Budapest - The Jewel of the Danube

April 19, 2011 - This morning we arrived in Budapest.  This is a city that is actually on both sides of the Danube River.  One part of the city is called Buda, which is on the hills of the Danube and where the castle is located, and the other part of the city is on the opposite side of the river and is called Pest (that's pronounced Pescht). 

I can truly say that I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful city.  There just aren't enough adjectives to describe it:  glamorous, dramatic, enchanting, magical.  Budapest has been called the "Paris of the East", and it's difficult to say which is more breathtaking - looking across the Danube towards the flat Pest from the heights of Buda, or from the direction of the hills and towers of Buda from Pest. 

Of course, Hungary is known for it's production of paprika.  Here's some facts about Hungarian paprika, which is very different from the paprika we use at home.

•Paprika powder is produced by grinding the dried deep red paprika pods of the pepper plant (Capsicum annum L. is the botanical name)


•Although paprika is the symbol of Hungary's cuisine the plant was brought to the country by the Turks only in the 16-17th centuries.

•Its pungency ranges from sweet to mildly hot and very hot, depending of the type of pepper the powder was produced. The color of the spices varies from mild to bright red, and there are papika powder types with brownish colour too.

•Note: Not the brightest red paprika is the hottest!  The orange coloured one will make you really cry.

•The hotness is caused by capsaicin, a chemical that is extracted from paprika plants to use in pharmaceutical production due to its painkilling effect

•The fresh red pepper is rich in vitamin C 

•Would you believe that even pálinka (brandy) is made from paprika?

So, the next time you sprinkle paprika on your deviled eggs or potato salad, or use it as a spice in chicken paprakasch, think of Budapest and the beauty of this wonderful Eastern European city.

Sacher Torte, Apfelstrudel, Lippizaner Stallions, and Composers

April 18, 2011- Vienna is a city is so steeped in history that the entire city could be a museum.  Very little of Vienna was bombed during World War II, but those buildings that were bombed were torn down and replaced with newer buildings that just seem out of place.  Our guide explained that after the war, there was no money to spend repairing them to their original design.  So newer, less expensive buildings were built in their place.

This is the city of music.  Even if the Danube isn't quite as blue here as Johannes Strauss' waltz would have us to believe, music is in the air in this city, and concerts are held almost nightly.  Vienna was once home to Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, and there are monuments and statues of each of them.

We visited St. Stephen's Cathedral (and yes, there is one in Linz and Passau, as well).  It is so beautiful to see the palmbuschen in vases around the cathedral commemorating Palm Sunday and Easter Week.  All of the crufixes are covered in purple, but will be uncovered on Easter Sunday and draped in white.

Vienna is also the home of the Lippizaner Stallions and their stables are in the heart of Vienna near the Stephensplatz (St. Stephen's plaza). 

But, Vienna is especially known for their Viennese pastries, especially the sacher torte.  We had to make a stop at Demel, the bakery for the imperials, the oldest and most famous bakery in the city of Vienna.

Keepers of the original Sacher torte recipe, Demel was the official bakery for the Emperor and has existed since 1786. It's a must see, the interior of the store has maintained its imperial style and is full of goodies such as strudels, tortes, chocolates and more. We had heard of their superb hot chocolate made with real chocolate and slowly heated milk! It was topped with whipped cream, and I mean real whipped cream, not the stuff we think of in the U.S.  In fact, Charlie ordered a double espresso with cream, and instead of a pitcher of cream, he was served a healthy serving of this delicacy.

Demel is worth visiting just to look at its artistic cakes, confectioneries and chocolates, which are now all prepared for Easter. 

What an incredible day we had just roaming the streets in beautiful 68 degree, sunshiny weather!!!

Up Your Nose with an Onion-Dome

Vinny Barbarino (John Travolta's character on Welcome Back, Kotter) had nothing on the Austrians and their smack in the face they gave the Ottomans when they tried to seize Vienna.  The Battle of Vienna marked the end of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe, virtually keeping Europe from becoming an Islamic state.

Dotting the landscape throughout the Wachau Valley and all through Austria, we have seen onion-domed churches everywhere.  Fashioned after mosques, these domes are topped with either a cross, denoting a Catholic church, or a rooster, representing a Protestant church.  This was the Austrians way of saying, "In your face."

Several culinary legends are related to the Battle of Vienna.  One legend is that the croissant was invented in Vienna, either in 1683 or during the earlier siege in 1529, to celebrate the defeat of the Ottoman attack of the city, with the shape referring to the crescents on the Ottoman flags.  Just one more "In your face" action by the people of Austria. 

So, to paraphrase Vinny Barbarino, Up Your Nose with an Onion-Dome

Palm Sunday in Melk, Austria

April 17, 2011 - Our day started very early with a tour to the Benedictine Abbey and Stiftsmuseum.  As soon as we completed our tour of this Baroque abbey that was built in 1089, we went outside on the terrace that connects the museum to the cathedral.  Immediately the bells started ringing calling the parishioners to mass.  When we went inside the cathedral, I expected to see it overflowing with worshippers, but sadly there were only eight people in this massive structure.

We saw the Abbey Library, which is housed in twelve rooms and has over 100,000 volumes, many of which were copied by hand by the monks who lived there hundreds of years ago.

As we were walking back to our ship, down a very steep hill, more of the parishioners were walking up the hill carrying very interesting bouquets.  Our curiosity got the best of us, and we stopped one of them and asked about what these were.

Around Easter time in Austria, Catholics celebrate Palm Sunday (when Jesus came to Jerusalem) by making a “Palmbuschen”.  Because there are no palm trees in Austria, the Palmbuschen is made from a wooden pole, which can be up to 8 feet tall, and to which people attach twigs from pussywillows (before it flowers), and evergreen trees like yew, juniper and boxwood. The Palmbuschen is then decorated with pretzels, apples and coloured ribbons.  We even saw children carrying them decorated with colored Easter eggs.

After the Palmbuschen has been completed, people take it to a church so that it is blessed. They then take them around the fields, which are thought to bring good luck for harvests. People display their Palmbuschen in front of their houses or next to where they keep their crucifix in the house, which is meant to protect family against thunderstorms or disease. If a thunderstorm happens, they break a piece from the palmbuschen and burn it for protection.

We left Melk around 11:00 am and cruised the Wachau Valley all afternoon. The landscape here is vineyards and apricot orchards as well as forests. Many castles dot the coastline along the river, the most famous being the Schonbuhel. This is a fairly new castle and was built in 1820. It was like seeing Cinderella's castle at DisneyWorld, except this one was real.


Our ship arrived in Vienna late afternoon, and tomorrow we tour this beautiful Austrian capital.

Passau & Linz, Germany

April 16, 2011 - Our ship arrived Passau early this morning.  Passau is a border city and is the last city on the Danube before crossing into Austria.  Last night I had to watch "The Sound of Music" all the way through to get the feel and excitement of Austria (Charlie's note - four times).

We did a walking tour of Passau this morning through the cobblestone streets.  Our guide took us through alleyways and along some of the back streets.  We saw the Dom of St. Stephen, a beautiful Catholic church with the largest cathedral pipe organ in the world with over 17,000 pipes and 231 registers.  We saw a monastery across the Inn River with 321 steps leading up to this Baroque pilgrimage church.  The old city of Passau was destroyed by fires in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Today, Passau is a modern town and a historical city all rolled into one.

Passau is a city on three rivers - The Danube, the Inn and the Ilz - very much like Pittsburgh without the crying towels.  The Inn River is more brownish, the Ilz River is green from the minerals scraped by glaciers and the snow melt from the Alps, and the Danube is supposed to be blue, but is actually olive drab. 

We sailed mid-morning from this beautiful city to Linz in Austria.  Linz is the home of the Linzer Torte, one of Charlie's all-time favorite desserts.  Both Mozart and Beethoven composed symphonies while staying in this city.  Both of these composers were known to have had a sweet tooth, and perhaps it was the delicious linzer torte than gave them their inspiration.

Regensburg to Passau

April 15, 2011 - This has been a different river cruise because one of the locks that we needed to go through from Nuremberg to Regensburg was closed until yesterday.  So, this meant that we would go to Regensburg as our third stop instead of our second.  Regensburg was absolutely delightful.  Unlike Nuremberg which had over 90% of the city bombed during World War II, Regensburg had less than 7% bombed.  So, instead of newer buildings, the old Roman Empire remains of the wall around the city still remain.  Over 1300 of the buildings are considered of "historic interest", and for this reason, the entire Old City has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Charlie remembered that there had been a Messerschmitz factory right outside of Regensburg, and it had been bombed and decimated during the war. 

Until 1992, with the opening of the Main-Donau Canal, Regensburg was the end of the route for commerical ships on the Danube. 

This is another city to walk.  We saw the house the Napoleon occupied when he visited Regensburg as well as the Dom St. Peter, a Catholic cathedral that took 600 years to complete. 

As we were sailing from Regensburg, we saw a replica of the Parthenon high on a crest above the Danube.  Our guide explained that Ludwig I had commissioned this (Valhalla) and it was to be a Hall of Fame for the German Nation.

One thing that Regensburg is known for is the Wurstkuchl, which claimes to be the world's oldest "fried sausage kitchen".  At the end of our tour, there was sausage, sauerkraut and beer to sample.  We then, ended our day in Regensburg back on the ship with a beer tasting - four different types of Bavarian beer for four different breweries.

What a lovely way to end a day in Bavaria!!

Nuremberg - The Heart of Bavaria

April 14, 2011 - Our ship overnighted in Passau last night.  Early this morning, we took a motorcoach on a three hour trip to Nuremberg.  We went to the Dokumentation headquarters today where Hitler held his Nazi rallys and where he gave numerous speeches.  This is also the site of the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war criminals.  There is just something eerie about this place.

This beautiful Bavarian town was bombed in World War II and over 90% of the town was destroyed.  But, the people of Nuremberg rebuilt it and today it is a shining star in Bavaria. 

We saw the home of Albrecht Durer, the Renaissance artist who painted "The Praying Hands".  Nuremberg was the center of medieval culture and was the heart of Renaissance art north of the Alps.  After a German lunch of sauerbraten and dumplings with apfel streudel for dessert, we wandered around the square and among the many outdoor stands of the Easter Market.  This is also the site of the world's largest Christmas market each year. 

One of the specialties of Nuremberg is their beer and their gingerbread.  Think I'll pass on trying the two of these together. 

Today was clear and sunny and in the high 50s.  Tomorrow we dock in Regensberg.  Our ship is slowly sailing up the Danube River right now, and when we opened the sliding glass door of our stateroom, the sound of the river gently lapping against the side of the ship is making both of us sleepy.  Good night, all!  More tomorrow from Regensberg.

Prague to Passau

April 13, 2011 - Left Prague at noon today for a 3.5 hour motorcoach trip to Passau.  We were scheduled to go to Nuremberg, but one of the locks we needed to go through is closed for repairs and won't open until tomorrow.  So, Plan B is now in effect. 

We had an uneventful trip through the mountains except for one little thing.  We ran into snow, and I don't mean a little snow, I mean a 3" snow going up a mountain on a two-lane road in a big ole motorcoach.  But, we made it just fine.

We are on the Avalon Tapestry, and this ship is wonderful - 160 passengers, a crew that is incredible, and a captain that kept us in stitches during his talk at our welcome reception.

Dinner tonight was like dinner on cruise ships 20 years ago - all elegance, six courses, wait staff all over us, incredible wine (included in the cruise fare), beautiful table settings.  Absolutely wonderful!!!

Tomorrow morning, we are off to Nuremberg and will cruise back to Passau in the afternoon.

 One thing I forgot to mention about Prague and the Czech Republic. Garnets are native to the area, and my hubby gave me the most beautiful garnet pendant in celebration of our 30th anniversary (which is actually July 4)!!! I think he may be a keeper.

Things We Never Expected to See in Prague

April 12, 2011 - You know, we live in Music City U.S.A.  It's not unusual to see Faith Hill and Tim McGraw or Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban in a restaurant or grocery store just like the rest of us.  So, why is it that when we are in Europe we are always surprised by some of the things we see.  Yesterday was one of those days.  We saw:

• the Presidential Guard Band parade through the Castle grounds completely catching our guide off-guard.
• a couple of groups of Czech students in concert in Old Town Square.
• a Futbol rally parade through Old Town complete with police escorts.
• the number of Museums all over the city
• The Mucha Museum of Art
• The Czech Glass Museum
• The Czech Toy Museum
• The Czech Music Museum
• The National Gallery that houses paintings by Durer, Rembrandt, Rubens and Goya
• The Jewish Museum, comprised of the Old Synagogue, the New Synagogue and the Jewish Cemetery
• The Wax Museum
• The Chocolate Museum (my friend, Linda, would love this place)
• The Torture Museum
• The Sex Machine Museum

Yep, you read that right, the Sex Machine Museum!!!  Although there was that slight moment when we both thought "Why not?", our conscience spoke to both of us and we passed on this one. 

You just never know what you'll come upon in a new city half-way around the world.

What I Learned about Prague

April 11, 2011
We will be cruising on Avalon Waterways Avalon Tapestry on Wednesday.  However, Avalon has housed us at the Hilton in Prague for three nights prior to our cruise.  The hotel is 1.1 miles from the Old Town Square, the heart of the city of Prague.  We went on a city sightseeing tour this morning and also got to the Prague Castle.  Here's some things we learned about Prague today:

• Breakfast at our hotel is 660 Koruna or $44 per person.  Thank goodness this is included in the price of our cruise.
• Prague is a very old city and dates from the 5th century. 
• The Czech Republic was a Slavic country. 
• Prague is made up of four towns - the castle district, the Lesser Quarter, the Old Town and the New Town (which was planned in the 14th century, so it's not really as new as it sounds). 
• Wenceslas III (of Good King Wenceslas fame) was not a king; he was a prince, and has a square named after him.
• St. Vitus has a cathedral named for him at the Prague Castle, but no one was dancing
• Prague is a city of liars - they have a faux Eiffel Tower and seven hills like Rome, which no one has ever confirmed.
• Prague is the home of Budweiser beer

• There is a cake called trdelnik that is a type of dough wrapped around a spindel and cooked on a spit over an open fire.  It's then rolled in a sugar and spice mixture, and almost tastes like a sour dough sweet bread.
• Prague has a population of 1.2 million, 75% of which are Catholic, but only 15% of those are practicing Catholics.
• There are two Jewish synagogues in Prague, and during the Holocaust, the Jews were buried sometimes 12 deep in the Jewish cemetery which dates back to the 15th century.
• Paris Street cuts through the Jewish area and now has lavish turn-of-the century buildings which replaced the small houses of the old Jewish ghetto.
• If you are playing Scrabble in Prague and have a lot of vowels, you can't win!!!

The Part I Hate about Traveling

April 9, 2011 - Our day started out easy enough.  The limo picked us up for the airport early.  Great start!!!  Got to the airport in Nashville 2 hours and 15 minutes before our scheduled departure.  Although we spent 450,000 frequent flier miles to fly busines class, we knew this was going to be worth it. 
Spent some time in the Delta Club Room and relaxed before we boarded our flight to Atlanta.  Scheduled departure was at 12:00 pm.  We were off the gate at 12:03 pm.  Great start!!
We were scheduled to arrive in Atlanta 58 minutes later with a 54 minute connection to the international terminal.  But, alas, fate was not on our side and we sat on the runway in Nashville for 50 minutes awaiting air traffic control to clear arrivals into Atlanta.  With that delay, we just knew we weren't going to make the second leg of our flight to JFK and then to Prague. However, our pilot put the pedal to the metal and got us there in 38 minutes. Got into the terminal in Atlanta and had 20 minutes to make our flight. 
Running through airports when I was young wasn't fun, and now it definitely isn't.  But, 10 minutes later and having to go from the A concourse to the E concourse, we made it.  But did our luggage???
Made it to JFK and made the connection to Prague with no problems.  The flight was uneventful, but thank goodness for seats that recline 45%.  We both got a "little" sleep.  Not much, but a little and arrived in Prague at 10:00 am on Sunday morning. 
When we finally cleared immigration and made our way to baggage claim, we held our breath.  Did our luggage make it??? 
It did!!!!!  Yeaaaaaaa!!!  Our vacation could now officially begin.  More tomorrow on Prague.