Viking River Cruise Ends in Style with Budapest

It had been quite a week on the Viking River Cruise through the Danube. My friend Tracy and I had been discovering places Christmas Markets and visiting places we had never been. There was only one more to go – Budapest, Hungary.  It was the largest capital city on the Danube and one of the most known.

As had been the case with our other stops, the Viking Cruise line included all tours and there was a bus waiting to take us to the Buda district. Along the way our guide Nicholas told us about the city which is referred to as the “Jewel of the Danube.”

We learned about the part this area played in World War II, and how it is now a tourist destination with a large zoo, public thermal baths, an amusement park, and large hotels.

The bus let us off in the Buda Castle District. It was a bit chilly outside, but we braved the cold for a walking tour. The Square was amazing and each building was filled with history.  Tracy and I enjoyed looking around the area. 

Before we left the Castle District we stopped to take a good look at the National Monument, dedicating the area as a World Heritage site.

We also made a stop at St. Stephens Church and it was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside.

After the tour, we had some free time to walk through the shops and pick up some of the local crafts. Tracy and I also stopped at a café for some hot chocolate and Linzer tarts.

We got back on the bus for the rest of the tour, which would take us to Pest, the more modern part of Budapest. This area included museums, government buildings, recreational facilities and Christmas Markets. 

We also passed the Jewish Quarter which was home to the largest synagogue in Europe, as well as the Jewish Museum, and the Holocaust Memorial.

The Christmas Markets in Budapest were filled with baked strudel, enormous pretzels, dried fruit, candy, pottery, gingerbread, bratwurst, and local delicacies such as goose legs and pig knuckles.

The smells coming from the market were amazing, but we had a special meal waiting for us on the ship so we just enjoyed what would be our final Glὕhwein.

Back on the ship, I had Beef Goulash for lunch. It was served over barley instead of noodles like it is in the U.S. It was delicious.  

We rested up and then we returned to the market for a bit in the evening.

When we returned, there was a farewell cocktail party before we headed to dinner.

Our last dinner with Viking was a great one. It started with a tasty Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Soup, followed by an Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with a red wine glaze and a goat cheese pesto.

It was served with a medley of artichoke, zucchini, and beans, and was as good as it sounds.

Before Long it was time to board the bus to Budapest airport and head home.

Dessert was a Hungarian Crepe with chocolate sauce, nuts, and raisins, along with a champagne sorbet and a small scoop of chocolate ice cream.

For my final breakfast, I chose a bit of cake, cheese, fruit, and yogurt from the buffet, a very typical European breakfast for me. The only thing different were the potato pancakes we had requested from the chef a few days before and he made them again for our final meal.

Tracy and I waved farewell to the Viking Embla and an incredible European adventure.

*Christmas in August? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until July. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low!

Discovering Slovakia with Viking River Cruises

Our Viking River Cruise along the Danube was coming to the last two days and my friend Tracy and I were having a great time discovering a part of Europe neither one of us has previously been.

It was time for Slovakia and we were bundled up and ready to see its capital.

The ship docked right in the city of Bratislava so we could walk around ourselves, but we chose to first take the bus tour to Bratislava Castle and then on a downtown walking tour of the city.

The Bratislava Castle was quite impressive and also had a great view of the city. Unfortunately, it was a cold and cloudy day so we didn’t get to fully appreciate it.

In fact, I liked everything about Slovakia and the people we met were all very friendly.
It represented a European city in perfection, with its architecture, cobblestone streets, and craft filled markets.

Every building from the Opera House to the Court House looked like it was filled with history for me to spend a day exploring.

We spent a bit of time at the market near the church before heading back to the ship. 

The Glühwein came in quite a selection, made with different wines and a variety of fruits. I really liked the Pinot Blanc.  We also found lots of cheeses at this market, but it was something I knew I couldn’t store to take home with me.

I loved watching the children ice skating on the rink in front of the Christmas Market when the finished with school, or examining the candy in the market. I really wished we had more time here and vowed to come back some day.

I couldn’t wait to tell my friend Bibi at home how much I liked her country.

We had lunch as soon as we got back on the ship. I enjoyed a Riesling Soup, a flat bread with grapes and cheese, and couldn’t resist finishing with a hot fudge sundae.

In the afternoon, we relaxed before Slovakian Tea Time, the Captain’s Cocktail Hour, and our final Daily Briefing about our next port before the Captain’s Farewell Dinner.

When we sat down, there were spoonfuls of Camembert cheese wrapped in prosciutto for tasty bites. We then had a scrumptious salad, made with caramel, apricots, blue cheese and cornbread.

The next course was a flavorful Roasted Mushroom Soup. The entrée was a pan-fried red mullet. For the main course, we had a grilled filet, topped with foie gras.

The White Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding with ice cream was an incredible finish to the meal.

I don’t know if it was because we had only had a half day of touring or because we knew our trip was coming to an end, but this night Tracy and I stayed in the lounge a bit longer with some of our newly made friends.

We sailed away in the evening on our way to our very last stop on the Viking Embla... Budapest, Hungary. 

*Christmas in August? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until July. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low!

The Magic of Vienna on Viking Cruises

Whether or not we’ve ever written it down, we all have a bucket list. Those lists consist of places we hope to go. Many of us dream about these places, while others make it their life’s mission to travel to them.

I’ve actually got two lists, though neither one is on paper. One is of places I wish to explore and the other is of places I just need to get to in order to see if the magic is really there. 

The latter list includes places such as Paris, Rome, and London, all of which I’ve been to. There’s one place I hadn’t visited until I arrived on my Viking River Cruise. That place is Vienna.

It was cool and foggy when my friend Tracy and I arrived in Vienna, Austria. The buses were waiting to take us on a tour of this city that played such a major part in the world war. 

Vienna had come out the other side and become a spot of history and culture, with former homes of Mozart, Beethoven, and even Sigmund Freud throughout the city.

The tour took us to some of the highlights of the city, including the Prunksaa State Hall, the Spanish Riding School where the Tribute to Vienna Horse Show is, the Palace of Justice, the Parliament, and a few of the many incredible Gothic cathedrals.

We were both impressed with the architectural displays in the city as well as the culture. Museums, music venues, opera and ballet houses were all in abundance. The city is as vibrant and impressive as Paris or London, even though it doesn’t have an Eiffel Tower or Big Ben.

We finished the tour downtown with lots of time on our own to explore. Tracy and I first headed for some shopping at the flagship Swarovski store, where I picked up some gifts that could only be purchased here.  There is certainly no shortage of shopping in Vienna, but we wanted to do more.

Tracy and I decided to spend some time at one of the many museums. We chose Albertina and it was a wonderful choice. This art museum had some of the most magnificent collections I’d seen anywhere, including selections from Monet, Picasso, Matisse, and more.  It was unbelievable to be able to see so many renowned artists at once.

We also had lunch at the Café at Albertina Museum. I had a wonderful pumpkin soup and roasted potatoes, while Tracy enjoyed salad and quiche.

Before we returned to the ship for dinner, we stopped at two of the 21 Christmas Markets in Vienna. 

This city certainly has more markets with even more items than any of the others did. In fact, there was one market dedicated to crafts alone, and another had mostly meats, fish, and cheese.

I didn’t purchase much at the markets, with the exception of one of the giant Bavarian pretzels which looked (and tasted) irresistible.

We had an early dinner back on the Viking Embla because there was a very special night ahead. 

The river cruise line had arranged an exclusive performance for us at the Vienna Opera House. It was a selection of opera, ballet, and classical with some of the House’s best performers. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience to be there experiencing something like that.

When we returned to the ship, the Viking Embla chef had prepared a delicious Beef Goulash soup for us, along with some Austrian wine that was waiting. After it warmed us up from the cool night air, Tracy and I headed to our stateroom to rest up for the day ahead in Slovenia. 

*Christmas in August? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until July. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low!

Sailing through Austria with Viking Cruises

Our third day on the Viking Embla was a much more relaxing day than the previous, though I wouldn’t trade my time in Salzburg for anything.

The first stop of the day was in Melk and Tracy decided to go visit the Abbey, which I heard was filled with beautiful art (and wine made by the priests). 

I chose to stay on the ship for a relaxing breakfast and to catch up on some work.

Tracy was back in time for our Viking River Cruise Austrian buffet lunch. It included a selection of meats such as bratwurst, as well as local wine, beer, and apricot schnapps. During lunch we were serenaded by an Austrian accordionist.

The ship sailed along the Danube River in the afternoon, arriving in Durnstein, Austria in the evening.  

We had dinner before heading out to the town. I ordered the Greek appetizer plate which consisted of perfect portions of tasty baba ganouch and hummus, followed by a wonderful Porcini Ravioli, though the beef filet was a bit two rare for me.

Tracy enjoyed the cheese plate for dessert while I had the flan and ice cream.

After dinner we were led by guides from our ship to the Domaine Wachau winery. While the guests took the tour I asked for a private tasting so I could discuss the wines in detail. 

I didn’t have a lot of experience in Austrian wines and I was very curious to see what they had.

I heard all about the winery, which has been there for more than 300 years. It had originally belonged to the monastery and is now owned by a cooperative of local farmers.

We talked about the varietals of the area, including Muscatal, Gruner, Veltliner, and Riesling. We also talked about the popularity of apricot in this area and how it was the best apricot around.

I tasted quite a few wines and I actually liked all of them. 

My favorites were the 2012 Riesling Smigel, a wonderful white peach; 2012 Gruner Veltliner, with an aroma of kiwi and honeysuckle; and the Trockenbeerenauslese, an incredible late harvest of which I purchased two bottles to take home, though I’d never try to pronounce it.

In addition to the wine, Domaine Wachau sells many other products, including jams, chocolates, and evening clothing items.

We all walked back to the ship in the moonlight. It was a chilly night, but we had a nice view of Castle Durnstein. It was once again time to retire early. I was especially eager as the next day would bring another city on the Viking River Cruise I was anxious to explore, Vienna.

*Christmas in August? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until summer. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low!

Viking Cruises Heads to Austria with the Sound of Music

When I received my itinerary for my Viking River Cruise, this was the day I had highlighted. It was the day I was entering Austria, the birthplace of my maternal grandmother, for the first time. It was also where I would be able to see where the story of the Sound of Music actually took place. It’s always been one of my favorite films.

My friend Tracy and I were up early and headed to the dining room for breakfast. She had an omelet and I chose the blueberry pancakes with some yogurt. We enjoyed talking with some other passengers before we headed outside for our 8:15 tour.

It was a bit cold and very foggy when we got off the boat, but we were assured that it would pass as the day went on. The Viking River Cruise buses were waiting for us outside the boat to take us through the city of Linz and into Salzburg.

The guide told us about how Linz, Austria, the birthplace of Adolph Hitler, was very industrial and even though it had become cleaner, it was still always foggy. It was disheartening to hear that part of the city’s history included the fact that it was the first place to hold a concentration camp.

On the two hour trip to Salzburg, our guide also told us all about the Von Trapp family and how much (very little) we saw in the movie that was fiction. She also filled us in on the remaining family members, the most public of which own the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.

We stopped at a rest stop to use the bathrooms and were told to meet on the side of the building to see the lake. We were able to see the spectacular views of Mondsee Lake. Behind the lake were the Austrian Alps.

The Alps were as beautiful as I remembered Julie Andrews strolling and singing through with the Von Trapp children. Over the front mountains were the actual ones in the film where “The hills are alive with the sound of music.” I know it probably sounds corny, but I relived that moment before getting on the bus and heading into Salzburg.

I was immediately taken with the town of Salzburg. It was picturesque with all that a European city should have, from cobblestone streets to cafes and bakeries.

The first thing we did was a walking tour of the city with our guide. He quickly reminded us that .50 Euro was required to use public bathrooms and I found out this was very true.

The Sound of Music is not the only thing that put Salzburg so clearly noted on the map. It is also the birthplace of Mozart and the place he was born and where he lived with his family are honored in the city.

In the park we saw more indications of the contemporary Salzburg, through modern artwork and young people in fashionable garb.

The shops and alleyways were all decorated for the holidays and I fought the urge to stop and examine each one.

Everything in Salzburg seemed to carry its own touches. Even McDonald’s had a crest over its doorway.

We had an Austrian lunch at Café Kugel with a fellow writer, Susan Kime. I had an excellent Beef Goulash with a potato ball while they both chose and enjoyed the Weiner Schnitzel. I also had some delicious Apple Strudel.

Tracy and I stopped at the Christmas Market in front of the cathedral. It is the oldest market of its kind in the Alps. We saw lots of handmade items, including many embroidered tablecloths. There was also plenty of Mozart Chocolate, baked goods, and, of course, Glὕhwein.

We had a short time to rest before dinner. We were so tired we decided not to even change.

For dinner we had some wonderful Austrian wine. I chose the Grilled Chicken with Three Sauces. It was tender and the sauces were a nice touch. Dessert was a chocolate soufflé.

In the evening after dinner, we were treated to a “Sound of Music” show with singing and dancing. It was really well done and over by 10:00 pm.

Once again, though, we were ready to go to sleep as soon as possible after a long day. Another day in Austria awaited us, this time in Durnstein and Mell

*Christmas in July? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until July. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low!