Australia08

No, we did not have this problem. It could be because some of the countries are now part of the Schengen countries, making travel between them much easier. I remember taking a night train from Budapest to Munich in 2000. We, too, were woken up in the middle of the night to produce our passports. I had kind of forgotten about that.

Sunday, May 5 - Vukovar/Ilok, Croatia After breakfast, we were off on our buses on about a 40 minute drive through the beautiful Croatian countryside. Again, it was a wonderful sunny day. Since it was a Sunday, our morning tour which normally includes some time for free time and shopping was changed up a bit and some items for purchase were present at the city hall in Bilje, where we heard a lovely concert by a local woman. Everyone, included tours and the optional tour we took (Highlights of Croatia) stopped at this location and later went to the Old City Walls of Osijek, a former Hapsburg fort. After the great walking tour, it was nearing lunchtime. The optional tour we were taking included lunch with a Croatian family. We’ve taken these kinds of tours before and always enjoy them. Our guide divided us into groups. Our group of 11 got dropped off at House 2. Our family was ready to greet us and begin to entertain us. The husband and wife who had been married for 53 years did not speak English, but their adult daughter was there to translate and give us a lot of information about the family, their history (including info about when they had to leave their home when the bombing during the Balkans War of the 1990s occurred), and lots of information about the wonderful foods we were eating for lunch. I highly recommend this home lunch aspect of the tour. Every group on our bus argued over who had the best experience. The food and hospitality were exceptional cultural experiences! After leaving our home visit, it was back on the bus to head to our afternoon Croatian wine experience in Ilok (where the Viking Kadlin was now moored). On our way, our bus made a quick stop for us to see the bombed water tower, of the city of Vukovar (where we had started our day). In 1991, Vukovar came under siege during the Yugoslav Wars, becoming the only town in Europe to suffer such destruction since World War II (unfortunately, it was not the last). We also learned about the two men from the town (they are pictured on a nearby sign) who kept putting up another national flag on the top of the water tower each time one was destroyed. After our brief stop at the water tower, it was off to the winery in Ilok. This town has been producing wines for over two thousand years. Along the way to the winery, we saw many vineyards from the bus. We visited the KAST wine cellar on the main street of Ilok. After a quick tour of the winery, it was off to the tasting room to sample three whites and two reds. It was a great way to cap off our first day in Croatia. By this time, it was time to head back to the Kadlin, take a last view of the medieval town of Ilok, with its captivating castle on the hill, and get ready to head on down the Danube.

Interesting. Thanks for the clarification.

I’m not too worried about it. I figure people probably know what I mean. I think that it is kind of silly that a word used in an historical context can’t be recognized by any smart computer censor. I’m a former history teacher and it’s a good thing that all my former lesson plans weren’t censored like this or my students would have missed a lot of history. 😀 Thanks for the suggestions though!

Saturday, May 4 - Mohacs Another sunny day greeted us in Mohacs, Hungary. This town is known for having repelled one attack of the Ottomans before being defeated in a second attack. Our main objective this morning on our included excursion was the historic city of Pecs. The countryside we viewed from the bus on our way to Pecs displayed verdant agricultural land. Once we arrived in Pecs, we walked to the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul to view the stunning architecture. Before entering, we saw the original saints that once adorned the top of the building. The foundations of the building date back to the 4th century Roman period, but the current building is of Neoclassical design from 1891. The inside blue and gold walls are covered with paintings of the 12 apostles. The interior is quite beautiful. We strolled outside the Church to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Late Roman Early Christian cemetery of Sopianae, the Roman predecessor of Pecs. The burial chambers and memorial chapels of the cemetery shows the unique early Christian sepulchral art and architecture of the northern and Western Roman provinces of the Roman Empire. After visiting the UNESCO site, we headed into the main part of the town of Pecs. The walk in this historic city was very relaxing. There we saw the former Mosque of Pasha Qasim and the usual Plague Memorial. After a short amount of free time, we headed back to the bus. On the way, we saw the remaining Medieval tower and walls of the city. After returning to Mohacs, Mike and I walked into town. It’s rather sleepy, but there are a few sidewalk cafes and ice cream shops. The park near the end of the pedestrian street had a statue of the Busos. Legend has it that during the Ottoman reign, the Sokci people would dress up in masks and costumes (wooden masks, fur coats, stockings, cow bells, maces, pitchforks) and hide in nearby swamps and make loud noises to scare the Turkish soldiers away. Mohacs has an annual Busojaras Carnival to celebrate winter’s end and also to celebrate this legend. Sail away was at 7:00 pm so we bid farewell to Hungary. Before we retired for the night, we were in Vukovar, Croatia.

Friday, May 3 - Budapest Today, it was an early start for the Highlights of Budapest tour. Our guide picked us up outside the ship and we took the #2 tram down to the Parliament where we began our walking tour. The main focus of this tour was an inside tour of the Parliament building. Once inside, we actually used the Parliament audio tour devices to guide us through the Parliament. It was an amazing building and by using the Viking tour, you do not need to queue for tickets. If you do it on your own, plan to buy your tickets online days prior to the tour. A view from inside Parliament What remains of the actual Red Star that hung above Parliament during the Communist era An historical photo of what the Red Star above Parliament looked like After leaving Parliament, we walked with our guide through Kossuth Square, (Kossuth was the leader of the 1848 revolution against the Hapsburgs). Walking by the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Agriculture, we came to the Monument to the Victims of the 1956 Uprising. After leaving the Parliament behind, we entered a park containing several monuments. There was a monument to Attila Jozsef, an Hungarian poet, and the Holocaust monument. In Liberty Square, we saw a controversial monument to the Soviet soldiers who liberated Hungary (but didn't leave), a statue of Ronald Reagan, and a statue of George H W Bush (the first American president to visit Hungary). Further on, there was a Monument to the Victims of the *** and a counter monument to the victims of WWII Hungarians. Near this memorial area is a fountain with sensors that will detect when someone is entering and stop the flow of water momentarily. After this walk, it was time for lunch in a local restaurant. We had some nice salami and cheese to start, followed by goulash (with a red pepper paste for those of us who wanted to spice up our goulash) and a cream dessert. The red pepper paste Hungarian goulash Cream and pumpkin dessert Following lunch, we walked by St. Istvan’s Basilica. At this point, many passengers chose to leave the tour to go inside. We headed back to the Kadlin with our guide since we wanted to walk across the Chain Bridge before heading to our room for an afternoon nap. One of the Chain Bridge lions Another view of one of the Chain Bridge lions Looking down on the Kadlin from the Chain Bridge The funicular at the end of the Chain Bridge, leading up to Castle Hill We spent the rest of the day on the Kadlin relaxing, having dinner and enjoying evening entertainment. We left Budapest about 10:30 pm, heading upstream to find an open spot to turn around. By the time we headed back downstream, it was after 11:00 pm and the major lights of the historical buildings were turned off, but I snapped a photo of the Parliament just as we passed and I think it looks great even though it wasn’t lit.

Yes, it was a Viking optional excursion. We thought it might be less confusing rather than heading over on our own. The guide made sure we knew where our cabins were and gave us the general layout of the facility in advance. That way, we got into the water sooner.

May 2, afternoon - Budapest After lunch, it was off to the Szechenyi Baths. Going to one of the thermal baths in Budapest seems to be the thing to do, so we decided to give it a try. Viking provided us with a nice bag filled with towel, robe, slippers (I’d suggest that flip flops are the way to go if you have them with you), and even a few snacks. The Szechenyi baths are one of the most famous found in the middle of the City Park. You have a personal changing cabin that you can lock, then you can head out to the outdoor baths or to the indoor baths. We explored all the baths, but ultimately settled on three of the interior baths with temperatures ranging from tepid, to warm, to hot. We basically stuck our toes in the cool and cold pools and moved on. We ended up the afternoon in the outdoor pool, which was comfortably warm. Would I do it again? Probably not, but I’m glad we gave it a try. After we returned to the ship, we relaxed until dinner. Right after dinner, we had some stellar views from the front of the ship where we were dining. Later, after a few cocktails in the lounge, we headed back to our room where. again, we enjoyed the most outstanding view of the Chain Bridge and Matthias Church.

Thursday, May 2 - Budapest We woke up to a sensational view from our cabin. The Kadlin was on the outside so we looked right at the Chain Bridge and Castle. I had my first coffee of the day staring at this beautiful sight. Yes, this shot was taken from our cabin veranda! Great view without even going on the veranda. This photo was looking upstream from our veranda. After breakfast in the dining room, it was time to meet our included Panoramic Budapest tour. We started out on the bus doing a drive by viewing of many of the city’s famous sites. Among these was the Opera House, The House of Terror, Heroes’ Square, We also saw the Museum of Ethnography, the Great Synagogue and Hungarian Jewish Museum, St. Istvan’s Basilica, and many more buildings that I didn’t get photos of from the bus. After crossing the Chain Bridge, we saw the funicular and then went through the tunnel and ascended Castle Hill. We left the bus and walked to Matthias Church. There we had a tour inside. After that we were let loose to spend time on our own. First, we went over to Fisherman’s Bastion for the marvelous view back toward Parliament. Then we headed back toward a shop we’d walked by on the walking tour. It sold “kurtoskalacs” or chimney cakes, a local pastry I definitely wanted to try. They do look like pastry chimneys, and once they are taken off the fire, they even smoke as they cool! The dough is crusty on the outside and tender inside. They come coated in a choice of several ingredients. I chose the traditional cinnamon coating. It was great! We walked over toward the Royal Palace, but just had time to take a quick view at the observation area since it was time to head back to the bus. The bus did a final panoramic view of Margaret Island, the Margaret Bridge, the Parliament, and the shoes memorial. Then it was back to the Kadlin for lunch.

May 1, afternoon - On the Danube During lunch, the Kadlin got under way toward Budapest. Viking had several activities planned for our sailing afternoon. First was a wheelhouse tour. The captain explained about all the equipment he uses to navigate. He also gave us a demonstration of how the wheelhouse is lowered for going under low bridges. After the wheelhouse tour, it was time to go through our first lock (actually, it was our second lock but since our first lock was at 1:30 am that morning, I’m counting this as our first lock). We started watching from up on the top deck, but as the ship began to lower, I headed downstairs to see what it looked like from our cabin. While it may not be as dramatic as going through the locks of the Panama Canal, going through locks is always fun! A concrete view from our room After we were through the lock, it was time to go to the lounge to watch the chef demonstrate how to make pogaca, a cheesy Hungarian scone. Of course, we all got to sample a hot pogaca right out of the oven. Before we’d even finished our pogaca, servers arrived with towers of teatime treats. That was soon followed by Program Director Michal providing us with a presentation on the history of the Balkans. It was definitely a busy day because after we changed for dinner, it was time to go to our Viking Society cocktail party, soon after followed by dinner. While we were at dinner, it was announced that we would be arriving in Budapest around 10:15 pm before the lights on the public buildings are turned off. Around 10:00 pm, almost everyone headed to the top deck to enjoy the view. It was spectacular! And best of all, we got to dock right in front of the Chain Bridge. The location was excellent.

Wednesday, May 1 - Bratislava Today, we arrived in Bratislava early. We would need to leave by noon, so there was only the included tour to choose from. We had an excellent guide, who gave us lots of information about the differences between her life during Communist times and her life now. We started at the Slovak National Theater and the Promenade Square. Our next major site was St. Martins Cathedral where nineteen Hungarian kings and queens have been crowned (more than anywhere else in Hungary). This is very representative of the fact that borders in this region have changed many times. The exterior of the church is quite beautiful, and there is a gold crown that sits atop the steeple. The interior has nicely carved wood altarpieces. Next we saw a bit of the remaining 15th century town wall. We saw several other picturesque locations before reaching the town square. A street that is a favorite for film directors Michaliska Street - St. Michael’s Gate - the last surviving tower of the city wall The Main Square - its fountain celebrates the 1563 coronation of Maximillian II, the first Habsburg emperor. Our guide led us to a few more locations near the square, but we were soon on our own to sample the local Bratislava bagel with some coffee.We chose one stuffed with poppyseeds and one stuffed with walnuts. Both were delicious, but I think I like the walnut version best. Fortified from our snack, I talked Mike into climbing up to the castle before heading back to the ship. It was quite a climb, but not very far and the view from above was great.The castle dates to the Middle Ages, and had been burned and rebuilt several times. The Bratislava Castle Gate I’m disappointed that our stay in Bratislava was so short. I know I’d like to return and really explore the city.

April 29, evening - Vienna For our last event in Vienna, we were able to book the Viking musical tour. It’s an exclusive arrangement that Viking has with Alma Deutscher, the child prodigy who wrote her first opera at age six. We had seen an interview of her on 60 Minutes some years back, so we were excited to have the opportunity to see her conduct, play the violin, and to hear several of her original works. The program was so well constructed! Besides the original works, we heard Strauss and Mozart works to round out the evening. I highly recommend this tour if the option is available.

The Mekong ship only held 80 passengers - so that was another plus. So much more intimate. I’m sure costs over all in Southeast Asia are simply less. That was a big benefit. It had a lot - a small pool and gym. I’m thrilled with what we have on this ship, just liked the other better.

April 28 - Vienna Today was embarkation day. The skies were blue once again. We had a leisurely breakfast, packed our last items into our bag and called for an Uber. Boarding was quick and we were in our room quickly. Lunch was being served on the Aquavit Deck. After lunch, we took some time to explore the ship. It was our first time on one of the European Long Ships. Earlier in the year, we had taken the Viking Saigon on the Mekong River. I actually like its design better since the staterooms on it are much larger. The basic French Balcony is 303 sq ft on the Viking Saigon (that’s the cabin style we chose). Here on the Viking Kadlin, a French Balcony is only 135 sq ft. Since we do value personal space, we opted for the Veranda Suite on this ship (still only 275 sq ft, but more room to move around). We certainly paid more, but we do appreciate the space. After we finished checking out the Kadlin, we decided to head over to the Ubahn to go one station to Prater Park. After our Third Man tour yesterday, we wanted to see the Ferris wheel that is featured in several scenes. The park is huge so we also accomplished completing our 10,000 steps for the day. We had a short rest prior to our safety drill and the Welcome Briefing. Then it was on to dinner. Dinner was good, but nothing terribly exciting. The best thing I tried was the Liver Dumpling Soup. After dinner, we headed to the Lounge to hear the resident pianist. We danced twice - one selection was a Waltz which we particularly like to dance. The day had caught up with us so we headed off for one last walk on the upper deck, then to bed. April 29 - Vienna This morning we slept in a bit and then had to rush to make our Panoramic Tour. We’ve done most of the big sites in the central city area, but decided it would still be fun to hear another tour guide’s take on Vienna. The bus drove us past the Prater (glad we went yesterday to see it up close), and many other beautiful buildings with fabulous architecture. The bus stopped to let us off at the Maria Theresa statue between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Natural History Museum. Then we headed directly into the Hofburg Palace area. The first part of the Palace was built in the 13th century and the last of the building was completed in 1913, just before the First World War. By the end of the war, the Hapsburg Empire was gone and the building was at an end. It’s actually quite interesting to see how one new building phase was added to the next as each new Emperor wanted the latest and greatest style. Once we left the Hofburg Palace area, we walked the pedestrian friendly streets around the main thoroughfares, Karntner Strasse and Graben. Our guide pointed out many interesting shops and cafes along the way. In the middle of Graben, there is a Holy Trinity plague column. During the plague of 1679, Emperor Leopold I is said to have begged God to save the city. Leopold then built this column in thanksgiving. Ultimately, our tour ended at St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We were given an hour of free time. Mike and I decided to head back to one of the coffee houses the guide had pointed out, Demel’s. There they make a wonderful treat known as a kaiserschmarrn. It is a cake that is broken then covered with a delicious plum compote and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. It was a great late morning snack. After our coffee break, we still had time to take a quick look inside St. Stephen’s before our time to meet the guide again to head back to the Viking Kadlin.

Pontac - You are absolutely correct - it is the Kadlin. Sometimes, i forget to proofread right away, and if you wait too long, you lose the ability to edit. Thanks, Canal Archive and Ural Guy. Saturday, April 27 - Vienna Today got off to a rough start because I had jet-lag insomnia last night. We had a tour scheduled for 10:00 am so it was up and out even though I would have loved to stay in bed (although that would not have helped with the jet-lag). Right after breakfast, we headed out to meet Gerhard Strassgschwandtner at the Maria Theresa statue located between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Natural History Museum. See how beautiful the day is! Gerhard is the Director of The Third Man Museum in Vienna. If you’ve seen this classic 1948-1950 film noir, you’ll definitely want to book a tour with Gerhard. We booked his “Cold War in Vienna” tour. Gerhard provides excellent background on life in Vienna during WWII and the early days after the war, when the city was divided by four powers - the US, the British, the French and the Russians. As was true in Berlin, Vienna was completely surrounded by the Russian sector. The US was adamant that the Russians should not control Vienna alone. This Cold War period is the setting for The Third Man. Gerhard led us on a walking tour of the area around the Hofburg Palace buildings, showing us photos of Hitler and his *** compatriots at these same buildings. We also got to see these same buildings secured by the four powers who held joint occupation duties. Gerhard also showed us photos of the condition of many of the nearby buildings following the bombings later in the war (buildings and rubble that would form part of background for the movie, much of it shot in Vienna). I, particularly, loved that Gerhard pointed out sites where filming took place, such as Harry Lime’s apartment building and the entrance to the sewers that Orson Welles ran into near the end of the movie. Harry Lime’s apartment building The entrance to the sewer where Harry Lime “escaped” in the movie Following our walking tour, Gerhard took us to The Third Man Museum. It is filled with unbelievable memorabilia - Trevor Howard’s annotated scrip, hundreds of stills and movie posters. Multiple video interviews with cast and crew. A chance to watch some video clips shown using a 1936 movie projector. Actual cameras used on the set as well as a myriad of set artifacts. There was just so much more to see than time allowed, but it was great having Gerhard provide a personal tour, pointing out the significance of the rare pieces and describing how he was able to obtain these movie treasures. Care packages sent to the Viennese post-war A sewer mood piece A mock up of the sound studio ferris wheel car used for filming - visitors can try out the scene where Joseph Cotten meets with Orson Wells on the ferris wheel Mike’s fingers replicating a pivotal scene from the movie - in Black and White, like the movie! A clip from the cemetery scene - note the actual tombstone in back Yes, Gerhard has the tombstone! If you are interested in just visiting the museum, it is only open to the public on Saturdays from 2:00 - 6:00 pm, but if you book his tour, you have the whole museum to yourself (with Gerhard’s commentary). We had watched the Criterion Collection copy of the movie along with all of the commentaries prior to coming on this trip. I would highly advise doing this if you are a movie buff and might be considering this tour. We loved it. After our Third Man tour, we were going to have lunch at the Naschmarkt (near The Third Man museum), but my lack of sleep had really caught up with me, so I suggested we head back to the hotel. However, I did want to see where the Kadlin was moored, so we hopped on the Ubahn and located the address and the river boat. The day today was absolutely beautiful - blue skies and a high of 71F. Walking along the Danube Canal was delightful! After this detour, we made it back to the hotel. I had some mint tea and stretched out for a bit. We opted for another Executive Lounge light dinner tonight. I have to say that their evening cocktail dishes have been very tasty and different each evening. A glass of wine and I was ready to head to the room to write up my report of the day’s activities and call it an early evening. I hope I feel like full touring mode tomorrow when we board the Kadlin.