Our trip home started without a hitch. Had last 'meal' in the Executive Lounge, finished last minute packing and left bags in the room. The bellman picked them up (per the Tauck List) and let us know when our transportation arrived to take us to the airport...one last drive through and look at some of the Prague sights. When we arrived at the airport the car was met by a Tauck rep. who put our bags on a cart and brought us to the correct line for baggage drop (we had checked in the night before online). We just looked at each other and said..."They think of everything". Got to the gate and boarded our plane to Frankfurt on time. On arrival in Frankfurt - the fun began. Much like our connection there on the way to Budapest, the trek to the gate led to a long and slow security line. This time we had more time to make the connection which included a long walk to the correct concourse and another interrogation. When this agent looked at our boarding passes, she said, "Did you change flights?". I said that I had noted when I printed the passes that we were now flying through Phila. instead of directly to Charlotte, but hadn't thought of it as 'our' change but, rather the airline's. That's how we found out that our original flight had been delayed to 4:30 PM which, while direct, would have gotten us home at midnight. Although changing from International to Domestic in Philly is a real pain, it was better than getting home at midnight, especially since our son-in-law, Mike, might not have appreciated a 4.5 hour wait :)
After our long, 3 legged flight, we were delighted to get home on time (7:25 pm here - 1:30 AM in Prague) to a private driver who smiled and was pleasant - maybe he works for Tauck on the side? It was good to sleep in our own bed AND, especially, to enjoy our own shower. One thing that leaves much to be deserved about European travel it the very narrow tubs, most without grab bars, that make taking a shower hazardous. And on the boat, we were clearly at the outer limits of size for the shower in our very nice cabin. The trials of travel are minimal compared to joy we get from seeing and experiencing new places, so take this as a hint of what to expect when you travel (if you haven't already).
Three loads of laundry done! Stayed up as long as we could to beat the jet lag monster. Unpacking complete. Missy picked up at the kennel with a new haircut and sooo glad to be home. Love the old line "I wish I was the kind of person that my dog thinks I am!). Now the challenge is the organization/posting of pictures and the next step in my current work project!
Time to set up the blog for our next trip :)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Final Day in Praha!
Wonderful last day...we actually stayed in bed until 9 AM - unheard of on this very busy trip. Had our last breakfast on Tauck this AM and shared it with 2 other couples who are here until tomorrow. It's been fun to see our tour group peeling off starting on the 23rd and ending the day after we leave.
This was our day to do whatever we wish at our own pace. Another warm, sunny day (sure wish that I'd brought more short sleeve shirts - the weather forecasts before we left home were for very cool evenings and mornings and mild days. Well, clearly, the definition of mild did not transfer well from one language to the others :) No complaints from us....it's been amazingly clear - the only rains occurred at night with one cool and drizzly morning that cleared in the afternoon.
We headed back to the Jewish Quarter to see the Spanish Synagogue which we missed on our previous tour...got as far as the gift shop where I purchased the Star of David that I had wanted from a very friendly and helpful lady. Very different from the totally uninterested salesgirl at the Maisel Synagogue. We passed the Franz Kafka Museum and Cafe and then headed to the Charles Bridge following our difficult to read map and moving through the zig-zag streets/lanes. We found it without difficulty and took lots of pictures of both sides of the Vitava River. It's a photographer's paradise. There's a picture in every direction, so that's what I did...took them all :)
Note: to all of my faithful readers - once I organize my large picture collection, I will post links in all of the appropriate places, so do check back to view them and vicariously enjoy the places we visited.
The Charles Bridge
is very busy, full of tourists crossing from the Old Town to the First Quarter and lined with musicians, vendors of jewelry, art, etc. and lots of caricaturists. Lots of energy on this hot day. When we got to the other side we tried to find the Lennon Wall (it is a wall that was formerly an ordinary wall in Prague and has been called Lennon´s since the 1980s, when people have filled it with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs. Lennon was a hero to the pacifist youth of Central and Eastern Europe during the totalitarian era. Prior to 1989 when communism ruled, western pop songs were banned by Communist authorities, and especially John Lennon´s songs, because it was praising freedom that didn’t exist here. Some musicians were actually jailed for playing it! (taken from Prague.net)
The wall is pretty amazing - the communists painted over it many times and the 'artists' just came back and painted over the white wash.
We found out about the wall from Rick Steve's Prague. He also mentioned a small cafe that could be entered through a door at the left side of the wall. It was like an oasis in the midst of the heat and crowds of the bridge. We stopped for beer, hummus and pita and a Caprese salad...all wonderful. We enjoyed the quiet walled garden with rhododendrons, the largest tree in Prague and flowers on the tables. We walked towards the river after lunch and found ourselves in the beautiful setting of Kampa Island which had some lovely old hotels and restaurants and a quiet park along the river. Then we climbed the steep steps back up to the bridge and crossed again to Old town. A slow walk and 2 Gelotos later, we made our way back to the Marriott (meeting 2 cruise friends along the way). Seemed so funny to be in a large city in the Czech Republic and bumping into people we knew.
Pictures of our Last Day in Praha!
And so....it was time to pack while Art took a nap! Much easier to pack for homecoming that for vacation. We didn't do much shopping this trip so at least our bags didn't have to be stretched much. Our Washer/Dryer will be busy when we get home.
Had a light dinner in the Executive Lounge and visited with another couple from the ship who was part of our group to Terezin yesterday. Then finished packing, paid our bill and arranged for an early wake-up call. This is it from Eastern/Central Europe. More when I get my pictures organized. Signing out from Prague.
This was our day to do whatever we wish at our own pace. Another warm, sunny day (sure wish that I'd brought more short sleeve shirts - the weather forecasts before we left home were for very cool evenings and mornings and mild days. Well, clearly, the definition of mild did not transfer well from one language to the others :) No complaints from us....it's been amazingly clear - the only rains occurred at night with one cool and drizzly morning that cleared in the afternoon.
We headed back to the Jewish Quarter to see the Spanish Synagogue which we missed on our previous tour...got as far as the gift shop where I purchased the Star of David that I had wanted from a very friendly and helpful lady. Very different from the totally uninterested salesgirl at the Maisel Synagogue. We passed the Franz Kafka Museum and Cafe and then headed to the Charles Bridge following our difficult to read map and moving through the zig-zag streets/lanes. We found it without difficulty and took lots of pictures of both sides of the Vitava River. It's a photographer's paradise. There's a picture in every direction, so that's what I did...took them all :)
Note: to all of my faithful readers - once I organize my large picture collection, I will post links in all of the appropriate places, so do check back to view them and vicariously enjoy the places we visited.
The Charles Bridge
is very busy, full of tourists crossing from the Old Town to the First Quarter and lined with musicians, vendors of jewelry, art, etc. and lots of caricaturists. Lots of energy on this hot day. When we got to the other side we tried to find the Lennon Wall (it is a wall that was formerly an ordinary wall in Prague and has been called Lennon´s since the 1980s, when people have filled it with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs. Lennon was a hero to the pacifist youth of Central and Eastern Europe during the totalitarian era. Prior to 1989 when communism ruled, western pop songs were banned by Communist authorities, and especially John Lennon´s songs, because it was praising freedom that didn’t exist here. Some musicians were actually jailed for playing it! (taken from Prague.net)The wall is pretty amazing - the communists painted over it many times and the 'artists' just came back and painted over the white wash.
We found out about the wall from Rick Steve's Prague. He also mentioned a small cafe that could be entered through a door at the left side of the wall. It was like an oasis in the midst of the heat and crowds of the bridge. We stopped for beer, hummus and pita and a Caprese salad...all wonderful. We enjoyed the quiet walled garden with rhododendrons, the largest tree in Prague and flowers on the tables. We walked towards the river after lunch and found ourselves in the beautiful setting of Kampa Island which had some lovely old hotels and restaurants and a quiet park along the river. Then we climbed the steep steps back up to the bridge and crossed again to Old town. A slow walk and 2 Gelotos later, we made our way back to the Marriott (meeting 2 cruise friends along the way). Seemed so funny to be in a large city in the Czech Republic and bumping into people we knew.
Pictures of our Last Day in Praha!
And so....it was time to pack while Art took a nap! Much easier to pack for homecoming that for vacation. We didn't do much shopping this trip so at least our bags didn't have to be stretched much. Our Washer/Dryer will be busy when we get home.
Had a light dinner in the Executive Lounge and visited with another couple from the ship who was part of our group to Terezin yesterday. Then finished packing, paid our bill and arranged for an early wake-up call. This is it from Eastern/Central Europe. More when I get my pictures organized. Signing out from Prague.
Visit to Terezin Ghetto May 23, 2011
Our visit to Terezin was an important highlight of our trip. I was concerned that, since this visit to Terezin was near the end of our trip, it would lend a somber note to our vacation and leave us depressed. That was not the case.
We had a wonderful guide, Ludmila Havlickova, who lived through the communist takeover of Czechoslavakia, and felt strongly about all that the Czech people have gone through for many centuries. She shared much of her background with us as we drove to and from Terezin from Prague. It was enriching to hear first hand about the impact on her family and her personal experiences.
It was a short 50 minute drive from Prague to Terezin.
First we visited the Small Fortress which served as a prison for the Gestapo and SS and also housed those sent from the Teresin Ghetto who broke any of the Ghetto's rules (such as stealing a piece of bread). Although I took many pictures, I'm not sure that pictures and written words can adequately express our feelings of being there. Near the prison was a cemetery where multiple bodies were buried - most in common graves without names. A large cross had been placed at the front of the cemetery and, after the war, with petitions by jewish survivors and others, a large start of David was added near the prison entrance section of the cemetery.
Our next stop was the drive into the city of Teresin - a walled city originally built as a military encampment to prevent Prussia from advancing on Czech land. The Nazis turned Teresin into a camp for Jews from Czech territories as well as from other countries and used it both as a transport center, prior to sending its inhabitants to Concentration Camps, often Auschwitz, and as a model camp to be used as propaganda when Red Cross leaders came from around the world to be ensured that the Jewish population was not being mistreated. We saw a short film that showed children playing soccer and performing plays, etc. for the visitors. They had been rehearsed for these performances for a long time before the Red Cross visitors arrived and told that if they 'behaved well' they would get a surprise. The surprise was transport to Auschwitz and death.
We visited the Jewish Ghetto museum where they had a model of both a women's and men's dormitory, then saw the barracks where soldiers had lived prior to the war and which became housing for the Jewish residents/prisoners. We also visited a secret Synagogue which was very tiny and still had some of the prayers and decorations on the walls (some had been destroyed by a flood in 2002).
Our visit was a sobering and moving experience reminding all of us that Never Again! is a living phrase that should be ever present in our hearts and minds.
On the way back to Prague, Ludmilla, our guide, had us drive through a small Czech city to show us how the people really live now and to share the current state of their government and economy. She also completed her family's story . We (all 12 of us from our Tauck cruise who planned this private visit) were completely convinced of the importance of this trip for each of us.
Private tour to Terezin
We had dinner at a local czech restaurant....I'm getting tired of so much 'unhealthy' food in large quantities. They must have heart disease in high numbers judging from the fat and salt in their everyday diets. But we enjoyed watching the locals and hearing the laughter. There seems to be so much joy in every day life here.
We used the evening to pack, catch up on email in the lounge and say good-by to some of our cruise buddies.
We had a wonderful guide, Ludmila Havlickova, who lived through the communist takeover of Czechoslavakia, and felt strongly about all that the Czech people have gone through for many centuries. She shared much of her background with us as we drove to and from Terezin from Prague. It was enriching to hear first hand about the impact on her family and her personal experiences.
It was a short 50 minute drive from Prague to Terezin.
First we visited the Small Fortress which served as a prison for the Gestapo and SS and also housed those sent from the Teresin Ghetto who broke any of the Ghetto's rules (such as stealing a piece of bread). Although I took many pictures, I'm not sure that pictures and written words can adequately express our feelings of being there. Near the prison was a cemetery where multiple bodies were buried - most in common graves without names. A large cross had been placed at the front of the cemetery and, after the war, with petitions by jewish survivors and others, a large start of David was added near the prison entrance section of the cemetery.
Our next stop was the drive into the city of Teresin - a walled city originally built as a military encampment to prevent Prussia from advancing on Czech land. The Nazis turned Teresin into a camp for Jews from Czech territories as well as from other countries and used it both as a transport center, prior to sending its inhabitants to Concentration Camps, often Auschwitz, and as a model camp to be used as propaganda when Red Cross leaders came from around the world to be ensured that the Jewish population was not being mistreated. We saw a short film that showed children playing soccer and performing plays, etc. for the visitors. They had been rehearsed for these performances for a long time before the Red Cross visitors arrived and told that if they 'behaved well' they would get a surprise. The surprise was transport to Auschwitz and death.
We visited the Jewish Ghetto museum where they had a model of both a women's and men's dormitory, then saw the barracks where soldiers had lived prior to the war and which became housing for the Jewish residents/prisoners. We also visited a secret Synagogue which was very tiny and still had some of the prayers and decorations on the walls (some had been destroyed by a flood in 2002).
Our visit was a sobering and moving experience reminding all of us that Never Again! is a living phrase that should be ever present in our hearts and minds.
On the way back to Prague, Ludmilla, our guide, had us drive through a small Czech city to show us how the people really live now and to share the current state of their government and economy. She also completed her family's story . We (all 12 of us from our Tauck cruise who planned this private visit) were completely convinced of the importance of this trip for each of us.
Private tour to Terezin
We had dinner at a local czech restaurant....I'm getting tired of so much 'unhealthy' food in large quantities. They must have heart disease in high numbers judging from the fat and salt in their everyday diets. But we enjoyed watching the locals and hearing the laughter. There seems to be so much joy in every day life here.
We used the evening to pack, catch up on email in the lounge and say good-by to some of our cruise buddies.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Prague - Old Town, Jewish Quarter and Castle District
Hard to get up this morning...long days of walking on uneven cobble stones have taken their toll on legs and feet and it's been warmer that expected so it's easy to get dehydrated.
We met our guides at 8:45 AM in the lobby - got our trusty Audio boxes with ear phone which have made all of our walking tours so pleasant. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and tell engaging tales and bits of history without notes and ongoing manner. We started at the hotel, walked to the main Old Town square with constant narrative as we went...saw Franz Kafka's birthplace, a building where Albert Einstein held a meeting, and heard about every past leader in Czech history. The buildings are an amazing amalgum of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroch, and other architectual varieties. We then visited the Jewish Quarter - a moving and exhausting experience. We visited 5 different Synagogues (only one of which has a current congregation), heard about the history of Jews in Czech Republic and its earlier iterations, and were overwhelmed with the amount of relics and other items of Judaism that were saved and displayed in the Jewish Museum. The buildings, all restored, were beautiful and heartbreaking. About 100,000 buried in the Jewish Cemetary in shrouds and often in layers since they ran out of space. One Synagogue had 40,000 names engraved on its wall - took many years to complete by hand alphabetically and by names of cities and villages throughout the country. I could go on and on, but will save the details until we see many of my readers face to face. Pictures of Old Town Center and Jewish Quarter
We returned to the hotel with free time between 12 and 2 and then boarded mini-buses to go to the Castle District where we toured the Cathedral and had a special appointment to visit inside of the Monestery Library (usually tourists can only view the rooms from the doorways). In all of the rooms of the library combined there are more than a million books, categorized by subject and in the most beautiful rooms. We must have walked about 5 miles this afternoon alone and loved every minute of it. I don't know how I will ever organize my pictures...I've lost count of the number :) Pictures of the Castle District (Cathedral and Monestary Library
Relaxed with heavy appetizers, wine and dessert in the hotel lounge while visiting with a couple from NJ. As we talked, we discovered that he, Dr. Patel practiced at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, NJ when my friend, Pat Johnson, was the Director of Nursing! And she was originally from Roumania and her last name was Fulop (the same of my father's name) - we decided that we may be related!! What a small world this really is.
Tomorrow a group of us have booked a private trip to the site of the Teresin Concentration camp. Hope to have an informative post tomorrow....very scary to be going there, especially because of the number of child who died in their Children's Haus.
We met our guides at 8:45 AM in the lobby - got our trusty Audio boxes with ear phone which have made all of our walking tours so pleasant. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and tell engaging tales and bits of history without notes and ongoing manner. We started at the hotel, walked to the main Old Town square with constant narrative as we went...saw Franz Kafka's birthplace, a building where Albert Einstein held a meeting, and heard about every past leader in Czech history. The buildings are an amazing amalgum of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroch, and other architectual varieties. We then visited the Jewish Quarter - a moving and exhausting experience. We visited 5 different Synagogues (only one of which has a current congregation), heard about the history of Jews in Czech Republic and its earlier iterations, and were overwhelmed with the amount of relics and other items of Judaism that were saved and displayed in the Jewish Museum. The buildings, all restored, were beautiful and heartbreaking. About 100,000 buried in the Jewish Cemetary in shrouds and often in layers since they ran out of space. One Synagogue had 40,000 names engraved on its wall - took many years to complete by hand alphabetically and by names of cities and villages throughout the country. I could go on and on, but will save the details until we see many of my readers face to face. Pictures of Old Town Center and Jewish Quarter
We returned to the hotel with free time between 12 and 2 and then boarded mini-buses to go to the Castle District where we toured the Cathedral and had a special appointment to visit inside of the Monestery Library (usually tourists can only view the rooms from the doorways). In all of the rooms of the library combined there are more than a million books, categorized by subject and in the most beautiful rooms. We must have walked about 5 miles this afternoon alone and loved every minute of it. I don't know how I will ever organize my pictures...I've lost count of the number :) Pictures of the Castle District (Cathedral and Monestary Library
Relaxed with heavy appetizers, wine and dessert in the hotel lounge while visiting with a couple from NJ. As we talked, we discovered that he, Dr. Patel practiced at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, NJ when my friend, Pat Johnson, was the Director of Nursing! And she was originally from Roumania and her last name was Fulop (the same of my father's name) - we decided that we may be related!! What a small world this really is.
Tomorrow a group of us have booked a private trip to the site of the Teresin Concentration camp. Hope to have an informative post tomorrow....very scary to be going there, especially because of the number of child who died in their Children's Haus.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Final Cruise Day; Regensburg and on to Prague
We've had a very busy day. Up early to finish packing and have our bags outside of our cabin by 7:30 AM, breakfast and final briefing on our 1/2 day in Regensburg and our 4 hour trip to Prague. We had a good tour of this lovely city with the oldest existing stone bridge in Europe which connected the north and south shores of the Danube and enabled Regensburg to become a commerical center of Europe. Of course, Regensburg Cathedral was added to our list of beautiful architectural phenomena - this time we didn't go inside, but walked the city with its contining stunning architecture. We saw the house where Oscar Schindler lived and heard that they would be adding the name of his wife to the plaque on the wall since she was also instrumental in helping to save Jews from the Nazis. We had a prearranged lunch at the old BratHaus by the river - it was wonderful sausage, saurkraut and sweet mustard on a roll. We then walked across the stone bridge to our bus and were on our way to Prague. It was nice to have a short excursion on our last 'sea' day on the Swiss Jewel. After last night's reception and dinner and the 'joys of packing', a 3 1/2 hour bus ride to Prague sounds restful...reminds us that 'leave the driving to us' takes on its own sweet charm on a busy, active trip.
It's amazing how the little things add up to a wonderful trip...after a brief "comfort" stop, Jeremy - one of our wonderful Tour Directors - passed out ice cream pops on the bus. Just an example of the right touches.
When we got to the Prague Marriott, the check-in was so easy (including getting access to the Executive lounge for us - thanks to our standing with Marriott Rewards). We took a short orientation walk around the town square with Fero, another Tauck Tour Director, to orient ourselves to the old town center area. Then we changed clothes for dinner, had a glass of wine and a beer for Art in the lounge and headed downstairs to meet our friends for dinner. We were transferred to a lovely restaurant with 6 other of our shipmates. We were seated a table outside overlooking the Charles Bridge at sunset and right on the water. Perfect! We watched riverboats filled with tourists go up and down the river while we ate. Food was good, conversation was fun and despite a large, noisy group that was seated near us, we had a good evening. We asked our waitress to arrange for our shuttle back to the Marriott; the driver arrived a few minutes later, courtesy of Tauck.
We were all exhausted so, although it's only 9:30 pm....I'm off to bed knowing that our tour of the old town and the Jewish section leaves the hotel at 8:45 AM. Another good day.
Pictures of Regensburg
It's amazing how the little things add up to a wonderful trip...after a brief "comfort" stop, Jeremy - one of our wonderful Tour Directors - passed out ice cream pops on the bus. Just an example of the right touches.
When we got to the Prague Marriott, the check-in was so easy (including getting access to the Executive lounge for us - thanks to our standing with Marriott Rewards). We took a short orientation walk around the town square with Fero, another Tauck Tour Director, to orient ourselves to the old town center area. Then we changed clothes for dinner, had a glass of wine and a beer for Art in the lounge and headed downstairs to meet our friends for dinner. We were transferred to a lovely restaurant with 6 other of our shipmates. We were seated a table outside overlooking the Charles Bridge at sunset and right on the water. Perfect! We watched riverboats filled with tourists go up and down the river while we ate. Food was good, conversation was fun and despite a large, noisy group that was seated near us, we had a good evening. We asked our waitress to arrange for our shuttle back to the Marriott; the driver arrived a few minutes later, courtesy of Tauck.
We were all exhausted so, although it's only 9:30 pm....I'm off to bed knowing that our tour of the old town and the Jewish section leaves the hotel at 8:45 AM. Another good day.
Pictures of Regensburg
Friday, May 20, 2011
Passau, Germany
Got up early this AM because Jeremy, one of our Tour Directors, told us that it was a beautiful cruise into Passau.... he, was right, it truly was lovely, very green and forested right down to the river with the ever present swans along the way, then the approach to Passau was so unique...the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers with lovely red roofed buildings (some dating back to the 15th century) on all of the shores. The waters are supposed to be 3 different colors, but we didn't see the difference. Much like the Danube which is NOT blue! The stories are that blue does not represent the color of the water but, rather, means drunk in German. Another story is that blue means depressing (from "I feel so blue:" and there are several other variations on those themes. Any way it clearly does not reflect the color of the water.
We had the most delightful tour guide in Passau. A lovely young woman, clearly enchanted by her city and funny, cute and knowledgeable. She had stories about most of the buildings, shared that 70% of the 50,000 population is Catholic, with the remaining 30% Lutheran. There is a town nearby that has 2500 Jews living there and the Rabbi and the Archbishop are friends so activities are planned between the 2 religious groups. We felt quite enightened by her stories (historical and current) about the place of the church in the politics of the area, taxation, the frequent flooding of the rivers, etc. Many buildings show high water marks from recent and long ago floods which seem to occur quite frequently in the rainy season. We also had tickets to an organ concert at the cathedral (the 2nd largest in the world and the largest in a cathedral). It was very powerful and we were glad to have had the opportunity to attend.
We walked around a bit after our guided tour, then returned to the boat for a Bavarian buffet lunch and packing in preparation for disembarkation in Regensburg tomorrow.
Pictures of Passau
We had a briefing to prepare us for the bus ride to Prague, hotel arrangements and transfers to the airport. Tauck takes care of everything...people are staying for different amounts of days in Prague - 2 days as part of this tour with many people adding extra days. They provide transportation to the airport no matter when you leave. We will be picked up at 7:30 AM on Wednesday for our 10:30 AM flight home.
After the briefing, we finished packing and dressed for the Captain's farewell dinner....consisting of open bar service reception pre-dinner, a fabulous multi-course dinner with touches such as a strawberry vodka shot between courses, silver metal napkin rings which they gave us as gifts to take home (not really silver :)), Baked Alaska with each plate including a mini-eclair, kiwi fruit, mousse filled chocolate cups as well as the Baked Alaska and after dinner brandy!
We waddled back to our room to finish packing and organize our carry-on stuff for the morning. We will be leaving the boat at 9 AM, our luggage will be taken to Prague awaiting our arrival there, and we will have a 1 1/2 hour walking tour of Regensburg prior to boarding the buses to Prague.
I think we'll have better Internet access at the Prague Marriott and, hopefully, I'll be able to work on my pictures...off to bed now...more tomorrow.
We had the most delightful tour guide in Passau. A lovely young woman, clearly enchanted by her city and funny, cute and knowledgeable. She had stories about most of the buildings, shared that 70% of the 50,000 population is Catholic, with the remaining 30% Lutheran. There is a town nearby that has 2500 Jews living there and the Rabbi and the Archbishop are friends so activities are planned between the 2 religious groups. We felt quite enightened by her stories (historical and current) about the place of the church in the politics of the area, taxation, the frequent flooding of the rivers, etc. Many buildings show high water marks from recent and long ago floods which seem to occur quite frequently in the rainy season. We also had tickets to an organ concert at the cathedral (the 2nd largest in the world and the largest in a cathedral). It was very powerful and we were glad to have had the opportunity to attend.
We walked around a bit after our guided tour, then returned to the boat for a Bavarian buffet lunch and packing in preparation for disembarkation in Regensburg tomorrow.
Pictures of Passau
We had a briefing to prepare us for the bus ride to Prague, hotel arrangements and transfers to the airport. Tauck takes care of everything...people are staying for different amounts of days in Prague - 2 days as part of this tour with many people adding extra days. They provide transportation to the airport no matter when you leave. We will be picked up at 7:30 AM on Wednesday for our 10:30 AM flight home.
After the briefing, we finished packing and dressed for the Captain's farewell dinner....consisting of open bar service reception pre-dinner, a fabulous multi-course dinner with touches such as a strawberry vodka shot between courses, silver metal napkin rings which they gave us as gifts to take home (not really silver :)), Baked Alaska with each plate including a mini-eclair, kiwi fruit, mousse filled chocolate cups as well as the Baked Alaska and after dinner brandy!
We waddled back to our room to finish packing and organize our carry-on stuff for the morning. We will be leaving the boat at 9 AM, our luggage will be taken to Prague awaiting our arrival there, and we will have a 1 1/2 hour walking tour of Regensburg prior to boarding the buses to Prague.
I think we'll have better Internet access at the Prague Marriott and, hopefully, I'll be able to work on my pictures...off to bed now...more tomorrow.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Salzburg
Another lovely day weather-wise. We left the ship at 8:30, which made for an early wake-up so that we could eat breakfast before leaving for the bus. We had an almost 2 hour bus ride to Salzburg with a rest stop near Lake Mondsee surrounded by mountains 
. Strange to see road signs pointing to Salzburg, Passau (where we will go tomorrow) and back to Vienna (Wein). We arrived in Salzburg on time to meet our city guide. Walked a few blocks to the Gardens where Julie Andrews played around the fountain with the children in the Sound of Music. Lots of Sound of Music scenes along the drive to Salzburg - the church where Maria and Count Von Trapp married, the meadows where she danced, etc. and in the town itself. In fact, one exhibit upon which we stumbled was devoted to pictures taken during the making of the film. Julie looked soooo young with a waist of about 17 inches :). We walked across a pedestrian bridge from the New Town to the Old Town and then saw the monestery, university of Salzburg, the Cathedral, lots of shops, etc. It's a beautiful town but got very warm and crowded as the day progressed.
We really enjoyed visiting Mozart's birthplace, up four flights of steep steps with knees aching. Very interesting and learned a lot about his life, his family relationships, and his argument with the ArchBishop which got him thrown out of his birth town leading to his time in Vienna. Then we decided to walk back across the river (Salzauch) to have a quiet lunch on a shady patio at the Sacher Hotel. Since our lunch at their Mozart Cafe in Vienna was so good, we figured it was a good idea. So we enjoyed sitting on the patio overlooking the river, shared two types of sandwiches with beer then splurged with a shared Sachertorte and coffee. And, of course, excellent service! Wunderbar! After our respite from the warm day and crowded streets of old town, we returned to find Art's requisite tee shirt...that's now 3 old ones headed to Good Will! We strolled down Judengasse...the street where the Jews were placed in a ghetto during the war...looking for the old synagogue...finally found our way to the Information office where the 1st clerk didn't know what a synagogue was, Her colleague told her where it was located (in the new town). Not satisfied we asked a walking tour guide standing outside of the office if he knew and he pointed us back down the street to a building whose sign said it was a Creative Arts SCHULE (which could have been translated as school or the yiddish word for synagogue. I went into the building and it was beginning to be renovated....curved brick ceilings and thick, rough stone walls suggested a previous use but there were no signs to help us out. We also found a large plaque in German that indicated that Theodor Herzel had worked there...the guide told us that he was a lawyer who wanted to be a judge but could not be appointed because he was Jewish. Herzel was born in Pest, Hungary, moved to Vienna with his family and studied law there, practicing in Vienna and Salzburg. He is considered the founder of Zionism. Interesting that he was considered important enough to have a substantial plaque on the wall of the old Magistrate Court when there were no other indications of the presence of Jews in the Judengasse.
Pictures of Salzburg and Linz
After a pleasant drive back to the boat, we changed and went to the lounge for the complimentary open bar prior to dinner. Another good dinner during which we passed through 2 more locks, we played a fun game of Name that Tune Trivia. Our team lost by one point with a lot of childish competitive grumbling afterwards :)
We can't believe that we have only one full day and one more night onboard before we head to Prague to end our trip. The thought of packing tomorrow night is enough to make me call it a night and block out the thought. Tomorrow we cruise into Passau at 9 AM.
. Strange to see road signs pointing to Salzburg, Passau (where we will go tomorrow) and back to Vienna (Wein). We arrived in Salzburg on time to meet our city guide. Walked a few blocks to the Gardens where Julie Andrews played around the fountain with the children in the Sound of Music. Lots of Sound of Music scenes along the drive to Salzburg - the church where Maria and Count Von Trapp married, the meadows where she danced, etc. and in the town itself. In fact, one exhibit upon which we stumbled was devoted to pictures taken during the making of the film. Julie looked soooo young with a waist of about 17 inches :). We walked across a pedestrian bridge from the New Town to the Old Town and then saw the monestery, university of Salzburg, the Cathedral, lots of shops, etc. It's a beautiful town but got very warm and crowded as the day progressed.We really enjoyed visiting Mozart's birthplace, up four flights of steep steps with knees aching. Very interesting and learned a lot about his life, his family relationships, and his argument with the ArchBishop which got him thrown out of his birth town leading to his time in Vienna. Then we decided to walk back across the river (Salzauch) to have a quiet lunch on a shady patio at the Sacher Hotel. Since our lunch at their Mozart Cafe in Vienna was so good, we figured it was a good idea. So we enjoyed sitting on the patio overlooking the river, shared two types of sandwiches with beer then splurged with a shared Sachertorte and coffee. And, of course, excellent service! Wunderbar! After our respite from the warm day and crowded streets of old town, we returned to find Art's requisite tee shirt...that's now 3 old ones headed to Good Will! We strolled down Judengasse...the street where the Jews were placed in a ghetto during the war...looking for the old synagogue...finally found our way to the Information office where the 1st clerk didn't know what a synagogue was, Her colleague told her where it was located (in the new town). Not satisfied we asked a walking tour guide standing outside of the office if he knew and he pointed us back down the street to a building whose sign said it was a Creative Arts SCHULE (which could have been translated as school or the yiddish word for synagogue. I went into the building and it was beginning to be renovated....curved brick ceilings and thick, rough stone walls suggested a previous use but there were no signs to help us out. We also found a large plaque in German that indicated that Theodor Herzel had worked there...the guide told us that he was a lawyer who wanted to be a judge but could not be appointed because he was Jewish. Herzel was born in Pest, Hungary, moved to Vienna with his family and studied law there, practicing in Vienna and Salzburg. He is considered the founder of Zionism. Interesting that he was considered important enough to have a substantial plaque on the wall of the old Magistrate Court when there were no other indications of the presence of Jews in the Judengasse.
Pictures of Salzburg and Linz
After a pleasant drive back to the boat, we changed and went to the lounge for the complimentary open bar prior to dinner. Another good dinner during which we passed through 2 more locks, we played a fun game of Name that Tune Trivia. Our team lost by one point with a lot of childish competitive grumbling afterwards :)
We can't believe that we have only one full day and one more night onboard before we head to Prague to end our trip. The thought of packing tomorrow night is enough to make me call it a night and block out the thought. Tomorrow we cruise into Passau at 9 AM.
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