Viking River Cruise 2024

Our second day on the Viking Kadlin. Still not sure whether to call this a ship or a boat. It’s been referred to as a Viking long ship, but I’m pretty sure those had oars. Luckily we are not expected to need to row on this trip. We arrived after 18 hours of travel to Vienna last night. It was a challenging trip for Gepke. She spent most of her time on the plane folded over an airsickness bag. However today we’ll jump right into the Viking program. Due to jet lag we are both up a 5 AM, ready to take a refreshing shower. We choose to have breakfast in the Aquavit room instead of the main dining room. Gepke is still recovering from her travel sickness, so a heavy breakfast does not sound like a good idea.

At 8:45 we board a bus to pass some of the main sights of Vienna. We exit the bus near the Vienna city center for a walk through the city center. Our guide identifies several buildings and explains their history, then he gives us an hour to discover on our own. We do that by having coffee at Hawelka. I have a hot chocolate with whip cream, and Gepke an ice coffee. Sitting on the terrace outside we perform our favorite activity: people watching.

We then return to the bus and back to the ship. I take a nap and Gepke goes for another walk; she’s feeling much better now. While I’m asleep the ship is moved to another position, with a ship between us and the quay. After I realize this, I figure it’s probably a good idea to let Gepke know about this. She won’t find the Viking ship where she left it. Gepke is a moving target that won’t stay in one place. With that in mind I finally catch up with her and lead her back to the ship at it’s new location.

Meanwhile we have drinks with people we met during dinner the night before. Dinner tonight is at 7:15pm at a this time “liberal” table. There are many conservatives on board, so it was refreshing for us to find more open minded people to talk with this time.

Today we go on our own into town. We take the underground to the city, to the Belvedere palace. As we pass the hotel Sacher we decide to not get in the very long line to eat Sachertorte. Instead we go further down the street to Café Mozart that also serves sachertorte. The prices here are much more reasonable and there are no waiting lines. The next destination is Albertina, which of course is back in the opposite direction that we came. We admire all the different buildings here, like the butterfly pavilion and the outside of the grand Opera House.

Afterwards we walked on to the Hundertwasser house area. The apartment building here was built in the 1980’s by a differently thinking individual. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, designs have only rounded corners and very bright and colorful exteriors. The sidewalks here are uneven and wavy, nothing is straight.

By now we we are starting to feel our feet and stop for coffee, beer and ice cream inside the Hundertwasser Village. Taking the underground back is thought to be overkill, so we walk all the way back to the ship. Total walking distance this day is about 8 miles. Dinner was a delicious Potato soup followed by Wiener Schnitzel (finally!) and warm pudding for desert.

During the night our ship sailed to Bratislava in Slovakia. Our cabin is facing the water, which is flowing so fast it looks like we are still sailing. In reality we are actually still mored. After breakfast, we join a walking tour of the city. Our tour guide is about our age and has experienced much of Slovakia’s turbulent past. Like the days when tanks of Soviet origin rolled into the streets and the velvet revolution in November of 1989.

As she walks through town with us, she reminisces and shares her experiences. Tales of older history when this area was part of the larger Habsburg and Napoleonic Empires, from which most of the buildings we see today are leftovers. There are cannonballs mortared into the buildings as a reminder. Times that people would receive compensation if their building was hit by canons of Napoleons Armies. Even if the building was nowhere near the firing line. People would find cannonballs elsewhere and place them in building walls as proof they could receive compensation for damages.

After she leaves our group we continue on to the Blue church. This church is a little off course from our tour, but we would still want to see it. Along the way we look for a store where Gepke can buy a replacement hairpin. The original one she accidentally flushed down the sink. After lunch, our ship moves on again towards Budapest. We need to pass through a lock that drops us 22 meters to the next level of the Danube. We expect to arrive at our destination later tonight.

Full breakfast this morning, as we don’t expect to be back for lunch. We take a bus ride through the “Pecs” side of Budapest. Budapest straddles the Danube river, where one side of the city is “Buda” and the other side is “Pecs”, which is pronounced as “Pesht”. So therefore the name Budapesht, or as we westerners say it: Budapest. Today’s included bus tour takes us along the most important sites of the city. We make two stops, one at the Heroes square where most monuments were covered in scaffolding. Our guide tells stories about what it was like to grow up in Hungary under communist rule.

Then we make a longer stop at the Mother Church of our Lady of Assumption. A long name for a medieval church worth a visit. Besides admiring the inside of this church with its statues and murals, you can also climb stairs to the top of the towers to get a better view of the city. Also beneath the church are the remains of a roman military building. You can see it through a glass floor or take the stairs down for a better look.

After this stop the bus would take us back to the ship. We decide to walk back on our own instead. At Mantra Specialty coffee we stop for the obligatory cup of coffee for the day. We end up near the ship sooner than we want. So of course we don’t take the shortest way, since we want to cross one of the bridges into Buda. We cross over the Petofi Hid, then walk along the river and past the beautiful building of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. We cross back over the Danube near the hot springs baths using the green colored Liberty bridge. This way we’ve at least put in our 4 mile minimum walk for the day. We end at Anna’s Cafe where we treat ourselves to a huge caramel ice cream.

Back at the Viking ship Gepke takes a nap, while I settle in at the lounge to work on the travelogue.

Our second day in Budapest. After breakfast we are going to discover the Buda side of the city again. We walk to the Chain Bridge in an attempt to reach The Budapest Castle. The easiest way up there is not so challenging with a Funicular Tram. Of course, we choose for the more difficult walking route up the mountain, which involves many stairs. But eventually we meet the same people again we saw earlier waiting for the tram.

We try to walk along the Castle Walls, in the hope to encircle the whole complex. However, that proves to be more challenging than it looks. Some stairs dead end at an area under construction. We do find an elevator here, so we take that down. However it appears we have then left the Castle Complex. So we enter a small corridor again, followed by some stairs up, only to end up where we originally started. The place is a real maze!

Eventually we give up the original plan and head back the way we came. We want to go the area where the changing of the guards is supposed to happen, even if it’s still too early. The main “show” of this changing of the guards is not until noon, and it’s only half past ten. So we look for a place to have some coffee and also plan the rest of our discovery. We have some coffee and then slowly return to the square. The soldiers show up accompanied by the rhythm of a drummer that sets the pace. The soldiers look very serious under their way too large headdresses. They put on a show while marching and performing acrobatics with their rifles. I’m sure any enemies of Hungary will be duly impressed and head the other direction when they see these guys. 😉

After this show, we head further along the mountain until we reach the Fishermen’s Bastion. This building complex is nearly completely made of stone, even the roofs. I see no wood anywhere. The 7 towers are meant to represent the original 7 chieftains that setup the Hungarian Empire back in 896. The building reminded me of Disney World. I had a hard time imagining this is what it would have looked like in the 9th century. But who am I to doubt this?

We slowly start back to the ship by way of the Danube Shoes. This is a memorial to the many people that were shot here by Nazi’s during the second world war. It’s very hot now, and there is hardly any shade anywhere here. We head back to the ship, but also need to stop frequently to dry up again in the shade. At one point I suggest to Gepke that she just leave me behind, a suggestion she happily consents to.

After she leaves, I walk at a much slower pace back to the spot I believe the ship should be. I notice that Gepke has passed this, under the assumption our ship is moored beyond the next bridge. I text her, and she admits she missed the exit. I’m glad I let her leave, so I can board the ship and get out of the heat. We both shower when we’re back in the cabin, and are grateful for the invention of air conditioning.

During the night our ship moved from Budapest to Mohács, still in Hungary. The tour for today will take us to Pecs (pronounced as Paige). This is about an hours drive from where we moored the ship. In Pécs our guide takes us into the Pécs Cathedral which was promoted to a Basilica by the Pope. Apparently that is a thing popes do. In the basement of the Cathedral is the medieval crypt. However our guide more or less runs through quickly before we can even realize what it is.

After the Cathedral we walk to the Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs. Remnants of a Roman building of the fourth century, now at nearly 4 meters below street level. Early Christians used this building to bury their dead. We emerge on the other end of the necropolis. At this point we join up with members of our group that were too afraid to enter this site.

On to the central square of Pécs, where we are given an hour to walk around on our own. In the meantime the temperature has risen to 36C, about 97F. Although it’s not as humid as back home in South Carolina, we decide having a cappuccino sounds like more preferable than walking around in the sun. So that’s what we do at a cafe on the edge of the square.

Around noon we return to the bus that carries a full load of sleeping tourists back to the ship. There the crew is waiting for us with a tasty lunch. I have a tomato cream soup followed by fish and chips.

After lunch we head out again, even though the temperature has appeared to risen even more. We go to the Museum of Busójárás. People dressed up in masks and heavy sheepskins celebrate carnival 7 days in February. The idea is to keep evil spirits at bay with songs, dance and bon fires. Some legends claim they also chased away the Ottomans this way. However, that is doubtful as this tradition didn’t start until after the Ottomans had already withdrawn from the area. Leaving the museum we walk to the central village square. By now the temperature is just plain oppressive, so we return to the Viking Kadlin.

We’re in Vukovar, Croatia. On a Sunday like today you can tell this part of Europe is very Catholic: everything is closed. We do however take the bus in the morning to the city of Osijik. We have a very knowledgeable guide that speaks clearly about the region and the culture and the history. In recent history this part of the world was nearly destroyed during the Serb-Croation war in the early 90’s. This is the area where Milosovitch reigned his terror. Some buildings here have been restored to their former glory. Others were either left as they were to remind of a war that should not be repeated, or because the owners never returned.

Before the war Vukovar had over 60,000 residents, nowadays only 23,000 remain. Many left during the war, but also young people left because there was no economic basis for a decent living. But slowly people are returning to the area to live in the place where they grew up.

Our first stop is the history museum in Vukovar. Our guide does an amazing job of summarizing the history that runs from the paleontologic until present time. We walk through the museum. Our guide explains the history and ties it to the objects displayed in the cases along the walls.

After this museum we drive to the old city center of Osijek to walk through the streets. All of us admire the old buildings and what’s left of the fort/army barracks. The cobble stones in the street change from a modern type, to a more rough 18th century type. Finally they become the very uneven and worn down 16th century version that is hard to walk on.

At this point we board our bus again to return to the ship. Most people in the group are happy to do this as the temperature has risen to 38C/98F. Being outside is downright unpleasant. I nod off on the way back to the ship and am happy to continue my dozing inside the cabin.
In the afternoon we sail on a little further to the town of Ilok where we spend some time. Of course Gepke is still full of energy. She goes for a walk near the old city walls of Ilok in 40C heat. It’s OK, it a dry heat…

When Gepke returns the Serbia Police board the boot. To exit Serbia and enter the EU they need to check all the passports of everyone. During the night the boot sails on to Novi Sad, the second largest city of Serbia.

Today no bus ride, but instead a guided walk through the city. Our guide is an older gentleman who tries too hard to be funny. He talks a lot but says little. He needs to work on his guiding skills before his skills catch up with the previous guides. However he does take us through a representative section of the city of Novi Sad. As cherry on the pie we enter a Synagog where a trio of young women perform. They sing a few jewish songs for us and another group. It’s very hot in the temple and I am dripping with sweat when we exit the building again. It almost feels cool outside in the 95F heat. The tour continues and returns to the boat again at the end.

We immediately leave again for our own tour. We walk to the fort on the other side of the Danube. For this we need to walk to the nearest bridge and find a way to ascend the bridge. Most bridges across the Danube are built for automobiles. This means they connect to the main roads, but not easily to pedestrian routes. Sometimes there is a stairway that allows you to rise to the level of the bridge. Other times you need to follow the same path cars take, which is usually not the shortest route. Entering the bridge this time goes via the long way. After crossing it, we take a dangerous route crossing the road to get off again.

Then we find the 214 steps taking us to the top of the hill on which the fort lives. The fort is no longer a real fort. It is now a collection of artist’s studios and an expensive looking hotel: The Leopold. After looking around we settle down for drinks on the terrace of the Leopold. The waiter has no flavor of whine that makes Gepke happy. So he settles for mineral water and I get a local beer.

After enjoying the drinks and the view, we leave and descend the steps again back to the river. We return on the other side of the bridge, so we don’t have to cross the busy street on this side. After finding a way off the bridge we return to the ship. We have dinner on the deck this time. Without delay while we sleep the Viking Kadlin takes us to Belgrade.

Our tour today was described as a “Panoramic tour”. That usually means looking out of the window of the bus, not much walking. But it turned out to be mostly walking due to road construction everywhere in town. We first visited the Church of Saint Sava. This church has been under construction since 1935 and is still not finished. No work has been done since 2004. Whenever they collected enough money from the poor, they build another section of the church.

The inside and parts of the outside are adorned with gold leaf. On the inside there are elaborate mosaics of which parts are made with glass covered with gold leaf. After this visit we are dropped off in the city center and pointed out some of the most important sites. We used the personal time to try Belgrades coffee. Then we walked on to the Belgrade Fortress on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Danube and the Sava.

Our guide spoke of the many times Belgrade was overrun or bombed by different groups intent on controlling the gateway to Europe. The Ottoman’s, the Russian and German empire, the Nazi’s and finally bombed into submission in 1999 by UN forces. Especially the last attack was not understood, as the Serbs see themselves as the victims in that fight. Graffiti in the city center says: “The only genocide done in the Balkans was to the Serbs”. To point out: there are other groups that will disagree with that. But it’s always interesting to hear the story from both sides.

In the afternoon we return to the city center on foot. There were shuttles available to take us there, but walking seemed much more efficient. The reason for the busses (according to the guides) were the 200+ steps you need to climb to get to the city center. On the way there we never experienced these steps, although we did find them on the way back. There were only 105 according to Gepke.

In the city center we spent time with our favorite activity: watching people while having drinks on a terrace. This time we had coffee at the Hotel Moscow, or as the Serbs write it: Хотел Москва. Many famous people stayed at this hotel, their most recent celebrity being Jack Nicholson. At nearly 90 years of age he probably can use the exquisite service offered there. He can certainly afford it.

By way of the Republic Square and the narrow Turkish Street (Skadarlija or Скадарлија) we return to the Viking Kadlin. Along the way we pass the area from where the shuttles to the ship leave. We don’t take a shuttle. It looks like we can walk there in less than half the time it will take the bus.

Back at the ship we are asked to join everyone in the lounge. The program director needs to make an announcement. It looks like there is not enough water in the Danube to continue to Constanta near the Black See. So our sailing will be cut short. We will disembark one day earlier and therefore spend one day longer in a hotel in Bucharest Romania.

We’ve decided to add another tour to our itinerary today, a visit to Lepenski Vir. This is an archeological site that was moved to higher ground. This occurred after a dam was built in the Danube in the 1960’s. The waters roze more than 30 meters as a result. Lepenski Vir was a civilization that flourished from about 9500 bc until 6000 bc. They started as hunter-gatherers, but grew into an agrarian society during the Neolithic era. The people left behind evidence of trapezoidal buildings and other objects that we will be able to see today.

The site is covered by a steel and glass construction that allow in light. They show us an old 1970’s period documentary about the original dig. We then move into the large area where we can see the restoration of the site. Outside they also made some thatch huts that possibly resemble what the buildings of their village looked like. However most is conjecture, as it is near impossible to say with accuracy how things looked that long ago.

After Lepenski Vir, we take a ride to an artist’s settlement. Here we are treated to several products that this area now produces. Such as plums, cow cheese, very sweet cookies, cucumber and tomato. We can flush this down with a small glass of Rakija, enhanced with honey. We admire the view of the Danube and art objects that are placed along the path we walk. The Danube is no longer a river here, but a wide and deep lake. This is due to the Iron Gate dam that closed off the river 60 years ago.

In the afternoon the same guide takes us for a walking tour though his village where our ship is moored. His village Donji Milanovac is the smallest village of Serbia. In the village he takes us to the school and spends considerate time explaining to us how Cyrillic writing works. He hopes by the end of the class we’ll be able to read Serbian.

Next stop is at the Serbian Orthodox church where a choir sings for us. The voices are amazingly clear. Even though we cannot understand the text of the songs, everyone is quiet in awe of its beauty. After we return to the ship it casts off and heads for the Iron Gates. This is the narrowest section of the Danube.

We are in the town of Vidin today. We’re confused about what time it is. Our watches keep resetting themselves, being on the separation of two timezones here. But it looks like we woke up in time for the 9:00 AM walking tour through the city. It’s not a large city, with only around 46,000 people. More shrinkage due to the economic fallout from Yugoslavia falling apart in 1990. Then over 90,000 people lived here.

We walk along the park on the banks of the Danube. Here is a fortress of which no one is really sure when it was first built. Instead there are legends around it. Like it being the castle of a young queen named Vina, but most of that was literally made up. Inside the fortress you can easily get lost in all the small chambers, stairways and wall paths.

During our free time I enter the prison room. It is difficult to navigate so I am the only person there. I find a tight circular stairway that leads to a grassy area higher up. I cross the grass to another hole that leads down again. However it does not go to the prison chamber, but to the area outside the fortress. Here the rest of my group and Gepke is leaving through the main entrance. A maze! This is my kind of fort!

Our guide continues and shows us a Synagogue, an Orthodox Church and a Mosque. By now we’re happy we don’t have to enter them; we’re tired of ABC (Another Bloody Church). We walk into the city center and look at a few monuments. Then we decide to separate from the group and continue on our own. Even though it’s a small town, it has a cosy center square. From here streets radiate in all directions. There are all kinds of shops, cafe’s and restaurants. We find one that although they do not accept credit cards, they are willing to separate us from our euros.

After paying only 5 euros for two cappuccino’s we wander further. After we grow tired we head back to the ship for lunch. Yesterday’s dinner was somewhat of a mandatory local cuisine affair, which I did not much care for. So I was happy to order just a plain hot dog for lunch, just to make up for last night. That was the only evening I did not really care for the food; every other morning/afternoon/evening it was great!

We normally eat very well in the evenings on the Viking Kadlin. There is a different choice available every day. Additionally a choice of item’s specific to the region we are traveling through. Finally choices that are the same every day. All of them are usually very good, and desert never contains any sugar or calories according to the chef. Of course that is just the chef’s opinion about the desert. In reality most are very much sugary and the calories go straight to the hips. But it’s your choice to take them in or not.

Tonight will be our last night on the ship. But until then, Viking will entertain us with a trip to Pleven. The main sight here is the Pleven Panorama; but first we go for a guided walk through the town. We both find the town has a depressing atmosphere. Many of the buildings here are in the barren concrete Soviet style from the 60’s and 70’s. Even the monuments from the first world war don’t express much pride or reverence, but instead look cold and depressing.

A short bus ride take us to the Pleven Panorama: a building again in Soviet style looks like stack of rings. There are cannons to remind the visitor that this sight is about the Battle of Pleven back in 1877. Inside a local guide takes over from our guide and shows us through the building. There are more weapons displayed from that era and we ascend a long stairway that displays paintings about the battle.

It’s not until we reach the end of the stairway that we are all surprised. We look in awe at what is here. The top floor walls are covered in a 360 degree painting of the battle of Pleven. Earlier we saw the paintings along the staircase. But this is a diorama combined with a painting depicting the trench war environment. There are objects strewn around, and this diorama flows seamlessly into the 360 degree painting on the wall. Everyone listens to the guide in silence as she explains the different scenes we see in front of us.

We definitely weren’t expecting this when we entered the depressing building earlier, but we’re all happy we visited here. The bus takes us back into town. Of course we visit another church, walk along a newer park and enter a main street and square. The feeling of Soviet era continues to surround us. It’s not a mystery to us why most young people prefer to leave this place for other places in Europe. But perhaps they will return here one day. For now we call it a day and drive another hour back to the ship.

This is our last night in Bulgaria, and our last night on the Viking Kadlin. Tomorrow our luggage and we ourselves will be transferred by bus to Bucharest in Romania. We will spend our last days of this trip in the J.W. Marriott Hotel, from where we will do a few more sightseeing outings.

A long day in the bus today as it’s disembarkation day. Gepke already packed one suitcase last night and put it outside. After our morning routine we place the other one outside as well and make our way to the exit. The gangway is busy with bustling crew members hauling our luggage to a waiting truck. All the passengers are motioned to the waiting busses, like sheep going to the slaughter. Many of us did not sleep well, as there was a wedding party going on across the river. The sound of heavy music apparently went on till 5:30 AM, but I slept like a log.

The bus ride to Bucharest takes a little over three hours. Our guide of 70 years old talked all the way to Bucharest. About what there was to see left and right. She also spoke about what it was like growing up in Communist Romania. By the end of the ride, most of us would have rather immediately checked into the hotel. However, that was not an option. Instead we drove around the city to get a view of the most important sites. The group had to leave the bus. Then walk through the old inner city to a large restaurant, where lunch was served.

During lunch some dances were performed by people in local costume. They were hard to see as I was sitting with my back to them. All in all I found the city experience rather chaotic and I guess I was getting tired. After lunch we walked more and after a while were giving “personal time” to discover our surroundings. Most of us were too pooped and just hung around on benches not far from where we were supposed to meet the bus again. Gepke and I did make a quick detour into an ice cream parlor, but then hung out with the rest.

Finally we went to our hotel: The JW Marriott Bucharest Grand. An enormous hotel of more than 8 floors. Checkin was a breeze, as envelopes with our room keys were waiting with our name on it. In our room our luggage was waiting for us. We unpacked for the next two days, relaxed a little and then went to to 1st floor for dinner. The scene in the dining room reminded me of a political fund raiser. A huge room with giant chandeliers and big round tables. The food was a buffet, not as good as the food we had on the ship, but of acceptable quality.

Gepke still had the energy to be social, but my attention was waning fast. After desert I could think of not more rewarding than returning to the room and crashing on the bed. Thankfully we did just that shortly afterwards.

We slept in today, as we have no official tours scheduled. We do go down to the first floor to have breakfast with the other “Vikings” in the JW Steakhouse restaurant. Not that we have steak for breakfast. It’s just in this area where they have setup a breakfast buffet for us. And what a buffet it is: one of the most elaborate breakfasts we have had this whole trip. None of them were at all bad as a matter of fact.

Walking Bucharest

After stuffing our faces, we return briefly to the room to setup a route to walk through Bucharest today. We just pick some sights and will head there and decide on the spot if we need to enter them. Most of the time we just enjoy walking through the city, watching people and gawking at the huge buildings. So it is today too. At a leisurely pace we peruse Bucharest. We enter a church or two, skip a museum or two. Reason being it may take away from the strength of our feet. But we do stop frequently for coffee or ice cream.

In this manner we see:

• The Great Synagogue (not very impressive),
• Carturesti Carusel (very big bookstore),
• Pasajul Macca-Vila Crosse and Pasajul Victoriei (both passages connection main streets with cafe’s),
• Romanian Athenaeum (Concert hall),
• Church of Stavropoleos Monastry and of course
• many impressive buildings in the financial district.

When we feel tired we start back in the direction of our hotel. On the way we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at Vatra restaurant for a tasty traditional Romanian meal.

It’s our last day in Bucharest, and as a matter of fact the last day of our vacation. We are spending the morning in Dimitrie Gusti National Village museum. This is described as an open air ethnographic museum. Back in the 1930’s they started moving homes, farms and other buildings of interest from rural Romania to this area in the city. This was done to teach city youths where their daily products come from. So milk comes from a cow, not a carton, and eggs are produced by chickens, not supermarkets.

In the course of many years structures from all parts of Romania were moved here to educate the city folk. Unfortunately today is a Monday, and we could not inspect the structures from the inside, only admire from the outside. There was also something wrong with the lake adjacent to the park that made it smell like an open sewer. Our guide did her best to ignore this, but some areas were not fun to hang out.

She explained about some of the areas from which the structures came. How the occupants were compensated when their home was moved. They had the choice to move with it to the park. There they would become an attraction themselves, like animals in a Zoo. Her stories were all very depressing, and none of them had much of a positive spin. She also did not seem to like her husband much, as she told us how lazy and useless he was.

We headed back to the hotel through the heavy weekday traffic of Bucharest. It seemed to take at least twice as long as on the weekends. At the hotel we could use our voucher to have lunch. The voucher was for 40 euros, but it was easy to spend much more in the restaurant at the hotel. People around us appeared to get their lunch relatively speedy compared to us. We think this was caused by Gepke’s dish. I had just simple grilled chicken with potatoes. She had a pasta dish, of which the last minutes of preparation was done at our table. The pasta was put on a whole wheel of Parmesan cheese, which was scraped until creamy enough to serve.

Today will be our return trip to Greenville. After breakfast we pile into the hotel shuttle along with some other guests to head to the airport. As usual traffic in Bucharest is chaotic, but we manage to get to the departures area relatively quickly. Checkin is a breeze and before we know it we are through security and waiting at the gate. The seating at this gate is the most uncomfortable I have experienced in a my traveling life. The seats are hard and there is no way to sit in them without sliding out. Many people choose to just stand till their plane leaves. Our trip is interrupted in Munich for a brief period as we change plans. Thankfully it’s not too long.

In the end we make it to Greenville and are able to hit the hay. It was a long flight, but we managed the jetlag like a champion. Viking River Cruise was a comfortable way to see the country, although not cheap. The advantage is you have your hotel with you. The ship mostly travels at night. During the day you have many options to discover the places you stop at. It was unnecessary to insist on a balcony, as in port you were most docked right next to another ship. If we were to do this again, we’d save some money and opt for a cabin on the lowest deck.

But all in all it was a fun vacation. We saw a lot of the Balkans we had missed on our previous trip here. We also managed to hit one new country for us: Romania. Talk to you again on our next trip.

Greetings from Us!

Many more photos about our trip can be found on our photo page.