From the Lorenz Church to a Hair-raising Taxi Ride to Frankfurt

Today we wanted to see a bit more of Nuremberg's old town, and then fly to Paris via Frankfurt. Some of this worked out as planned... After a decent breakfast at the hotel, we set out on foot for the old town. Along the way we passed the Café and Bar Celona once more. We…

A Day in Nuremberg

Our cruise was over this morning! We found it a totally luxurious experience. The Viking people are very professional and friendly, and the food, housekeeping, and touring arrangements were excellent. We were totally spoiled. We had four big objectives for today: to see the clock animation in the Hauptmarkt, the German National Museum, and the…

Arrival in Nuremburg

We planned our time in Nuremberg this morning. We tried to get an idea of the location of our hotel, the Azimut on Pirckheimerstraße. It is just beyond the periphery of the tourist map provided by Viking. I went on deck to watch the passage through a lock, this time descending toward Nuremberg. I got…

A Tour of Regensburg

The tour of Regensburg was led by Margit, a local guide with a personalized itinerary that led us past numerous sites of either historical or culinary interest, finishing in front of the Gothic St Peter's church. Peter is seen in a boat under the cross but well above the entry portal (scroll down when external…

Along the Danube to The Walhalla Memorial

In this post I just want to convey something of what it was like to be on the ship. After leaving Passau, we passed through Vilshofen and caught a glimpse of a crew on the river. Undeniably blue, at least in this picture! Every meal on board was a treat. Here is a dessert for…

A Visit to Passau

Our Viking Cruise continued with a visit to Passau. Our guide today was Martina. Not necessarily having permission to publish people's pictures, I edited this to show she was wearing a dirndl that she told us she had made for herself. She spoke about the Prince-Bishops who ruled vast territories from their magnificent palace overlooking…

Along the Wachau Valley

Our ship was named the Tor, and it seems the custom for each Viking ship to have a symbolic painting at the head of the stairs leading up from the main deck, where the concierge desk is located. Perhaps some readers will care to comment on just what style this is! After the visit to…

Gottweig Abbey – An Active Mission

Our tour on May 29 was to Göttweig Abbey, founded in the 11th century by Blessed Altmann, Bishop of Passau. Our cruise ship "Tor" docked at the small town of Krems, Austria, where we boarded a bus for the short ride to the abbey. To get a feel for this site, it is well to…

Our Day in Vienna

We chose our Viking tour primarily because it offered a day in Vienna, which we had never visited. We scheduled a full day: a bus tour of the city in the morning, a visit to the Schonbrunn palace in the afternoon, and a concert in the evening. Our guide was a British citizen named Martin…

In Search of Tradition

Not far from the Budapest Hilton there is a memorial to Ferenc Kazinczy. On top of a pedestal is depicted a woman holding a tea candle. There is a medallion on the pedestal with Kazincy's profile. The monument was built in 1931, the 100th anniversary of Kazinczy's death. Kazinczy was a translator, epistolarian, and a…