11 December 2008 by Don.

It’s 15 degrees outside - and it will be in February.   It’s snowing - and it will be in February.  The winds are blowing out of the North.  The snow is drifting and the wind chill has falling to well below zero - and it will be in February.

But you’re wearing a bathing suite, sitting by the pool, drinking a Bahama Mama on your way to Saint Thomas where the temperature is 84 - and it will be in February.

I’m looking for people who want to escape from the Winter Doldrums.  I’ve got the perfect cruise to do it.  Email me now before you get frozen out of some great deals.

Posted in When to Cruise, Why Cruise | 1 Comment »

6 December 2008 by Don.

We crossed the Continental divide in the early hours of the morning while most of the passengers were asleep.  I woke an hour before sun rise and went forward to the lounge.   We were just approaching the Eckersmuhlen lock.  This is the second lock after the continental divide and as we progress toward Nuremberg.

After the gate lowered and the lights turned green, the captain slowly maneuvered the Spirit into the lock.  Once inside the lock, we are lowered 80 feet.  The exit gate raised and we continued through two more lock in the next 24 kilometers and then docked between the Eibach and Nuremberg locks.  The docking area is not scenic but the canal only runs along the south western portion of the city which is not a terribly scenic area.

By the time we were docked, the sun was out and there was some free time before lunch so my wife and I walked down to the Nuremberg lock to watch the operations as several ships passed headed upstream and down stream with their cargos.  As we walked back to the ship, the sky started to cloud over.

After lunch, we boarded busses for a tour of the city. As we started off, a light, steady rain began.  The major attractions on the tour included the area of the Nuremberg Rallies (depressing, but important historical site),  site of the Nuremberg War Crime Trials (also depressing, but important historical site), and Nuremberg’s walled old town area where the tour ended.  Most everyone headed directly to the Christmas Markets we skirted the market and found a interesting Gothic church close by (Saint Sebaldus).  Inside, we stumbled on a very nice concert in progress.  The music alternated between an organ recital and an excellent brass quintet.   We listened and enjoyed the music for better than a half hour before coming back out into the cold rain.

With an improved Christmas spirit, we headed toward the market but found it packed with people.  With some effort, we threaded our way through the crowd and headed for a beer and a bite to eat while we waited for the bus to arrive for our return to the ship.

It was interesting that the city of Nuremberg seemed to have very little in the way of Christmas lights or decorations (other than the area around the Christmas Market).  This fact combined with the gray skies, gray stone buildings, and rain made the city seem depressing to us.

As this was the last day of the cruise, the evening was highlighted with the Farewell Cocktail party and Captain’s Dinner (see menu below).

The Captain’s Dinner
Hors d’oeuvre
Sushi rice with marinated salmon pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi-sabayone
Soup
Quail consommé with cranberry dumpling
Second Appetizer
Ravioli filled with Cep-mushrooms, brown butter, and Parmesan shaving
Main Course
Tenderloin of beef with truffle crust and a vegetable basket served with potato cake
Pan-fried fillet of Mahi-mahi with yellow pepper sauce served with Swiss chard and white wine risotto
Dessert
Baked Alaska served in traditional Viking Parade

Posted in Viking River Cruise 30 Nov - 7 Dec | 1 Comment »

5 December 2008 by Don.

Monday - Dec 1

We concluded our visit to Vienna with an evening tour through the city to see the Christmas lights and then a Mozart and Strauss chamber concert.  The lights were wonderful (not an inflatable snowman or reindeer to be seen) and the two-hour concert of chamber music, opera, and ballet was outstanding.

Tuesday - Dec 2

Woke this morning as we entered the last of four locks that we traversed between Vienna and Melk.
We spent the morning cruising the beautiful Wachau (‘va-how’) valley passing miles of terraced vineyards and towns such as Krems, Durnstein (the pearl of the valley), Weissenkirchen, and Spitz.

Arriving in Melk just after lunch, we headed out on a tour of the Melk Monastery.  The fantastic collection of ancient Christian artifacts and restoration of the 18th century buildings was beyond words – I’ll try to post pictures later.
Everyone was back onboard the Spirit early and we continued upriver, expecting to dock in Linz about midnight.

We were unable to find an Internet café in Melk so we will continue this blog entry for now and post later.

Wednesday - Dec 3

Woke up docked in Linz.  We decided to skip the optional all day tour of Salzburg and stayed in Linz.  After a quick breakfast we had a good (but slow moving) walking tour of the old city.  After lunch aboard the ship, we took the number 50 bus up to Postlingberg Hill, which overlooks the city and is the site of an 18th century pilgrimage church of the Seven Pains of Maria.

For dinner, we decided to eat in town and found a wonderful Italian restaurant Mia Cara (I know we were in Austria but we love Italian food).  After a great dinner we got into the holiday spirit with a stroll through the busy Christmas Market before returning to the ship.

Thursday - Dec 4

The Viking Spirit made good time through the four locks between Linz and Passau and arrived about an hour early.
We took the first opportunity to go ashore and headed directly to Saint Stephan’s Cathedral.  Again I need to post pictures to adequately describe that wonderful Baroque architecture.

Out front of the cathedral, we shopped the Christmas market, then moved to the town market along Ludwig-strabe.  Made a few purchases and had a wonderful time people watching.  After a nice lunch in town, we made the pilgrimage to the church of Mariahilf (320 steps up the church along the stations of the cross adorned with numerous icons and other memorials left by previous pilgrims).  The legend is that anyone who completes the 320 steps while praying can expect his prayer to be answered.

We returned from the church of Mariahilf in time to join the walking tour of the city.  Disappointed with our guide, we left the group after less than fifteen minutes.  With time unexpectedly available, we decided on the spur of the moment to hike up to Veste Oberhaus (the upper fortress).  The climb gave us an outstanding view of Passau and the surrounding German countryside from the southern side of the Danube.

Back on level ground, we topped off our time ashore with a mug of Gluwein (hot spiced wine) before returning to the ship for a 6:00 pm departure for Regensburg.

Thursday – Dec 5

Docked in Regensburg before breakfast to find a dusting of snow on the ground and a forecast of cold temperatures with a chance of rain in the afternoon.  Up to now, we have been blessed with excellent weather (if a little cool).

Despite the cold, we bundled up after breakfast and took the walking tour of town.  First stop was the old stone bridge.  This marvelous structure dates back to the mid 12th century.  Still used today for foot traffic, this sturdy old bridge is a true masterpiece of engineering.

From the bridge we headed south a couple blocks into town to appreciate the architecture.  The highlight was Saint Peter’s Cathedral built in the Gothic style (a striking change from the Baroque that we have seen for the past several days).  Unlike Baroque churches which have clear glass windows, St  Peter’s contains many unusually large, beautifully detailed stained glass windows in the Gothic style.  During World War II the windows were carefully removed and safely stored in sand in the basement of various locations due to the fear of damage by Allied bombs.  The city was not bombed, however, and after the war ended, the windows were returned to their original location where they remain today.

I found the town to be somewhat busy and noisy, but it was an enjoyable tour.
Back on board, warmed and refreshed with lunch, I now have one of the ship’s laptops to compose this entry but the internet connection is unavailable at our dock space.  So much for daily postings.  Will upload all later this evening after we sail.

Posted in Viking River Cruise 30 Nov - 7 Dec | 1 Comment »

1 December 2008 by Don.

We arrived in Vienna yesterday and are aboard the beautiful Viking Spirit.  we enjoyed an excellent tour of the city this morning where we visited several cathedrals as well as the Hapsburg Family Palace.  Some might call it a “home” - amazing what results when each generation adds its own wing . . .filling in the moat in the process.  Oh for the simple life.

We were invited to tour the Uniworld-River Countess and the AMA Waterways-Amacello that were docked nearby.  Both are lovely ships, each distinctive in decor yet similar in amenities and comfort.

Will post more detalis when we return.

Posted in Viking River Cruise 30 Nov - 7 Dec | No Comments »