May 10 and May 11 The Shoes

Our last day in Budapest was spent keeping in front of the rain.  Ron and I decided to walk across the Chain Bridge into Pest where we will await Jackie and Larry who’ve taken the bus.  We want to see one of the memorials from WWII - The Shoes on the Bridge.

There are 60 pairs of rusted period shoes cast from iron in various sizes and styles. The shoes are for children, women, businessmen, sportsmen etc. and we spend some time walking along the bank, thinking about what happened.   Behind the sculpture lies a stone bench inscribed as follows: "To the memory of the victims shot into the Danube by Arrow Cross militiamen in 1944–45.” 

While we are waiting for Jackie and Larry, we talk with a Big Bus employee who is from Cameroon.  I admit I had to look it up on a map and see it’s just south of Nigeria with a population of 22 million.  He’s ended up here after his girlfriend became pregnant and came home to Hungary.  He's been in the country eight years now, speaks several languages including Hungarian (no small feat) and is very personable.  He is somewhat limited in his employment options since he lacks a European passport - he tried and failed to get a job on the River ships.  In his opinion, the Hungarians are less than happy than their western neighbors because of the depressed economy and low wages.  Things seem to be improving, albeit slowly.  

We get back on the bus, heading to a shopping area we’ve read about but stop first to get a coffee and a bowl of Hungarian goulash for me.  (It’s really more like a nice soup.)  We have good success with securing last gifts for friends and families and go off in search of Subway Sandwiches for the others to get lunch. Back to our hotel on the bus when the rain starts.  Good timing.  We prepare for our early departure Wednesday morning when we are up and out by 6:30 AM. Everything is smooth en route to Zurich and then, at last, we are on the plane and headed home.  There is nothing quite like going home - LAX, and Customs and all.  One confession. In spite of past experiences, I neglect to remove an apple from my luggage and we are herded to the Agricultural Line where we spend an extra 30 minutes waiting for our turn for the X-ray machine where we gladly turn over the offending fruit.  Ron exercised remarkable restraint, saying very little, bless him.  And, finally, we are out and en route to Bennington Street.  Happy.

May 9 A View Like No Other

It's Monday and we are leaving the Viking Modi for our hotel in the castle district of Budapest.  So, a few reflections on the cruise part of the journey.  The staff earns an "A" for friendliness, care, availability and good humor.  Whatever the problem, they wanted to solve it and quickly.  The food, while plentiful, was okay but not always on the mark.  I did enjoy the breakfasts and the good salad bar available at every lunch if you were in the main dining room.  As to the program, the included city walks focused always on the old sections and tourist shops.  You could, of course,  select the somewhat pricey optional excursions if those were of interest.  The accommodations were excellent as was the cabin service.  The four of us found the trip a bit sedentary with too much down time.  the only common areas were the lounge and occasionally the upper deck.  More sitting.  Except for a few, the guests were seniors and some quite compromised.  Admirable, really. I did like most of the lectures and found that talking to others, especially the staff, was fun.   And we had our friend Jacqueline, a treasure.  The concierge and the program director were especially talented.  I would recommend Viking but maybe a shorter cruise for those more active.

We are shuttled from the Modi to the Hilton where we leave our luggage and strike out on our own.  We RUN by the tour groups as we are untethered and kicking up our heels.  We've purchased tickets on the Big Bus - a hop on hop off scenario.  Pretty soon the afternoon is gone and we are weary.  Among other sights, we've seen St. Stephen's Cathedral where I light candles as I've done all over Europe, asking for blessings upon my dear family.  It's the largest cathedral in Hungary and stunning. One of our guides told us that during the Communist occupation, the government took note and those who attended church were disadvantaged.  Although they were highly qualified, her mother was overlooked as a flight attendant and her uncle denied entry to the university to study medicine because both were practicing Catholics.  

Back at the hotel, Ron wonders if we'll end up in the basement because we are the last to get our rooms.  Au contraire, we are up on the fifth floor with probably the most spectacular view I have had or will ever hope to have.  A large picture window overlooks the Danube with views of the Chain Bridge and the impressive Parliament building which is completely lit up at night along with the rest of the city that flanks the river.  Mesmerising.  I neglected to mention that on Sunday night the Modi's captain got permission from the harbor master to sail north on the river circling Madeleine Island.  This took place about 9 PM when the city was ablaze with lights.  A high point.

May 8 Taking the Waters

Happy Mother's Day!  What a beautiful place to be and how glorious the day!  I was despairing yesterday of being able to complete our activities but I think it's going to work out just fine beginning with a tour of Budapest.  The city was originally two - Buda on the hilly side and Pest (Pescht) on the flat side.  A series of beautiful bridges now connect them and the two have become one.  

The city was heavily bombed during the war and suffered mightily during the post war period when the communists were in power.  The old buildings were razed and replaced with the worst-looking cement structures - office buildings and apartments with shoddy workmanship and poor materials and a complete lack of architectural interest.  Think a flat box with aluminium framed windows in beige or tan adjacent to a beautiful 18th or 19th century building.  The residents called it communist gothic.  Fortunately these are limited to a few areas on the Pest side.  

I forgot to mention that we had a superb speaker from the University in Vienna who gave an hour lecture on the history of Austria - a country that went from world dominance to its current small size.  Vienna holds most of the country's population since it was designed to be the capital of an empire.  I now understand better its close ties to Hungary and its alliance with Germany and Hungary during the war.  And also why my Romanian facialist thought Hungary, her husband's country, was not much to be admired.  [The Romanians and the Russians fought the Hungarians in a fierce battle during WWII.]  Fate spared the Austrians ending up behind the Iron Curtain while Hungary was part of the USSR until it disbanded.  The wages are low here but the economy has slowly improved and with the tourist industry it continues to do so.

At 2 PM we headed to The Szechenyl, one of the largest natural mineral springs complexes in Europe.  We started in one of the huge outdoor pools and then meandered indoors where there were many more pools of various temperatures.  I braved two pools of 70 degrees - not bad if you start in a hot pool and it's very healthy.  I was alone in both the cold pools and laughed to myself when a few men stepped in only to scurry out.  One intrepid guy did come in for a minute after I said, 'You can do it!' 

Back on the ship, a fine dinner with a rose for each of the ladies on board.  Good day and good night.

May 7 Bring In the Old...

Our second day in Vienna dawned warm and if my strength had permitted, I'd have done sun salutations in praise and thanks for the golden rays shining upon us.  I concluded that Ron and I live in our perfect place, especially this time of year when the yard is blooming and there is a possibility of swimming.  But meanwhile, we will enjoy where we are now.

We've looked around and decided that we will walk across a very impressive bridge and go to the top of a modern sky scraper for a panoramic view of Vienna.  Just negotiating the bridge took us about 20 minutes and then we wended our way to the ultra modern building.  Adding to the somewhat cold feel of the area, the place was damn near deserted except for a few stray stalwarts going into the gym located nearby.  Apparently, all offices in Vienna are closed on Saturdays.  We found the proper way in, paid our entry fee, and received very precise instructions on how to go from one elevator to the next, not touching anything and being prepared for the doors to open upon our arrival.  And we were totally alone.  A bit on the eerie side since we went up 58 floors on 2 separate elevators.  At the top we walked around the glass-enclosed area coming abruptly to one end and realizing we needed to retrace our steps and to see all the views.  A bit hard to get by the dirty glass and the  general unkempt look of it all.  We commented that the Germans would have been up there with a power washer getting rid of the cob webs, putting a sparkle on the windows and generally tidying up the place.  I figured the Austrians were a little too busy having fun, eating and drinking.  Like my Swedish side, the Germans take care of business first and when the work is done they do as they please.  My sisters will recall our Swedish neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, sweeping her sidewalks.  The Germans ja, the Austrians nein.  

So interesting that there is a different culture in spite of the fact that the Austrians and Germans speak the same language and live right next door to each other.  We also notice that the streets and parks here are not spotless like they are in Germany.  A few things needed tending and there was more graffiti, for instance.  Excuse me but that shit is an eyesore.  The modern section, fortunately, still had its charm because there was a wonderful park being enjoyed by many people.  The Austrians like the outdoor life.  I must say, too, that the old city is very beautiful and the bridges especially.  

Back at the ship, it was lunch time and then I knew rest was in order.  Ron, Jackie and Larry took a cab into a shopping area but came back empty handed so I didn't regret my down time one bit.

May 5 and May 6 Working My Way to Wellness

So I am back - sort of.  Listening to all the noise in my head when I exhale.  Well, I've always been easily amused and according to the Internet it is not a concern unless you're wheezing on the inhale too.  I am not nor does it hurt to breathe so I am eschewing antibiotics at the moment and will bore you no more with the state of my health.  

I was incommunicado on Thursday, May 5th when the ship stopped first in Melk, Austria, and most took a morning tour of the Abbey. It is 900 years old and was fortified by the Benedictines after they got the palace from Leopoldo II of Bamburg.  It contains 80,000 medieval manuscripts as well as some remaining monks.  

In the afternoon we landed at Krems but that was another town I enjoyed from my cabin.  Austria has a population of more than 8 million people and is about the size of Maine.  It has a checkered past since it threw in its lot with Germany in WWII and we know how that turned out.    

Friday I bucked up for the walking excursion in old town Vienna.  How could I not?  Not at my liveliest but after the tour there was down time during which I sat on a stone bench outside St. Stephen's Cathedral.  Several German ladies spoke to me and I nodded and smiled.  I would catch a word or two but they seemed to lose interest when they found out no conversation would be forthcoming.  Then a young Asian man sat down with a guide book in English and I ended up talking with him for 20 minutes.  He was traveling alone - from the Philippines but working as a graphic artist in Dubai - and was going to several countries in Europe.  He was traveling by bus and if the trip was later in the day, he slept on the bus, saving himself the price of a hotel.  Ah youth.  

Vienna is a lovely city despite being almost destroyed during WWII (80percent.)  The Viennese have much pride in the fact that Mozart lived here the last 10 years of his life and created some of his most famous operas during that time.  And there is Strauss, the Waltz King.  When our tour director, Petra, asked the group who could waltz, Ron and I were pleased to be able to say, of course!  Those well-rounded educations of yesteryear when we learned to read music and sing and were taught the basic ball room dances and even square dancing.

After the morning tour I made my way to the cabin, wondering how I would feel later that evening when we were to leave for The Vienna Residence Orchestra and our much-anticipated evening concert.  I took a long nap and by skipping dinner I reserved enough strength to attend the concert and to enjoy it thoroughly.  The first half was devoted to Mozart and included ballet performances and arias.  After a brief intermission, we heard Johann Strauss marches and of course the incomparable waltzes.  It was wonderful.  That afternoon, Jackie and Larry had seen the Vienna Boys Choir which they could not say enough about.  A very good day for music lovers.

May 4 They are Dropping Like Flies

I am afraid my turn is coming.  Ron went down during the night but Jackie and Larry are back up.  Sort of.  Ron stayed in bed all day so I am hoping that he will be okay in the morning.  We have started to look carefully at our fellow passengers and I think at least 25% are ill, maybe more since many are walking wounded.  A goodly number of crew are visibly unwell - it does not build confidence and God knows it does not bode well for those of us still okay.  You have your choice of sick light - only the cold - or the real deal which is a don't-leave-your-cabin intestinal bout followed by the cold.  Unprintable thought going through my head now.  Even sick light can be debilitating since Larry was in his cabin an entire day.  I have made up my mind that I shall be well, especially since we are attending an evening concert in Vienna in a few days, one of the few extra tours that we purchased.  Wish me luck dear readers.

Today was our last in Germany in the charming city of Passau.  True is was raining but not quite so cold and not quite such a downpour so we go on without complaint.  This is a city in which three rivers converge - the Ilz, the Danube, and the Inn.  It's a pretty place and we had a wonderful guide so we all enjoyed our walking tour.  The Jewel in the Crown was the 30-minute organ rehearsal in St. Stephen's on the world's biggest cathedral organ.  There are actually 5 organs located at various places inside the cathedral and only one organist.  He plays them concurrently which was made possible only after the Siemans Company created a main keyboard allowing this. The organ(s) have almost 18 thousand pipes and 233 registers and do produce a mighty sound.  I bought a CD of the organist playing Bach, Beethoven and other composers so we will have an impressive soundtrack on our photo DVD of our European River Cruise.  I keep forgetting to mention that I post photos daily on Facebook but have not quite figured out how to include them with the blog.  I shall seek some technical assistance after this trip.

Back on board for lunch and with the wet and gloom we were hard pressed to return to town, having exhausted the shopping possibilities and certainly not seeking food or drink since they are too much in abundance on the ship.  

Later:  We enjoyed the quietude this afternoon, especially now that I am edging toward a cold.  Heavy sigh.  We kept dinner light and simple on the deck.  It's now time to admit that I've sunk to a new low with my wardrobe and wore my pj bottoms to dinner.  Okay, okay - they look like crop pants and who noticed anyway?

May 3 Culture Club

Bavaria is one of Germany's 16 states and is 51% Catholic, having turned the tide with the Counter Reformation to ensure that Martin Luther didn't get too much of a toehold starting in the 1600's.  As is was, several cathedrals went back and forth between Catholic and Lutheran.  The guides we've had in the Bavarian cities reflect the division with yesterday's declaring proudly for the Catholics and today's telling us twice that she was a Lutheran.  I almost broke through the crowd to stand in solidarity with her but decided she didn't really need me so I kept my church affiliation to myself.  Oh and today's town of Regensberg makes an even stronger case for its Catholic majority since it is the home town of Pope Benedict XVI who was known as Joseph Ratzinger when he lived here as a boy.  His controversial youth included what our guides are quick to describe as his compulsory conscription into Hitler's German Youth and his military service as a "reluctant soldier"in the German Infantry.  

Thank God the rain has been held at bay and we enjoyed some sunny stretches for our tour and shopping expedition that extended through the afternoon.  Larry opted for a rest on the ship after lunch but Ron accompanied the ladies during our later walk around.  I think we are saving our big shopping for Vienna and Budapest.  Still, you never know what treasures are to be found in these smaller places.

We had dinner again with our friend Jacqueline and afterwards heard three young opera singers and a very talented pianist from the Munich and Nuremburg theaters.  We all got to join in on "Edelweiss" and we didn't sound too bad since the professional singers were quite loud.  A bit late to bed with an early wake up on the horizon.  Ach du lieber.