We are always talking about the need to live adventurous lives and this theme has surfaced in a number of posts of late. Truth of the matter is that the need to add a little adventure into our daily routines is very important as our lives these days are driven by the need to come up with fresh content. Our list of clients has grown and unfortunately, each of them needs unique story lines from us. Fancy that; you think the one story a month would suffice. Apparently, not – but not to take anything away from the challenge of supporting clients, it’s also provides us with a lot of fun and we are frequently rewarded with a kind word here and there. But adventurous lives call for adventures and 2019 has proved to be the year of adventures for Margo and me and no, we haven’t been enjoying a year of living dangerously and we are far from pursuing risky business, but the miles have begun to take a toll on us both. We are now officially dieting!
We had made the decision to arrive in Amsterdam a full two days before our Viking River Cruise vessel was scheduled to pull onto the Rhine River. As seasoned travelers, we always consider it prudent to arrive a little ahead of schedule in case there were difficulties arising “en-route!” Turned out, it all went smoothly but only up to a point. On arrival in Amsterdam, passage through immigration was a nightmare and for whatever reason, it took us more than an hour to pass through the gates, but the relief was only temporary as Amsterdam baggage handling was experiencing difficulties such that it took almost another hour before our bags arrived. To think, we had been travelling for less than twenty four hours and already, we were exhausted. Then again, we were in Europe and we could eat at pretty much any time of night so it wasn’t all bad.
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Our departure from Amsterdam was just a few minutes shy
of midnight and with everyone having retired for the night, I pretty much had
the upper decks of the Gefjon to myself. Sailing out into the Rhine Canal on
our way to join the Rhine River and standing, as I was, on the unlit sun deck
taking in the sights as we slowly pushed our way upstream, proved to be
challenging. It was cold with a light rain that gave the shadows an ominous
feel about them – as if at any moment our longship was about to hit an
unsighted obstruction. Amsterdam is rather rigid after a fashion, with plenty
of rules that need to be obeyed, but standing on the sun deck at night on an
inky waterway there was no escaping the somberness of the occasion. Being of
sound mind and having seen enough, I retired for the night!
This
was the third time that we had travelled to Europe in 2019. Only a short time
ago we were in Scotland and a matter of just a few weeks before that, in
Munich. For a family firmly committed to avoid overseas trips at all costs, we
were faring pretty poorly this year. On the other hand? Adventures we have had,
without a doubt, and at this point it is worth pointing out that with the
business model we have developed, we have to pass on our thanks to all those at
HPE that we work with as well as to our clients. Without these vendors, none of
this would be possible! Now, having thanked my sponsors the reality is that
even as these trips to Europe have had their upsides, it is never far from our
minds that with each morning, there is work to be done. As we moved slowly out
of Amsterdam, we were still able to publish our July issue of the digital
publication, NonStop
Insider where Margo continues as the Managing Editor.
We like to call these excursions abroad BizCations, and the phrase isn’t
without merit. According to recent business travel publications, you may
already be familiar with the StayCations and DayCations and BizCations simply
represent an opportunity to explore new places even as business pursuits
continue. They represent a welcome brake to the normal nine-to-five, working
week routines (does anyone still do that in these days of the “gig society”?)
and Margo and I have readily adapted to this new travel trend. We passed
through a lot of locks particularly as
we made our way between the Main River and the Danube – a couple of which
towered 80+ feet above us – and it reminded me that oftentimes, to get to where
we next want to be, we need a bit of a boost to make sure it happens. We work,
we play, we travel and on occasion, we simply just sit still. And on this
adventure we did it all!
Having left the locks on the Main- Danube canal, it was
the cities on the Danube we were most looking forward to as our previous
attempt to sail down the Danube left us tied to the dock in Vienna, neither
able to go forward or backwards with the Spring runoff rising all boats.
However, before leaving the canal, we just had to visit the township of
Nuremberg as it has historical significance. I had eaten Nuremberg sausages many
times so it was a good opportunity not only to hear more about the town but to
try Nuremberg’s favorite meal – sausage and sauerkraut, with a beer. With the
old town of Nuremberg dating back to the Middle Ages and with clever
fortification (it was never conquered), a lot of post war effort went into
returning the city to its former glory and today, it is a must-visit place. And
for the history buffs, yes this was where the post-war trials were held and
where the former leadership was held accountable for the atrocities they
instigated and oversaw.
However, it was the opportunity to enjoy a side trip to
Salzburg that really sealed the deal for us when it came to sailing with Viking
River Cruises. Even as it required a two hour bus trip, who would want to miss
out on visiting the city that provided the backdrop to the musical, Sound of
Music. Our walking tour took us to many of the places, fountains and gardens
featured in the musical even as we were able to walk by several hotels that
could be good places to stay if the opportunity ever presented itself for us to
enjoy an extended stopover in Salzburg. I know that there are family members
who would have liked to have joined us for lunch as we dined in the world’s
oldest restaurant dating all the way back to the ninth century but more
impressive still? We were entertained by Salzburg soloists performing live all
the songs from the Sound of Music.
One disappointment, perhaps? There wasn’t enough time to climb up to the
fortress and walk its battlements. This was something I did back in 1983 and
the views were spectacular. Oh well, next time. On the other hand this trip was
planned in order for us to take a look at a small portion of Germany’s famous
Romantic Road that starts in Füssen and ends in Würzburg – not a long drive by
any stretch of the imagination for us living in the western states of the U.S.,
but one that takes you on a trip through history and for us, the road to
Salzburg included many miles of this most famous road. What do you reckon? When
it comes to choice of vehicle it will either be a new BMW i8 Roadster delivered
in Munich (of course) or a wonderful white 1971 Mercedes Benz 450SL with
burgundy interior. It will be a hard decision to make so stay tuned! Whatever
path we go down, the Romantic Road is one bucket list item we would like to
check off at some point before they take our drivers licenses from us.
Viking River Cruises gave us two full days to enjoy the
sights of Vienna and we took full advantage of this opportunity. There is a
back story here as the first river cruise we ever did was with Peter Deilmann
Cruises on their sole river cruiser, the MV Mozart. Unfortunately, our booking
was early April and that year, the snow continued to fall even as we set sail
from Passau. We managed to get to Vienna whereupon we were advised that the
river had risen to heights that prevented the MV Mozart from going forwards or
backwards so, would we mind spending a week in Vienna? And oh yes, we will
bring the music to you each night! Hard to resist, I know, but we had been
looking to travel the full length of the Danube all the way to the Black Sea,
but not to be.
Imagine then our surprise to read only a short time ago the Crystal River
Cruises launched their river itineraries featuring a completely revitalized MV
Mozart having acquired it from a now defunct Peter Deilmann Cruises. What was
unique about this vessel is that it was built as a double wide river cruiser
and that is why it could only sail on the Danube which features doublewide
locks. However, don’t plan on booking any river cruises on the MV Mozart in
2020 as it is being rotated out of the fleer as Crystal add four new singlewide
river cruisers to replace it. This is why we just have to tip our hats to the
AMA river cruise line having just introduced their own doublewide river cruiser
– the AMAMagna. We tied up alongside it and made our way through it to the dock
and Viking shouldn’t have done that; in RV-parlance it was like walking from a modest Tiffin RV to a luxury Prevost RV!
Vienna
and then Budapest that followed were once again, absolutely wonderful places to
visit. As the centers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire they had much in common at
some point, a competitive thread emerging in the process. You build a palace
and yes we will build one too! But for us, it was the Demel coffee house in
Vienna that remains the highlight even as in Budapest, it was the citadel atop
Buda. When it comes to Demel, don’t sit outside on the sidewalk (a recent addition),
but rather enter the shop and find the passageway that leads back to a handful
of tables all fronting the kitchen where chocolate delights are being created and
yes, strudel, too, naturally enough. You may have to wait for the table but
watching the craftsmen work their magic over rich cups of Vienna coffee (with
whipped cream) and a Vanilla slice is heavenly. Not to mention, a great
substitute for lunch!
We last visited Budapest in April, 2003, and a lot has changed and yet, looking up at Buda from the Danube, you could easily imagine it as it was in the nineteenth century. The skyline remains mostly unchanged with a new hotel springing up here and there. While not in the photo, the Four Seasons is the place to stay and if you have as yet not made plans to visit Budapest it would be our recommendation. It is situated across the river in Pest and remains one of the grand hotels of the region. In Budapest, the BizCation kicked in once again and yes, there is nothing better to do when stepping off a boat than to spend time with the locals and business acquaintances of ours just happened to have time available to show us around. The view from the citadel was magnificent! There is much more we could talk about but in reality, I will leave further coverage to other posts. Suffice to say, in closing, at this time of the year emulating our cruise is problematic.
Leaving Vienna for Budapest we were advised that we
were the last vessel to pass through the shallows of the upper Danube –
requiring at least 290 cm of water under the vessel, we made it through with
just 292 cm and yes, authorities closed the river to all vessels no sooner than
we had made it through. It was a sad sight indeed to see vessel after vessel at
rest in Vienna for the remainder of the season. Bus fares, anyone? Overall,
this grand tour was one of the most exciting ones. Most of the time we had great
weather, sunny skies, and balmy temperatures where service from Viking River Cruises
was exceptional. When it rained one day the ship provided umbrellas, allowing
us to take a colorful picture of the folks returning from the tour.
So, yes, our adventurous life definitely continues with
further chapters yet to be written!
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