Bill's Travels

[BillB]

Thank you, Jay. Budapest is indeed brilliant, and I'll get around to it a little later. It was the penultimate town on the trip.

So there we were waking up on a Sunday morning, the departure day for our Rhine/Danube cruise to hear the steady pounding of heavy rain. We were due to catch the train to Brussels that left at 09:10 so we had ordered a taxi for 8:15. This would give us a clear margin in the event of any traffic holdups, though we weren’t anticipating any that early on a Sunday morning.

Sure enough, the taxi arrived on time and we arrived at Luxembourg station with time enough for a coffee before our train pulled in on platform 1.

There wern’t many people on the train, either, so even without reserved seats we had a wide choice. The Brussels route can be quite boring as the train stops at almost every little village along the way.

But we arrived at the Gare du Midi with the rain tailing off, a hopeful sign. We had 30 minutes to get off the train with our bags, descend from the platform to the concourse, find the timetable for Amsterdam, reach the requisite platform and climb aboard the Thalys, the Dutch version of the French TGV, the high speed train - tasks we carried out in less than 10 minutes. We found our carriage, showed our tickets and were allowed on board. I stowed our cases while Jackie made her way down the carriage to our reserved seats. In the time remaining before our departure more and more people came aboard, though it never felt crowded, with its large windows and the sun beginning to appear through the thinning clouds.

Once the train pulled out of the station (dead on time) I went down to the buffet car and chose a couple of rolls and two cups of coffee to act as lunch. The rolls were good, contradicting the complaints of train travellers worldwide. They were chicken with hummus, fresh, flavoursome and very more-ish.

The Thalys travels at up to 300 kmh but is surprisingly smooth and quiet. Those old clickety-clackety sounds I grew up with are no more. The northern part of Belgium and virtually all of the Netherlands are very flat so the train quickly picked up speed and was soon rocketing along at max speed.There were a few stops, but it seemed that we no longer drew to a halt than we were on our way again, with passengers looking for their reserved places.

We enjoyed the journey immensely and it seemed no time at all before we were pulling into Amsterdam station. This wasn’t far from the hotel where we spent our first visit to Amsterdam, only to find as we wended our way back after dinner one evening that we were situated in the middle of the red light district. I tried to convince Jackie that the ladies in the windows were, in fact, waxworks supplied by Madame Tussaud but she wouldn’t believe me.

This time was somewhat different. Our ship was moored about 400 metres from the station, so we drifted along the quayside making for the bright red Viking canopy that covered the desk where our concierge took charge of our luggage, pointed us to the Line’s gangway and we were installedin our cabin within a couple of minutes. Once our bags were brought to us we unpacked, shoved the cases under the bed and went to have a look at our surroundings. We had chosen this cabin as it was the closest to the bar (am I joking?) and only a single flight of steps from the restaurant. Both of these were at the sharp end of the ship, while the passenger cabins were at the blunt end. Us salty old seadogs are familiar with this nautical jargon, you understand.

So we had a quick turn around the deck then descended to the bar where I had a chat with the bartender (always get on good terms with the bartender and your waiter as quickly as possible - it makes him or her feel better and you get better service for the rest of the cruise).

So there being not many passengers aboard we had a pleasantly uninterrupted chat, interspersed with malt whisky on my, and gin and tonic on Jackie’s, behalf. This was a young man who knew his job and I was an old man with a collection of 38 malt whiskies. We quickly came to an agreement: if I couldn’t think of a malt offhand he would surprise me with one he might think I was unfamiliar with.

Let me explain the system on board Viking ships: passengers can purchase in advance the Silver Drinks Package, which gives the purchaser the privilege of drinking whatever and however much you want from the bar without further payment. This also includes wine with lunch and dinner.

More people came on board and followed the same procedure as we had, so the bar began to fill up. We chatted with a number of people whose names I promptly forgot (it’s the age what does it, ducky).

The occupants of the bar began to thin out as the time for dinner arrived. Jackie and I carried our drinks from the bar down to the restaurant where we found a table at the far end. Nobody joined us, but the waiters introduced themselves and we liked them immediately - there was Djorge (pronounce it George), Vladimir and an exquisitely beautiful young lady named Scilla, (pronounce it Sheila). She was tall, slender and in looks like a young Cyd Charisse. Over the subsequent two weeks we came to know them and their life stories well. They were also very efficient at their jobs, so it boded well for the rest of the cruise.

 

[BillB]

There had been a briefing on the ship and its personnel before dinner time arrived. It’s good to be able to put a job to the faces that become so familiar to you over the course of your river cruise. Knowing the captain’s name, the head chef’s name and those of the people who are going to play a part in your activities is important, I feel.


The ship cast off at midnight but Jackie and I had been in the land of Nod for at least an hour by the time that event occurred. We were due to stop at Kinderdijk as there is a line of windmills on each side of the canal and we were going to pay a visit. When I woke up we were moored at Kinderdijk but I was somewhat disappointed to see that there was a heavy mist. Then I remembered that some of my best pictures had been taken in inclement weather, particularly a few I had taken of trees during a period of freezing fog in Luxembourg. Fortunately, the freezing bit of the description was not on the menu that day. After all it was May.


So after breakfast we made our way down the gangplank to meet up with our guide to the windmills. This was a first for Jackie and me, as we had visited The Netherlands numerous times but had never got within shouting distance of a windmill.

Our group followed the guide up to the top of the dyke where windmills seemed to be everywhere. One of the things we learnt is that Dutch windmills are not often used to grind wheat or other cereals but to pump water into or out of the canals. Large areas of the country lie below sea level so controlling the level of water in the canals is of paramount importance.

We walked along the side of the canal towards the first of the windmills where a mill operator was waiting to demonstrate how the blades are designed to catch the wind or can be reduced in area at times when the wind is blowing strongly.

I have heard the blades referred to as “sails”, which I thought was just a term, but in fact the covering on the blades can be increased or decreased as the wind dictates, just as those on a sailing ship are.

We were allowed into one or two of the mills and they were fascinating as they also serve as homes for the operators. Seeing their living quarters, cooking arrangements, bathrooms, bedrooms was immensely interesting. As they are made of wood, Dutch windmills are at risk of uncontrollable fire, so the heating and cooking areas are always closely controlled.

At one of the mills I was able to climb the ladders right to the top area where the horizontal turning of the sails axle is converted to a vertical force. Great beams have been fashioned from massive blocks of wood to act as axles and beams, the whole top area creaking and groaning as the mechanism carried out its designed task.

After a walk on both sides of the canal, with mills on each side, we visited the museum which also gave an insight into the history of the area. An interesting half hour kept us occupied.

Back on the ship in time to freshen up and adjourn to the lounge for a chat with some of our fellow passengers before the ship sailed.

There were two possibilities for each meal, either one could eat in the restaurant where three or four course meals were served, or there was the Aquavit Terrace where lighter, buffet style lunches were served. We invariably chose the restaurant as there was a wider choice available with three different menus where courses could be mixed, i.e., a starter from one menu, main course from another and dessert from yet another. It also served many dishes native to the areas we were sailing through. There was also a much wider choice of dining companions, and we met some couples and families who have become friends and we still write to each other.

Lunch was followed by one of those essential events - a safety briefing and emergency drill. Each stateroom had two lifejackets stashed under the bed and passengers had to don them and move to their assigned emergency stations, while the ship’s crew checked that we had all fitted our lifejackets correctly and knew what the procedure was in case of an emergency. Although we were not in danger of a Titanic style iceberg, collisions between river boats are not unknown - remember the Marchioness on the Thames some years ago with its horrific loss of life.

As we cruised the afternoon away there were a number of briefings on excursions, both the optional ones and the ones that are included in the price you pay., as well as Dutch teatime where Dutch tea or coffee was served, accompanied by a selection of loca cakes and pastries.

There was aso an Open Wheelhouse hour when passengers could go into the wheelhouse to chat with the captain. There was a cocktail hour with live music in the lounge after that, then a German lesson which we didn’t attend, living as we do in a German and French speaking environment.

Then, shortly before dinner there was a Welcome Toast to the passengers from the captain and the hotel manager.

After dinner, there was a presentation on the Dutch golden age, followed by tastings of Dutch cheese and jenever (the original gin).

By the time that finished it was getting late and Jackie and I fell into bed soon afterwards.

 

[BillB]

After breakfast the ship stopped at Zons where those of us who were going on the Cologne city tour disembarked for our tour buses. The ship then continued on to Cologne, due to arrive at 12 noon.

In the meantime we travelled on our buses to the centre of the city where we rendezvoused in front of the world famous Cologne cathedral with our guide who gave us an introductory talk about the city and the cathedral. This was followed by a visit to the cathedral under our own steam where we had time enough to explore its treasures and take any pictures we wanted.

We followed this by an easy walk around some of the narrow streets and old buildings which had been restored in the traditional manner after the destruction caused by World War II.

We went to the old town hall and other municipal buildings and were on our way back to the bus when our guide stopped us and told us about the Roman remains discovered when the cathedral was being refurbished. This was back in the ‘60s, and I was working for the US Army in Darmstadt, Germany. One of the benefits of the job was that we had PX privileges which were reciprocal with the British forces NAAFI establishents.

We had driven up to Cologne to buy some British goodies which the PX didn’t stock, such as pickled onions, British sausages, etc.

Having plenty of time we stopped off at the cathedral for a visit and discovered that we had been there during the renovation and we were in the cobbled square in front of the cathedral where some impressive Roman remains had been discovered. I had seen in the paper I worked for that the German powers that be had covered the whole site over with a huge marquee and visitors were allowed in to see what had been discovered thus far. We had gone in and were impressed with the discoveries.

Now almost 50 years later our guide pointed to a large window which turned out to overlook one of the most beautiful Roman mosaics I had ever seen. It was flawless, as complete as the day the Roman workmen laid it down. We gazed down at it and everybody was taken aback at the sheer beauty and craftsmanship involved. The building housing the mosaic (and others) had been erected for the single purpose of preserving all the relics that had been uncovered during the renovation. So visitors to Cologne can walk up to the museum and view its most precious exhibit, completely free of charge. If you do manage to see it, be prepared for a tremendously impressive viewing.

From the museum it was only a short walk back to the bus and arrived back at the boat with enough time to clean up, freshen up, wash up and mae our way to the bar for an aperitif before lunch.

The afternoon we spent lazing about, recuperating our energy from the morning’s excursion and chatting with our fellow passengers or reading in the lounge. We restricted our alcohol intake during the course of the afternoon, only turning to alcohol as the dinner hour approached.

There had been an optional excursion to climb the cathedral’s tower, but I asked how many steps were involved and discovered that it was a lot more than I was accustomed to at home. Jackie, with her new hip, joined me in saying thanks, but no thanks. My excuse is that I’m 81, and I intend to stick to that. Until I’m 82, that is. But there were plenty of lectures and talks to keep those who stayed shipbound entertained.

There was an excursion to sample Cologne’s beer and dinner culture, but not being big beer drinkser we passed that one up. After dinner there was a concert from members of Colgone’s Academy of Music and Dance, and the WDR Symphony Orchestra. WDR is one of Germany’s TV and radio stations, so members of their symphony orchestra are among the top musicians in their sphere.l

The concert was really enjoyable, with the musicians playing some of their own arrangements and some orchestrations by famous composers of their own works. I had once wanted to be a musician but I learned to play the drums instead so I’m still able to tell brilliant musicians from those who are only adequate.

There were two excursions the next morning after our arrival in Koblenz, one was to Marksburg Castle which promised to be fairly strenuous and the other was to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress looming over the town, which was going to be less strenuous. I opted for the first and Jackie opted for the second as she was somewhat wary of putting her renewed hip and knee joints to too much stress. There were a couple more excursions where we were going separately in the days ahead.

 

[BillB]

Jackie’s excursion involved a short bus ride and then a trip in a cable car over the Rhine to the fortress, mine to Marksburg Castle meant a bus ride and then a climb upwards (by the bus) to a car park that was just below the castle. From there it was a stiff walk upwards to the castle entrance.

Jackie’s ride gave her a fantastic view of the Deutsches Eck, (German Corner) where the Moselle joins the Rhine. An hour or so’s drive down the Moselle would have brought us home, and we had visited the Deutsches Eck with our son on a sadder occasion.

The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress sits high on the eastern bank of of the Rhine and has a history dating back over a thousand years.

The Marksburg Castle, in contrast, is only 700 years old but has equally spectacular views over the Rhine and the surrounding countryside. Its interior has some differences in that it was designed to make it possible for a knight on horseback to enter, ride through the passages into the interior without dismounting. This, obviously, necessitated high ceilings in the passages and cobble stones on the ground to give horses better footing.

Cobblestones also mean harder going for two-legged creatures, another reason why Jackie opted for the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress instead.

Marksburg is a Medieval castle which has never been overrun or destroyed in a siege, so it stands pretty much as it was constructed 700 years ago. Its interior gives a picture of life in those times, including bedchambers, kitchens, living areas, and the system for heating the rooms - mostly fireplaces which could be fed with logs from the other side of the wall so that those inside wouldn’t be disturbed by servants coming in regularly to feed the flames.

One of the most scary chambers was the torture chamber with its collection of instruments designed to inflict maximum pain in slow increments. Imagine thumbscrews or racks where the unfortunate ones are slowly stretched until their joints are dislocated and then slowly carries on. The agony must have been unimaginable.

I must admit that my feet were feeling the impact of all those cobbles by the time the tour ended at, where else but the gift shop? Neither Jackie nor I are interested much in tourist souvenirs so I settled for a coffee in the courtyard. From here I had a grand view of the Rhine, flowing below us, so the view and the coffee were a perfect combination to ease my discomfort.

Back on the ship after a short bus journey to Braubach, where our ship was making a brief stop to pick up its shorebound passengers. After we were all back on board the ship cast off and continued on up the Rhine.

By the time we had all finished lunch we were sailing through the most spectacular stretch of the river - the Rhine Gorge with its castles and curiosities. Many of us went up onto the sundeck to enjoy the views. Our stateroom had a very nice balcony complete with table and chairs, but that would only afford us a view of the right bank whereas the sundeck gave us a 360 degree outlook.

At one point we passed the village where our first daughter in law was born, and could even see the church where she is buried. The sadder occasion I mentioned earlier was when we accompanied our son on one of his regular visits to place flowers on her grave and we drove home on the roundabout route via the Deutsches Eck and along the Moselle to Luxembourg.

A little further along we came to the Lorelei, where ship crews believed a siren sat atop its rock and drew sailors and their ships with her alluring songs to smash into the great grey stones. It’s also been described as an excuse for bad navigation.

We passed Rüdesheim, a town I came to dislike when we lived in Germany, due to my mother’s insistence on spending a day there every time she came over. Rüdesheim has a very narrow street called the Drosselgasse, which means “Throttle Alley” roughly translated. My mother loved it because she could wander up and down its tightly jammed street, buying up quantities of tatty old souvenirs for her family, not my father, my brother nor myself, but her own brothers and sisters to whom she seemed to have an inordinate attachment. To describe the souvenirs she bought as tat is doing tat a favour. The best of it were those Rhine wine glasses with green stems and the memorable slogan “A present from Rüdesheim” on the side. You can have the slogan in any of a dozen languages, though why you wold want that is beyond my comprehension.

I averted my eyes as we passed this town of infamous memory and quickly cast it from my mind.

We had also passed The Mouse’s Tower just outside Bingen, where it stands on a small island in the river. There had been Sankt Goar and Sankt Goarshausen, two villages which stand opposite each other on either bank of the Rhein. I had stayed in a youth hostel many years before in Sankt Goar when I was on the school trip to Germany.

There were other events going on below decks while some of us remained on the sundeck to view the spectacular scenery of the Rhine Gorge. There was a live demonstration on how to make a Rüdesheim coffee, a speciality of that town, followed by German Teatime where tea or coffee and a variety of German pastries was served. Unfortunately, as all you diabetics will know, pastries, no matter how delicious, are not exactly at the top of our wishlist. Well, they might be but those of us with strong willpower will keep them at arms’ length.

At 6.15 there was a cocktail party for those of us who have travelled with Viking before. We went along and had a glass of wine and just before dinner our Program Director, a lovely young lady of Australian and Dutch descent, gave us an outline of the excursions and events lined up for the next day.

After dinner there was a quiz called “A Question of Music”, but as neither Jackie nor I have much interest in pop music we passed on that and relaxed in our stateroom with our books.

 

[jay hay-char]

Thanks Bill, I always enjoy reading about your peregrinations

 

[BillB]

Thanks Jay. Hope we can carry on for a lot longer.
Back to the cruise. We were cruising after breakfast so there were no excursions until after lunch. At 10.30 there was a presentation on Great Canals and Locks by our Program Director, Caitlyn, in the lounge. Jackie and I trundled along and found it to be highly interesting. We were on the Main and would be heading for the Main/Danube canal which would take us down to the Danube for the second part of our cruise. We were quite absorbed as it was not just a list of locks we would be going through but a great deal of history was included, giving us a goodly amount of background detail. It seems that the Main/Danube canal was originally constructed for very little traffic and was regarded as a bit of a white elephant. But then the growth in river cruising brought prosperity to the canal so that it became a net earner and was no longer one of those projects that never realised its potential. It is now sees quite heavy use as more and more companies move into the river cruising market. The talk was followed by lunch in the restaurant, although as usual there was a lighter buffet lunch available on the terrace for those who preferred not to take a heavier meal at midday.

At 3 p.m. we arived in Freudenberg where those passengers departing on the Miltenberg Walking Tour would join their buses. While we were enjoying the delights of Miltenberg the ship continued on to Wertheim where we would rejoin it.

Miltenberg, a town we had never visited and had barely heard of, turned out to be a delightfully old town which is still remarkably well preserved. Many of the buildings along the high street date back 300 or 400 years. They are beautifully kept so that the walk was a constant delight as one building after another gave us an insight into what the town must have looked like 400 or 500 years ago.

After the conducted part of the tour we had some free time before the bus transferred us back to the ship. There was a lovely church nearby so we, and several other couples, went in and had a look around. The stained glass windows were really beautiful and I took some pains to get a number of photos.

From there it was a short bus ride to Wertheim where we would rejoin the ship. After a quick freshen up we adjourned to the lounge where Caitlyn presented the excursions available on the following day and we enjoyed our aperitifs.

This was followed by dinner, where we joined another two couples with whom we had become friendly, and had a great meal accompanied by lots of laughs. It’s amazing how you can meet perfect strangers and within a short time become good friends. One of the couples, Mike and Vicky, have invited us to stay with them the next time we visit California. They live near San Diego so we alread have an outline of our next trip to the States. From San Diego it’s a comparatively short drive to Palm Springs so we can visit Mike and Vicky and then rent a car to drive to our son and d-i-l In Cathedral City, which adjoins Palm Springs.

After that visit we’ll rent a car and drive up to either Carmel, Pacific Grove or Monterey to have a few meals in our favourite restaurants and say hello to all the servers who have been so kind and friendly to us over the years. After that it’ll be a drive up to Auburn where Claire and Terry now live, close to their son, daugher in law and their granddaughter Dakota, the most adorable little girl we have ever come across and to whom we have become honorary grandparents.

 

[BillB]

There will now be a short intermission while I write about our trip to Maastricht for André Rieu’s magical concert in the town square. Anybody who’s followed our jaunts this far will know that last year the rain and concert began about the same time. The rain was torrential and outlasted the concert - and many concertgoers.

Jackie and I left at the intermission and plodded our way soggily back to our hotel where we dried out and went for a drink in the bar. While we sipped, a steady stream of wet concertgoers arrived in the lobby, dropping their ponchos into the bins provided for them.

This year we had booked again - someone once described second marriages as the triumph of hope over experience, and that applied as accurately to us Maastricht regulars as to second marriages.

This year we had bought the VIP package, to mae up for last year’s disappointment. This package included an overnight at a 5 star hotel, a buffet lunch, a visit to André Rieu’s castle or a tour backstage, dinner before the concert and tickets guaranteed to be in the first three rows. This was not cheap, but I promised Jackie that I would stay until the bitter end even if we should have a hurricane and a blizzard simultaneously.

We drove up the day before. We both wanted to be in Maastricht for the evening before the concert as we love the atmosphere in town on concert days and just wanted to wander around, drinking in the atmosphere and finishing up with dinner in our favourite Chinese restaurant in Market Square.

It was so good chatting with the owner as she told us that she thought of us after last year and wondered if we would come this year. We had a long chat with her after dinner and promised as we left that we would be seeing her next year, if everything goes according to our wishes.

After breakfast the next morning we repacked our small bags, checked out of our room and went to the lobby to kill the hour or so before we could check in at our next hotel. I try never to miss my brisk walk so I went out for a turn around the locality surrounding the hotel while Jackie settled down with her iPad to wait for me.

Well exercised, I returned to pick up Jackie and our luggage - no, they’re not interchangeable - and we made our way to the hotel car park, loaded our bags into the car and set off. I had already entered the address of the Kruisheren Hotel into the GPS system, and we set off a little apprehensively as the André Rieu travel organization had advised us a couple of days previously to allow extra time as there were a lot of new roadworks with diversions that caused traffic holdups.

Yes, there were road works aplenty and the first one found us driving up a one-way street to a junction of three other roads, all of which were signed as No Entry. I wasn’t about to reverse down a one-way street lined with barriers, so I did what any other half wit would have done - I turned into the left hand one way street, did a quick three point turn and, seeing that no traffic was coming up the one way street, drove quickly back down it the wrong way. I turned in the opposite direction from the one we had started out on and found our way to the Kruisheren Hotel qjuickly and easily. GPS get you there in the end.

The hotel’s looks are totally misleading as it is, in fact, a deconsecrated church, to which has been added what looks like a gigantic copper trumpet which is the entrance. As I pulled up the bell captain was beside the car and opened the door for me with a big smile. I told him we were with the André Rieu group. He asked if we would be taking the valet parking option and I assured him I certainly woud be. He indicated the copper trumpet and we walked down it into the lobby with our bags.

There were four desks which were manned by young ladies whose badges denoted them as André Rieu representatives who were checking people in. There were not many people yet so we were quickly dealt with, our badges issued and hung around our necks while our bags were whipped away onto a trolley. We would be given our room numbers and keys later in the afternoon, but in the meantime we were directed to what at one time had been the cloister where our buffet lunch had been set up. It was all very beautifully done with champagne flowing. The weather was hot and sunny so I made sure we had seats in the shade - my pate had been sunburned at my cousin’s wedding at the beginning of June, so I was extremely conscious of the dangers.

The people we shared a table with were two Irish ladies and a lady from the UK. We discovered that one of the Irish ladies suffered from migraines, which she got very frequently. Having suffered for 20 years or so from cluster headaches I sympathised with her. She had, however, been put on a new medication and it was definitely helping, she said.

After lunch we were due to depart for our visit to André Rieu’s castle and we boarded our bus outside the hotel. They were quite spectacular, those two buses, marked with André’s logo - André Rieu Travel on all four sides of the buses.

There are 10,000 tickets sold for each concert, so there are a lot of concertgoers in town each day. As we wended our way through Maastricht we could see them suddenly catching sight of our convoy and thinking that we were the orchestra on our way to the square. People were snapping pictures of the buses and waving, but they couldn’t see who was inside the buses as they had darkened windows. Some of the people on the buses were waving back - they just hadn’t realised that the people outside couldn’t see them.

After a shortish drive we pulled up at the bottom of a hill which we climbed - a gentle slope, I hasten to add. We found ourselves shortly in the castle’s courtyard, where we were greeted by André’s son, Pierre. If you ever watch André’s programmes on TV you would recognise his son immediately. He is as charming as his father and kept us entertained with stories of the pitfalls and triumphs of the orchestra’s travels. We then had a walk through the lower part of the castle which is used as the organisation’s offices. Someone asked Pierre what exactly his job was and he said that he was responsible for everything except the music.

In various rooms in the castle there were examples of the dresses worn by the performers (the lady performers, that is) and other memorabilia from earlier years. As a male I have to say that even I could tell the workmanship on the dresses was exquisite.

As we entered the last area we discovered it was set up with gateaux and champagne which we were offered. The gateaux looked so tempting that I put my diabetes behind me and took a large piece of Black Forest Cherry. Get thee behind me, Satan,” I said. But he refused to go. I ate the cake anyway. Well!

We sat outside, enjoying our cake and the champagne. Pierre came around and sat with each table for a while, chatting and answering questions. He talked about the full size replica of Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace that his father had ordered, and the problems of moving all this steel scaffolding around the world. As it took 5 days to erect and 3 days to disassemble they had to make several so while one was up and being used as the backdrop to open air concerts, another was being erected for the next concerts. Pierre mentioned two, but I’ve heard of three, so I don’t know which figure is accurate.

Jackie was thrilled to have a long conversation with Pierre as ours was the last table he came to and he spent the rest of the time while we waited for the bus.

On our return to the hotel we received our room key and what appeared to be a small brief case with the logo for André Rieu Travel. Once in our room to find our bags already waiting for us, I investigated the briefcase to find various pieces of informational literature which I read to keep up with the rest of the group and a programme for the concert, and found in the process that it wasn’t a briefcase at all, but a cushion to take to the concert. Those seats can be quite tough on the nether regions so the cushion would be something of a relief. It also had a longish carrying strap which could be slung over the shoulder or dangled from either hand.

After poshing up a bit we went down to the bar for our aperitifs before dinner.

 

[BillB]

Our evening meal, included in the package, was to be served at 5 pm, allowing the four course repast to be enjoyed at a fairly leisurely pace. The wine kept flowing so by the time we had to leave for the concert we were as jolly a bunch as you will find.

We assembled outside the hotel and waited by the buses - except that the buses weren’t for us. A uniformed marching band was lining up a little further down the road. When they struck up on their instruments and began moving off we were invited to follow them as they were going to the square.

Now, I haven’t marched behind a military band since my passing out parade when I was in the RAF, which was in November 1959, so I was hugely amused to be doing so now at my time of life. Once again a number of onlookers thought we were part of the show and gave us lots of waves and took a goodly number of photos. And that’s the nearest I’ve ever been to playing in André Rieu’s orchestra.

At the Vrijthof Square we parted company with the band and met up with our escorts from André Rieu Travel, who directed us to the entrance. We made our way down to the front and found our seats in the second row. Various marching and military bands came into the square from various directions as we sat waiting for the concert to begin. Everybody was in a jolly mood and the time passed quickly until we heard the familiar strains of “76 Trombones” strike up and knew that André and the orchestra were making their way towards the stage.

All the performers - musicians and singers - use a theatre at the head of the square as a changing room to don their costumes: tails and black tie for the men, long dresses in every hue imaginable, and a dark blue tail suit, which looks to my inexpert eye to have Dutch influences, for André himself. Those people sitting on the aisle seats hold out their hands and André gives each one a slap as he passes. Some of the other instrumentalists do the same.

At the front of the stage a set of steps lead up to the music stands and instruments and the orchestra use these to reach their positions. What I had never noticed before is that after the bands starts playing the first number several men come on and remove the steps. This is probably a security measure to stop stage invasions by overenthusiastic fans. The time of the whole entrance is incredible as the musicians begin to play the same tune as they each get to their positions and when they are all seated and playing the tune comes to an end, the audience applauds wildly and the orchestra strikes up their next number.

I glanced at Jackie and she was grinning broadly. I looked at the people sitting around us and they were all smiling. Then I realised I was smiling as well. This really is good time music, even if the programme contains pieces by Beethoven, Johann Strauss, Ravel, and other grand masters of music. There were also pieces by Michael Jackson, ABBA, the Beatles and other familiar favourites - Meadowlands, that Russian classic that represents the Cossacks galloping across the Steppe, beginning quietly as we first catch sight of them, building to a climax and then heading off into the distance as the music gently dies away. Or Ravel’s Bolero with its accompanying laser show, the beams playing among clouds of smoke that hover just above the audience’s heads.

There’s a short interval (and having been a musician of sorts in my time I appreciate how much a break is needed).

The second half of the concerts are usually much less formal and usually ends as a party, with couples dancing in the aisles and in front of the stage. As the concert draws to its conclusion a couple of guest artists usually come on to perform their best known numbers. This year it was the pair who had written a Brazilian number called “Hey, Macarena!” After a couple more of their numbers the familiar strains of “Adieu, mein kleiner Garde Offizier” struck up and we knew we were on the downward slope. The end would not be long now. And it wasn’t. It was now approaching midnight and with the usual closing number of Marina, the orchestra leaves the stage in ones and twos until just the audience is left, applauding wildly.

Our escorts from André Rieu Travel appeared just after the audience rose to leave and asked us to wait until the majority had left and they then escorted us back to the hotel. Everyone else in the VIP group adjourned to the bar and we were no exception.

We finally began to feel sorry for the staff we were keeping up and made our way to our rooms. While we were getting ready for bed Jackie said, "Today has been one of the best days we've had." I had to agree with her - it had been truly exceptional. We slept the sleep of the righteous to awaken, believe it or not, fresh and chirpy. Breakfast was excellent, only to be expected in a 5-star hotel, and before long we were on the motorway back to Luxembourg, having navigated our way through Maastricht’s road works in no time flat.

Our weekend in Maastricht was so much fun that we plan to do it again next year. If we can get tickets. After all, it’s only money!!!

 

[BillB]

An addendum to the Maastricht piece which I forgot to mention. During dinner at the hotel, members of André Rieu’s orchestra came to play for us as we ate. Any of the kind people on this site who watch the André Rieu concerts broadcast on the Sky Arts channel would have recognised them. They played beautiful classics which added greatly to the enjoyment of the meal. They were recreating the very first orchestra that André Rieu organised and did the arrangements for. They played the same arrangements and we all grew quite sentimental on hearing the developments of the orchestra since those early days.


Back to the Rhine/Danube cruise. Würzburg was to be our next stop. We had spent a night there in 2016 but had seen very little of the town itself so we were anticipating seeing more this time. An optional tour to Rothenburg ob der Tauber was offered but we’d been there before, and if you’ve seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang you have seen it as well - it’s the Medieval town in the scene where the Child Catcher chases children. So instead of that we took the tour which offered a visit to the Würzburg Residenz followed by a short walking tour of the town and some free time to wander around at our own pace.

The Residenz is one of Germany’s largest and most ornate baroque palaces which is where a number of bishop’s had their official residence.

The morning started straight after breakfast when the ship docked in the Würzburg Flusshafen (river dock) where those who were going to Rothenburg ob der Tauber disembarked for their buses.

Those of us who were on the Residenz tour left the boat 30 minutes later and made our way, with our guide, to the Residenz, spectacular from the outside, enchanting on the inside. We first of all were conducted on a tour of the interior, which is one of those places where you will be knocked sideways by the decoration and ornamentation and yet few people will have heard of it. If you don’t believe me, ask some of your neighbours. You’ll be lucky to find one out of fifty who know of it - I had lived for 9 years in Germany and didn’t know of its delights.

Its interior will give you the surprise of your life - staircases, rooms, painted ceilings, gilded mouldings, mirrors, portraits, paintings - all of it will take your breath away. Outside are the most beautiful gardens with ponds, lakes, flower beds with exotic plants and shrubs. How come I hadn’t heard of this place? When I was working for the US Army newspaper I’m sure that we would have run features on the Residenz - after all, we ran stories about Wies church, one of the best preserved Rococo churches in Europe, and other cultural sites.

From the Residenz we had a walk around the town for a while, visited a church and stopped for a coffee and a pastry in one of the many “Konditorei” that dot the surroundings. A Konditorei is a bakers shop which also sells coffee, tea and their own baked products. Before i developed Type 2 diabetes Jackie and I were regular customrs at these establishments whenever we were in Germany - and as we’re only ten minutes from the German border you can take it that we were welcomed as regular clients in many of them.

We made a leisurely return to the ship which had continued on after we had left it and was now moored on the river bank just a short walk away. This was easily the most pleasant part of the excursion, just strolling down the river bank in the sunshine, an attractive bridge behind us and to our right, atop a steep escarpment stood a fortress, glowering over the town.

Back on board we freshened up and adjourned to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. At 6:15 the ship departed Würzburg and we set off for a night’s cruising. Dinner was at 7, which we enjoyed with our new friends, Bob and Vicky, and another couple. We thoroughly enjoyed the company, the food, the service and the badinage between us.

We were cruising next morning so there were no excursions until after lunch. What we did have, though, was a demonstration of glass blowing. A German glass blower came aboard with a portable furnace, yes you read that correctly. He set up his equipment and switched on his furnace before we had even finished breakfast (it takes quite a while to heat up the furnace to a temperature where it will melt glass).

Most of the passengers gathered in the lounge where he was about to begin. Everybody we spoke to afterwards talked about how enjoyable his demonstration was, - he was clear, witty and expert in his art. He explained the difference between ordinary glass and Pyrex glass and their respective qualities. He showed us how to blow different shapes, such as bowls, basins and boxes. At one point he blew a large globe from clear glass until it was so thin that you felt it had to burst. Then he had a volunteer come up and burst the globe once it had cooled, against the volunteer. The glass was so thin that the shards floated to the deck, adhering here and there to himself and the volunteer. Fortunately they were so light that they could easily be shaken off.

At the end of the demonstration Jackie and I bought an oil and vinegar container, made of intertwined glass, just to remember how much fun we had had watching his craftsmanship.

We decided not to take the optional Bamberg walking tour after lunch as it promised to be 5 hours long, a walk too far for us we felt. Instead we went off on a drive through the Franconian countryside as this was another area we hadn’t before visited.

And I have to say that it is a series of beautiful landscapes. As with most German regions, Franconia (Franken or Frankenland in German) has large areas of agricultural land. The countryside is dotted with big patches of woodland and forest, so a drive through the area is varied and holds the interest.

There are also a number of microbreweries - 300 or so in all - so a beer tour can offer a wide variety of the product that Germany is noted for. Apart from the standard lager type, sometimes denoted as Pilsner, there are many other beers - ranging in colour from almost white to very dark, similar in colour to Guiness. Their flavours also vary so it may take you a while to decide which is the one you prefer. Not a hardship if you’re into beer.

We stopped off at one such place, a small brewery with a Gasthaus attached. We were offered a number of beers to sample, accompanied by some other local specialities - cheeses and sausages. We all enjoyed it immensely, as the jovial proprietor came around to chat to us and make us familiar with what we were consuming.

We stopped in another couple of villages, alas not with beer and snacks, and I was quite fascinated by the history of the area and the events that occurred here.

We arrived back at the ship which had sailed on to Bamberg in between times, in time to freshen up and adjourn to the lounge to hear from the Program Director about the following day’s excursions before moving to the restaurant for dinner.

After dinner there was an evening of country music in the lounge, but as neither Jackie nor I care much for it we sat up on the sundeck, enjoying a drink as the sun went down. This is a perfect way to end a busy day.

 

[BillB]

Nuernberg was our destination the following day where Jackie and I had signed up for different excursions. Having grown up during the London Blitz, WW2 its history has always interested me, and Nuernberg (in English speaking countries the city is always known as Nuremberg) has always been high on my list, firstly because I never managed to visit it when we were living in Germany and secondly because of its prominence in the Third Reich’s rise and subsequent fall.

Jackie went on a tour called “Nuernberg through history” which she chose because she finds the cruelties of the Nazis almost unbearable.

My bus left the ship and after a journey which included passing a number of buildings constructed during the Nazi era we arrived at Zeppelin Field. If you have ever seen old newsreels or documentaries covering those enormous rallies so beloved by Hitler and his cronies, Zeppelin Field is where they were held. That coverage of Hitler addressing the masses from his high podium, showing the marching paramilitaries bearing their banners and swastika flags aloft while the adoring crowds shrieked Heil Hitler over and over again was one of the main instruments used to convince the population that Hitler, their chancellor, was little short of being godlike.

There was a fiery debate in the Bundesrepublik about whether to demolish the whole structure, to strike the Nazis and their works from human memory. Fortunately, I think, it was decided to leave it in place as an historical artefact, and come down hard on any neo-nazis who try to turn it into a place of pilgrimage.

This area is enormous, designed to give a spurious impression of mystical power. The field itself is now a sports ground, but the building behind the podium where Hitler stood to give his harangues still stands, as does the podium itself. The building itself can be entered and, if anyone so wants, he can stand on the podium and look out over the fields and get an impression of the enormity of these rallies, with their marching Brownshirts, Hitler Youth and other organisations.

The building itself is adjoined on each side by enormous grandstands, still impressive even today.

I personally didn’t enter the building, feeling that my impressions from ground level were sufficient.

From there it was a comparatively short distance to the Documentation Centre, an exhibit showing the history of the Third Reich and its downfall. Like all such centres it brings both sadness and hope to the onlooker, leading to the aspiration that the good in mankind will always triumph over evil, even the cruelties practised by the Nazis on an everyday scale.

A little further away is the Court building which houses Courtroom 600. This will have been seen by millions worldwide as the home of the process that tried the Nazi masterminds. Again, if you’ve seen documentaries or newsreels of those proceedings with their images of these wicked men, principally Herman Goering, listening intently on earphones to the lawyers but among the others were Julius Streicher, Keitel, Donitz, Rudolf Hess and Joachim von Ribbentrop. Half of the accused were sentenced to death, the others to lengthy prison terms.

Goering was sentenced to hang but committed suicide in his cell before the execution could take place.

Courtroom 600 is an unexpectedly modest chamber, the dock where the Nazi monsters sat is small - in contrast to the impression given by the movie cameras. And yet it is the area where justice was handed out on behalf of all the Jews, Gypsies, gays, overtly religious and every ordinary man, woman and child killed during the comparatively brief period of Nazi supremacy in Germany. Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich lasted for only 12 years.

While awaiting trial the accused were kept in a prison behind the courthouse. There was a tunnel connecting the two so the accused did not experience fresh air while being transported from one to the other.

The war crimes trials carried on for many years, continuing on into the 1960s. There were still former Nazis being tried in Frankfurt when I went to work in Darmstadt, just a few miles away. The Simon Wiesenthal Foundation continued to track them down for years after that.

From there we returned to the ship where I confess I felt drained. Nevertheless, I felt that I had to see these places which I knew of from my childhood during World War II and had read about and seen the newsreels at the cinema when I was 8 and 9 years old. It helped to put it all in perspective for me.

 

[BillB]

The main excursion for the following day was to Munich. As this was a 9 hour tour and we had been several times to Munich we decided that it would be wiser to pass this one up. We weren’t clear on how much walking was involved and although the walking isn’t too much of a problem, standing around while the guides explain what we are about to see is somewhat tiring, especially on the hips and knees.

As a result we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then went into the lounge for a presentation on the different Viking cruises available around the world and the countries you can visit. It was advertising, of course, but very, very soft sell. It was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours and learn how many countries worldwide you can visit on one of Viking’s river cruises. As I’ve said before, you see a lot more of a country on a river cruise than you do when you’re staying in a hotel and taking excursions by bus. In addition, it’s a leisurely way to do some sightseeing. Sitting on the sundeck as you cruise down the river while sipping your favourite tipple takes some beating.

We got a couple of ideas for future river cruises from the presentation and looked them up on the internet after we had lunch for an idea of prices, extensions and so on and so on. We ended up with two strong possibilities, which I’ll come to a little later.

Lunch was followed by a walking tour of Regensburg, for which we had signed up. It turned out to be fascinating as the city was one that really did escape the ravages of the war. I’m presuming it was because there was nothing worth bombing there - no industry, no arms manufacturing, no war materiel.

This was good fortune for not only Regensburg but also anyone who likes to view a well preserved Medieval city. These are the original buildings, not ones that have been recreated to look like the originals so wandering the streets gives a real feeling for life as it was lived then.

We had a break for coffee during our wanderings and one of our fellow passengers said that she absolutely must have a slice of Black Forest Gateau while she was in Germany and this was about the nearest to the Black Forest that she was going to get. The only thing that worried her was that she didn’t speak German so she wanted to be sure to ask for the right thing. We invited her to join us and in company with her friend we made our way to a coffee shop. We were shown to a table where I studied the menu and was able to tell her that they did indeed have her desired pastry, even though we were now in Bavaria. I ordered for her and her friend, Jackie ordered hers and I finally gave in and ordered a slice of Black Forest cake. In medical terms this is known as “weak willed”. (If you ever want to pose as a German, order Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, you’ll impress the heck out of your friends.) I have to admit that it was delicious, even though I mentally hung my head.

Suitably refreshed, and with my head rehung, we walked along to the St Peter Cathedral. This magnificent house of worship was rebuilt in 1273 in high Gothic style. Its exterior alone would take you several days to study and once inside you might well find it on the austere side. The decoration is splendid though not as riotously extravagant as some other cathedrals.

By the time we had walked around, gazing at the side chapels and statuary it was just about time to return to the ship. It was only a shortish walk from the cathedral to the dock where the Magni was moored and we were happily ensconced in the lounge after freshening up.

After dinner there was a concert in the lounge by a group of musicians from orchestras in Nuernberg and Regensburg. They played mostly pieces by Mozart and Lehar, two of the composers who made their homes on the banks of the Danube. The concert was highly entertaining, thanks to the superb musicianship of this small group. Although you would expect it from professional musicians, it was nevertheless a treat for us to hear such beautiful music finishing off our day as the daylight faded outside.

The next morning, bright and sunny, we departed the ship at Passau for an excursion to Salzburg. We had visited Austria many times over the years but somehow never made it to Salzburg - we had passed it by on our way to Croatia several times, had driven from Innsbruck to Berchtesgaden without stopping at Salzburg and had met up with friends at Munich, again without stopping at Salzburg. This time we had been determined to visit.

It was a fairly long bus ride from Passau to Salzburg but the time passed pleasantly enough, enjoying the scenic beauties we were passing.

Once we had pulled up in the Salzburg bus station we piled out and met up with our local guide. He had a great sense of humour and enjoyed making jokes out of lines or phrases from The Sound of Music.

He set off leading his straggling charges through the city, pointing out various sights, most of them having appeared in the film of Roders and Hammerstein’s great musical. There was a big fortress type building sitting atop a rocky outcrop and he pointed out one part of a sidewall as the spot where the von Trapp children stand outside the convent gates and ask to speak to Fräulein Maria only to be told she is in seclusion.

There were many such spots he highlighted for us, and I’m sure we weren’t the only members of the tour who played the film again when we got home to see them in the context of the musical.

Of course, Salzburg isn’t only known for The Sound of Music, it is also the birthplace of Mozart, so you can imagine there’s plenty of Mozartian memorabilia - in one street our guide stopped and then pointed out the windows of an apartment above a shop. That is where Mozart’s parents lived and where he was born.

It’s odd when you look up and think how insignificant it is - yet Mozart was one of the greatest musicians and composers ever to grace our planet. And no, nobody seriously believes that Mozart was murdered by Salieri, a jealous rival.

By this time we found ourselves at one end of a square, outside what is believed to be the oldest restaurant in the world, having been serving food since the year 800 AD. Its grandiloquent title is St Peter Stiftskulinarium and I have to say it left most of us on the tour underwhelmed.

Once we had assembled outside the restaurant we were told we had to wait for 15 minutes, which grew into 20 minutes. Once we were allowed into the restaurant we had to stand in a corridor for another considerable time. It seemed that a group of Chinese had been served ahead of us and they were now finished but in no hurry to leave. Their attitude was, it appeared, that having paid for their lunch theycould stay as long as they liked, even though the staff were trying to urge them towards the exits. By the time half of them had left we went into the restaurant, feeling almost stifled from the heat buildup in the crowded corridor.

The food wasn’t exactly spectacular either, and I made a politely worded complaint when we were back aboard our ship, though I was careful to give an accurate report and suggest that they try another restaurant for future groups.

We didn’t even sit in a historic part of it, but a modern addition. After lunch, just when I thought how nice it would be to stand outside and enjoy the fresh air some performers came in and sang excerpts from The Sound of Music, along with some reenactments of scenes from the musical. Once again Jackie and I were underwhelmed and were quite relieved when the alleged entertainment ended.

From there we made our way back to the bus station where we thanked (and tipped) our guide before climbing on board for the journey back to the ship.

The entertainment that evening was an introduction to Vienna coffee houses and a talk about Mozart. We are familiar with Vienna coffee houses, having two years previously taken shelter in one during a heavily rainsoaked walking tour of the city. In two days’ time we’ll be back in Vienna so we were keeping our fingers crossed that it would be dry this time.

 

[Keesha]

Bill, you seem to be travelling all over Europe continuously. Ever track how many days you are actually at home in one year? Nice to have someone like Jackie to travel with and have the same goals and interests. I shall award you with a medal for the most travelled couple that I know.

 

[BillB]

Well, Keesha, let me see... In September we're going for a week in the Black Forest as we haven't been there in many years and we're booked into a Gasthaus only 27 kms from the highest waterfalls in Germany. Then Christmas we'll be spending with our son and d-i-l on the southwest Atlantic coast of France. We'll probably spend a month there as the weather will definitely be warmer. We're taking one of their rental properties (but only paying for the utilities). I like having rich relatives. And thank you for the medal - I shall wear it with pride.

And thank you Julie, Daisy and all you lovely people who enjoy my scribblings and write to me to say so.

The next excursion was to Melk Abbey. Having visited the abbey on our previous cruise on the Danube we passed it up and settled instead for a walk along the river bank. I’m in the habit of taking a good brisk walk most days as part of my diabetes regime - meds, diet, exercise so I don’t like to miss out on one part of the trio any more than I have to.

After our walk we sat on the sun deck (in the shade, I hasten to add, having once developed skin cancer which luckily for me turned out to be a very slow growing type and hadn’t spread).

After lunch, having collected all those who’d gone on the Melk Abbey tour, the ship cruised down the Wachau Valley with our Program Director Caitlyn giving us a commentary on the sights we were passing. The ship docked in Krems around 4 pm and there was a shuttle bus to take anyone who wanted to go into Krems city centre.

We had opted instead for a trip to a Wachau Valley Winery, which turned out to be a good choice. We were first taken on a tour of some of the vine plantings, demonstrating to us the different grape varieties which go into the winery’s products. As it was May there were only very immature grapes on the vines, tiny, pale green, hard little things barely bigger than a pinhead.

This was followed by a tour of the winery premises, and the fermentation process of turning crushed grapes into wine. I have done this kind of tour before, but I always find it fascinating as I enjoy a glass of good wine and I’m always amazed at the subtlety of flavours to be found in wine. At a number of points we were invited to taste the finished product of various grape varieties. The differences can be delicate, only revealing themselves on the palate after swirling them around your tongue. We tasted some pretty good vintages that afternoon.

It was back to the ship after that, in time for cocktail hour and the regular rundown of excursions on offer for the next day.

This was followed by dinner in the restaurant which concentrated on Austrian cuisine and its most famous dishes and was accompanied by the resident performers - a singer and a pianist.

Thursday’s highlight for us was the excursion to Vienna. We had signed up for this again as the last time we did a tour of the city the rain was torrential and we ended up huddling in a Viennese tea room, drinking coffee and eating Viennese cakes while waiting for the warmth to dry our clothes out a little.

We had arrived in Vienna at 4.30 am, an event to which I was totally oblivious until I woke up at around 7 and discovered we were moored in the Viennese capital. Our tour began at 9 am so it was up, shower quickly, breakfast and disembark. The ship was moored up not too far from the town centre so our drive to the scene of the commencement of our tour was remarkably short. We passed the Prata on the way, the famous fairground where scenes with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten from the film The Third Man were shot on the big wheel. The wheel is still there and looks unchanged from the late ‘40s when the film was shot.

There were originally 30 gondolas on the circumference of the wheel, but it was quite severely damaged during WW2 and when it was restored only 15 were replaced. If you look closely you can see where the missing gondolas should sit as their supports are clearly visible between the existing gondolas.

We carried on from the Prata, driving through the splendours of the architecture dating from the years of the Austro-Hungarian empire. After the bus dropped us off our tour guide led us on a walk through the streets containing the most spectacular buildings and palaces. Even humble ministries were garlanded with columns, ornate doorways, decorative windows and impressive sets of steps leading to the entrances. They are all still in everyday use and thus well maintained.

The Spanish Riding School is a good example of the maintenance lavished on these magnificent buildings. As you walk past you can glimpse through the windows the inside of this famous institution. Many, many years ago we visited the farm in Lipizza, Yugoslavia, where the horses are bred. They are breathtakingly beautiful animals, white with a gentle dappling and stand as gracefully as any horse ever did. We walked through the fields where the pregnant dams were grazing while they awaited the birth. Oddly, they are born black and slowly turn white, though one in a thousand is born black and stays black and one in a thousand is born white and stays white. Our kids were enchanted with these gentle animals and I have a Super 8 film of our youngest son wonderingly stroking the extended belly of of a mare. I had the film transferred to DVD a few years ago, created two copies and sent them off to them both. They were amazed to watch them after all these years.

Towards midday we were given free time to do our own things. The weather being totally the opposite of our previous visit we were feeling the heat so we found a table in the shade outside a café and thankfully ordered two beers which slid down our grateful throats quite quickly.

As we sat there I noticed a branch of the Bank of Austria just down the street and a cashpoint machine was in full view. Needing some money I left Jackie for a moment while I went to withdraw some cash. I estimated that €100 would do it so that was the number I entered. What came out was a €100 note. I couldn’t believe the stupidity of a bank that didn’t give you the option of choosing the notes you needed. Luckily, I had enough small notes to pay for our beers and to tip our guide, but I was still stuck with a 100 euro note.

As it turned out I was like the man in Mark Twain’s story “The Million Pound Note” (filmed with Gregory Peck in the ‘50s). Two brothers have a bet that if someone is given a bank note for £1,000,000, he could live like a millionaire without ever having to change the note. And that is exactly what happened to me. Since all our meals, drinks and excursions were already paid for I only needed to pay small sums. And so for several days I walked around with a large bank note in my pocket but could never get anyone to change it. Eventually, I was bemoaning the fate of being the owner of a €100 note to the receptionist on the ship and she just said, “We can change it for you.” I looked at her in astonishment. How could I have been so stupid as not to at least ask the young lady where I could change the note? “You can?”, I asked. “Of course, sir,” she replied. “what kind of notes would you like?” And thus I walked away a minute or so later with a handful of €10 and €20 notes.

When I told Jackie a few minutes later she said, “Well, that was lucky, wasn’t it?” But I swear that I saw a twitching at the corners of her mouth.

An early dinner that night, 6 pm, as we were signed up for an excursion to a concert featuring the music of Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (who else in Vienna?). The concert hall was magnificently decorated in18th century style and we were lucky to have seats near the front. We enjoyed a splendid evening of superb musicianship and a well thought out programme of the best of these two composers.

We travelled back to the ship in the bus humming the melodies we had heard. All in all, a wonderful day.

 

[BillB]

I should have also said, Keesha, that living in southeast Luxembourg we can be in Germany in 10 minutes, France in 10 minutes and Belgium in 20 minutes. And as someone with relentlessly itchy feet the temptation is sometimes too much. We sometimes take off to do some shopping in Trier, invariably followed by lunch in the town centre. Or to the covered market in Metz, due south in France. We used to drive the two and a half hour journey to Brussels, but the last time we were there it had suddenly become littered and scruffy. The restaurants around the Grand Place all seemed to have gone downhill so we haven't been there for several years now.
And now that we have Luxembourg nationality Brexit won't affect us, but I feel that sadly it will affect many of my former compatriates.
And as for Jackie, what can I say. I fell in love with her when she was 17 and I was 22 (her parents did not approve as I was an older man in their eyes) and over the years I have wondered what I did to deserve such luck. And I love her more now than when she was 17.

 

[Keesha]

All I can say Bill, is true love never dies, it only gets better with age. You and Jackie are typical examples. Continue enjoying the pleasures and joys of traveling, sampling good foods and laughter. Carpe Diem

 

[BillB]

Yes, Keesha, good food and laughter (to say nothing of a good wine) go hand in hand in cementing a relationship, even one where love is the main ingredient. And I shall continue taking your advice. I will most certainly carpe the diem as long as I am able. Thank you for being a kind and lovely person.

And now (crashing chords) back to the Danube.

The next day’s excursion we had booked was to the Schönbrunn Palace. Jackie had always been intrigued by the Schönbrunn ever since she learnt that André Rieu after playing a concert in front of this palace,had been so impressed with its appearance that he had ordered a full sized replica of the frontage for him to transport around the world as a backdrop to the show. We only learnt this year while in Maastricht that they had to make either two or three replicas (depending on who you ask) as one was constructed in advance of the orchestra’s arrival. The second one had to be constructed so that the next concert was ready for the orchestra to arrive and play for the audience. We were told by Pierre Rieu (André’s son, who is responsible for everything except the music) that it takes three days to construct and two days to dismantle so it looks to me that they need at least three if not more. They can’t have the orchestra waiting around for five or six days when they are travelling in, say, Brazil.

Anyway, be that as it may, Jackie felt that she would like to see the original after learning so much about the André Rieu replica(s). So that’s what we did.

Schönbrunn Palace was created as a replica (that word again) of the palace at Versailles but for reasons unknown to me wasn’t a complete replica. I don’t think it had to do with lack of money as the Hapsburg dynasty was not short of that particular commodity.

The area started life as a hunting ground for the court after deer, boar, pheasants and ducks were established there. Various rulers of Austria built on the area but the structure as it stands today, a superb sight as the visitor approaches it, was created during the reign of Maria Theresa.

Franz Joseph, who had the longest reign of any Austrian emperor was born there and died there after the Austrian empire ceased to exist during the First World War.

As impressive as the exterior is, the interior is breathtaking. The Great Gallery alone will strike you speechless as you enter its Baroque splendour.

Everywhere you turn there are mirrors, chandeliers, candelabra, gilded mouldings, couches and chairs. There are, believe it or not, 1,441 rooms in the palace. If you spent one night in each of the rooms it would take you 3.9 years.

Behind the palace are a number of other buildings which include the Orangery, the Palm Garden and the Roman Ruin among them. There are ponds and lakes and an artesian spring which used to supply pure drinking water to the court.

We were back on the ship in time for lunch at 1 p.m. At 4 pm an Austrian historian gave a lecture on Austrian history and at 5 pm we cast off and set out for our last stop - Budapest.

Just before dinner there was a meeting in the loung where our Program Director gave us details of our disembarkation procedures. Some of the passengers were heading straight back home while others, including ourselves, were heading on to Prague for a three night extension.

We moored in Budapest at 8.30 am while Jackie and I were finishing breakfast. At 9 am we were due to depart for a Panoramic Budapest tour. We visited both Buda and Pest, the two cities that were joined together to create today’s Budapest. We took a walk along Fishermen’s Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion. We had visited this area two years before and broke away from the tour group while there so we could wander around, take pictures and generally enjoy the beautiful day in this gorgeous area. The bastion is built in neo-Romanesque style (we were told) and sits on the Buda side of the Danube with panoramic views over Pest. The bastion is a riot of towers and spires with walkways connecting them - all built on the edge of a great hill. Anyone who isn’t beguiled by the sheer magic of their setting has to be pretty close to pushing up daisies.

We were back on board in time for lunch and shortly after that we were off on the last tour to a stud farm where we were to be entertained by a demonstration of Puszta horsemanship. The Puzsta is the name given to the grassy plain which covers a large area of Hungary and where the speciality horsemanship began. It’s the area from which Attila originated and is the largest grass plain in Europe. The cattle drovers in this part of Hungary became famous for their horsemanship and the trick riding they developed.

It turned out to be one of the nicest and most enjoyable shows of this type we had seen. Some of the stunts we saw were quite amazing as far as courage is concerned.The ten-in-hand made the viewers fearful for the wellbeing of the rider: he stood on the backs of two horses who were harnessed side by side. He had a foot on each of the horses, who were harnessed to four horses in front of them, also harnessed side by side, and in front of that stood another four horses, also harnessed side by side.

That was followed by a demonstration of archery skills while riding at the full gallop. These men should be in the Olympics. Can you not see it - archery tests while riding 10 in hand at the gallop. Spectacular would be the least word for it. We were then treated to a show of whip skills (can you call it whipmanship?). There was an ox cart drawn by 4 large, ponderous oxen and in fact we were taken for a drive in the forest in a gypsy cart, very similar to the ox cart. And very relaxing it was, too.

After the cart ride we were taken into the breeding stables to see the champion horses, surrounded as they were by all the medals, cups and awards they had won. From there it was just a short walk to the area where tables were set up and we were invited to try locally made traditional pastries and wines.As we made our way back to the bus Jackie and I agreed that it had been a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, more so, I think, because we hadn’t been sure what to expect.

 

[BillB]

Thank you to everybody who have sent me a pm. I do appreciate the encouragement, although Jackie would say that I need very little encouragement. But then again, in November we'll have been married for 57 years so she would say that, wouldn't she? ;-)

After dinner that evening, our last of the cruise, we were invited onto the sun deck as the ship was going to do a night cruise enabling passengers to enjoy the lights of the city. We had done this before when we had been on our Danube cruise to the Black Sea but Budapest by night while cruising the Danube is a magical experience. Virtually all the buildings are floodlit by lamps that throw a golden light. The bulding of the Hungarian Parliament is beautiful by daylight, but in the darkness it glows like a yellow diamond. All the bridges are strung with lights of the same colour and other public buildings are floodlit so that when we were in the middle of the river we felt as if we were in a bowl of darkness surrounded by glowing jewels with the starry sky arcing above us.

There is one drawback to this cruise - as one is trying to take photos of these magnificent buildings it is first of all dark so the camera has to be set up for night shooting. Secondly, the ship is moving so getting an unblurred picture is next to impossible. I shot frenzedly for the time the cruise was due to last, but only a handful of my shots were usable. An experience like that tends to make me philosophical. It’s either that or throw my camera in the river.

Breakfast next day was to be our last meal on board. It was, as it always was, a superb meal with innumerable dishes - eggs in every possible style, fresh fruit, yoghurt, toast, corn flakes, porridge and so on and so forth. Even a diabetic can create an admirably low carb meal from the possibilites on offer. And I made the most of it, believe me.

After breakfast the last articles were placed in our cases and put outside the stateroom door. They were very shortly picked up and the next time we saw them was just before we boarded the buses for Prague to verify they were were loaded on the correct bus. I had already paid our outstanding bills, which only amounted to a few euros and given in one sum to cover the tips for the crew. It’s best not to tip crew members individually as only those we have come into contact with get the tips. The cooks, the deck crew, those who clean the staterooms and make the beds, do the laundry, do the washing up, etc., would get nothing. I prefer the fairness of the tips being given in at reception and everyone on board getting an equal share.

The drive from Budapest to Prague lasted for 6 hours, including stops for coffee and a later stop for lunch. This covered an area which neither Jackie nor I had ever explored before, and we found the mostly agricultural landscape dotted with areas of forestry and cattle grazing to be attractively green, at times presenting beautiful vistas of rolling hills.

Our stop for lunch turned out to be a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. Now I can’t remember the last time I had eaten KFC but it was a few years before the early1980s. Neither of us were overwhelmed with delight, but after spending a little time studying the menu we hit on a dish that sounded reasonable. We ordered and quickly received our meals. And what a surprise we had. The chicken was tender, delicately flavoured and perfectly cooked. KFC isn’t known to be in the running for culinary awards, but this meal proved that maybe they should try out. This was tastier than any other fast food meal I had ever eaten. Jackie felt the same. Had Col. Sanders improved his menus generally or was the meal prepared to appeal to Central European tastes? I have no idea because I never had the chance again while we were in Prague. But someday I’ll try out one of the KFC restaurants in Luxembourg and find out.

The stop was a short one as we still had a fair way to travel even though we had broken the back of the journey and we were soon in our seats on the bus. We started passing through the outskirts of Prague which sprawls outwards in a southeasterly direction, the direction from which we were approaching.

We soon traversed the industrialised areas and entered the city’s central area. This was a total contrast, naturally, but the shops were sophisticated and modern with boutiques, department stores, showrooms for high end cars like Mercedes and BMWs. Typical designer brands were much on view in the windows. A vast difference between the Communist days where drabness in all things seemed to be a Communist aim.

I wondered how many people remembered the Prague Spring of 1968 when Alexander Dubcek, on becoming First Secretary of the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia introduced a reform program he named “Communism with a human face.” It sounded like an oxymoron in those days as indeed it turned out to be when his reforms alarmed the Warsaw Pact countries to such a degree that they invaded the country, arrested Dubcek and leading members of the reformist group, and transported them to Moscow. The population resisted the invasion non-violently and it took the Russians around 8 months to quell what they saw as an insurrection instead of the 4 days they had initially estimated.

At that time I was studying German in Darmstadt and had several Czechs in my class. They told me of the brutality of the Russians, one of their favourite tactics being to drive their tanks down a street with the main gun lowered and rotated sideways so that they drove along, knocking pedestrians - men, women and children - off their feet and into the gutters. Many of the well dressed people we passed hadn’t even been born when these events took place.

We arrived at our hotel to find it was just a short walk to Wenceslas Square. Checking in was quick and our bags were delivered to our room very quickly. The hotel itself had splendidly 1930s decor (anyone who has seen the 1930s film Grand Hotel will recognise what I mean). It was, however, a modern makeover so we had the pleasures of the elegant settings of former days allied with modern systems in checking in, restaurant dining, bathrooms and wifi. It was called the Art Deco Palace, in keeping with the decor.

Our room was clean, comfortable and elegant with windows overlooking a side street. This meant that it was quiet, day and night, so our sleep was not interrupted but we had a nice view over the street with the activity taking place in it.

Our luggage had already been placed in our room, so after we had unpacked a certain amount of our clothes we freshened up and adjourned to the coffee shop where we ordered a coffee and a pastry. Following that we took for a stroll to orientate ourselves. Wenceslas Square was around 5 minutes away and we were amused to see a large Marks and Spencer store directly on the square. We had a wander around, finding our bearings, had a look around M&S, and then made our way back to the hotel. Any restaurants we had seen on our stroll didn’t look outstanding so we had dinner in the hotel.

And excellent it was.

 

[BillB]

Breakfast next morning was an interesting experience as the service was, if I may describe it as such, an art deco experience. The gentleman who greeted us would have fitted right

into Grand Hotel. He looked like the archetypal greeter from any number of films featuring hotels from that period. We gave him our name and our room number which he smilingly looked up in the register sitting on his pulpit-like desk. He then turned round, raised his finger and a young lady in server’s uniform appeared like magic. He gave her the number of a table to which she conducted us. We sat down and another young lady appeared to ask what we would like to drink - tea, coffee, hot chocolate, milk? We decided on coffee with milk, and then went over to the egg station.

I settled for two fried eggs over easy, Jackie chose an omelette. We were presented with a wrought iron arrow on a stand with a number on it. I selected my bread carefully, took some butter and returned to the table. After a couple of minutes our server brought up our eggs and removed the arrow. I watched in total fascination as she returned to the egg station and gave our arrow back. A lovely art deco process.

Our excursion that morning was a walking tour of Prague city centre. Never having been to Prague we’d regarded that excursion as a must so we were looking forward to our tour when Jackie and I assembled in the lobby with the others who would be joining us. Our guide gave us an orientation briefing, we checked our little black boxes that broadcast the guide’s words to our ears and set off.

We turned right outside the hotel and walked along to Wenceslas Square where we did another right turn and walked for a while. We passed an attractive-looking Japanese restaurant which I marked mentally as a possibility for dinner one evening. We walked on, passing churches, squares, clock towers, municipal buildings and a multitude of narrow, cobbled streets. It was a fairly long walk, but fascinating as the damages caused during WW2 had been repaired or completely rebuilt as closely as possible to the originals. Prague Old Town is a delightful place and we enjoyed the tour immensely.

After a couple of hours we arrived at the foot of a bridge with towers at each end and smaller bays set into its spans. Our guide gave us some of the background of the bridge and then we began our walk across it. We stopped a couple more times as our guide pointed out landmarks and buildings to be seen from the vantage point of the bridges bays.

On reaching the far end our guide pointed out where we would reassemble after the free time we now had. It was a warm day with a clear blue sky, completely cloudless, so Jackie and I felt more like a cold drink while sitting in some sort of shade. We drifted along, moving in a straight line from the bridge before coming to an attractive square and found ourselves standing in an arcade with cafés, restaurants, a Bohemian glass shop and a couple of souvenir emporia.

We sat at a table in the shade outside one of the cafés and ordered two beers. I think I’ve mentioned before that neither of us drink much beer, but on a hot day when you desperately need refreshment a beer is the way to go. The waitress brought two bottles of Pilsner and I remembered that lager made in Pilsn, a Czech town, was regarded as the highpoint of lager making. I poured the beers carefully as neither of us care for too much foam on our beers. When I took my first sip I was quite astonished. The legends of Pilsner beer came alive on my palate. It was one of my greatest beer tasting experiences. This lager was absolutely perfect, and sitting on a square sipping it in Prague on a hot day suddenly seemed like one of life’s finest experiences. Jackie felt the same when she took her first taste. Such unexpected pleasures give life such a richness.

Dinner that evening was in the Japanese restaurant we had passed earlier and it was absolutely splendid. It’s really telling how thoroughly the Communist straitjacket was thrown off and the pleasures of a free democratic society so thoroughly embraced.

 

[BillB]

We had another art deco breakfast and after that had a free morning. In the afternoon we had booked onto a tour taking in the places where Operation Android took place. For those who are a bit shaky on events during the Second World War, I can say that this operation showed the utmost in courage and the nadir of misfortune.

Until the tour we had the morning to ourselves and set off on a walk to do a bit of exploration. We like to wander around the streets, visit shops and department stores to get an idea of what’s popular in a country, what the differences are between our holiday destination and the stores in Luxembourg and the surrounding areas of Germany and France.

Towards midday we made our way back to the hotel where we had lunch in the restaurant. I started with chickpea soup and it was absolutely perfect. I love chickpeas, in all their guises - as dal lentils in Indian restaurants, as hummus in middle eastern restaurants, in my own dish of tuna and chickpea salad which we often have for lunch. But I’d never considered making soup with them - bit slow on the uptake there, wasn’t I? Anyway, when winter is once again upon us I’ll be putting that among my lunch menu recipes.

After lunch it was back to the room to collect cameras, hat and other odds and ends that we find necessary. Then it was a matter of wait in the lounge until our guide appeared. He, it turned out, was a young Jewish man who was very knowledgeable about the period with which we were dealing - WW2.

Let me explain a little about Operation Android. Reinhard Heydrich was the second most powerful man in the Third Reich. He was ruthless, heartlessly cruel and was the architect of the Holocaust. He was made Reichsprotektor (governor) of Bohemia and Moravia in what is now the Czech Republic, a job which he carried out with unfeeling cruelty. The Czechoslovak resistance produced a plan to assassinate him and with the help of the British SOE parachuted two Czech agents in with that purpose. They made contact with other members of the resistance and drew up a plan to kill him as he drove to his office. The two agents, Jan Kubis and Jozef Gabcik, were placed at a point on the route where his car would have to slow for a hairpin bend.

Kubis and Gabcik were waiting for him and as the Mercedes slowed to negotiate the bend Gabcik stepped forward intending to shoot Heydrich with a Sten Gun. The Sten jammed and Heydrich, instead of ordering the car to accelerate away, shouted for it to stop. He stood up, drew his pistol while Kubis hurled a bomb made from a converted anti-tank mine which landed on the running board of the car and detonated. Both the Czech agents were wounded in the blast while Reinhard collapsed with a number of injuries where parts of the car were driven into his body. The agents ran off as fast as their wounds would allow. They stayed in various safe houses, eventually taking refuge in the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, an Orthodox church.

Their whereabouts were betrayed to the Nazis who surrounded the church with 800 members of the SS and the Gestapo. There was a firefight in the church and several Czechs were killed. Kubis and Gabcik moved down to the crypt where they attempted to tunnel their way out but gave up. The Nazis tried again and again unsuccessfully to dislodge them with gunfire, tear gas and by calling the fire brigade and pumping water into the crypt in an attempt to flood it. Eventually they used explosives to blast their way in but found the Resistance members had killed themselves rather than surrender.

Heydrich died 6 days later from sepsis as horsehair from the car’s upholstery had been driven into his body and lodged in a number of internal organs.

The Nazi retaliation was brutal, and totally without mercy. The villages of Lidice and Lezaky were raided and all the males over 16 in both villages were murdered. All the women in Lezaky were also murdered and all but four of the women in Lidice were deported immediately to Ravensbruck concentration camp, the remaining four were subjected to forced abortions and then sent to Ravensbruck. Some children were chosen for Germanization and 81 were killed in gas vans at the Chelmno extermination camp. In total over 1300 Czechs were killed in reprisal. Both Lidice and Lezaky were burned and Lidice’s ruins were levelled.

I shall continue with the tour in a day or two. This was the most sombre part of the tour. The next part is not so heartrending.

 

[Keesha]

Bill, thank you so much on the history of the heroes, Kubis and Gabcik. It is unbelievable how a brave these two soldiers were, giving up their lives to kill this "butcher of Prague"

While you were in Prague, did you also visit the statue of Sir Nicholas Winton who rescued 669 Czech children during the Holocaust. A statue of him holding a child with a suitcase is displayed at the Prague Main Railway Station platform One. It took us a while to look for it while we were in Prague but eventually found it. Lots of stories of cruelty by the Nazis and something I would rather forget.

Please continue your write ups and let us us read your experiences. I always look forward to reading and learning from you.