Day 11 - Wednesday - United from Munich to Dulles

I found it surreal that I could awaken at 7 am on a riverboat on the Danube in Passau, Gernany, board a bus for the Munich Airport at 8 am, and be back in Shady Side by 8 pm the same day. And a long day it was. First a fun photo:

As seen in the Munich Airport. We wondered if he had to pay for a second seat.

While I understand that no one should expect international travel to be a walk in the park, but recalling the hoops and waits that we had to manage makes me wonder if it is worth it (it was!).

• The bus from our boat arrived at Munich Airport at 10 am, a two-hour ride, it is raining, and the Viking person who was supposed to help us navigate the airport was not up to the task
• We had to ask several people where to find the United Airlines check in desk, so we could drop off our luggage and get our boarding passes
• We found the United Airlines check in and were greeted by a young man at the start of the line (thankfully short as we were flying business class), who said that he was a security official and interrogated us about our travels and our destination in a manner unlike any I had experienced before when trying to check bags and getting a boarding pass - we passed
• Then we had to go through the security check, where I was patted down and was made to turn my camera on and was chilled by the hostile manners of the security personnel
• Then we had to go through customs - at least this process was fully automated; first you scan your passport and then you stand in front of this giant camera which does a massive facial scan; when it decides that you are not a terrorist, you are allowed to go have your passport stamped!
• Then we had to go through a United Airlines passport and boarding pass check to be allowed to go to our gate
• Then, after confirming that our gate was HO1 not HO8, we were blocked a very nasty woman who would not allow anyone to proceed past gate HO8 because passengers from another flight were disembarking, and for some unexplained reason many of us on either side of the line of passengers coming out of gate HO8, were blocked from moving for 20 minutes with no place to sit
• Then we waited standing, now going on 4 hours since getting off the bus, to board the plane
• We walked at total of 1.5 miles and remained on our feet on one line or another for over 4 hours after arriving at the airport!
• I had a scotch on the rocks at 12:30 pm.

And then there was going through customs at Dulles! The last time I saw that many people snaking through a maze to clear customs was the last time we had to clear customs at Dulles. I think we shuffled along for 45 minutes before being asked if we had any fresh fruit or vegetables or liquor or cigarettes. And then we had to hunt for our luggage which had arrived well before we made it to baggage claim and had been thrown into a large mess of other bags from our flight! And then... well we made it home 4 hours after our flight landed, exhausted and starving.

Day 10 - Passau, Germany

Leaving Linz, the bridges in front of and behind us were brilliantly illuminated.  This was a fitting end to a peaceful day (mostly - as I noted, Anne took the optional tour to visit a former concentration camp.) Meanwhile I walked into Linz in search of souvenirs. I had seen an interesting shop on our morning tour and returned to find it closed! The only other shop that I found open sold an unappealing variety of wholesome organic lotions, scented candles, and slippers. There was a giant rack of chocolates, but not knowing the language, I could not tell if they were sugar free or made with strange fruits or nuts. I returned to the ship empty handed.

We arrived early the next morning in Passau, Germany, our final destination and awoke to a steady downpour. Undaunted, we geared up for our morning walking tour of the city. We boarded a bus for the 15-minute drive into town and paired up with our guide, a chirpy young man who spoke very good English without an accent even though he is a native German. It rained on an off, and our hooded rain jackets proved equal to the task (the large bright red Viking umbrella was more trouble to manage than it was a help). 

The city of Passau is actually built on a peninsula, bordered on one side by the Danube and on the side by the Inn River. There is a third smaller river that joins the Inn River near the tip of the peninsula. We learned that the border with Austria is very near and that gas is 30 to 40 euros less expensive there. The fountains and the public building illuminations are turned off to save power in anticipation of the need to conserve power for the approaching winter due to the anticipated severe reduction in natural gas supply from Russia.

We learned that the large palace, Veste Orbhouse, that we could see on a hill across the river was built in 1499 and that the Bishop was able to escape invaders at one point and return with a large enough army to defeat them. Our guide was most enthusiastic about the very large and beautiful church, St. Stephen's Cathedral, into which we were able to retreat from the rain and sit down while he told us about its famous organ - or actually five organs all of which were wired to be played from one central control console. It is the largest church organ outside the US and offers a half-hour concert every day, except Sunday, at noon for a fee.

We were shown the high water marks of past floods recorded on a building by the river and learned that the worst flood since the 1500’s occurred in 2003. The mayor of the city closed the university (which is free to all 12,000 students) and offered the students free food and beer for their help in cleaning up the flood damage - which was accomplished in 10 days, though reconstruction, paid for by the government, took much longer.

Leaving Linz:

Passau photos:

Day 9 - Linz - Monday

We took the included city walking tour starting on a chilly 9:15 am morning. Our guide was wearing an adorable Austrian outfit (there were deer on her skirt). Linz has a troubled relatively recent history. It was Adolf Hitler’s home town and his choice of the place to build grand palaces and to house his pilfered art collection. On March12, 1938, he gave one of his famous speeches proclaiming the union of Austria and Germany from the balcony of city hall. He was cheered by 250,000 Austrians and introduced by the provisional Chancellor and the mayor. Thankfully his vision was never realized as the Nazis lost the war!

The city now has some 12,000 students from all over attending the free university - and it is home to the Sigmund Freud Private University. It is also home to several art museums (all closed on Mondays), and schools of art and music. It is Austria’s third largest city. It was home to Wolfgang Mozart, Anton Bruckner, and Johannes Kepler. Of course there are several majestic churches, an Old Town Hall, and a grand main city square, Hauptplatz.

Anne took an optional afternoon tour to a Nazi concentration camp, the Mauthausen Memorial, where over 90,000 prisoners from 40 countries died between 1938 and 1945. She said it was a somber tour as you might expect.

Day 8 - Sunday - Krems

Anne did another bike tour in the morning while I slept off my cold - and as of today (Monday), I hesitate to declare victory, which I attribute to a side benefit of the 5 doses of Covid vaccine that I have received. After lunch we went for a walk into Krems, a small and charming Austrian village. You have to take an underpass to cross the main road which runs along the river. On that road we watched hundreds of runners go by who were participating in the Wachau marathon. The Wachau is a renowned wine growing area and part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The marathon is popular because the course is flat. It ends in Krems.

One criticism of cruises, even those run by “high end” Viking, that I will declare aloud is the extreme quantity of food that is provided. Of course you can choose not to order all three courses at lunch and dinner, but even then the portions are too large. Last night, we were served a traditional Austrian dinner by waiters in Lederhosen. At the table when we sat down were two platters, one with multiple slices of charcuterie and the other with multiple slices of three cheeses with bread and big pretzels. Then there was a lovely soup and glasses of beer. And then there was a bowl of Wiener schnitzel. And then there was a large plate of traditional Austrian meats and sauerkraut. And then the waiter brought chunks of pigs knuckle and bratwurst. And then there was this special dessert, Kaiserschmarrn, made from a fluffy pancake and soaked with rum. And then there was an offering of slices of  multiple kinds of cake - we declined and rolled off to bed.

While this was clearly the cruise company’s homage to Austrian foods, it was way too much food and much was wasted. I could hardly eat half of what I was served.

The following are photos of sights along the river as we cruised from Krems to Linz where we are today (Monday).

Day 7 - Vienna

We took a cab into central Vienna, a half-hour ride from our dock. It was Saturday, and the plazas were thronged with tourists (many from the Viking ships on tours we elected not to join). We walked around the main attractions, the Schönbrunn Palace being the grandest. We had a nice chat with a young man from Kosovo who was trying to sell us opera tickets outside the opera house. He has lived in Vienna for ten years even though he says it is expensive and hard to get by. There was way too much to take in over the few hours we had before needing to return to the ship. I was surprised by how much of the retail space around the major attractions not devoted to cafes abounded with high end consumer goods like jewelry, watches, and clothing.

We ended up calling an Uber using the Starbucks WiFi.

Unfortunately I have gotten a cold and was feeling poorly, so I did not join Anne on the e-bike ride into the countryside. She enjoyed it while I slept.

I have only a few photos from Vienna, two of a part of the Schönbrunn Palace and one of a wing of St. Steven’s Cathedral under scaffolding.

Day 6 - Yesterday - Bratislava, Slovinia

After another leisurely morning, we set out in the afternoon for the Panoramic Bratislava tour. We began by bus driving up to a restored castle with great views of the city. Our tour guide, a native Bratislavian in her fifties who spoke excellent English, brought highlights of her personal history to her account of the history of her country which she clearly loves. She was in her early 20’s when the communists were kicked out and told us how shocked she and her friends were when they went to cross the boarder with Austria and were allowed to across with no problem. She said they crossed back and forth just for the pure enjoyment of the freedom.

Bratislava’s main industry is automobile manufacturing. They manufacture cars for VW, Porsche, Volvo, and Kia among others. They also manufacture the steel used in the cars. We were next bused to the old town with a large pedestrian only shopping area with great coffee shops and busy public square. She shared many interesting details of life in Bratislava, including the economic hardships that inflation and the war in Ukraine have brought.

Day 5 - photo update

I have a few photos from the bath house and a few night shots as we departed for Vienna.

Day 5 - Budapest Expeditions

We somehow managed to just miss the full breakfast this morning and had to settle for coffee and danish at 10:15. Anne took a bike tour into Budapest, visiting a few new sights, and enjoyed the exercise. On the other hand, I opted for the Baths excursion. There are 5 baths in Budapest, and they all draw their water from hot mineral springs. They are housed in elaborate and beautiful buildings. Viking provided a tote bag with a towel, slippers, a robe, and an apple. At the bath we were given a bathing cap, which was required in the swimming pool. I started out in the warm mineral springs, large semi-circle pools in tiled rooms, and was then unable to manage the pool, which was not heated. So, I opted for sunbathing on the outdoor top level. 

The big event of the evening was our departure at 9 pm to experience the brilliantly illuminated city landmarks and bridges. I tried to take photos, but somehow managed to screw up the settings on my camera, so I don’t think I have any salvageable. And now my camera is not working as before! I have to spend some time on Google looking for help.

Nonetheless, the nighttime experience of the illuminated city from the boat was spectacular. I am writing this at the of Day 6 which featured our visit to Bratislava, Slovenia. A city with another amazing history. To be continued.

Day 4 - To the Boat - Yesterday - I am trying to get caught up!

After putting our luggage outside our room at 10 am, we enjoyed another leisurely morning following a good breakfast (the European idea of a breakfast bar includes an amazing variety of foods, from custom omelets to cold cuts and many varieties of bread and pastries). The walk from the hotel to an enormous multi-storied indoor market was interesting (and not too taxing for the old man). We saw a lot of vendors selling all manner of vegetables, meats, sausages, specialty local liquors, and many varieties of paprika.

The food so far, lunch and dinner, has been good, with plenty of choices. The crème brûlée is excellent.

I have almost fully adjusted to the time change - a good long nap was a big help.

And then the ship was only a ten minute walk from the market. We were able to go to our stateroom which has a separate seating area with bar (wine and beer and soda are included), and a queen-sized bed. Right now there are three Viking long ships tied up side by side, but we leave for our next stop, Bratislava, at 8:30 this evening, so we will be able to something aside from someone else’s balcony soon.

One more photo from our Tuk Tuk (not Tuk Turk - autocorrect be damned - and I apologize for the typo here and there, as I am usually writing at the end of the day.)

The Opera House.

Day 3 - More Photos

Day 3 - Yesterday Now

After a leisurely morning and a short walk around the hotel neighborhood, the highlights of which were the Liszt music academy building and the recently renovated Opera House, we met our Turk Tuk guide, Robert, and set off for a bumpy and breezy 4-hour grand tour of the city. Zipping through traffic and climbing impossible looking inclines, Robert provided a running commentary on the attractions and Hungarian history. We stopped here and there for photos or to explore on our own. All in all it was an exhilarating experience, though it felt at times as if we were drinking from a firehose.

After warming up back in our hotel room, we headed for the lovely hotel bar. For the only time in memory, the bar tender asked me if I wanted a double shot with my Grey Goose martini, so I said sure why not (it will clear later in my account of the evening that this was not a good idea). We cabbed it to a classy restaurant, Cyrano, and enjoyed an excellent dinner with two glasses of wine each. My choice was a bowl of hearty goulash soup.

We had been told that the restaurant would call us a cab, but they were too busy. So we thought we could hail one instead. Not so. We ended up walking back to the hotel instead - a way longer distance than I was prepared to manage at that point in the day. I was not wearing good shoes for walking, and due to my alcohol intake, I was unable to come up with a better alternative, so I arrived aching and exhausted 😩.

I have included a few of the many photos from our day’s travels.

1.