Hello! I'm sorry that it has taken me a while to do a new posting; we have had intermittent internet service available to us since we boarded our ship, "River Concerto", in Amsterdam. We have just completed the first half of our latest adventure with Grand Circle Travel and it was great! We have travelled from Amsterdam to Vienna, through many (at least 30) locks, in all kinds of weather and have seen fascinating sights.
We started in Amsterdam and went to Cologne, Koblenz, Mainz, Frankfurt, Wertheim, Wurzburg, Schweinfurt, Bamberg, Nurenberg, Regensburg, and Passau. We saw sights such as Marksburg Castle, the Lorelei, the quaint city of Ruedesheim, the castle in Heidelberg, the Residenz in Wurzburg, the Nazi grounds and courtrooms of Nurenberg, the baroque church in Kelheim, and of course we've enjoyed the beauty of traveling on a river with gorgeous scenery surrounding it. We had a walking and/or bus tour of each city. We've had guests speaking on German history and Germany today as well as a glassblowing demonstration on board the ship. We've had the opportunity to taste a LOT of beer and wine as well as German foods such as various sausages, desserts, pretzels and potatoes. We had a home hosted dessert experience where we got to visit a friendly German couple in their home near Frankfurt. Each day has been full and we've gone to bed tired each night but excited about the next day.
The ship is so comfortable and pleasant! There is a dining room that seats all the passengers (about 130) at once; the tables have linen table cloths and napkins. Breakfast is buffet with an omelet/egg station and loads of cereals, fruits, cheeses, yogurts etc. Lunch and dinner have multiple courses and are served by waiters with choices of entree. There are usually choices for desserts also and there is always a sugar free cake and ice cream for those who want it. Two glasses of house wine are included with dinner. There is also a bar/lounge where couches and arm chairs are grouped to make conversation easy; many face the floor to ceiling windows toward the bow and sides so that we can see the passing scenery. This is also where our port talks (a review of the day and preview/schedule for the next day) occur every night just before dinner. After dinner, the musician on board provides music, both instrumental and vocal, and there is a dance floor for those who choose to use it.
Happily this boat has a fitness room where I have used the treadmill every day but one! Jon has been suffering from a pinched nerve in his leg but is doing much better and is looking forward to getting back on the treadmill himself. There are several other machines as well as a sauna and all are used regularly. The top of the ship has a sun deck, with part in front of the wheel house and a larger part toward the stern. When we have gone through locks, especially scenic areas or under very low bridges, many of us head upstairs to see everything first hand. Other times, it is pleasant to sit outside and watch the water and land go by.
Yesterday we left Germany and sailed into Austria. We stopped first at Melk where we took an
optional trip to visit the abbey there and enjoy a wine tasting. Late in the afternoon we arrived in Vienna. After dinner we went to the city center to enjoy a performance of classical music which was outstanding! Thirteen professional musicians played pieces by Mozart and Strauss, among others, and a soprano and tenor sang separate arias and then two duets. Two ballet dancers performed as well. It was a memorable evening! This morning we had a lengthy city tour of Vienna, including St. Stephen's church and a coffee and cake stop, and then we began sailing to Budapest. We would have loved more time in Vienna but since I also fell in love with Salzburg last fall, I would very much like to come back to Austria for several weeks in the future.
We will have several days in Budapest and then go on through Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria and into Romania. We end our trip in Bucharest. More about those experiences later.
Photos, from top left: the Rhine was quite high and we saw lots of flooding; our cabin made up for the day; our guide Helmut and one of the other two guides, Dina; the two youngest of our fellow travelers - Breno from Brazil on the left and Ted on the right; typical German scenery and sausage sandwiches; one of 66 locks we passed through; we saw many small villages along the river; and chocolates with real gold decoration on top!
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