2017 River Cruise on the Danube

After arriving back in Vienna, we had decided to spend a couple more days there exploring the city.  Brooke, our daughter, joined us there as she was on her way to France from her home in LA, to celebrate her 40th birthday, pampering herself with the beauty of France.

We returned to the Hotel Bristol, were warmly welcomed, and began to explore the city.  The Bristol, located near the City Centre, and just across from the famed Vienna Opera House is the best place to stay in Vienna.

A view of the Vienna opera house from our hotel window 

The opera house in Vienna has performances every night from September through June.  Every performance is sold out, however, you can buy SRO tickets the same day.  Also, there is a large outdoor screen for the public to watch; opera and music are very important to the people of Vienna.

A performance of Rigoletto shown on the outdoor screen.

Portions of the Bass Hall in FW were patterned after the Vienna State Opera House.  Parts of thehouse were  destroyed in the bombing of WWII (accidentally said the guide), and have been restored.

These different colored rabbits were all over Vienna.  The sculptures are an interpretation of the painting "Young Hare" by the German artist Druer, which is housed in the Albertina Museum.

Brooke and her favorite indulgence.

Brooke and I enjoying a last night together at the Bristol lounge with a cigar and drinks (non-alcoholic) for her.

One last view of the beauty of Vienna as we leave for the airport, Vickie and I back home, and Brooke off to France for her next adventure.

2017 River Cruise on the Danube

Leaving Budapest, our ship reversed course and started back upstream , north on the Danube, with our destination being Vienna, which was our starting point ten days earlier.  One thing I haven't mentioned yet are the multiple locks that we passed through.  The Danube flows quite fast and has a significant elevation change from its' origin in the Black Forest of Germany to its' mouth at the Black Sea.  To prevent rapids and rough water, locks are necessary to raise ships from one elevation to the next.  We passed through a number of these, southward, they were lowering the ship, and northward the locks were raising the ship.  It was always amazing to watch.

Sheila, our new friend from Connecticut, enjoying a drink as we passed through a lock.

A view of our ship as we arrived back in Vienna

One of the most enjoyable parts of the cruise was the entertainment.  Neal, pictured here in one of his many costumes, was the host for the entire time.  A Brit, living in Norway, his antics and musical talent were appreciated by all.  Most nights, before dinner, we would have local talent join us for music.  

Being on a small ship (150 passengers) we had many opportunities to make new friends.  With most of the passengers being English speaking, conversations were easy and interesting.  We have new friends from California, top picture, England, and in the picture just above, these folks were from Texas.  The man on the right, Bob, taking a photo was leaving the cruise to visit his son in Germany, who was a member of Seal Team 6.  He had been a member of this elite squad for 15 years, had survived, and was retiring at the ripe old age of 39.  The man in the hat, Gerald Sullivan from Galveston, turned out to have been a classmate at TAMU of Ross's father; they were both in the Corps together.

In Vienna, the Belvedere Palace overlooks the city.  Once a country home for the Viennese royalty, it is now a museum that houses among other treasures, the original The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt.

Compliments of Crystal, we were treated to a private concert and tour at the Belvedere.  Performed by the Schloss Schonbrunn Orchestra Vienna and the Ballet Club Wiener Volksoper, there were performances of Mozart and Strauss selections

Completing our cruise in Vienna, we reluctantly said goodbye to our new friends, while exchanging contact info, and hoping for future adventures together.

2017 River Cruise on the Danube

Budapest is one of Europe's most exciting cities.  Having been freed from communist rule with the breakup of the USSR in the early 90's, Budapest, the capital of Hungary has grown and prospered.  Actually, two cities, Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube each has different characteristics. According to our guide, there are significant local rivalries between the populations of the two sections, with each claiming something better than the other.

Buda, with its hills provide a magnificent riverside setting for the historic and magnificent structures, while Pest with its' wide boulevards and upscale shopping areas reminds one of Paris.  With over 80 museums this city deserves more than a couple of days for exploring.

Our ship docked in Budapest

One of the several historic bridges that cross the Danube.  Budapest escaped most of the Allied and German bombs of WWII, so many historic structures are original.

The outside view and menu of Rudas Turkish baths.  Built in the 16th century, this renovated spa sits atop some of the over 100 thermal springs in Budapest.  A local FB friend had suggested we should do this and we weren't disappointed. Again, we were the only Americans among locals, and the experience of hot, sulfur smell water, along with the local people was rewarding.

Hungarian Parliament by day and night.  One of our nights there, the ship undocked and cruised up and down the Danube showing us all of the sights by night. 

St Stephens Basilica by night

And by day

Crystal cruises offers a variety of excursions and amenities.  This night's treat was dinner provided at a Michelin rated restaurant, Costes, in Budapest.http://www.costes.hu/    The food was amazing as was the company we enjoyed from the ship.

2017 River Cruise on the Danube

Leaving Passau, Germany our ship reversed course and began a downstream, southward journey on the Danube.  Passing through Vienna, our next destination was Bratislava, Slovakia.  Slovakia, formerly a part of Czechoslovakia, is now a part of the EU, with Bratislava as its' capital. Under communist rule as part of the Eastern bloc until the early 90's, Slovakia is now a vibrant, growing economy, with Bratislava having one of the highest personal incomes of any European city.  Just another example of how capitalism lifts up the population of any country that embraces it.

One of the many beautiful small towns we passed as we cruised the Danube

One of the more unusual structures in Bratislava.  A revolving restaurant overlooking the city.

This church is one that survived the communist rule in Slovakia.  Our guide shared with us the difficult times she and her family experienced during the Cold War.  She was to be christened in this church as a child, but because the communists had outlawed all religion, her priest came to their home, in disguise, and christened her in a private family ceremony.

Many of the buildings in Bratislava are painted in bright colors to protest against the former communist habit of painting them gray.  Our guide told us that during the communist rule, the government would deface any buildings that were ornate or beautiful and paint them gray or black.  The people are now rebuilding them, adding back the ornate portions and using bright colors.

Graffiti is prevalent in Bratislava, as the residents discover their new found freedoms.  In Vienna, we were told that the city has designated graffiti areas that are refreshed annually, in hopes that the graffiti artists will not deface the historic building.  

We stopped here for refreshments and some Slovak wine; not great, way too sweet for me.

2017 River Cruise on the Danube

Continuing northward, the next day we arrived in Passau.  On the border of Austria and Germany, in the German state of Bavaria, the city of Passau is built on a tapering peninsula of land surrounded to the north by the Danube, to the south, the River Inn, and just before the two meet, the smaller River Ilz which flows from the Alps.  Over 2500 years old, dreadful fires destroyed the city in the 16th century, most of it was rebuilt in the Baroque style, during the rule of Napoleon.  He said, "I have never seen a town more beautiful in Germany.

Walking along one of the beautiful small streets in Passau, I shot this pic of Vickie and our new friend, Caroline, from England.  Traveling with her parents, Caroline was one of the most enjoyable new friends we made.  Caroline, 27, has special needs.  Her delightful innocence and welcoming personality made her a special traveling companion.  I was especially gratified in the way many of our fellow travelers accepted her and made her feel welcome.

We attended an organ recital at St Stephens Cathedral.  Built after a fire in 1662, it has one of the largest organs in the world, with over 17,000 pipes and 233 registers.  Organ concerts are held every day at noon.

The Veste Oberhausen, a fortress high over the Danube was begun in 1219 and finished in the 1500's

This beautiful old structure, with a cross on the top, was and still is, an orphanage, with private rooms for each resident.

After lunch back on the ship, we boarded our E-bikes for a ride along the Danube.  We stopped for refreshments at this little local bakery.  While relaxing, a local man stopped by and asked why a bunch of American's were visiting his little German town.  We discovered he was a retired art dealer who had moved back to his home town after a career of traveling the world, and discovering we were from Texas, he regaled us with some stories of his travels to Dallas and other parts of the US.  On the way back to the ship, we were drenched in a rain storm, arriving at the ship dripping wet, cold, and tired.  All in all, another great day of adventure.