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.
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