took us under the stage and through connecting passageways into other buildings.
Next, we had a tour of the Municipal House, but since Papa and I had seen two concerts there, and eaten at 2 of 3 of the restaurants, we probably would've been just as qualified to lead that tour.
Next, we decided to check out some of the streets we hadn't seen, so we took the impressive Na Prikope to the equally impressive Vaclavske Namesti (Wenceslas Square). There are just so many shops and beautiful buildings, that Papa stopped taking pictures. Yes, even Papa did that.
As we were heading back, we noticed yet another poster for a concert at the Municipal House; this time, they were doing show tunes. Papa got cleaned up, and then we headed to a restaurant not far from our hotel for dinner. We were debating whether or not to go yet again to the Municipal House, but decided, why not? We don't usually have the opportunity to see three concerts in three nights, plus, we now have three big genres covered.
And that's it. Our time in Europe has come to an end (for now). Our tour guide in Budapest warned us early on, "Out of the 2000 photos you take, there might be 10 that you actually like", and I'd say we definitely have taken our share of photos. Hopefully there will be more than 10 that we like, and if you're willing to look at all of them, I'm sure we'll be willing to show you.
Thanks for reading these posts and keeping up with our travels. However, I hear my pillow calling. We'll see you guys back in the states.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
SPECIAL EDITION: Final Interview with Frank Dawson
Seeing as our trip is coming to a close, I asked Digger for one more interview. He was happy to say a few words regarding our final voyage: Passau to Prague.
"Well, we made it, all the way to Praque on a bus through beautiful country from Passau, Germany to Praque, the capital of the Czech Republic. Once again, Uni-World provided a wonderful guide, Sonja, who covered the local history and cultural background.
For me the most chilling part of the trip was going through the abandoned border check points that were once part of the Iron Curtain. First came the German side, then the Czech side, about a mile down the highway, where the communist's ruled. There is a marked difference in the landscape of the two nations to this day, Without an insentive for people to work, the communist side is run down, with mostly large fields used for planting crops. To some degree, it reminded me of driving through part of West Virginia, complete with tires in the backyards.
Fortunately, Prague seems to have survived all this, where we arrived at noon on Sunday, only to find that our rooms were not ready. Not to worry, we had a brief lunch, then up to the room before attending an indoctrination meeting with Yana. She would serve as our guide for the next few days, which we are looking forward to be part of."
Monday, July 27, 2009
Home Stretch
We spent our last day on the ship in Passau, Germany. As we were eating breakfast, it looked like it was going to be a pretty rainy Saturday, but as soon as the tour began, the rain cleared, and came back only as we were heading back to the ship that night.
Passau is known for a few things. Firstly, it is home to three rivers, which create a confluence, similar to Pittsburgh. The Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers join here, but the colors do not blend fully for about 80 kilometers. The Ilz is a small, black river, coming from the moors and bogs in the forest. The Inn has a turquoise, green color, and as we've mentioned, the "Blue" Danube is a nice murky Ohio River type color.
Passau is also the home of the second largest church organ in the world, located inside (yet another) St. Stephan's Cathedral. After the walking tour of the town, we got to hear the organist perform. People came from everywhere, and nearly filled the large church just to hear it play. I most enjoyed the Bach of course, but even the pieces I'd never heard of were very impressive. It didn't get really loud until the finale, which gave me goosebumps. The Beede women and Belinda/Momma would've really loved it.
The streets in Passau are mostly cobblestone, not to mention steep and narrow as they lead up to the main shopping square. Our guide lead us through the Cathedral, and into some Archbishop residence (the name is escaping me right now). We saw three couples having wedding pictures taken (dress & tux and all), which was cool.
We made our way over to the other side of the peninsula, and took the sidewalk along the Inn River. Our guide said that the rivers in Passau rise very quickly when it rains, especially the Inn. The storm from the night before, and Saturday morning's rain didn't help matters. The Inn was rushing, and starting to come up onto the sidewalk in a few places. The waters were cold, too; you could only last 3 or 4 minutes before hypothermia set in, according to our guide. So much for July.
We headed back to the Cathedral for the concert, and then back to the ship for a Bavarian lunch. We had the afternoon to our disposal, so headed back to town, but this time we headed for the shopping square. Papa and I were both surprised with what we found hiding only a few blocks from the Cathedral, and enjoyed meandering up and down the quaint, but crowded streets. Of course, I bought a little something before heading back to the ship.
At 4:30, Papa had a turn with Balazs, the masseur. Meanwhile, I wrestled with the ship computer for an internet signal, packed a little, and ran on the treadmill. Later that evening was the Captain's Farewell Dinner onboard. After a gourmet seven course meal, all the employees paraded around the dining room and were introduced before being recognized for their hard work throughout the week. Our cruise was pretty small, so we got to know all of the employees (some more than others), and couldn't believe that it was time for them to be seeing us off already. But, even as we headed to breakfast the next morning, the crew was already preparing for the next group which was set to arrive only a few hours after we left for Prague.
Passau is known for a few things. Firstly, it is home to three rivers, which create a confluence, similar to Pittsburgh. The Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers join here, but the colors do not blend fully for about 80 kilometers. The Ilz is a small, black river, coming from the moors and bogs in the forest. The Inn has a turquoise, green color, and as we've mentioned, the "Blue" Danube is a nice murky Ohio River type color.
Passau is also the home of the second largest church organ in the world, located inside (yet another) St. Stephan's Cathedral. After the walking tour of the town, we got to hear the organist perform. People came from everywhere, and nearly filled the large church just to hear it play. I most enjoyed the Bach of course, but even the pieces I'd never heard of were very impressive. It didn't get really loud until the finale, which gave me goosebumps. The Beede women and Belinda/Momma would've really loved it.
The streets in Passau are mostly cobblestone, not to mention steep and narrow as they lead up to the main shopping square. Our guide lead us through the Cathedral, and into some Archbishop residence (the name is escaping me right now). We saw three couples having wedding pictures taken (dress & tux and all), which was cool.
We made our way over to the other side of the peninsula, and took the sidewalk along the Inn River. Our guide said that the rivers in Passau rise very quickly when it rains, especially the Inn. The storm from the night before, and Saturday morning's rain didn't help matters. The Inn was rushing, and starting to come up onto the sidewalk in a few places. The waters were cold, too; you could only last 3 or 4 minutes before hypothermia set in, according to our guide. So much for July.
We headed back to the Cathedral for the concert, and then back to the ship for a Bavarian lunch. We had the afternoon to our disposal, so headed back to town, but this time we headed for the shopping square. Papa and I were both surprised with what we found hiding only a few blocks from the Cathedral, and enjoyed meandering up and down the quaint, but crowded streets. Of course, I bought a little something before heading back to the ship.
At 4:30, Papa had a turn with Balazs, the masseur. Meanwhile, I wrestled with the ship computer for an internet signal, packed a little, and ran on the treadmill. Later that evening was the Captain's Farewell Dinner onboard. After a gourmet seven course meal, all the employees paraded around the dining room and were introduced before being recognized for their hard work throughout the week. Our cruise was pretty small, so we got to know all of the employees (some more than others), and couldn't believe that it was time for them to be seeing us off already. But, even as we headed to breakfast the next morning, the crew was already preparing for the next group which was set to arrive only a few hours after we left for Prague.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Hills Are Alive
How could I resist that corny title? After all, we did spend Friday in Salzburg.
We actually woke up in Linz, the third largest city in Austria, but soon after, we grabbed a bus bound for the fourth largest city, Salzburg. The ride took about two hours, but our guide, Suzanne, kept us very entertained with stories of Salzburg's past. Salzburg, literally "salt borough", was one of the first cultivators of salt. At that time, salt was very precious, so many Romans were paid with salt, which is where the word "salary" comes from. Salzburg is also the origin of the expression, "you are the salt of the earth," and, "you are not worth your salt." Basically, until 1756, everything revolved around salt. Then a little violinist changed Salzburg forever...but, we'll get to that later.
After a bathroom break at the most picturesque rest stop I've ever seen, we were only minutes from Salzburg. Suzanne pointed out a certain abbey, which brings me to the next order of business, the Sound of Music. As you're probably aware, this movie was filmed in Salzburg. The abbey she pointed out was the church where Maria and von Trappy tied the knot. Suzanne also mentioned that no one in Austria even watches that movie, but people everywhere else love it.
Keeping with the same theme, our first stop in Salzburg was Mirabell Gardens (see the wiki link above). It didn't ring a bell to me, and I'm guessing you're having the same reaction. Just think of Julie Andrews and Company wearing those awful drapes and singing in solfege while dancing around a garden. Ding ding ding...Mirabell Gardens. I believe, but am not positive, that the von Trapp household was actually filmed inside the Mirabell Garden palace.
Next, we made our way across Salzach River to the old town and onto Getreidegasse, a famous street dating back to Medieval times. Early citizens were illiterate, so shop signs were used not to say the nature of the shop, but to show it. Getreidegasse has continued with this theme, and even the McDonald's sign makes you feel like you should arrive in horse and carriage. The McDonald's is an exception, however, and most of the shops are local, or high end; not to mention the numerous cafes and gelato parlors.
The best part of Getreidegasse, however, is the infamous birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I mentioned how important salt was for Salzburg, but if the city capitalizes on anything, it is Mozart. Everywhere you look there are Mozart chocolates (which are pretty tasty, I must say), Mozart umbrellas, Mozart pretzels, Mozart t-shirts, etc., etc. Almost as bad as Durnstein with the apricots (see "There Are No Kangaroos in Austria"). Anyway, 253 years after Mozart's birth, he's still more alive than ever in Salzburg. During our free time, Papa and I took a tour of the birthplace, which was pretty cool. I'll spare you the nerdy details, but will mention that they had on display one of Mozart's violins, a harpsichord, and a clavichord. Pretty cool. Of course, I couldn't leave without dishing out a few Euros in the gift shop.
Beyond the Getreidegasse, we found plenty of old palaces, castles, and churches. One church, the Salzburg Cathedral has a pretty interesting history. Much of it was bombed during WWII, and Mozart was baptized here, as well as the poet who wrote "Silent Night, Holy Night." The annual Salzburg Festival begins at the end of July, so we saw all the preparations in action. Temporary stages and pieces of art littered the streets that lead us to St. Peter's cemetery, the small cemetery dating back to 600 A.D. Mozart's sister is buried here, as well as some other important people.
On the other side of St. Peter's, we found the University Square, which was full of fruit stands, pretzel stands, cafes, and the like. Our tour ended here, and we found a nice place for lunch, Cafe Mozart (I told you he was everywhere). After lunch, we continued to roam through the busy streets, sometimes window shopping, sometimes actual shopping. After a stop at Mozart's house, it was time to meet Suzanne again and head back to the bus.
Now that I can upload pictures, here are some from Friday.
Mozart's violin:
Pretzels, to say the least:
Market:
A pretty cool band with the beginnings of the Salzburg Festival in the background:
Mozart's birthplace:
Shop signs on Getreidegasse:
The Old Town from across the Salzach:
We actually woke up in Linz, the third largest city in Austria, but soon after, we grabbed a bus bound for the fourth largest city, Salzburg. The ride took about two hours, but our guide, Suzanne, kept us very entertained with stories of Salzburg's past. Salzburg, literally "salt borough", was one of the first cultivators of salt. At that time, salt was very precious, so many Romans were paid with salt, which is where the word "salary" comes from. Salzburg is also the origin of the expression, "you are the salt of the earth," and, "you are not worth your salt." Basically, until 1756, everything revolved around salt. Then a little violinist changed Salzburg forever...but, we'll get to that later.
After a bathroom break at the most picturesque rest stop I've ever seen, we were only minutes from Salzburg. Suzanne pointed out a certain abbey, which brings me to the next order of business, the Sound of Music. As you're probably aware, this movie was filmed in Salzburg. The abbey she pointed out was the church where Maria and von Trappy tied the knot. Suzanne also mentioned that no one in Austria even watches that movie, but people everywhere else love it.
Keeping with the same theme, our first stop in Salzburg was Mirabell Gardens (see the wiki link above). It didn't ring a bell to me, and I'm guessing you're having the same reaction. Just think of Julie Andrews and Company wearing those awful drapes and singing in solfege while dancing around a garden. Ding ding ding...Mirabell Gardens. I believe, but am not positive, that the von Trapp household was actually filmed inside the Mirabell Garden palace.
Next, we made our way across Salzach River to the old town and onto Getreidegasse, a famous street dating back to Medieval times. Early citizens were illiterate, so shop signs were used not to say the nature of the shop, but to show it. Getreidegasse has continued with this theme, and even the McDonald's sign makes you feel like you should arrive in horse and carriage. The McDonald's is an exception, however, and most of the shops are local, or high end; not to mention the numerous cafes and gelato parlors.
The best part of Getreidegasse, however, is the infamous birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I mentioned how important salt was for Salzburg, but if the city capitalizes on anything, it is Mozart. Everywhere you look there are Mozart chocolates (which are pretty tasty, I must say), Mozart umbrellas, Mozart pretzels, Mozart t-shirts, etc., etc. Almost as bad as Durnstein with the apricots (see "There Are No Kangaroos in Austria"). Anyway, 253 years after Mozart's birth, he's still more alive than ever in Salzburg. During our free time, Papa and I took a tour of the birthplace, which was pretty cool. I'll spare you the nerdy details, but will mention that they had on display one of Mozart's violins, a harpsichord, and a clavichord. Pretty cool. Of course, I couldn't leave without dishing out a few Euros in the gift shop.
Beyond the Getreidegasse, we found plenty of old palaces, castles, and churches. One church, the Salzburg Cathedral has a pretty interesting history. Much of it was bombed during WWII, and Mozart was baptized here, as well as the poet who wrote "Silent Night, Holy Night." The annual Salzburg Festival begins at the end of July, so we saw all the preparations in action. Temporary stages and pieces of art littered the streets that lead us to St. Peter's cemetery, the small cemetery dating back to 600 A.D. Mozart's sister is buried here, as well as some other important people.
On the other side of St. Peter's, we found the University Square, which was full of fruit stands, pretzel stands, cafes, and the like. Our tour ended here, and we found a nice place for lunch, Cafe Mozart (I told you he was everywhere). After lunch, we continued to roam through the busy streets, sometimes window shopping, sometimes actual shopping. After a stop at Mozart's house, it was time to meet Suzanne again and head back to the bus.
Now that I can upload pictures, here are some from Friday.
Mozart's violin:
Pretzels, to say the least:
Market:
A pretty cool band with the beginnings of the Salzburg Festival in the background:
Mozart's birthplace:
Shop signs on Getreidegasse:
The Old Town from across the Salzach:
A Bit of Photographic Evidence
The internet here in Prague is really very fast, so I decided to upload some photos to back up recent posts.
Buda Castle at night.
(Budapest)
Moments before "Mosquito Misery".. when all was well..(Melk)
The Tibetan festival (Melk)
Papa, overlooking the Wachau Valley. (Durnstein)
Pointing to Mozart's Figaro House. (Vienna)
Buda Castle at night.
(Budapest)Moments before "Mosquito Misery".. when all was well..(Melk)
The Tibetan festival (Melk)
Papa, overlooking the Wachau Valley. (Durnstein)
Pointing to Mozart's Figaro House. (Vienna)
There Are No Kangaroos in Austria
Thursday was a bit of a catch up day after our visit to Vienna. We woke up in Dürnstein, a small village in the Wachau Valley. As we headed west on the Danube, the scenery grew increasingly more beautiful, and Dürnstein was no exception. We could see rows upon rows of crops high in the hills, which turned out to be apricots and grapes. The Wachau valley is known for its wine, especially apricot flavored, and I felt like Forrest Gump as I looked around the shops. Apricot wine, apricot schnapps, apricot liquor, apricot chocolate, apricot soap, apricot nectar, apricot cakes, apricot cookies, and just plain apricots. You can eat ‘em, drink ‘em, bake ‘em, etc., etc…Dürnstein is also famous for castle ruins from the 1300’s, and the Dürnstein Monastery from the 1400’s.
We leisurely made our way to the end of the main street, which was difficult because the narrow streets were crowded with tourists, locals, and many cyclists passing through. We finally made it to the end, and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Danube and the surrounding mountains. Not only Dürnstein, but the whole Wachau Valley is known for its wine, so there were rows of crops as far as we could see.
Back in Vienna, the t-shirts all had to do with Mozart, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and all things Viennese. However, out in the country, the souvenir shops have a better selection of shirts, including the ever popular, “There Are No Kangaroos in Austria.” I may or may not have picked up a little something for Tom Dunlap, as his only request when I was leaving was to bring him back a “No Kangaroos in Austria” shirt. I hope you don’t mind pink, TD… (kidding.)
Our schedule only allowed for two hours here, so after a few photos we headed back toward the ship (for those were wondering, the captain confirmed that we are indeed to refer to it as a SHIP, because we are carrying a boat onboard – a lifeboat). Along the way, we stopped at a fruit stand and bought a quart of fresh apricots for 2.30€ (less than $4). We’ve been snacking on them ever since, and have four left as of 11:53 Saturday evening.
Once back on the ship, we had lunch while the River Beatrice sailed through the Wachau Valley toward Melk. Papa has said many times that the scenery is impossible to describe, and he’s right, so I won’t even try. Finally, around 2pm we docked in Melk, a small village that is home to the impressive Melk Benedictine Monastery. Our local guide showed us a small section of the complex, but one hallway of one wing alone was over 600 yards long (I think there were about 7 wings, including the actual church part). The museum part was filled with tons of old, important things, like a life size crucifix that was over 800 years old.
We made our way back to the ship via the main street, which turned out to be more interesting than the Monastery. Did I already mention that the temperature was about 100 degrees on Thursday? As Papa and I stumbled into a café, parched and panting, we were a little surprised to find that we were now spectators of some sort of Tibetan festival. The first clue was the chanting monks and dancing natives, the second was the "I Love Tibet" t-shirts and "Free Tibet" posters. I also saw a poster for a Bongo Reggae festival the next day. Too bad we were only in Melk for the afternoon....
When we finally cooled off, the trek continued. Hildegard, our cruise manager/jane-of-all-trades gave us brief directions to get back to the ship, which were different than the way the bus went to the Monastery. After missing a turn, stumbling upon a Speedo-clad fisherman, and nearly sweating to death, we made it what I like to refer to as "Mosquito Misery", AKA, a path through the Austrian forest where Papa and I nearly lost our lives due to itch. As soon as we set foot on the path, they began to circle, and as soon as I ran out (swatting and scratching), they were gone. Ew.
We enjoyed another excellent dinner prepared by our chef, Carlos. "The Untouchables" performed in the lounge that evening, and Papa had numerous offers to dance, none of which he accepted. When bedtime rolled around, we were more than ready.
We leisurely made our way to the end of the main street, which was difficult because the narrow streets were crowded with tourists, locals, and many cyclists passing through. We finally made it to the end, and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Danube and the surrounding mountains. Not only Dürnstein, but the whole Wachau Valley is known for its wine, so there were rows of crops as far as we could see.
Back in Vienna, the t-shirts all had to do with Mozart, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and all things Viennese. However, out in the country, the souvenir shops have a better selection of shirts, including the ever popular, “There Are No Kangaroos in Austria.” I may or may not have picked up a little something for Tom Dunlap, as his only request when I was leaving was to bring him back a “No Kangaroos in Austria” shirt. I hope you don’t mind pink, TD… (kidding.)
Our schedule only allowed for two hours here, so after a few photos we headed back toward the ship (for those were wondering, the captain confirmed that we are indeed to refer to it as a SHIP, because we are carrying a boat onboard – a lifeboat). Along the way, we stopped at a fruit stand and bought a quart of fresh apricots for 2.30€ (less than $4). We’ve been snacking on them ever since, and have four left as of 11:53 Saturday evening.
Once back on the ship, we had lunch while the River Beatrice sailed through the Wachau Valley toward Melk. Papa has said many times that the scenery is impossible to describe, and he’s right, so I won’t even try. Finally, around 2pm we docked in Melk, a small village that is home to the impressive Melk Benedictine Monastery. Our local guide showed us a small section of the complex, but one hallway of one wing alone was over 600 yards long (I think there were about 7 wings, including the actual church part). The museum part was filled with tons of old, important things, like a life size crucifix that was over 800 years old.
We made our way back to the ship via the main street, which turned out to be more interesting than the Monastery. Did I already mention that the temperature was about 100 degrees on Thursday? As Papa and I stumbled into a café, parched and panting, we were a little surprised to find that we were now spectators of some sort of Tibetan festival. The first clue was the chanting monks and dancing natives, the second was the "I Love Tibet" t-shirts and "Free Tibet" posters. I also saw a poster for a Bongo Reggae festival the next day. Too bad we were only in Melk for the afternoon....
When we finally cooled off, the trek continued. Hildegard, our cruise manager/jane-of-all-trades gave us brief directions to get back to the ship, which were different than the way the bus went to the Monastery. After missing a turn, stumbling upon a Speedo-clad fisherman, and nearly sweating to death, we made it what I like to refer to as "Mosquito Misery", AKA, a path through the Austrian forest where Papa and I nearly lost our lives due to itch. As soon as we set foot on the path, they began to circle, and as soon as I ran out (swatting and scratching), they were gone. Ew.
We enjoyed another excellent dinner prepared by our chef, Carlos. "The Untouchables" performed in the lounge that evening, and Papa had numerous offers to dance, none of which he accepted. When bedtime rolled around, we were more than ready.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
SPECIAL EDITION: An Interview with Frank "Digger" Dawson
Live from Passau, Germany, another outstanding interview with the "Frankfurter" (as the locals call him.) He took great care choosing exactly the right words to convey his message to you. I hope you enjoy it:
"Thank you Amy as we continue this wonderful cruise and you have allowed me a few minutes away from our shopping and eating to reflect on my thoughts of the trip thus far.
It seems that the further we travel on the, not so Blue (the water is actually a murky brown - "but good") Danube, the more confused I have become as to what emperor canned which bishop, what nation liberated another, and who established all the boundries around here anyway.
Other observations I have made include the fact that Amy is by far the youngest passenger, while I am near the oldest. While we are hitting the capitals of several states, this region is also the souvenir capital of the world - a fact I learned from Princess Amy. I have also discovered that Wiener Schnitzel, which everyone serves, is the same as Texas fried steak, and ice cream, which everyone also serves, is the same as gelato. You can't put a price on a good time.
If asked to select my favorite spot, I would be hard-pressed. We thought Budapest was outstanding, but each area has gotten better through Bratislava, Vienna (did not see Mozart), Durnstein (apricots anyone?), Melk (where I was tempted to jump in the river following a particularly hot day), Linz (where Hitler had his Eagle's Nest), Salzburg (did not see Julie Andrews), Passau (where the boat was moved three times to avoid getting stuck under a bridge), and then on to Prague tomorrow."
Thank you Digger for those profound words to think about this evening. As for me, I will do my best after dinner to fill you in on the last few days. However, some laundry is calling my name, not to mention an empty suitcase that needs packed, and then there's always the temperamental internet connection that likes to hide itself when I attempt to publish a post. That being said, I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee you'll hear anything from us until we reach Prague tomorrow afternoon.
"Thank you Amy as we continue this wonderful cruise and you have allowed me a few minutes away from our shopping and eating to reflect on my thoughts of the trip thus far.
It seems that the further we travel on the, not so Blue (the water is actually a murky brown - "but good") Danube, the more confused I have become as to what emperor canned which bishop, what nation liberated another, and who established all the boundries around here anyway.
Other observations I have made include the fact that Amy is by far the youngest passenger, while I am near the oldest. While we are hitting the capitals of several states, this region is also the souvenir capital of the world - a fact I learned from Princess Amy. I have also discovered that Wiener Schnitzel, which everyone serves, is the same as Texas fried steak, and ice cream, which everyone also serves, is the same as gelato. You can't put a price on a good time.
If asked to select my favorite spot, I would be hard-pressed. We thought Budapest was outstanding, but each area has gotten better through Bratislava, Vienna (did not see Mozart), Durnstein (apricots anyone?), Melk (where I was tempted to jump in the river following a particularly hot day), Linz (where Hitler had his Eagle's Nest), Salzburg (did not see Julie Andrews), Passau (where the boat was moved three times to avoid getting stuck under a bridge), and then on to Prague tomorrow."
Thank you Digger for those profound words to think about this evening. As for me, I will do my best after dinner to fill you in on the last few days. However, some laundry is calling my name, not to mention an empty suitcase that needs packed, and then there's always the temperamental internet connection that likes to hide itself when I attempt to publish a post. That being said, I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee you'll hear anything from us until we reach Prague tomorrow afternoon.
Vienna Waits for You
A little late, but here it is. A recap of our day (Wednesday, 7/22) in Vienna:
Our first day in Austria was a good one. When this trip was formulating back in November, the only request I had was to visit Vienna. So, as you can imagine, this was the day I was looking forward to the most.
As per usual, we hopped on a bus and had a quick guided tour of the most interesting parts of the city. Our witty guide, Rainer, did a great job highlighting the most important details of Viennese architecture of all the old buildings. Although I can't speak for Papa, I was grateful to have a little bit of insight. I've always heard Vienna is beautiful, but until you go yourself, you can't imagine that one city can have that many beautiful buildings. We rode around the "Ring" (really Ringstrasse: a famous street that makes a ring around the old, important parts of town) passing things like the City Park (Stadt Park), Beethoven's monument, the Opera House, Mozart's monument, the Museum Quarter, Parliament, and City Hall to name a few.
Finally, we got off the bus in front of the legendary St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom). We've seen lots of old, beautiful churches on this trip, but St. Stephen's was a step above the rest in size, and architecture.
From St. Stephen's we walked around the corner to Mozarthaus, Mozart's most exquisite apartment in Vienna, where he lived for only a few years (he liked nice things and gambling, so after a while, he could not afford it anymore). This apartment is also reffered to as the Figaro House, because he composed the "Marriage of Figaro" here. We took a look inside, and of course I stopped at the gift shop. I found a nice sweatshirt that would also look nice on a 60-year-old (no offence, 60-year-old readers), but when have I really been that worried about my fashion? All joking aside, it is a nice sweatshirt that I plan to wear proudly around OU in the fall.
Our guided tour came to an end as Rainer led us to Graben, a popular pedestrian street in the old town. Lined with expensive shops and some old churches, Graben took us to our next destination, Demel. It was so crowded that we shared a table with a Swedish couple while we enjoyed some Viennese treats. We even chatted with an Australian couple who had been to Pittsburgh.
Now that we were free to roam, we began our walk around the city, starting with Hofburg Imperial Palace, winter residence of the Habsburg family (a name we've been hearing an awful lot about these days). The castle is open for tours, but there are other buildings on this complex, like the Imperial Library, and one building is the home of the Austrian President. Interestingly, Marie Antoinette was born here, and in 1938, Adolf Hitler announced from a Hofburg balcony that Austria was under the rule of the German Reich. We walked through the huge complex which led us straight back to the Ring.
I dragged Papa to Mozart and Beethoven's monuments, and made him take my picture with them both. We even stumbled across the Steinwayhaus, but didn't go in because it was closed for lunch (many businesses were). Next, had an upclose look at the Opera House. At Tom Dunlap's suggestion, we had planned to see a performance after dinner, but unfortunately the Opera is not in session in July and August.
Even in the classical music capital of the world, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Billy Joel song, "Vienna" as Papa and I walked down the tree lined sidewalk along the Ring. Although Vienna is not an overly crowded city, strolling in the shade alongside the City Park was a nice change from the crazy tourist hot-spots like St. Stephen's, Mozarthaus, and Graben.
As the song says, we "crazy children" had the chance to "slow down for a while" when we found a nice cafe inside the City Park, not far from Johann Strauss's highly-photographed monument (which we photographed as well).
As with most of our Austrian escapades, the sun was blazing in Vienna. While Papa was waiting for his Wiener Schnitzel, he had the grand idea to take his shoes off and massage his feet in the smooth, cool pebbles under our table. I don't know if it was the pebbles or the schnitzel, but after lunch, Papa was ready to go. We finished our loop around the Rinstrasse and headed back toward St. Stephen's for some window shopping.
I'm usually pretty good with a map, even a German map, but I will admit I was a little confused as we continued to walk along the Ring. Everywhere we went, I saw signs pointing toward "Einhaun." With every turn we made, I was fairly certain that I had a feeling of where we were in relation to where we had been, (as well as where we were going) but the mysterious "Einhaun" signs were not corresponding with where I thought it should be; not to mention, there were far more signs pointing toward Einhaun than there were St. Stephen's, which is the most sought after attraction in Vienna. Finally, I realized that Einhaun wasn't a mysterious destination, but simply German for "one way." My only dumb blonde moment of the whole trip.
In the late afternoon, we caught a cab (a Mazda, no less) back to the ship to get cleaned up for dinner. We decided to go with the rest of the ship to a concert when we realized that the Opera wasn't an option. We, along with a few other River Cruises, went back to City Park for a concert featuring Strauss and Mozart. Of course, the music was beautiful (even though I am not the world's greatest Strauss fan..); we were in Vienna.
One last ride around the Ring took us back to our ship. Even at 10pm on a Wednesday night, the "beaches" were packed. By beaches, I mean the places along the Danube Canal where the Viennese can relax and play in sand brought in from the Mediterranean. We also got a nice night time glance at the Great Ferris Wheel, which was beautifully lit.
Needless to say, we were pretty tired by the time we got back to our ship. Again, I can't speak for Papa, but I have a feeling he will agree with me when I say it was a day we won't soon forget.
Our first day in Austria was a good one. When this trip was formulating back in November, the only request I had was to visit Vienna. So, as you can imagine, this was the day I was looking forward to the most.
As per usual, we hopped on a bus and had a quick guided tour of the most interesting parts of the city. Our witty guide, Rainer, did a great job highlighting the most important details of Viennese architecture of all the old buildings. Although I can't speak for Papa, I was grateful to have a little bit of insight. I've always heard Vienna is beautiful, but until you go yourself, you can't imagine that one city can have that many beautiful buildings. We rode around the "Ring" (really Ringstrasse: a famous street that makes a ring around the old, important parts of town) passing things like the City Park (Stadt Park), Beethoven's monument, the Opera House, Mozart's monument, the Museum Quarter, Parliament, and City Hall to name a few.
Finally, we got off the bus in front of the legendary St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom). We've seen lots of old, beautiful churches on this trip, but St. Stephen's was a step above the rest in size, and architecture.
From St. Stephen's we walked around the corner to Mozarthaus, Mozart's most exquisite apartment in Vienna, where he lived for only a few years (he liked nice things and gambling, so after a while, he could not afford it anymore). This apartment is also reffered to as the Figaro House, because he composed the "Marriage of Figaro" here. We took a look inside, and of course I stopped at the gift shop. I found a nice sweatshirt that would also look nice on a 60-year-old (no offence, 60-year-old readers), but when have I really been that worried about my fashion? All joking aside, it is a nice sweatshirt that I plan to wear proudly around OU in the fall.
Our guided tour came to an end as Rainer led us to Graben, a popular pedestrian street in the old town. Lined with expensive shops and some old churches, Graben took us to our next destination, Demel. It was so crowded that we shared a table with a Swedish couple while we enjoyed some Viennese treats. We even chatted with an Australian couple who had been to Pittsburgh.
Now that we were free to roam, we began our walk around the city, starting with Hofburg Imperial Palace, winter residence of the Habsburg family (a name we've been hearing an awful lot about these days). The castle is open for tours, but there are other buildings on this complex, like the Imperial Library, and one building is the home of the Austrian President. Interestingly, Marie Antoinette was born here, and in 1938, Adolf Hitler announced from a Hofburg balcony that Austria was under the rule of the German Reich. We walked through the huge complex which led us straight back to the Ring.
I dragged Papa to Mozart and Beethoven's monuments, and made him take my picture with them both. We even stumbled across the Steinwayhaus, but didn't go in because it was closed for lunch (many businesses were). Next, had an upclose look at the Opera House. At Tom Dunlap's suggestion, we had planned to see a performance after dinner, but unfortunately the Opera is not in session in July and August.
Even in the classical music capital of the world, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Billy Joel song, "Vienna" as Papa and I walked down the tree lined sidewalk along the Ring. Although Vienna is not an overly crowded city, strolling in the shade alongside the City Park was a nice change from the crazy tourist hot-spots like St. Stephen's, Mozarthaus, and Graben.
As the song says, we "crazy children" had the chance to "slow down for a while" when we found a nice cafe inside the City Park, not far from Johann Strauss's highly-photographed monument (which we photographed as well).
As with most of our Austrian escapades, the sun was blazing in Vienna. While Papa was waiting for his Wiener Schnitzel, he had the grand idea to take his shoes off and massage his feet in the smooth, cool pebbles under our table. I don't know if it was the pebbles or the schnitzel, but after lunch, Papa was ready to go. We finished our loop around the Rinstrasse and headed back toward St. Stephen's for some window shopping.
I'm usually pretty good with a map, even a German map, but I will admit I was a little confused as we continued to walk along the Ring. Everywhere we went, I saw signs pointing toward "Einhaun." With every turn we made, I was fairly certain that I had a feeling of where we were in relation to where we had been, (as well as where we were going) but the mysterious "Einhaun" signs were not corresponding with where I thought it should be; not to mention, there were far more signs pointing toward Einhaun than there were St. Stephen's, which is the most sought after attraction in Vienna. Finally, I realized that Einhaun wasn't a mysterious destination, but simply German for "one way." My only dumb blonde moment of the whole trip.
In the late afternoon, we caught a cab (a Mazda, no less) back to the ship to get cleaned up for dinner. We decided to go with the rest of the ship to a concert when we realized that the Opera wasn't an option. We, along with a few other River Cruises, went back to City Park for a concert featuring Strauss and Mozart. Of course, the music was beautiful (even though I am not the world's greatest Strauss fan..); we were in Vienna.
One last ride around the Ring took us back to our ship. Even at 10pm on a Wednesday night, the "beaches" were packed. By beaches, I mean the places along the Danube Canal where the Viennese can relax and play in sand brought in from the Mediterranean. We also got a nice night time glance at the Great Ferris Wheel, which was beautifully lit.
Needless to say, we were pretty tired by the time we got back to our ship. Again, I can't speak for Papa, but I have a feeling he will agree with me when I say it was a day we won't soon forget.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
SPECIAL EDITION: An Interview With Frank/"Buddy"/"Diesel"/"Rocket" Dawson aka "Digger":
I had the rare and humbling opportunity this morning to ask Frank a few questions regarding his latest trip abroad. Here's what he had to say:
"Thank you Amy for allowing me to interrupt your shopping long enough to answer some of the questions your many readers may be wanting a response to from a genuine tourist - who never gets lost. This has been a wonderful trip once we recovered from jet-lag (and the sleeping pill Dr. Bob Beatty prescribed) and I am pleased to add my comments.
International travel can be a challenge, especially when flying DELTA (Don't Ever Leave The Airport) but this was a good one, despite the fact we were too far from the movie screen, couldn't hear the sound system, the food was below par and I was knocked out. Our arrival and bus trip provided by the Uniworld people to Budapest, where our ship (is it a ship or a boat?), the River Beatrice awaited, went well, and we were soon on an amazing adventure down thebeautiful Danube - not. As scheduled, we spent the next day and a half touring this impressive capital of Hungary. Not all bad, since it was festival time on the Chain Bridge joining Buda and Pest, closed to traffic. Can anyone imagine a festival on the Jennings Randolph? Perhaps now is the time, with all the netting in place for the painting project. Tri-State Pottery Festival people pay attention!
During the end of World War II, Hitler destroyed every bridge that linked the two components of the city, in a last ditch effort to ruin everything in sight. As an eleven-year old, I recall those terrible days, and the fear we all had when watching newsreels (and rats running across the stage at the Columbia and American Theatres in East Liverpool) as old Adolph went down the drain. The determined citizens replaced the bridges, and life goes on.
Budapest is very cosmopolitan with attractive shops, which Amy and I visited and restaurants, where we both indulged as Amy hasmentioned. She is quite a girl who I refer to as my granddaughter, but many people think she is my daughter. No doubt they are either fooledby my recent eye lid reduction surgery or Amy's mature look. Both of our looks may take on a dramatic change, however, thanks to the three square meals on the ship/boat, which we never miss. Combine this with the ice cream and other goodies, which we are forced to endure on our shore excursions, and it is el-poundo plus. Besides the food, each day brings a new adventure, interesting tours, with experienced guides, hair-raising bus rides, beautiful music and unbelievable scenery as we creep closer to the Alps. Only the occasional smell of the kerosene blasting from the rear (is thatthe bow or the stern?) of the ship/boat and the difficulty with the language has been a challenge."
Thank you, Digger for your words of wisdom. Our readers at home always enjoy hearing things from your perspective, and you certainly didn't let them down this time.
Meanwhile, we're just about to Melk, where we will have a tour of the Abbey there. Tonight is looking promising for a recap of Vienna and Durnstein, so if you're surfing the net after dinner this evening, stop by for an update.
"Thank you Amy for allowing me to interrupt your shopping long enough to answer some of the questions your many readers may be wanting a response to from a genuine tourist - who never gets lost. This has been a wonderful trip once we recovered from jet-lag (and the sleeping pill Dr. Bob Beatty prescribed) and I am pleased to add my comments.
International travel can be a challenge, especially when flying DELTA (Don't Ever Leave The Airport) but this was a good one, despite the fact we were too far from the movie screen, couldn't hear the sound system, the food was below par and I was knocked out. Our arrival and bus trip provided by the Uniworld people to Budapest, where our ship (is it a ship or a boat?), the River Beatrice awaited, went well, and we were soon on an amazing adventure down thebeautiful Danube - not. As scheduled, we spent the next day and a half touring this impressive capital of Hungary. Not all bad, since it was festival time on the Chain Bridge joining Buda and Pest, closed to traffic. Can anyone imagine a festival on the Jennings Randolph? Perhaps now is the time, with all the netting in place for the painting project. Tri-State Pottery Festival people pay attention!
During the end of World War II, Hitler destroyed every bridge that linked the two components of the city, in a last ditch effort to ruin everything in sight. As an eleven-year old, I recall those terrible days, and the fear we all had when watching newsreels (and rats running across the stage at the Columbia and American Theatres in East Liverpool) as old Adolph went down the drain. The determined citizens replaced the bridges, and life goes on.
Budapest is very cosmopolitan with attractive shops, which Amy and I visited and restaurants, where we both indulged as Amy hasmentioned. She is quite a girl who I refer to as my granddaughter, but many people think she is my daughter. No doubt they are either fooledby my recent eye lid reduction surgery or Amy's mature look. Both of our looks may take on a dramatic change, however, thanks to the three square meals on the ship/boat, which we never miss. Combine this with the ice cream and other goodies, which we are forced to endure on our shore excursions, and it is el-poundo plus. Besides the food, each day brings a new adventure, interesting tours, with experienced guides, hair-raising bus rides, beautiful music and unbelievable scenery as we creep closer to the Alps. Only the occasional smell of the kerosene blasting from the rear (is thatthe bow or the stern?) of the ship/boat and the difficulty with the language has been a challenge."
Thank you, Digger for your words of wisdom. Our readers at home always enjoy hearing things from your perspective, and you certainly didn't let them down this time.
Meanwhile, we're just about to Melk, where we will have a tour of the Abbey there. Tonight is looking promising for a recap of Vienna and Durnstein, so if you're surfing the net after dinner this evening, stop by for an update.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sun's Out, Guns Out in Bratislava
Today, Papa and I visited the capital of Slovakia: Bratislava.
After pulling out of Budapest last night around 9pm, the captain was hard at work while the rest of the ship slept. We were still on the move when breakfast rolled around, and at about 9am, we and three other river cruises had a bit of a hold up as we were pushed through a huge lock. Filling the lock with enough water to lift us high enough so we could sail over the gate we quite an ordeal. It certainly woke up all the husbands whose wives usually commandeer the camera. After that slight delay, we were on our way, and finally reached Bratislava around 1pm.
We had another bus tour, which was helpful, because Bratislava is very spread out. Not only is it divided by the Danube, but the Carpathian Mountains begin in the outskirts of town, making for a lot of steep, narrow roads. We boarded at the dock, but quickly found ourselves twisting through the Old Town and up to Bratislava Castle. The higher we climbed, the nicer the buildings (mostly homes) became. According to George, our guide, these homes were built mostly for Ambassadors of foreign countries and old Communist political figures. We even passed a miniature version of the White House.
When we finally climed all the way up to the castle, we were able to get out and stretch our legs a bit. The view was really great. Set on a cliff, the Bratislava Castle overlooks the Danube, so, we got a good arial view of the Old Town, the metropolitan side across the river, as well as the Austrian border. The castle is currently undergoing major renovations, and if you looked at the link, you'll see the four tall towers. Construction workers were actually standing up on the roof tiles with very little to catch them if they fell. Since it was about 90 degrees and sunny, there was also very little to block the sun from burning their bellies, if you know what I mean (hence today's title).
Next, we stopped at some sort of War monument. There was a little confusion over what it was acutally monumenting, becuase everything was in Russian. Turns out, the Russians liberated Slovakia during WWII, so the Slovakians built this monument. However, the Russians then turned around and "liberated them from their liberty" not long after. This is just one example of Slovakia's rocky past; a past that certainly explains why parts of Bratislava seem as if they've been "stuck in time", as Papa pointed out.
Slovakia's history does add character to the town, especially the Old Town, which is a (mostly) pedestrian area beginning with Michael's Gate. At one point, George showed us a cannon (compliments of Napoleon) stuck in the wall of what is now a tunnel. Another building was built to serve as the Hungarian Parliament building when war caused the capital to move from Budapest to Bratislava. Bringing Franz Liszt into the mix again, he gave one of his first concerts in this building, and did so well that he was awarded a scholarship to study in Vienna. I guess he was pretty good...Anyway, the (huge) building now serves as the largest University Library in Slovakia.
We meandered down more shop-laden pedestrian streets with some very impressive buildings and statues. It wasn't getting any cooler, and after a few hours we were pretty thirsty. Papa stopped at the local McDonalds for a sweet tea, and I opted for a Slovakian draught beer (as recommended by our waiter at breakfast). As you know, I'm not much of a drinker, so I can't make some profound statement regarding how "smooth" or "nutty" it tasted (sorry Tom and Dad). But, it did do the job, and soon we were back on the town, thinking of heading back to the ship.
We posed for some pictures in front of the Slovak National Theatre (apparently the old one, thank you, Wikipedia) and the Slovak Philharmonic before making our way back to the River Beatrice (AKA home sweet home). Papa and I were both pretty dopey at this point, so I decided to get a massage (yes please) while Papa relaxed on the sun deck. After dinner, we made our way up to the lounge for a concert put on by local musicians. I'll admit, I'm a little skeptical of duos whose vest and bow tie garb might also be seen at Chip and Dale's (sans white button-up), however, once they started playing Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" I changed my tune (sorry, bad pun intended...it's getting late). Turns out, the violinist, Robert, is the Concert Master of the Slovak Philharmonic, and the pianist, Peter, is the conductor of the same orchestra. Impressive. Apart from the classical pieces, Robert also played some traditional Slovak folk songs on, conviently enough, some traditional Slovak pipes. They put on a good show, and Papa bought their CD.
In about 15 minutes we are pulling out of Bratislava and heading west to Vienna. We have a busy day tomorrow, so if there is no blog post, forgive me.
After pulling out of Budapest last night around 9pm, the captain was hard at work while the rest of the ship slept. We were still on the move when breakfast rolled around, and at about 9am, we and three other river cruises had a bit of a hold up as we were pushed through a huge lock. Filling the lock with enough water to lift us high enough so we could sail over the gate we quite an ordeal. It certainly woke up all the husbands whose wives usually commandeer the camera. After that slight delay, we were on our way, and finally reached Bratislava around 1pm.
We had another bus tour, which was helpful, because Bratislava is very spread out. Not only is it divided by the Danube, but the Carpathian Mountains begin in the outskirts of town, making for a lot of steep, narrow roads. We boarded at the dock, but quickly found ourselves twisting through the Old Town and up to Bratislava Castle. The higher we climbed, the nicer the buildings (mostly homes) became. According to George, our guide, these homes were built mostly for Ambassadors of foreign countries and old Communist political figures. We even passed a miniature version of the White House.
When we finally climed all the way up to the castle, we were able to get out and stretch our legs a bit. The view was really great. Set on a cliff, the Bratislava Castle overlooks the Danube, so, we got a good arial view of the Old Town, the metropolitan side across the river, as well as the Austrian border. The castle is currently undergoing major renovations, and if you looked at the link, you'll see the four tall towers. Construction workers were actually standing up on the roof tiles with very little to catch them if they fell. Since it was about 90 degrees and sunny, there was also very little to block the sun from burning their bellies, if you know what I mean (hence today's title).
Next, we stopped at some sort of War monument. There was a little confusion over what it was acutally monumenting, becuase everything was in Russian. Turns out, the Russians liberated Slovakia during WWII, so the Slovakians built this monument. However, the Russians then turned around and "liberated them from their liberty" not long after. This is just one example of Slovakia's rocky past; a past that certainly explains why parts of Bratislava seem as if they've been "stuck in time", as Papa pointed out.
Slovakia's history does add character to the town, especially the Old Town, which is a (mostly) pedestrian area beginning with Michael's Gate. At one point, George showed us a cannon (compliments of Napoleon) stuck in the wall of what is now a tunnel. Another building was built to serve as the Hungarian Parliament building when war caused the capital to move from Budapest to Bratislava. Bringing Franz Liszt into the mix again, he gave one of his first concerts in this building, and did so well that he was awarded a scholarship to study in Vienna. I guess he was pretty good...Anyway, the (huge) building now serves as the largest University Library in Slovakia.
We meandered down more shop-laden pedestrian streets with some very impressive buildings and statues. It wasn't getting any cooler, and after a few hours we were pretty thirsty. Papa stopped at the local McDonalds for a sweet tea, and I opted for a Slovakian draught beer (as recommended by our waiter at breakfast). As you know, I'm not much of a drinker, so I can't make some profound statement regarding how "smooth" or "nutty" it tasted (sorry Tom and Dad). But, it did do the job, and soon we were back on the town, thinking of heading back to the ship.
We posed for some pictures in front of the Slovak National Theatre (apparently the old one, thank you, Wikipedia) and the Slovak Philharmonic before making our way back to the River Beatrice (AKA home sweet home). Papa and I were both pretty dopey at this point, so I decided to get a massage (yes please) while Papa relaxed on the sun deck. After dinner, we made our way up to the lounge for a concert put on by local musicians. I'll admit, I'm a little skeptical of duos whose vest and bow tie garb might also be seen at Chip and Dale's (sans white button-up), however, once they started playing Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" I changed my tune (sorry, bad pun intended...it's getting late). Turns out, the violinist, Robert, is the Concert Master of the Slovak Philharmonic, and the pianist, Peter, is the conductor of the same orchestra. Impressive. Apart from the classical pieces, Robert also played some traditional Slovak folk songs on, conviently enough, some traditional Slovak pipes. They put on a good show, and Papa bought their CD.
In about 15 minutes we are pulling out of Bratislava and heading west to Vienna. We have a busy day tomorrow, so if there is no blog post, forgive me.
Monday, July 20, 2009
We Need to Spend All Our Forints
Welcome back to our first (and only) full day in Budapest. Since we will only spend a total of 36 hours in Hungary, "we need to spend all our Forints" quickly became the phrase of the day. $1 Us = about 200 Forints, so a 5000 F bill (about $25 US) seems a lot more daunting than it really is. It took all day, but we finally managed to spend our last bill right before heading back to the ship.
We all adjust to a new time zone differently. Some of us choose to sleep it off. For some reason, I do not. I woke up around 5am to find that the sun had already started to rise, and when I finally got out of bed at 6, it was high in the sky. I hit up the fitness room for a little run before breakfast, and at 9am, we had a bus tour of the city. Our driver, Atilla, and guide, Erika, took us back and forth the Danube, showing us the usual impressive touristy things. We drove up Andrassy Utca, which Erika compared to the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Although there were many beautiful buildings, my favorite were St. Stephen's Basilica, the Hungarian State Opera House, and the Franz Liszt Memorial House/old Academy of Music, which Liszt founded. Apparently Liszt lived for many years in an apartment above the Academy. It is now a museum housing all of his belongings and eight of his favorite pianos. I'll have to add that to the things-to-do for next time (yes, I am a piano nerd, thank you).
Andrassy Avenue brought us to Hero's Square, which celebrates 14 great kings and 7 Hungarian tribal leaders. Behind the Square is the City Park which houses a zoo, amusement park, a thermal bath house, and a skating rink, just to name a few.
As we left the Pest side and crossed to the Buda side, we drove past the 2nd largest Jewish Synagogue in the world. There are only 100,000 Jews in Hungary now (approx. 1% of the population) as compared to the nearly 9% before WWII. A golden weeping willow with over 600,000 leaves, each engraved with the name of a Holocaust victim, serves as a memorial.
For a long time, Budapest consisted of two cities, Buda (the hilly Western bank) and Pest (the flat Eastern bank). Now they are one, but their differences are many.
The old important looking building set high on the hill next to our ship happens to be Buda Castle. Some other impressive offerings include the Fisherman's Bastion, and Matthias Church, both of which we walked through. If you check out the wiki link to the Bastion, you'll see the panoramic view of Pest. Papa and I took turns posing with Parliament in the background, and headed back to the bus.
After a nice lunch on the boat, we caught the ferry and headed across the river, back to Pest. A 10 minute walk took us to Vaci Utca, the pedestrian street with lots of vendors, shops, and cafes. Finally, we made our way to the big attraction, the Great Market Hall, which put any other Farmer's Market to some serious shame. I bought five apricots for 63 Forints (about 30 cents) and we snacked on those while exploring all three floors. We headed back up Vaci Utca, and found our way to yet another big square. I was a little perplexed to hear a strange version of Shakira's "Whenever Wherever." Turns out, five Danish guys had nothing better to do, so they strapped all their empty beer bottles togther, got some t-shirts, and arranged a few pop songs to play in the streets. We later saw them, bottles and all, on the ferry heading back. The two of us made seven total passengers...
After the Danish bottlers, we found Cafe Gerbaud, which is apparently pretty famous. Papa and I both ordered "Gerbaud's Cup." To say the least, this was no vegan treat, but yes, I ate it anyway (well, most of it). To any fellow vegans who might be reading this: I do not recommend diving into Gerbaud's Cup without working up to it; all that ice cream didn't lay too well on the stomach. But, when in Hungary, do as the Hungarians do. It was pretty tasty.
I recently received my first paycheck from my summer job. When I found out that $100 of that $561 went to taxes, I wasn't too happy; now I don't feel as bad. Erika told us that the government keeps 54% for taxes (30% alone for Social Security). Yikes. The government must be doing something with that other 26%, though, because the streets and buildings are all very clean. Even the Great Market Hall's bathroom was cleaner than my bathroom at home (no offence, Mom).
Finally, dear reader, I'll stop rambling. Thanks for coming this far (I will say this post was much longer than I imagined it would be). Papa's hungry, so I'd better get dressed for dinner.
We all adjust to a new time zone differently. Some of us choose to sleep it off. For some reason, I do not. I woke up around 5am to find that the sun had already started to rise, and when I finally got out of bed at 6, it was high in the sky. I hit up the fitness room for a little run before breakfast, and at 9am, we had a bus tour of the city. Our driver, Atilla, and guide, Erika, took us back and forth the Danube, showing us the usual impressive touristy things. We drove up Andrassy Utca, which Erika compared to the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Although there were many beautiful buildings, my favorite were St. Stephen's Basilica, the Hungarian State Opera House, and the Franz Liszt Memorial House/old Academy of Music, which Liszt founded. Apparently Liszt lived for many years in an apartment above the Academy. It is now a museum housing all of his belongings and eight of his favorite pianos. I'll have to add that to the things-to-do for next time (yes, I am a piano nerd, thank you).
Andrassy Avenue brought us to Hero's Square, which celebrates 14 great kings and 7 Hungarian tribal leaders. Behind the Square is the City Park which houses a zoo, amusement park, a thermal bath house, and a skating rink, just to name a few.
As we left the Pest side and crossed to the Buda side, we drove past the 2nd largest Jewish Synagogue in the world. There are only 100,000 Jews in Hungary now (approx. 1% of the population) as compared to the nearly 9% before WWII. A golden weeping willow with over 600,000 leaves, each engraved with the name of a Holocaust victim, serves as a memorial.
For a long time, Budapest consisted of two cities, Buda (the hilly Western bank) and Pest (the flat Eastern bank). Now they are one, but their differences are many.
The old important looking building set high on the hill next to our ship happens to be Buda Castle. Some other impressive offerings include the Fisherman's Bastion, and Matthias Church, both of which we walked through. If you check out the wiki link to the Bastion, you'll see the panoramic view of Pest. Papa and I took turns posing with Parliament in the background, and headed back to the bus.
After a nice lunch on the boat, we caught the ferry and headed across the river, back to Pest. A 10 minute walk took us to Vaci Utca, the pedestrian street with lots of vendors, shops, and cafes. Finally, we made our way to the big attraction, the Great Market Hall, which put any other Farmer's Market to some serious shame. I bought five apricots for 63 Forints (about 30 cents) and we snacked on those while exploring all three floors. We headed back up Vaci Utca, and found our way to yet another big square. I was a little perplexed to hear a strange version of Shakira's "Whenever Wherever." Turns out, five Danish guys had nothing better to do, so they strapped all their empty beer bottles togther, got some t-shirts, and arranged a few pop songs to play in the streets. We later saw them, bottles and all, on the ferry heading back. The two of us made seven total passengers...
After the Danish bottlers, we found Cafe Gerbaud, which is apparently pretty famous. Papa and I both ordered "Gerbaud's Cup." To say the least, this was no vegan treat, but yes, I ate it anyway (well, most of it). To any fellow vegans who might be reading this: I do not recommend diving into Gerbaud's Cup without working up to it; all that ice cream didn't lay too well on the stomach. But, when in Hungary, do as the Hungarians do. It was pretty tasty.
I recently received my first paycheck from my summer job. When I found out that $100 of that $561 went to taxes, I wasn't too happy; now I don't feel as bad. Erika told us that the government keeps 54% for taxes (30% alone for Social Security). Yikes. The government must be doing something with that other 26%, though, because the streets and buildings are all very clean. Even the Great Market Hall's bathroom was cleaner than my bathroom at home (no offence, Mom).
Finally, dear reader, I'll stop rambling. Thanks for coming this far (I will say this post was much longer than I imagined it would be). Papa's hungry, so I'd better get dressed for dinner.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Eagle Has Landed
It seems internet use isn't going to be so expensive after all, so welcome back to Budapest and Beyond. As of right now, it's just Budapest.
We landed in Budapest this morning at 10:20 am local time (4:20amEST), only 14 hours after arriving in Pittsburgh yesterday. Our flight here was only a little over seven hours, three and a half of which were spent in semi-nap mode. Papa tried to wake me up to tell me we had started our descent, and that the breakfast box was on my tray. After a few unfruitful shoves, he resorted to tapping me on the nose, which worked. 20 minutes later we were on the ground. As for the rest of the trip, it was pretty uneventful, which is a good thing.
I always wonder who gets the seats between first class and the back of the plane, because it's never me, or anyone I'm travelling with. For example: The ticket for our flight to JFK (which I slept through) said our seats were in row 12. "Not bad," I thought as I boarded and began looking for seat 12A. As I searched, the rear of the plane drew nearer and nearer, until finally, row 12. One row before the bathrooms. Five hours later, as we boarded the big one, the same process began, except this time I was looking for row 40. And as I searched the rear drew nearer and nearer again, until finally, seat 40A. One row before the bathrooms. But, I must say, there is a big difference between that second to last row and the last row. As I'm sure my mom remembers from her last trip across the pond, the last row is no place to spend a night. The second to last, however, wasn't so bad.
Other things happened, like the hour long search for a mailbox in JFK, running into Jim (I think) and Susie Anderson in JFK, and Papa's large Blueberry Blast smoothie from Smoothie King, but none worth mentioning at the moment.
Anyway, back to Budapest. We had about a 30 minute drive from the airport to the ship, where we were greeted with a "light lunch." As we ate our first real meal since 43920, I was given the image of Papa suiting up to battle his lobster bisque as "O Fortuna" played quietly in the background. It was followed by an instrumental version of the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", and then some waltz everyone knows, but no one can identify. Hmm...interesting mix.
After our lunch, Papa wanted to explore the sun deck, since we couldn't check into our rooms yet (we were early). It took him about 4 minutes to find a cushioned chaise and fall asleep. I brought out the camera and took a few pictures of the scenery. These computers don't have a USB port visible, so I guess I'll have to describe what's around us. To the right, we have Parliament, and a bunch of other old, important looking buildings. To the left, we have what appear to be old Roman ruins built into the hill side. I have a feeling I'll find out what these are tomorrow on our tour. There is a jazz festival in sight, and I have a schedule for it, so I'll see if maybe I can talk Papa into walking up there with me later this evening. If not (don't worry, Mom & Dad), I'll probably try to get some exercise on the ship. We're spending tomorrow in Budapest too, so tonight is pretty open.
I haven't seen much of Hungary yet, but I have seen my favorite character since leaving the states. At the airport, I shared an elevator with a Hungarian adolescent, whose face resembled George Dunlap V only with dark, curly, long hair. His shirt said,"I can't help what I like. I prefer to be naked."
Until tomorrow, szia (hello/goodbye). I think our room is ready.
We landed in Budapest this morning at 10:20 am local time (4:20amEST), only 14 hours after arriving in Pittsburgh yesterday. Our flight here was only a little over seven hours, three and a half of which were spent in semi-nap mode. Papa tried to wake me up to tell me we had started our descent, and that the breakfast box was on my tray. After a few unfruitful shoves, he resorted to tapping me on the nose, which worked. 20 minutes later we were on the ground. As for the rest of the trip, it was pretty uneventful, which is a good thing.
I always wonder who gets the seats between first class and the back of the plane, because it's never me, or anyone I'm travelling with. For example: The ticket for our flight to JFK (which I slept through) said our seats were in row 12. "Not bad," I thought as I boarded and began looking for seat 12A. As I searched, the rear of the plane drew nearer and nearer, until finally, row 12. One row before the bathrooms. Five hours later, as we boarded the big one, the same process began, except this time I was looking for row 40. And as I searched the rear drew nearer and nearer again, until finally, seat 40A. One row before the bathrooms. But, I must say, there is a big difference between that second to last row and the last row. As I'm sure my mom remembers from her last trip across the pond, the last row is no place to spend a night. The second to last, however, wasn't so bad.
Other things happened, like the hour long search for a mailbox in JFK, running into Jim (I think) and Susie Anderson in JFK, and Papa's large Blueberry Blast smoothie from Smoothie King, but none worth mentioning at the moment.
Anyway, back to Budapest. We had about a 30 minute drive from the airport to the ship, where we were greeted with a "light lunch." As we ate our first real meal since 43920, I was given the image of Papa suiting up to battle his lobster bisque as "O Fortuna" played quietly in the background. It was followed by an instrumental version of the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", and then some waltz everyone knows, but no one can identify. Hmm...interesting mix.
After our lunch, Papa wanted to explore the sun deck, since we couldn't check into our rooms yet (we were early). It took him about 4 minutes to find a cushioned chaise and fall asleep. I brought out the camera and took a few pictures of the scenery. These computers don't have a USB port visible, so I guess I'll have to describe what's around us. To the right, we have Parliament, and a bunch of other old, important looking buildings. To the left, we have what appear to be old Roman ruins built into the hill side. I have a feeling I'll find out what these are tomorrow on our tour. There is a jazz festival in sight, and I have a schedule for it, so I'll see if maybe I can talk Papa into walking up there with me later this evening. If not (don't worry, Mom & Dad), I'll probably try to get some exercise on the ship. We're spending tomorrow in Budapest too, so tonight is pretty open.
I haven't seen much of Hungary yet, but I have seen my favorite character since leaving the states. At the airport, I shared an elevator with a Hungarian adolescent, whose face resembled George Dunlap V only with dark, curly, long hair. His shirt said,"I can't help what I like. I prefer to be naked."
Until tomorrow, szia (hello/goodbye). I think our room is ready.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Auf Wiedersehen 43920
Seeing as this is my first blog ever, my first post on said blog, and my ride to the airport is leaving in less than two hours, I'll keep this short. I know "Budapest and Beyond" will never live up to the age old favorite "Catching a Flyer" (TVD, 2007), but internet access on our ship will be expensive, so this will have to serve as a mass-email of sorts for the next 12 days.
Here's a little overview of what's going on for those who don't know or just forgot:
Today (7/18) My grandpa (Frank/Digger/Buddy/Rocket/Diesel/etc., etc.) and I are flying to Budapest for a river cruise of the Danube with an extension to Prague. We will be returning to the states on Wednesday, the 29th. I'll try to update this as often as I can, but I can't promise it won't cost our life savings to get on the internet for 10 minutes a day.
I'm afraid that's all for now; there are showers to be had, things to be packed, and flights to be caught. See ya'll in Europe.
Here's a little overview of what's going on for those who don't know or just forgot:
Today (7/18) My grandpa (Frank/Digger/Buddy/Rocket/Diesel/etc., etc.) and I are flying to Budapest for a river cruise of the Danube with an extension to Prague. We will be returning to the states on Wednesday, the 29th. I'll try to update this as often as I can, but I can't promise it won't cost our life savings to get on the internet for 10 minutes a day.
I'm afraid that's all for now; there are showers to be had, things to be packed, and flights to be caught. See ya'll in Europe.
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