PersonalLuxury.net
A Travel Epilogue
Budapest Cruise November 2005
The following are pictures of the Budapest to Amsterdam cruise and tours from October 10, to November 2, 2005. The Itinerary follows the pictures.
Budapest...
Most memorable was the dinner at John Bull Pub
This veal covered the plate. soup, salad, wine, all for under $60.00 US
This is the foyer of the Four Seasons Budapest.
View of the Parliment Building from a Buda hill.
The dome inside St. Stephan's Cathedral.
Heroes Square.
Views form the castle district on the Buda side, looking toward Pest.
And looking north.
Eszergom cathedral along the Danube.
Sunset along the Danube.
Horse drawn carriages of Vienna were romantic and beautiful.
Horse drawn carriages in front of the Royal Palace.
Tom and Sandy in front of the Schonbrunn Palace.
Some of the River and Train traffic along the Danube.
Crusing from one fortress or abbey...
...or cathedral or church to another.
Obernzell's Lorelei on the River.
Passau's Niederhaus and Oberhaus Fortress.
Swans and birds everywhere in scenic areas.
Tour of colorful Scharding downtown plaza.
The Danube Gorge at Kelheim
Weltenberg Abbey and some of the best beer in the world.
View from the Veterans Memorial
The Veterans Memorial.
View from the top of the Memorial.
Looking into Kelheim from the memorial's top.
Looking down the Danube into Kelheim.
George, that was really close!
The European Continental Divide.
Touring about Nuremberg.
Spin ten times for your wish to come true.
Nuremberg and its eclectic architecture.
The ship's bridge in its normal upright position.
The first lowering for the bridge ahead.
Second lowering for the bridge with George's head.
Just before we all ducked down.
Even George had to duck for this one.
Bramberg and the Main River.
The buildings in Bamberg are so old.
The Wild Game restaurant in Bamberg, look closely!
The Bamberg Cathedral was not damaged in WWII.
Bamberg has a lovely fall feel.
Each turn looking just about like the last.
Fall along the Main River.
Small town...
...after small town.
We were not disappointed in the colors or the scenery.
A local river ferry awaits customers.
Cruising the Main River towards Wurzburg.
A slow lazy cruise.
Many tributaries along the way.
Narrowly missing an extremely low bridge.
The fall color of the vineyards.
Vinyards of the Wachau Valley.
Very steep hills and vineyards all the way up.
The fall color along the river was superb.
This hill looked vertical with the tractor cleaning out the old vineyard.
Up river towards Wurzburg.
Wurtzburg at the locks.
Lots of trains and another cruise ship in the rushes.
The central plaza of Wertheim.
Looking up at Wertheim Fortress.
Views from the fortress and looking south.
Views from the fortress and looking north.
Coming into Rudesheim with the war memorial in the background.
A museum and vineyard.
Touring about Rudesheim.
On the tram going up to the war memorial.
The abbey and vineyards above Rudesheim.
Vineyards and their fall colors from the tram.
...and more vineyards.
...and more vineyards, as far as the eye can see.
At the top looking down the Rhine River valley.
The World War I Memorial.
From the war memorial looking towards the Rhine River and Rudesheim.
Let the castles begin.
River traffic and more castles.
There is lots of river traffic on the Rhine.
The Festung Ehrenbreitstein across from Koblenz.
Wonderful new friends at Cologne Cathedral: Tom, Bea, Jerry, Cahterine, Lana, Sandy, Charlene.
Tulips and the floating gardens of Amsterdam.
The canals of Amsterdam.
Sunset on the cruise and the evening.
The buildings all lean forward.
Amsterdam has some of the most unusual offerings - men's urinal on the street.
More leaning buildings.
And of course the Heineken Experience.
Just one of the many Amsterdam window displays.
Amsterdam waits out the changes from the cranes.
Farewell for now!
The Itinerary:
Uniworld
M. S. River Empress
Budapest to Amsterdam Cruise
October 2005
Itinerary:
October 10th. Flew into Budapest from Sacramento through Atlanta and Paris on Delta and Air France.
October 11th. Arrived in Budapest and stayed in an apartment off the St. Stephen's Cathedral square for five nights. We rented it from Judi Hasbrouck, a Tucson AZ travel agent. Toured about Budapest and had a wonderful and exciting adventure. One day we went to the Szchenyi Thermal Baths and enjoyed nearly four hours of swimming, playing in the jets and just enjoying the warmth of the hot and hotter baths. The best and biggest Wiener Schnitzel was at the John Bull Pub around the corner from the Intercontinental.
October 16th. We boarded the M. S. River Empress at the International Pier on the Danube along with 123 other people. We had a delightful dinner and evening getting to know the ship, new friends, and the crew (only 36).
October 17th. Our tours were of the Cities of Buda and Pest getting a great cultural and historical tour. We saw such places as Heroes Square, Parliament, Citadel Hill, and the Fishermen’s Bastion.
October 18th. We set sail for Vienna and enjoy the beauty of the Hungarian countryside along the Danube River. The weather was cooperative and quite sunny, showing off the splendid scenery.
October 19th. We sailed into Vienna and enjoyed the brief tour of the city. After lunch, we toured the Schonbrunn Palace (on the 1000 Places to See before You Die List) and enjoyed the Hapsburg family heirlooms and apartments. In the evening, we enjoyed a Strauss and Mozart Concert Tour along with a tour of the Ringstrasse and architectural wonders of Vienna. Doing all of these things in one day made for a very long day, with excitingly new experiences shared by all.
October 20th. We cruise through the Wachau Valley a beautiful wine producing region on our way to Melk Austria and our tour of the city and the Melk Abbey. Many enjoyed a lovely tour with sunny weather and new experiences. In the afternoon, the ship sets sail for Passau.
October 21st. We had a walking tour of Passau and later in the afternoon, we took an optional bus tour to Schaerding, a colorful city of brightly colored houses and building. We toured one of the oldest Monasteries in Germany with a panoramic view of the Ilz and the Inn rivers confluencing with the Danube at Passau. We made several stops along the Bavarian side of the river and enjoyed lovely scenery of farms and forests along the River Inn.
October 22nd. On to Regensburg were we enjoyed good weather and a walking tour of a very scenic city. In the afternoon, we took the optional tour on a cruise up the Danube through the Danube Gorge and on to Weltenburg Abbey, where we had the most wonderful beer of the entire cruise. The scenery was spectacular and we went on to Kelheim for a tour of the Veterans Memorial. A splendid piece of architecture that sits atop a premonitory that was overlooking the Danube Valley where we were able to see up the Danube and Main Rivers and a beautiful sunset from atop the monument. The ship went ahead from Regensburg and met us in Kelheim as the ship goes along the canal from the Danube to the Main River.
October 23rd. We travel along the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and cross the European Continental Divide, at an elevation of 1332 feet, where we all enjoyed several glasses of champagne to toast the crossing of the continent. From here on, we will be using locks to go down to the sea at Amsterdam. Our next stop was in Nuremberg where our city tour included the famous courthouse of the Nuremberg Trials, the stadium that Hitler used in so many of his propaganda movies, and the old city walls. A changed city with many relics tied to the past. We tried the smoky beer here and it was not to our liking. Most of the shops were closed because it was Sunday.
October 24th. We travel next to Bamberg where we have a short walking tour of the city while the ship moves on to Hassfurt. We enjoyed our tour in an old city with a gate that had a “wishing ring.” We made our wishes and twirled the metal ring in the fence, then back to the ship.
October 25th. We arrive in Gerlachshausen to allow the optional tour to go on to Rothenburg. Having been to Rothenburg before, we stayed on the boat and enjoyed ideal weather and spectacular views of the vineyards meeting everyone back around dusk for a lovely night of story sharing.
October 26th. We spent the morning sailing along the canal to Wertheim where we enjoyed a city tour and some shopping for some local wines. I walked up the hill and on to the top of the fortress that was there, for the most stunning view of the river and the vineyards on the slopes along the river. Bright colors of fall were everywhere.
October 27th. We enjoy a cruise day while others enjoy the full day excursion to Heidelberg. Having been to Heidelberg before and never having been to the confluence of the Main and the Rhine we looked forward to seeing the Mainz from the river and meeting the rest of the folks in Ruedesheim. We arrived early in Ruedesheim so we took the tram up to the war memorial over the most spectacular display of fall coloring of trees and vineyards with breathtaking views of the river Rhine. No tour was necessary because the city was small and easy to tour about on our own. We enjoyed some of the great white wines in this region and walked along the riverbank.
October 28th. We depart Ruedesheim in a light morning fog, enroute to Cologne through the Rhine Gorge with its many castles and monuments of glories past. We of course watch closely for the Lorelei of old and the remnants of Rhine Sagas and their legends, of which we should all be familiar. Later in the afternoon, we arrive in Cologne for a tour of the city and enjoy some jugglers and mines on the steps of the most well known architectural monument of Germany, the Cologne Cathedral. Construction began in the 13th century and continues today.
October 29th. We continue on the Rhine to Amsterdam and arrive around noon, in time for a tour of the city. WOW! Amsterdam is really a revelation, with scenic architecture and a society more open then we had expected. “Coffee shops,” where one can purchase from a menu their choice of marijuana products along with food and coffees, but no alcohol products. And, “chose a door, any door” for the woman, or man of your choice. Each choice is inspected, examined, and certified by a doctor every two weeks. Amsterdam has the lowest venereal disease, aids rates, and sexual crimes of any country in Europe.
October 30th. Vacation is over and we must vacate, so we bid farewell to many new friends and most of the crew, take our new email addresses, and move on. On to the Barbizon Palace, we go across the street and around the corner from both the ship and the main train station of Amsterdam. Coincidently, we find ourselves around the corner from the famous Red Light District of Amsterdam. We enjoyed the day touring the area and walked until we were exhausted.
October 31st and November 1st, we took tours of the city, the Van Gogh, did the Heineken Experience (and drank lots of beer), and ate our way back to the hotel to pack and get ready for the return trip home on November 2nd. Once again, all had a great time. Some pictures are posted under “pictures.”
Most memorable was the dinner at John Bull Pub
This veal covered the plate. soup, salad, wine, all for under $60.00 US
This is the foyer of the Four Seasons Budapest.
View of the Parliment Building from a Buda hill.
The dome inside St. Stephan's Cathedral.
Heroes Square.
Views form the castle district on the Buda side, looking toward Pest.
And looking north.
Eszergom cathedral along the Danube.
Sunset along the Danube.
Horse drawn carriages of Vienna were romantic and beautiful.
Horse drawn carriages in front of the Royal Palace.
Tom and Sandy in front of the Schonbrunn Palace.
Some of the River and Train traffic along the Danube.
Crusing from one fortress or abbey...
...or cathedral or church to another.
Obernzell's Lorelei on the River.
Passau's Niederhaus and Oberhaus Fortress.
Swans and birds everywhere in scenic areas.
Tour of colorful Scharding downtown plaza.
The Danube Gorge at Kelheim
Weltenberg Abbey and some of the best beer in the world.
View from the Veterans Memorial
The Veterans Memorial.
View from the top of the Memorial.
Looking into Kelheim from the memorial's top.
Looking down the Danube into Kelheim.
George, that was really close!
The European Continental Divide.
Touring about Nuremberg.
Spin ten times for your wish to come true.
Nuremberg and its eclectic architecture.
The ship's bridge in its normal upright position.
The first lowering for the bridge ahead.
Second lowering for the bridge with George's head.
Just before we all ducked down.
Even George had to duck for this one.
Bramberg and the Main River.
The buildings in Bamberg are so old.
The Wild Game restaurant in Bamberg, look closely!
The Bamberg Cathedral was not damaged in WWII.
Bamberg has a lovely fall feel.
Each turn looking just about like the last.
Fall along the Main River.
Small town...
...after small town.
We were not disappointed in the colors or the scenery.
A local river ferry awaits customers.
Cruising the Main River towards Wurzburg.
A slow lazy cruise.
Many tributaries along the way.
Narrowly missing an extremely low bridge.
The fall color of the vineyards.
Vinyards of the Wachau Valley.
Very steep hills and vineyards all the way up.
The fall color along the river was superb.
This hill looked vertical with the tractor cleaning out the old vineyard.
Up river towards Wurzburg.
Wurtzburg at the locks.
Lots of trains and another cruise ship in the rushes.
The central plaza of Wertheim.
Looking up at Wertheim Fortress.
Views from the fortress and looking south.
Views from the fortress and looking north.
Coming into Rudesheim with the war memorial in the background.
A museum and vineyard.
Touring about Rudesheim.
On the tram going up to the war memorial.
The abbey and vineyards above Rudesheim.
Vineyards and their fall colors from the tram.
...and more vineyards.
...and more vineyards, as far as the eye can see.
At the top looking down the Rhine River valley.
The World War I Memorial.
From the war memorial looking towards the Rhine River and Rudesheim.
Let the castles begin.
River traffic and more castles.
There is lots of river traffic on the Rhine.
The Festung Ehrenbreitstein across from Koblenz.
Wonderful new friends at Cologne Cathedral: Tom, Bea, Jerry, Cahterine, Lana, Sandy, Charlene.
Tulips and the floating gardens of Amsterdam.
The canals of Amsterdam.
Sunset on the cruise and the evening.
The buildings all lean forward.
Amsterdam has some of the most unusual offerings - men's urinal on the street.
More leaning buildings.
And of course the Heineken Experience.
Just one of the many Amsterdam window displays.
Amsterdam waits out the changes from the cranes.
Farewell for now!
The Itinerary:
Uniworld
M. S. River Empress
Budapest to Amsterdam Cruise
October 2005
Itinerary:
October 10th. Flew into Budapest from Sacramento through Atlanta and Paris on Delta and Air France.
October 11th. Arrived in Budapest and stayed in an apartment off the St. Stephen's Cathedral square for five nights. We rented it from Judi Hasbrouck, a Tucson AZ travel agent. Toured about Budapest and had a wonderful and exciting adventure. One day we went to the Szchenyi Thermal Baths and enjoyed nearly four hours of swimming, playing in the jets and just enjoying the warmth of the hot and hotter baths. The best and biggest Wiener Schnitzel was at the John Bull Pub around the corner from the Intercontinental.
October 16th. We boarded the M. S. River Empress at the International Pier on the Danube along with 123 other people. We had a delightful dinner and evening getting to know the ship, new friends, and the crew (only 36).
October 17th. Our tours were of the Cities of Buda and Pest getting a great cultural and historical tour. We saw such places as Heroes Square, Parliament, Citadel Hill, and the Fishermen’s Bastion.
October 18th. We set sail for Vienna and enjoy the beauty of the Hungarian countryside along the Danube River. The weather was cooperative and quite sunny, showing off the splendid scenery.
October 19th. We sailed into Vienna and enjoyed the brief tour of the city. After lunch, we toured the Schonbrunn Palace (on the 1000 Places to See before You Die List) and enjoyed the Hapsburg family heirlooms and apartments. In the evening, we enjoyed a Strauss and Mozart Concert Tour along with a tour of the Ringstrasse and architectural wonders of Vienna. Doing all of these things in one day made for a very long day, with excitingly new experiences shared by all.
October 20th. We cruise through the Wachau Valley a beautiful wine producing region on our way to Melk Austria and our tour of the city and the Melk Abbey. Many enjoyed a lovely tour with sunny weather and new experiences. In the afternoon, the ship sets sail for Passau.
October 21st. We had a walking tour of Passau and later in the afternoon, we took an optional bus tour to Schaerding, a colorful city of brightly colored houses and building. We toured one of the oldest Monasteries in Germany with a panoramic view of the Ilz and the Inn rivers confluencing with the Danube at Passau. We made several stops along the Bavarian side of the river and enjoyed lovely scenery of farms and forests along the River Inn.
October 22nd. On to Regensburg were we enjoyed good weather and a walking tour of a very scenic city. In the afternoon, we took the optional tour on a cruise up the Danube through the Danube Gorge and on to Weltenburg Abbey, where we had the most wonderful beer of the entire cruise. The scenery was spectacular and we went on to Kelheim for a tour of the Veterans Memorial. A splendid piece of architecture that sits atop a premonitory that was overlooking the Danube Valley where we were able to see up the Danube and Main Rivers and a beautiful sunset from atop the monument. The ship went ahead from Regensburg and met us in Kelheim as the ship goes along the canal from the Danube to the Main River.
October 23rd. We travel along the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and cross the European Continental Divide, at an elevation of 1332 feet, where we all enjoyed several glasses of champagne to toast the crossing of the continent. From here on, we will be using locks to go down to the sea at Amsterdam. Our next stop was in Nuremberg where our city tour included the famous courthouse of the Nuremberg Trials, the stadium that Hitler used in so many of his propaganda movies, and the old city walls. A changed city with many relics tied to the past. We tried the smoky beer here and it was not to our liking. Most of the shops were closed because it was Sunday.
October 24th. We travel next to Bamberg where we have a short walking tour of the city while the ship moves on to Hassfurt. We enjoyed our tour in an old city with a gate that had a “wishing ring.” We made our wishes and twirled the metal ring in the fence, then back to the ship.
October 25th. We arrive in Gerlachshausen to allow the optional tour to go on to Rothenburg. Having been to Rothenburg before, we stayed on the boat and enjoyed ideal weather and spectacular views of the vineyards meeting everyone back around dusk for a lovely night of story sharing.
October 26th. We spent the morning sailing along the canal to Wertheim where we enjoyed a city tour and some shopping for some local wines. I walked up the hill and on to the top of the fortress that was there, for the most stunning view of the river and the vineyards on the slopes along the river. Bright colors of fall were everywhere.
October 27th. We enjoy a cruise day while others enjoy the full day excursion to Heidelberg. Having been to Heidelberg before and never having been to the confluence of the Main and the Rhine we looked forward to seeing the Mainz from the river and meeting the rest of the folks in Ruedesheim. We arrived early in Ruedesheim so we took the tram up to the war memorial over the most spectacular display of fall coloring of trees and vineyards with breathtaking views of the river Rhine. No tour was necessary because the city was small and easy to tour about on our own. We enjoyed some of the great white wines in this region and walked along the riverbank.
October 28th. We depart Ruedesheim in a light morning fog, enroute to Cologne through the Rhine Gorge with its many castles and monuments of glories past. We of course watch closely for the Lorelei of old and the remnants of Rhine Sagas and their legends, of which we should all be familiar. Later in the afternoon, we arrive in Cologne for a tour of the city and enjoy some jugglers and mines on the steps of the most well known architectural monument of Germany, the Cologne Cathedral. Construction began in the 13th century and continues today.
October 29th. We continue on the Rhine to Amsterdam and arrive around noon, in time for a tour of the city. WOW! Amsterdam is really a revelation, with scenic architecture and a society more open then we had expected. “Coffee shops,” where one can purchase from a menu their choice of marijuana products along with food and coffees, but no alcohol products. And, “chose a door, any door” for the woman, or man of your choice. Each choice is inspected, examined, and certified by a doctor every two weeks. Amsterdam has the lowest venereal disease, aids rates, and sexual crimes of any country in Europe.
October 30th. Vacation is over and we must vacate, so we bid farewell to many new friends and most of the crew, take our new email addresses, and move on. On to the Barbizon Palace, we go across the street and around the corner from both the ship and the main train station of Amsterdam. Coincidently, we find ourselves around the corner from the famous Red Light District of Amsterdam. We enjoyed the day touring the area and walked until we were exhausted.
October 31st and November 1st, we took tours of the city, the Van Gogh, did the Heineken Experience (and drank lots of beer), and ate our way back to the hotel to pack and get ready for the return trip home on November 2nd. Once again, all had a great time. Some pictures are posted under “pictures.”
