On the way home

On another glorious day in Budapest we're on our way home. No Internet or BB service for several days so I have been unable to blog.

Rained in the morning in Vienna but then cleared up and it turned out to be the best cool walking/shopping day yet.

Yesterday we saw the Dohany Street synagogue and came back to the boat for lunch. While there was an afternoon tour I opted for sun bathing and R&R.

Beautiful good bye dinner on the boat. Everyone dressed up, ate, drank, took pictures and exchanged contact info. Lots of ideas for the next vacation. One wedding etc to pay for first.

Watching the sun rise over the Danube for the last time. Onwards and upwards.

Had some Euros left so I bought a Saworski crystal bracelet in the airport. It goes well with my diamonds. As my Mom says, its not what you are wearing but who is wearing them.

Already planning the next couple of vacations.

Probably Flrida or Mexico in Feb and Istanbul/ Turkey in Sept or Oct including a cruise if the price is right and we can get a points ticket business class.

Guess I'll have to keep working to support our travel habit :)

Where the three rivers meet

Shortly after we woke this morning we docked in Passau where the Danube, the Ils and the Inn meet, other wise known as the gateway to the Black Sea.

We had a choice of going to Salsberg or spending the morning in Passau. Since we chose the former we did not get into Passau but from the water it was gorgeous-- rows of ice cream coloured houses high above the shore with masses of flowers hanging from
all the balconies.

The scenery on the way to Salsberg was glorious. However we only had a few hours there. The Mozart Festival is ending this weekend and tickets are going for 700+ euros. We stopped into a few churches, saw the Mozart House and had lunch in the St. Peter's Cellar which is carved out of rock and has been around in one form or another since 850!!

On our way back through the Alps and the lake district. Seems like such a shame to just be driving through it. I'd love to be able to dive into one of those cool, turquoise lakes.

Hope tomorrow is as nice so we can spend a few hours on the sun deck watching the world go by.

Anchored in Regensburg

We anchored in the medieval town of Regensburg in Bavaria this morning. The nice thing is that we are in the middle of the city and can walk anywhere.

Joel went on a walking tour this morning but I stayed on the boat and got a slower start. They have a small gym with a pretty good treadmill so I worked out. Given that the age of guests ranges from 50 to 90+ it's not surprising that the gym is rarely used.

Joel came back for the Bavarian lunch. Then we had a long walk around town. The fall clothes are all in the stores but everything is very expensive and I wasn't even tempted. There was an unbelievable hat store and Joel got a great picture.

Tonight there is a choral performance on the boat and tomorrow we go to Salsburg in Austria.

We're into the last third of the trip now and we have very full days ahead. Hope the weather stays cool so it is comfortable for touring.

From the Front of the Boat

I'm sitting in the front of the boat contemplating the landscap unfolding in front of me.

We went to Nuremberg today. The coliseum Hitler started but never finished and Zepelin Field where all the Nazi rallies were held were very interesting in a macabre sort of way.

However I was tired this morning and it got hot so when we got to the town square I was most interested in the shade.

Had a lovely lunch and a nap this afternoon. Just got ready for dinner. I think tomorrow I'll skip the tour and meet Joel in Regensburg for a bit of shopping. More tomorrow---

Off to Nuremberg

Dinner last night was wonderful. I had;

-white asparagus soup with strawberries
- butterfish with mushroom risotto
- pitachio ice cream with rhubarb compote

Breakfast was unbelievable but I managed to restrain myself to my old favourite- peanut butter and banana on toast.

Boat is gorgeous. On our way to Nuremburg.

MS Adamante

Arrived on the boat in Nuremberg after a liesurely drive from Prague with a stip and lunch in Karovi Vary. This is a very wealthy resort town with natural hot springs where Europeans go "to take the waters" or for a cure.

Tons of fancy expensive garish jewelry stores and by rhe amount of Russian on the signs you can imagine the equally garish population they are marketing to.

The trip was pretty uneventful and it was a gorgeous day. However our guide who travelled with us from Prague talked way to much and was very repetitive. Hard to nap after getting up at 5:30 AM.

The ship is absolutely gorgeous and there are also groups from New Zealand, Italy and the US.

There is a small gym but I am going to try and use it as iy looks like there are 5-8 meals everyday! From the welcome reception and the posted menu it is going to be hard to withstand temptation.

Off to dinner and I'll report further tomorrow!

The Jewish Quarter

Had a wonderful day yesterday in the Jewish Quarter. The Spanish synagogue which was completely decorated in Moorish style -- red gold and blue with a huge pipe organ in the balcony. Suprisingly it was and still is a reform congregation. The cemetary had stones back to the 14th century including the tomb of Rabbi Lowe who created the Golem.

Had lunch at a Belgian restaurant and bought garnet and amber jewelry.

Dinner was at a restaurant with gypsy music and entertainment. It was ok at first but as having attended multiple conferences with ethnic entertainment I should have realized being trapped in a room full of people drinking unlimited amounts of rotgut wine and beer is not my cup of decaf.

Every church and synagogue has several concerts a day and I would have loved to have time to take one in. Also our tour pointed out museums etc but we didn't have time to go in.

Packed up to leave at the ungodly hour of 6:45 AM ,d then the bus was late

On our way to Karlovy Vary where we will stop for a tour and lunch. Then on to Nuremberg where we board the boat at 4:30 PM.

Prague State Opera

The opera house is stunning. The lobby is all white and gold with crystal chandeliers which off course are everywhere in Prague. The interior is hrseshoe shaped with 3 tiers of boxes all around plus the main floor. I got a few pics which I posted to FB.

The opera Madame Butterfly, always a tear jerker. The staging was lovely and the singing great. The lead did not look 15 and the child was a girl who was definitely older than 3 but the acting was excellent and we had third row seats.

Since it started at 7 we had sushi first at 5 which was just about right for my travel weary tummy.

It is gorgeous out and we are planning to go to the Jewish quarter to see the historic synagogues, the graveyard and jewelry.

A day in Prague

Slept really well. Woke up to a drizzly day. Great buffet breakfast in the hotel. Read bits of the G&M online as only English newspaper is USA today. We had a 4 hour walking tour including the Prague Castle and the old town. Stopped for lunch at a cafe in the old town square. Still felt a bit jet lagged so we headed back to the hotel for a nap. Phoned Mom on skype and then got all dolled up for the opera. Having a sushi snack first as it starts early at 7. All and all a lovely day. Tomorrow we will spend in the Jewish quarter where there are three synagogues,shops and restaurants. Haven't yet figured out how to post pictures to the blog so checkout FB.

The Palace Hotel

Finally got our room after 7 last night. It's gorgeous with a marble bathroom in grey and white and a very comfortable bed. Joel got a netbook from me and Mom for his birthday and he is very happily taking advantage of the wifi in the breakfast room to read the papers on line and his fitness forum. I'm happy with my BB because I can both log in to FB and blog.

Breakfast was an excellent buffet but I opted for hot cereal with fruit and yoghurt after all the junk I ate on our travel day. We're off on a walking tour of Prague this morning and to the opera tonight. Might even try to sneak in a massage this afternoon.

Sardine can airlines

The last flight from Munich to Prague was a turboprop that barely had breathing space. The good news is that our luggage went separately and actually made it. 6:10 and a half hpur to the hotel. Lord only knows when we will get our rooms. Dinner is at 8:30. Hope I can stay awake that long.

Lunch in the Munich airport

Slept on the 1 hour flight from Dusseldorf to Munich. Having lunch in a cafe with tableclothes. Looks like there are great shops so it won't be too much of a burden passing the two hours until our next flight. We should get to the hotwl in Prague by 6. Certainly will sleep well tonight but for now almost out of battery power.

In Transit

After leaving 4 hours late we landed in Dusseldorf and are enroute to Prague via Munich. We won't arrive until 5 PM (11 EST) after spending 32 hours in transit. Who knows where our luggage is! What a shame to lose our first of only 3 days in Prague.

The colicky baby convention

After sitting on the tarmac for 1.5 hours the littlest natives are getting very restless.

Hope our first day in Prague will not be a write off as we have long since missed our connecting flight from Dusseldorf.

But I have chocolate and a good book so I should be good for a while longer....

Change of plans

Turns out my sister Deb is not going to be away at the same time as us so she offered to take Rudy (the dog), Until next Thursday or Friday. It took a number of calls to clear this with our dog sitters Gina & Gary and I have to pick the crate up from them but I think it will be worth it. We will save $200 and Rudy & her dog Mila really get along well.

Packing

I'm almost packed and Joel's clothes are laid out. I know we are supposed to pack light, but I must have missed that "Travel 101" lecture. Off to get beautified and do last minute errands. Subject to connectivity I will try to blog at least once a day and upload pictures.

Stay tuned for the Smolkin/Troster great adventure......