Budapest Day 17

Before I get into the stories for today, I would like to quote Josh,"It ain't easy writing a daily summary."

Some other observations: We have never been rained out.

There were a few cloudy days but no more than a sprinkle of rain fell.

The temperatures have seldom been lower than 15 by midday.

One day in Vienna is definitely not enough time to get a good feel for the city. I'm trying to figure out how long it will take to see 500 museums at three a day, four when I am more energetic.

I have had a real education traveling with Gila. I have learned a great deal about art, art history and how to see the elements that make a piece special.

I have learned to be far more patient and I am learning to appreciate the moment rather than worrying about what comes next.

Traveling with Gila is great for me. It's not so much that she accepts my mishigasim. She just laughs at them and then I have a choice. I can laugh too or I can get pissed off, in which case she laughs even more until I just take a meshuggah mint to counteract my behaviour.

Many Americans are loud and obnoxious, especially when plied with alcohol, but on a small ship, it is possible to meet really interesting people from all over the States, Canada and even Mexico.

And finally, the Danube is not blue. Strauss must have had some visual anomalies or he was drunk.

I am all toured out, not a good state for this morning’s outing.

We arrived in Budapest this morning. As we sailed into the city we got a commentary on each of the bridges and prominent buildings. 

                                                                       

Our tour managers are all Hungarian and the pride in their city is evident. As soon as we docked, a bus was waiting for us and we had a whirlwind tour through Pest, the flat portion of the city. Included was the history as well, from the Celts, the Romans, the Huns, the Turks, the Habsburgs, the Republic, the Soviets to the return to democracy. It was just too much to absorb while watching the streetscape and being hustled off and on the bus for photo ops. There were casinos, museums , a zoo, many parks and I really can't remember what else. The only really memorable spot was Heroes' Square which was recently built to commemorate 100 years of I don't remember what. On either side were palaces that have been converted into art galleries. With the wide boulevards and the architecture of various periods, it resembled Vienna on a bad hair day. Vienna was pristine. It is not that this city is dirty. It's not, but rather shabby in some places, requiring more TLC than it has received over the centuries. I am glad that we have an extended stay here so that I can get a clearer impression of what I think may be a charming city.

Then we crossed the river to Buda and the castle area. This is the hilly side of the city and much more expensive in terms of housing. Like Vienna, it was wall to wall tourists. We then had a short walking tour and free time. The area is dominated by the St. Mathias Church, another gothic structure with a ceramic tile roof. Apparently the King's wife was Italian and that was the style on the Mediterranean. This area was heavily bombed during the war and because of the destruction, archaeologists took the opportunity to uncover the remains of castles, castle walls etc. from the Middle Ages. 

                               

                                   Part of an old church

The work is still ongoing. At the edge of the hill is a wonderful look out spot, called the Fishermen’s Ballustrade, built in the later nineteenth century, where on a clear day, you can see all the way up and down the river as you are hustled by vendors selling sweaters, embroidery tablecloths, pictures, paintings and everything else you would expect in a tourist trap.

                                    

                                        View from the Fisherman's Balustrade

The area is under construction as well. An old castle is being transformed into either a conference centre or a museum. Again, it was such a whirl that it can't remember all the information thrown at us.

Gila was fascinated by the pastel coloured paints on the buildings. At close quarters, the cracks in the wall and the peeling paint was very evident. Gila needed to have samples. She very carefully peeled a little piece of paint off the wall of several buildings. One of the shop owners noticed and I could see that he was chuckling. Even though I will not aid and abet Gila's criminal behaviour, picking away at the wall was taking too long. So I helped her by peeling off a large square. Gila was shocked. How was that different from what she was doing? I was just saving time.

Apparently, this castle area is also a posh residential area. Beside the church is a Hilton hotel. The tower of a former defense wall or church has been incorporated into the new modern building. In all of this area, the buildings sported peeling paint, cracks in concrete and lots of trompe l'oeil. On the surface it is charming with cafes and little shops selling paprika and other souvenirs, but because of the hordes of tourists and guided tours, it felt very staged. Mind you, we were only in one area and perhaps beyond the main square there is a more normal type of life.

                                 

                                    An old fountain and wall in the castle district

We returned to the ship for lunch and had to decide what to do with our afternoon. The only thing I was willing to consider was an afternoon at one of the spas in Buda. The one we chose was just on the other side of the bridge and we were able to walk there in about ten minutes. It is a very posh hotel with the spa attached. The complex is a leftover from the reign of the Turks. The whole complex is tiled, marbled and adorned in an art deco style. The spa area is huge and the signs directing people to the various pools (there are eleven of them) and therapy areas must have been put up by our tour manager Balazs who has the unique ability to complicate the simplest thing. If you had spent any time with him as a leader, you understood immediately how confusing the complex was. But the water was hot hot hot and the massage that I had was heavenly. I was reluctant to leave especially since I am coming down with a cold.

By the time we got back to the ship I was too wiped for the farewell cocktails and directly after dinner, returned to my cabin to sleep. Unfortunately, I missed a performance of traditional Hungarian operetta pieces by a local professional group but I needed the sleep more.

Tomorrow we are being transferred to another hotel and so I hastily packed. I foresee some logistical problems about how much can be put into a suitcase and still be able to zipper it shut. In the morning after our transfer, I am looking forward to our tour of the Jewish interests in this city.

Vienna Day 16

     

I have been very impressed by the local guides hired by Gate1. Each one has been outstanding with an excellent command of the English language. First, the bus drove around the city and the guide pointed out all the significant buildings, the votive church, built to thank God for sparing the Emperor from an assassination attempt, the parliament, dominated by a statue of Athena and a circular driveway in front for horses, the town hall, a massive building with a gothic spire that has over 1,700 rooms, the huge opera house that contains apartments for the Emperor as well as rooms for the other members of the royal family and many of the palaces that today serve as consulates, elegant hotels, high end designers, some government offices and the offices for the U.N.’s  large administrative unit in Vienna.

                                 

                                     Hordes of tourists in the pedestrian mall

 The walking tour was much better though. Our first stop was the Albertina Museum that currently has an exhibition on Matisse and the Fauvists. The entrance to the museum is up a steep flight of stairs (we found an escalator later) that was painted in the fauvist style as an advertisement for the show. 

                              

When you stood far enough back, it looked like a huge poster. In front of the museum was a monument for those murdered by the Nazis. It was graphic and powerful. One side represented those who died in the camps. It portrayed a prisoner that resembled a skeleton. There was also a suitcase and a club. The other side showed a woman giving birth in dire circumstances. In front of the statue was another one of a man, on his hands and knees and covered with a net. It represented the Jews who were taken away.

The next stop was what is called the Hofburg. It consists of all the buildings that were part of the Habsburg palace. Today they are the home of many museums. Standing in one courtyard, the walls on each of the four sides were in a different style, but the restoration was needed at different times. Hence the pastiche of styles. The facade was covered with work in the style current for the day. Hero's square was a huge building with a balcony so that the Emperor could sit on his throne while thousands of subjects crowded in the square cheering. It was never used by the Emperor. He died before it was completed. However, it was used by Hitler to announce the Anschluss. The balcony greatly resembled the one in the Zepplinfeld in Nuremberg.

In the late nineteenth century, Vienna was the most important city in Europe. The Habsburgs wanted to see that status continue, so they used a great deal of foresight in city planning. They started building facilities that allowed growth up to five million people. However, with World War I, that growth never happened. The result is a spacious city with wide boulevards and more than enough facilities for its population of 1.7 million.

We then strolled to the Saint Stephen Cathedral, a huge gothic structure. The roof had been damaged, I don't remember when and it was replaced with a zig zag design tile roof because that was the style of the day. This was the spot where the tour ended and we had the rest of the day for free time. With a map showing the Jewish museums in hand, we set out. The first building was nearby. Part of it was closed but we did see a collection of Jewish relics collected from all over Austria and beyond by Max Stein, a man who survived the Holocaust. He donated the collection to the museum well before he died. The audio guide was extremely informative, sometimes too much so. We learned more about Josef II and the freedom edict he was responsible for. In Prague, he seemed like a hero. The Jewish quarter was named Josefov in his honour. At this museum we learned that many Jews in the Empire were not pleased with the edict, because now as equal citizens, they were heavily taxed. The other information on the guide was the number of synagogues destroyed on November 9 and 10, 1938. Forty- six synagogues were burnt to the ground, there were huge bonfires in which Torah scrolls and prayer books were burnt and many Jewish businesses were looted. Another section of this museum had a display about the Zionist movement in Vienna.

                                        

                                      Archeological beginnings of Vienna

The second site was at some distance away, so while looking for it we took a break in a cafe called Aida. I had a mélange, the Viennese version of cappuccino with apple strudel while Gila had a latte with apricot cake. My drink came in a regular cup, but Gila's was served in a very unique glass. The outside was made of plastic but inside of it sat a glass with a rounded bottom. The outside provided insulation for the inside which was filled with coffee. It was a brilliant design. Gila managed to drop it into her knapsack before we left. I unintentionally distracted the waitress clearing the table by forgetting my fleece. The rest of the day, each cafe and every souvenir shop we passed was searched for a mate to the cup that found its way into Gila's bag. I want it on the record that I aid and abet the pilfering of posters, but definitely not the taking of glassware.

We found the second part of the Jewish museum in Judenplatz. In front of the building was the Holocaust Memorial, a very unique rectangular structure that looked like bookcases filled with books. On the plinth around it, the names of the large camps were etched. The exhibit was about the Jews in medieval Vienna before they were expelled in 1420 by Albrecht.

                                          

One part of display was the computerized 3D virtual trip through the Jewish quarter. The significant buildings were isolated and shown in cross section so that the interior was visible. I tried to film the exhibit, but my battery died. I hope that the video will be watchable. Directly beneath the Holocaust Memorial were the archeological remains of the first synagogue that was described in the virtual tour. It was a unique exhibit and we were so glad that we were able to visit.

                                           Medieval Tapestry

                                         First synagogue in Vienna

 With the time left, we tracked back to the Albertina and the Matisse exhibit. To get there we walked the length of the main street. It was a wide pedestrian boulevard with all the high-end shops. Fortunately, all the stores except souvenir shops were closed so there was more time for the museums. The gallery used to be a palace as well. We only had time for the one exhibit, but it was amazing. Gila was like a child who had won the Willie Wonka's golden ticket. Even the walls were beautifully painted in a deeper purple and white. The colours were so vibrant. Watching and listening to Gila's reactions to the work of Matisse and his peers was an education for me and I was able to see and appreciate the art with a totally new perspective.

Unfortunately, the time was passing more quickly than we would have liked and I had to take on the role of the nag and the bitch to ensure that we made it to the location of the bus that was to take us back to the ship. Of course, Gila was constantly noticing things that pulled her away from my objective of getting to the bus. I developed a new strategy. Whenever Gila wanted to stop, I said no and did not stop. I just kept walking although I did slow down until she caught up. We hadn't had lunch and she wanted to stop for a hot dog. I told her that if we reached the bus on time, the reward would be the McDonalds found at our meeting place. We actually made it with 15 minutes to spare. In a lot, we saw a series of buses and assumed one was ours. While Gila looked for food, I headed to the buses to find that none of them were Gate 1 vehicles. I began to wander further along the street and noticed a Gate 1 sign beckoning me alluringly from the doorway. I then had to find Gila to make sure she didn't go to the wrong place. Ironically, when Gila reached the bus, the driver would not allow food on the bus and Gila had to eat her doner on the sidewalk.

                                                    

                                                        Location of our bus 

The ride back to the boat was uneventful. When it was time to exit the bus, I found that I was so stiff I could barely walk. A shower helped to refresh me but did little about my stiffness. Dinner  improved my mood, but I'm hoping that I will not need a wheelchair to do the tour of Budapest tomorrow. We are now in the home stretch.

Melk Day 15

Today we arrived in Austria, in the small delightful town of Melk. It is on our itinerary because of its Benedictine Abbey. The abbey is amazing to look at, but we also learned a bit of the history and philosophy of the Benedictines and that was even more interesting than the complex.

                                      

                                          Houses along the Danube

The abbey was built in 1718 on the site of a former castle, therefore it is high up on a hill. It is according to our guide, built in the baroque style, translate very ornamental or in simpler terms, angepatchked.  It was built with Numerology in mind. There are seven courtyards, for the days of the week and a total of 1365 windows for the days in a year. I'm pretty sure that there are other significant numbers as well, but I can't remember them. Maria Theresa was the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (which was neither holy, nor Roman) at the time and more than half of the abbey was set aside as the imperial quarters for her highness and her small entourage of 300. There is no furniture in these rooms because, Maria Theresa brought all the furniture she needed on her visit. Although she reigned for forty years, she visited the abbey only twice.

The abbey was restored I don't remember when, but it was not restored to its original grandeur. Whatever could not be fixed was replaced by its modern equivalent. Therefore there are modern sculptures in the courtyards, frescoes in a modern style on some of the walls and stylized paintings of flowers on the bases of the altars. The reason?  The Benedictines are forward looking and roll with the times. It was very disconcerting seeing these modern elements beside the very baroque.

                                        
                                            
                                            Baroque nave with modern painted flowers

One of the rooms looked like it was made entirely of marble, but it was actually stucco painted like marble. Although it was more expensive to install, it was easier to maintain and warmer as well. This is not the only trompe l'oeil. One of the ceilings looks like it is vaulted, but it is entirely flat. It is the way the columns in the room are set and the way that the ceilings are painted that give the illusion of vaulting. 

                                               

The library was incredible and the only place we could not photograph. It contains only 9000 books in 17 different languages. The rest of the 17,000 books are stored elsewhere. All of the books in the library were rebound in leather so that they all look alike. This is a functioning library. The books can be used for study and research but they cannot leave the premises. The complete contents of the library are also online. One interesting fact, there are secret doors that swing open to allow in fresh air and light. Another, no fires were allowed for heating. Heat was provided in an indirect method to keep the books safe.

                                        

                                            The staircase to the chapel

Today the abbey houses a public high school of which our guide was a graduate. At its inception, there were 99 monks. Today there are only thirty, the youngest being in his thirties. It was a fascinating visit. Then we climbed down the winding stairs to the town itself. It seemed much less a tourist trap than some of the other towns we have seen, with lovely winding cobblestone streets and stores selling apricot products. Apparently, every garden in the town has an apricot tree. You can buy apricot jam, jelly, wine, beer, liqueur and schnapps. The walk back to the boat was through a beautiful wooded area. Gila stopped to take some pictures and lost track of time. The tour manager came out looking for her. The gangplank was being taken up as we arrived. The boat would have left even without the tour manager if we had not arrived when we did.

                                                  

                                                       On our way back to the ship

The afternoon was spent sailing through the Wachau valley. It is the wine growing area of Austria, mostly white wine. It reminded me of the Rhine, with it's terraced vineyards and castle ruins high up in the hills overlooking the valley.  

                               

The weather was beautiful and we sat on the sun deck listening to a running commentary about the sights as they came up. Later in the day there was a lecture about the Habsburgs, in power for 600 years, it should have been diverting. Instead, it was not only boring, but annoying as well. The Internet proved to be a better source.

                               

At dinner we docked in Vienna. All we saw were the bright lights of a big city. After we ate, we boarded a bus into Vienna for a concert in the Auerspear Palace. The Palace was a huge disappointment after the abbey. It was almost austere by comparison. There were statues in niches, some fountains, and had semi ornate cornices, but no paintings, no chandeliers, little marble.

                                                     

I thought it was a public concert, but it was one in a small room (more ornate than the hall) reserved for us and another tour group. It was a pastiche of the music of Vienna, a little Mozart, a little Strauss, senior and junior, a little ballet (on a 5 by 4 stage) and a little opera, followed by a sip of champagne at intermission and ride home via Ringstrasse. 

                                         

                                                                       

                                       The concert stage, the ballet dancers, the opera singers

At the ship, they were serving goulash for the late night snack. The thought of food at any hour on this trip, at this point, was nausea inducing. Too much food too often. I think everyone on the cruise is on a seefood diet and will have to follow a lessfood diet once they are home. Tomorrow we have a full day in Vienna.

Regensberg/Passau Days 13 and 14

 Did you enjoy the break from the minutiae of our trip? Here goes two days worth of events.

Yesterday, after cruising all night, we docked in Regensburg. It is yet another medieval walled city. However, this one had not been bombed and everything there was authentic, not rebuilt. The city started in 1050 by the Romans. The oldest bridge in Europe crosses the Danube at this point. The entire structure is now being restored and reinforced to assure its safety. As we were walked through the city, our guide pointed out the different architecture of each century.

                                           

Walking the narrow cobbled stoned alleys, looking at the old buildings, the artisan's grillwork signs and the church and town towers, it was not difficult to imagine what life was like. 

                            

An interesting sight was marked on the side of the town hall. In paint one could see three lines. One was the length of a foot, one the length of an ell and the last the length of a span. This was the standard used in the markets in Regensburg only. Initially every city had its own standard. In the early years, Regensburg was a city of trade and the merchants became very wealthy. They married nobles who were on hard times in order to built a community that was wealthy enough.

                                

The cathedral took five hundred years to build. Most of it was built in about seventy years. Because of the decline of trade, the city then ran out of money and so the work was in abeyance until more funds were available. The cathedral was rebuilt a number of times on the same site. The structure that remains is very gothic in appearance, ornate spires, arched windows, a triangular entry. Inside are enormous stained glass windows, including a rose window at the front of the building. It is still in use and there were a number of visitors on the kneelers praying and in the side recesses of the building, lighting candles. The tall graceful pillars soared to the top of the building with its vaulted ceilings. Along with the quiet respectful hush, the total effect was nothing less than awe inspiring.

                                   

We heard about an illicit love story between a war weary emperor and a young girl (named Barbara) of the city. When she found that she was pregnant after the emperor had left, she was called and treated like a harlot. The happy part of the story is that although he was not aware of his lineage at the time, the son (Johann) was taken under the wing of his royal parent. He ended up as king of Spain (tracing lineage through marriages is very complicated and time consuming) and hearing that his mother was behaving like a cougar, he convinced his mother to drop the constant stream of young lovers and come to live in a convent as was fitting for the King's mother. When Johann (now Juan as he was called in Spain) died, possibly due to syphilis, Barbara left the convent and resumed her former life style.

                                              

On our break, Gila purchased paint, paper and a brush. Then we returned to the boat for lunch. The day had started very grey and threatening, but in the afternoon, the sun broke out. Gila sat in a cafe in a square painting while I wandered through the street and was drawn into the stores that carried items usually not seen at home. By the time I returned to meet with Gila and return to the ship. Gila had several painted portraits of other guests in the cafe and I had a knee that was telling me very clearly, that it was no longer willing to negotiate the cobblestone and uneven streets.

                                        

                                            A bit of modernity in a medieval town

Back at the boat, we set sail again and had dinner. This evening we sat with two Mexican couples. They were very friendly and funny. We chatted about children, jobs, life styles until the management very politely evicted us so the room could be cleaned. The movie Sound of Music was on the on the ship tv and since the name of the boat is Sound of Music, I felt obligated to watch until the last 'so long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, adieu'. At dinner the waiters keep topping up the wineglasses continually. I have no idea how much I drank, but I had no difficulty falling asleep.

                                           

                                               The date? 1499  a building on the Danube

The ship sailed through the night and docked in Passau, on the German side of the Austrian border. After breakfast, the optional tour to Salzburg set off and the rest of us were given an info walk for orientation and provided with several hours of free time. Last May, serious flooding occurred along the length of the Danube. A building at water's edge had high water levels through the centuries marked on the wall. The highest was in 2013 and was at least ten feet from ground level. 

                                    

The city sits on the confluence of three rivers, the Danube, Inn and Itz. 

                                       

                                          The Itz River

The edge of the town houses St. Stephen's cathedral built in the Italian style. This is the highest point of the town. From there charming cobble stoned winding streets lead down to a very modern and interesting shopping district. 

      

    Saint Stephen's                                          The path into town

The town square

 After helping out the economy of the town, we headed back for the ship to set sail once more and have lunch. As we watched from the sun deck, we sailed by the confluence of rivers and saw where the different colours of the three mixed. The staff is always sure to point out these interesting points so everyone can record yet another event. If we remember what all the photos are about, we will have done very well.

The rest of the afternoon was very low key (thank goodness). Gila went for a full body massage while I got to know some of the other passengers a bit better and now I have more or less caught up on my e-mails. After dinner this evening, the crew is putting on a show and the movie The Name of the Rose is being shown. Tomorrow, Melk in the morning followed by Vienna and a concert in one of the famous halls. I'm glad that today was somewhat more restful.

Nuremberg Day 12

 Despite how tight the cabin seems, we both slept well. I headed to Reception where there is always coffee available. I shouldn't have bothered. It was totally undrinkable. I had left Gila resting in the cabin. I saved a seat for her in the restaurant, but I didn't see her enter. When breakfast was done, a very plentiful buffet, I returned to get my camera and sweater and headed for the bus to Nuremberg. Although she was the last to come, Gila made the bus all on her own. Of course she couldn't find her key card that she needed to get off the boat, but she was there.

Nuremberg was a city Hitler used for rallies and parades. Based on the design of the coliseum, he built a u-shaped structure for troop presentation. It was to have a glass dome but because funds were needed for the war effort, it was never completed. On the Zeppelin Field, another gathering place was built, this time copying the Greek Pergamon. This is where troops would march by the stands filled with dignitaries doing their goose step and sieg heil to Hitler who stood on a stage at one end. When he entered, 130 aircraft searchlights around his platform were angled skyward heightening the drama and importance of the speaker. From another vantage point, we saw the 'coliseum' again. This time it was in front of a mud flat that once used to be a man made lake, placed there so the structure would always be reflected in the water.

                                           

Zeppilinfeld Hitler's Viewing stand

The coliseum was to be part of a conference centre that was never used as such. When Nuremberg was part of the American Zone, it was used to house the US troops. After the American withdrawal, it was turned into a documentation centre about the city during the war. A new entrance with a canopy resembling a sharp arrow was built. The plane of the arrow continued and then was visible exiting the building on the coliseum side. The effect was one of violence. From there we were taken to the Palace of Justice and shown the windows of the courtroom where the Nazis were tried. It is still used as a courthouse in the large complex that includes a prison still in use.

                                           

The Palace of Justice

Now we headed to the old walled town. At one time there must have been water surrounding the fortifications, but today it is dry and looks like a road. We walked through the entrance that originally had a drawbridge and a tunnel like passage way to the next door. We were taken past the castles, churches and convents to the ramparts from where we had an outstanding view of the old town and its background skyscrapers. 

                                   

The view from the old city

The buildings ranged from the first known foundations in 1050, half timber structures to the very wealthy Italianate stone mansions.
                                               

Rock foundation

 Some of the decorations on the buildings included still functioning sun dials. Then we walked back down, seeing the Rathaus, some hotels and the Golden fountain. In the square there was an organic fruit and vegetable market, flowers and most important, a gingerbread establishment.

         

            Sundial ornamentation                                   Organic market

After a little free time to shop, we returned to the ship. As soon as the last passenger embarked, we set sail. I thought Nuremberg was on the Danube. However, it is actually on the Main Danube Canal. The canal has 16 locks to raise (11) and lower (5) the ship over the European continental divide which is marked by a high concrete wall on shore. Our trip will navigate nine of the locks. On either side of the canal, there are flat walking/biking paths. The land along the canal is the most verdant green imaginable despite the vivid colours of the autumn leaves. Any habitations are farms and if they have cattle, you can smell them well in advance. It is a strange feeling having tall walls of a lock on either side and then slowly rising into the sunlight. Before dinner we attended a very interesting lecture about the canal its history and its construction.

                                              

                                                  Safety Drill on the Sound of Music

Lunch was a buffet, but actually resembled a dinner. After lunch, we had a mandatory emergency drill using the life jackets and then the time was our own. This has been the most relaxed day on the trip to date. After a full serviced dinner, there was an oom pah pah musician in lederhosen sporting the biggest mustache I have ever seen. We are in Germany after all. How could a cruise in Bavaria ignore the state anthem and costume?

Just as a note of interest, alcohol has played a big role in this trip. We started by having beer each evening with dinner. Then we started having beer at lunch and wine at dinner. Now, on the cruise, we have unlimited wine or beer as part of the meal. I'm sleeping a lot better with the alcoholic intake on a daily basis. I'm planning a new addition to my diet once I get home.