After recovering from a long night flight to Munich via Amsterdam we enjoyed an informative historical walking tour of the city with the Rathaus-Glockenspiel in Marienplatz a highlight. If interested, you too can view the famous glockenspiel on YouTube from your easy chair. The following day we took the train to Salzburg and enjoyed a walking tour of this beautiful city; think castles, gardens, Mozart and The Sound of Music. We then traveled to Nuremburg where we boarded the Emerald Destiny for our DanubeRiver Cruise. Most of the 80 guests boarded in Amsterdam a week earlier and were already halfway through a two week river cruise. The ship can accommodate 180 people and this was their first cruise of the season after having been docked for the past two years. The boat began service in 2017 and after being docked the past two years felt like a brand new boat. Being early spring, the weather was cool and rainy some days but we prefer this over summer heat and humidity while traveling.
We made many stops floating down the Danube through Germany, Austria, Slovakia & Hungary with guided city tours at every stop; the aftermath of historical takeovers and WW11 remain front of mind in these countries. Also, think cobblestone streets, historic villages with quaint squares, gothic and baroque church architecture and old castles on the hilltops overlooking the river and villages. Of particular interest to me were the 16 locks that the boat navigated during our week long cruise down the river. We entered the journey while the boat was still gaining elevation before starting its decent down to Budapest where we disembarked. The top deck of the boat couldn’t be used until we were low enough to allow the boat to safely cruise under the many bridges along the way. The rooms were nicely appointed, the food was excellent and the service stellar; I highly recommend Emerald Cruise line.
We stayed an extra day in Budapest taking a food tour which was fun. Beyond the old world highlights, Budapest seems to have a young hip international vibe and a busy night life to go with it. To be expected, the entire regional trip included enjoying all manner of sausages, organ meat pates, schnitzels, dumplings, spätzle’s, strudels and gravy galore. We also enjoyed many varieties of crusty breads and tasty desserts which makes returning to the gym imperative upon our return home. Every town seems to have its own variety of beer with differing opinions as to which one is the best and finally, each of these countries also produce lovely wines and liquors from local fruits.
After a two and a half hour train ride through the countryside of Hungary and Austria we arrived back in Vienna and after navigating seven escalators through the underground subway system with my large suitcase (i.e. coffin) we are now safely ensconced in an old historic hotel in the centrally located Stephen Platz area. Over the next several days we will further explore Vienna and Paul is excited to visit some of his old childhood haunts in this historic city. Then we will bid farewell to our two travel companions and head to Barcelona where we will be joined by family members and friends over the next three weeks. There is no rest for the traveling weary and my back and hips are killing me from all the walking on hard uneven surfaces. These areas can’t accommodate those with disabilities very well so I advise traveling while you are young without infirmities. The custom orthotics I had made before the trip are paying off but I have a new cramp in my right calf that needs help. I think I am quickly moving from the “go-go” years to the “slow-go” years of retirement but I will try to “stay calm and travel on.”