Uniworld Cruise - 2014

EUROPEAN TRIP

21 April – 23 June 2014

The trip included 6 days in Amsterdam and a riverboat cruise. As usual, all flights were on Lufthansa. Many sites do not allow photography, so we buy postcards or books with pictures. When traveling, we always want to see Medieval altarpieces; textiles; icons.

THE NETHERLANDS

 We left home on Monday 21 April and arrived in Amsterdam on Tuesday 22 April. We had enjoyed staying at The Pulitizer Hotel previously and chose to do so again. The Hotel Pulitzer---In the 1960's, a farmer named Peter Pulitzer was looking for a way to invest his capital. He bought 10 dilapidated canal houses along Prinzengracht and Keizergracht in Amsterdam and remodeled them into a hotel. What began as a venture for "Howard Johnson" was renamed Hotel Pulitizer; as Peter was the great-great-grandson of Joseph Pulitzer of the famed "Pulitzer Prize," name recognition helped the hotel thrive. Peter's motto was "The house of your neighbor is for sale only once." He slowly expanded his holdings and in 30 years time increased its size to 25 houses. From the exterior, all appear as separate houses. Inside is a modern luxury hotel.  Some hallways have small flights of three or four steps as levels change between structures. Room 112, which looks out onto an interior courtyard, is located in Prinzengracht 321 built around 1617. 

We sometimes heard the bells from Westerkerk while inside our room but not loudly enough to be annoying. This was not our first trip to Amsterdam and we enjoy just wandering and enjoying the city.

The hotel concierge told us that warm weather meant the tulips at Keukenhof Gardens were past peak; so having seen them at their peak in 2001, we opted not to go. On April 23rd we

booked a "City Sightseeing Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour;" combined with a canal tour on a future day There are 11 stops [Central Station; Magna Plaza; Westermarket; Leidse Squarep; Museum Square; Heineken Experience; Windmill; Artis Royal Zoo; Gassan Diamonds; Amstel/Rembrandt Square] and they advertize that the buses appear at each stop every fifteen minutes. That works pretty well even with the congested traffic in some areas. We enjoyed the tour and did two complete rounds but didn't get off. 

On April 24th we took the canal boat trip on the See Amsterdam. The "Blue Canal Tour" wound its way through the city via Prinzengracht; Amstel River; the harbor; the Eye River; Prinzengracht; it was a somewhat circular journey with stops at Anne Frank House; Leidestratt; Hermitage; Waterloo; Gassan Diamonds; Central Station East; Central Station West; Anne Frank House. We enjoyed the sail through Amsterdam's waterways. Taped narration in several languages told of major sites; it was an enjoyable 75 minutes. Seeing the canal houses, bridges, and other structures from the water provides a totally different perspective. Many of Amsterdam's historic structures sit atop wooden pilings driven deep into the reclaimed land. Keeping the wet wood wet and the dry wood dry prevents rot. Canal water levels are carefully maintained to preserve the buildings. 

After disembarking, we headed back toward the hotel. Westerkerk was open and we went inside. We chose not to purchase the ticket to climb to the top of Amsterdam's tallest tower and just entered the sanctuary to look around. The exterior is more impressive than the interior.

Our afternoon tour to Delft and The Hague was April 25th. The bus was a double-decker, and had good seats on the upper deck just behind the rear door. We drove out of Amsterdam toward the airport and Leiden. Our excellent guide narrated everything in English, Spanish and German. Most of this area has industry and tall corporate buildings; the headquarters of ING among them. However, we did see some cattle, horses and sheep. After passing the exit to The Hague, we drove to Delft. Our first stop was the Royal Delft factory where the tour consisted of two short films showing the history and the current process. Following these films, our guide escorted us on an abbreviated tour where we saw a painter, kilns, molds, and someone smoothing pieces. Of course, the tour ended in the shop. 

We left the factory and drove into the city center of Delft where we had about an hour of free time. We visited both the Nieuwe Kerk with its grotesque mausoleum of William of Orange, 

 

and the Oude Kerk.

. 

Entrance into both was a 5 euro ticket. We walked around the square

before leaving Delft and headed for The Hague. Dreary and overcast skies resulted in some light rain. Upon arrival in the city of The Hague, traffic began to back up; many streets were already closed because of tomorrow's Koningsdag celebration. The guide pointed out various NATO related buildings including: International Court of Justice; Yugoslav Tribunal; Chemical Warfare. At the Peace Palace, we stopped for photos. 

Then we drove by a circuitous route toward downtown with the driver doing his best to get us as close as possible. Several of us walked in the drizzle into the downtown area near the palace, but the palace itself was already closed for tomorrow's celebrations, so we could not enter the courtyard. 

After trekking back to the bus, we headed for Amsterdam. We saw a few tulip fields on the way.

Saturday 26 April - Koningsdag [King's Day] in The Netherlands. This is the first time the country has had a king since 1890; Queens Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix ruled for more than 100 years. As the monarchy is the House of Orange, that is the preferred color for the celebration. Sometime after 10:00, we left the hotel and wandered up and down the canal and side streets. People were selling "garage sale" type items, cookies and drinks in front of their home or where they had staked out a spot. There were some commercial vendors, too. We just walked and looked; it was sunny but cool enough for coats. There were already boats crowded with revelers on the canals. About 3/4 of the people had on something orange; a few were way over the top. Beer was already flowing. Many of the revelers were young and some appeared to have come to Amsterdam especially for the celebration. 

 Most of the shops closed and there was no public transportation operating, so we spent the afternoon in the hotel. We left the hotel again about 4:45---this time by the rear entrance as there was a crowd at the front because the hotel was selling beer, burgers, and had music playing. We walked up and down the street a little and noticed a lot of orange merchandise that didn't sell. Crowds were noisier---drunker---and vendors packed up around 6:00. We had enjoyed the relaxing day.

27 April - It rained---not hard but a steady drizzle. After breakfast we got out and walked a few blocks in each direction along the Prinzengracht. In addition to the slick streets and sidewalks, we had to navigate trash: cans; bottles; cups; paper; plastic. 

 

We don't know who is responsible for cleanup but think it might be the owner of the premises as we saw some doing it. Who cleans up the parking areas is anyone's guess. There is also trash in the canals. Considering the number of people involved, there could have been more trash and some of it was piled. There aren't many people out and about. We don't know if that's because it's Sunday or if it's because everyone is recovering from Koningsdag.  By 4:30 or so the drizzle had stopped and the sun had come out. People had really been busy because almost all the trash was gone from the streets, sidewalks and parking areas.

Monday 28 April - Skies were sunny and bright when we drove to the airport to meet the Uniworld representative. We were driven to the port; it took about a half hour and we used the outer ring road. We boarded the River Duchess sometime around 2:00.

29 April - the morning tour which began with a short walk from our pier to a canal boat. This was a different canal boat tour company from the other one and the route was different, too. For one thing, we went in somewhat of a reverse order. Our guide narrated. We disembarked about 3 blocks from the Rijks Museum. After entering, our guide led us to the third level where she gave some commentary on selected 17th century paintings---primarily Rembrandt. Throngs of visitors crowded the building which underwent a ten-years-long renovation and only reopened last year. One addition appears to be a glass covering over the courtyard to provide an entrance. We spent a couple of hours there and left at noon. 

The bus trip back to the boat took about 20 minutes. We sailed for Cologne soon after. We spent time enjoying the scenery alongside the canal.

GERMANY

 30 April - On the afternoon's walking tour of Cologne's Cathedral. Parthenia, our local guide, was excellent. She made everything interesting and added tidbits and asides which made things come to life. She gave commentary on the history of the city and pointed out various interesting sites as we made our way to the church. 

Once inside the Dom itself, she told the structure's history, its reconstruction after World War II and the on-going restoration. Parthenia told of St. Ursula, patron saint of Cologne, who was martyred along with 1100 virgins, saying that it might have originally been 11; zeroes could have been added later. She also explained how the bones of the Magi were "rescued" from Milan's conflagration and brought to Cologne by Barbarossa, the one who ordered Milan burned. 

 

As May 1st is a holiday in most of Europe, it's a good day to cruise. We passed The German Corner and sailed through Koblenz. 

We spent the morning in the lounge or topside making photos of the castles which dot this stretch of the river, called The Romantic Rhine. Fog and mist morphed into overcast skies. Then the sun broke through. We enjoyed seeing the castles, towns and vineyards which line both banks of the busy river. Cruise boats and cargo boats ply the water in both directions; a railroad and a road, both busy, parallel each bank. 

We watched more scenery until docking in Rudesheim after lunch. We skipped the tour and walked into town. Hearing organ music coming from St. Jakobuskirche, we went inside and listened for about ten minutes before heading back to the boat.

  

2 May - On our walking tour of Frankfurt, we walked along the river and into the old city center with the guide’s commentary providing information on the sites; almost everything in Frankfurt is post-WWII. 

After going to the main market to sample a real frankfurter sausage, we stopped at Main Tower to ride the elevator to the 54th floor and the climb two floors to the open-air viewing deck. The line was long; security was slow; the elevator was small; the view wasn't worth it. We took a quick peek before descending. 

3 May - We arrived in Miltenberg and from where we docked, it didn't look like much of a town. Our walking tour of the town altered that opinion. Although it was cold, we had a good tour of the picturesque town. Many buildings are half-timbered and our guide gave many details and facts. The church, dedicated to St. James the Greater, was a stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostelo. 

After the tour ended, we boarded a bus for the less-than-ten-minute ride to Schloss Kleinheubach. Once there we had a winery tour and wine tasting. The highlight was a tour by Her Serene Highness Anastasia, Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and great-granddaughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II, through her private apartments. We saw the entry hall, dining room, her drawing room and the salon. She was most gracious, and we felt special. [Quite honestly, had we opened our front door and seen over 100 strangers wanting to walk through our home, we would have slammed and locked it.] 

 

 

When we arrived riverside, we noticed the upper deck of the boat had been stripped and the pilot house lowered; low bridges ahead.

4 May - We tied up in Wurzburg. The sun shone brightly on the Marinberg Fortress which topped the hill outside our window and was reflected in the river below. 

There was a short ride to Wurzburg Residence and Court Gardens. Charles, our guide, dressed so flamboyantly that at first we thought he was a she; he was an excellent tour guide and everything else was immaterial. 

We toured the Wurzburg Residence, home of the Prince-Bishops, with Charles and learned a great deal about the building and its inhabitants; it's amazing that the ceiling frescoes painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and the carved plaster work of Antonio Bossi survived the bombing raids of WWII. Architect Balthasar Neumann's unsupported dome over the main staircase was also strong enough to withstand this attack. Considering all these were completed in the mid-1700s, their survival is an amazing feat. 

 

The tour ended and there was time to walk the gardens before leaving for the trip to Rothenburg via the so-called "Romantik Road." We enjoyed the pleasant drive through countryside and small villages. Wind turbines and "solar farms" abound; Germany's goal is to shut down all nuclear plants by 2020 and incentives are paid to those willing to install alternative energy resources. While some solar panel installations only involve a few on the roof, many others cover the entire roof or several acres of land. Charles did his best to make the trip interesting by providing commentary. Church bells were chiming/clanging noon as we entered the walled city of Rothenburg. 

Charles provided an excellent introduction and tour; we were treated to samples of wurst, apple chips and schneeball, a confection known as a snowball. Once at the main square, the tour ended and we had about two hours of free time. Our first stop was St. Jakobs [Lutheran] Kirche Rothenburg ob der Tauber where we paid four euros to enter and see the Altar of the Holy Blood by Tilman Riermanschneider. 

We then walked to the Franciscan Cathedral to see another altar by Riermanschneider depicting St. Francis receiving the stigmata. The church was closed until 2:00, so we walked farther down the street and ate lunch at Weinstube zum Pulverer. The walls and ceilings were carved wooden panels, some with painted flowers; the chair backs were figures and each seemed to depict a different person//occupation. After lunch we returned to the Franciscan church to view the altarpiece 

before wandered back to the meeting point.

5 May - We sailed the Main River. Outside our window everything looked green and pastoral. No flood wall interfered between the riverbank and the trees, bushes, grass and flowers. We traversed several locks; there were a total of 69 between Amsterdam and Vienna. We tied up in an industrial area of Bamberg before noon. That afternoon buses hauled us to the center of town for our walking tour. Stephanie, our guide, identified herself as a streetwalker---the vertical kind. We enjoyed the tour of the city which wasn't destroyed during WWII. Much to our surprise, it's not medieval but rebuilt during the time of Louis XIV in the "modern" style.   

Situated on seven hills, it is sometimes known as the "Rome of the North" but also has an area which is known as "Little Venice." with houses built on wooden pilings. 

Known for its breweries, Bambergers drink more beer per capita than anyone else in the world. We wandered through town and stopped on the upper bridge over the Regintz River 

near the Old Town Hall with its scene-painted walls. 

Next we walked through the antique-shop area to the Bamberger Dom St. Peter und St. Georg 

where we saw the tomb of Pope Clement II, the only Pope buried north of the Alps; 

the tombs of St. Henry and St Cunigunde, founders of the cathedral and the only Emperor and Empress to bear the titles of saint. 

Inside the church is the Bamberger Reiter believed to be a statue of King Stephen I of Hungary. 

From there we went to the Old Court,  

crossed the street to the former Prince Bishop's Palace, and into the Rose Garden.  

 

This provided an overview of the city and a good view of St. Michael's Monastery crowning the hill. 

6 May - As this was either our 3rd or 4th trip to Nurnberg/Nuremberg, the capital city of Franconia, we have seen the WWII sites previously. We rode a bus from the ship to the city. We made photo stops at Hitler's Nazi Coliseum 

and then at the Zeppelin Parade Grounds;  

both were sites of Nazi Imperialism, Power and Rallies. On our drive we passed the infamous Courtroom 600, site of the post-WWII Nuremberg Trials. We drove into the city itself and went to Kaiserburg, the castle atop the hill overlooking the old city. 

After explanations there, we walked down the steep hill 

and the tour ended at the Schoner Brunnen, 

 the ornate gold fountain in front of the Frauenkirche

 in Hauptmarkt. 

 We saw the 7 Electors parade around Emperor Karl IV at noon; called the Mannleinlaufen, this glockenspiel in the clock tower of the Frauenkirche was completed before 1510. The bells on the clock pealed and struck the hours and the quarters. After returning to the ship, we spent a lazy afternoon as we sailed the Main-Danube Canal. Massive locks stepped our boat up and over the continental divide. Here the entrance gates are doors which raise/lower vertically. It can take an hour to traverse the lock itself not counting waiting time. 

7 May - Still sailing the canal, the countryside looked very pastoral and forested. One sight was the Befreiungshalle at Kelheim, a huge circular tower erected atop a hill by King Ludwig to commemorate and glorify the heroes of the War of 1813 and the victory over Napoleon. 

We spent most of the morning enjoying the sail. Having been to Regensburg before, we decided to skip the tour and walk the few blocks into town. 

We entered the Dom, looked around and made some photos. 

 

 Later we sailed past Walhalla, another of King Ludwig's constructions; this one looks like a Greek temple.

8 May - This morning in Passau it was about 50 degrees and drizzling rain, so we decided against the walking tour; it probably wasn't too different from the previous two trips here. After the rain stopped, we decided to go out and walk around. 

We went to the Dom and made some photos of the almost-empty church. 

The entire ship had tickets for a concert ,Orgelmusik im Hohen Dom St. Stephan zu Passau, in the Dom at noon. The organist played six selections designed to show off the world's second largest pipe organ.

AUSTRIA

We sailed from Passau along the Danube for Engelhartszell Abbey, a Trappist Monastery. After we tied up at the village of Engelzell, someone came aboard to give us a brief history. The Abbey was founded in the late 13th century by Cistercian Monks. 

We went ashore where we saw the interior of the beautiful church with its rococo decor. Next we saw the aquarium with fish from the Danube River and a huge beluga sturgeon. 

Our last stop was the hotel to sample cheese and beer made by the monks.

9 May - We traversed the lock at Melk Abbey  

and spent the morning cruising the scenic Wachau Valley. We made some photos of castles and vineyards along the Danube. 

The warmth and bright sunshine made this a good morning of cruising. We tied up at Durnstein before noon.

10 May - Because Vienna was the ending and beginning point for those who did not do the entire cruise across Europe, we had three days there. The first day we took the "Imperial Tour." We took the normal route in past the Opera and drove some of the Ring Road. Our first stop was the  Kunsthistoriches Museum  

where our guide took us through the Kunstkammer.  Several rooms are filled with treasures and curiosities of the Hapsburgs. The quality and variety of objects intrigued us. 

We left the museum at 11:15 and walked through the Hofburg Palace area. 

As it was almost noon, we left the group and walked over to GriechenBeisl near Stephensdom, our favorite place for weinerschnitzel. 

After dinner, we attended a special tourist concert at the Hofburg.

11 May - The second day---Peter Kirchmayer from Austrian Chauffeur Limousines GmbH arrived and we were off for our private tour. Our first stop was Stift Klosterneuburg, a nine-hundred-year-old-abbey atop a hill outside Vienna. 

Here St. Leopold (King Leopold III) is buried. We paid for the tour of the Treasury and the Abbey. Items in the treasury collection were sorted by era and exuded opulence. We especially enjoyed the detail. The people there allowed Peter to accompany us and interpret for us. After that, we joined the tour of the Abbey; Peter also interpreted here.

The highlight was the Verduner Altarpiece created in 1181 by the same artist who did the casket for the Magi in Cologne. 

After the tour, we went into the back of the sanctuary where the noon mass was just beginning. 

Rain fell as we left the abbey and headed for the church and continued off and on for the remainder of the day. From there we drove to Kahlenberg, the site commemorating the defeat of the Turks by the European army led by the Polish king. Although owned by the abbey, the abandoned structure lacks any inspiring features. We drove down from the hills and stopped for lunch at Zum Martin Sepp, a wine tavern in Grinzing, Peter then dropped us at the Kunsthistoriches Museum to see the Faberge exhibit.

12 May - We did a tour which first stopped at an apartment building designed by Hundertwasser, an unconventional architect; it reminded us of Gaudi. 

Upon arrival at the Belvedere Palace, we walked through the main gate and around to the garden area. 

Upon entering, we found a baroque structure filled with art---none of which appealed to us. Gustav Klimpt's The Kiss is their most famous work. 

Because we were running early, our guide took us across the Danube and we made a circle in the newer part of Vienna where we saw the United Nations Complex.

SLOVAKIA

14 May - Because we had been to Bratislava before, we skipped the tour and walked into town. 

In the afternoon, we boarded a bus for the 30+ minute ride to Schloss Hof, the count of Savoy's country home across the border in Lower Austria. We toured the chateau 

and then spent a very brief time in the gardens and seeing the animals. We saw chickens with feathers all the way down their legs; white donkeys; Lipizzaner horses; four-horned goats; camels. 

HUNGARY

15 May – It drizzled all day. The ship; was tied up in the Danube River at Szentendre Island. We boarded horse-drawn carriages for the ride to Bodor Major, a combination farm and equestrian park. 

 

There we saw some animals: Racka Juh (goats with curled horns); 

 

grey Hungarian cattle; horses; Mangalica (pigs with long hair). 

 

Then we went to a large hall where a gypsy band played and we were served apricot brandy; strawberry wine; pizza. We then went to covered bleachers on one side of an arena where we saw various equestrian events showing off Magyar horsemanship. We were most impressed by the man riding the five-horse team. He stood on the rumps of two horses with three more horses in front and rode them at a gallop around the arena. 

 Lunch was goulash and bread. That afternoon we boarded a bus which took us to the village of Szentendre on the mainland. Home to some artists, handicraft shops abound. We enjoyed the walk up and down one of the streets. 

We left the village by bus and arrived in Budapest just as the River Duchess was docking.

16 May - We walked the 3 or 4 blocks from the ship over to the main market; fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. are downstairs. We rode the escalator up to the second floor and walked through the crafts section. Thousands of yards of embroidered fabric and garments along with some leather goods, wooden boxes, etc. filled one entire side and more. There were also some cafes with prepared foods. The vendors had a somewhat lackadaisical attitude and didn't appear interested in making sales or initiating contact. We walked the entire second level before taking the escalator back down. After leaving the market, we walked down a pedestrian area and window shopped. After walking the length of the street, we walked back to the Danube and walked beside it back to the ship. We enjoyed the walk under sometimes-sunny-skies and without rain. 

After lunch we got our things and went topside. There was some sun, so we covered ourselves with blankets against the cool breeze across the deck. That night we made photos as we sailed from Budapest.

17 May - The ship arrived in Mohacs and tied up. We decided to stroll into town. That involved going to the sun deck of our ship; crossing over to the sun deck of the Amadeus; going down stairs from there to the gangway; across to shore. We strolled into the small, sleepy town where we made some photos of the Art Deco style buildings. 

The Church of the Cohesion looked newer; it was locked but we made photos of the interior through the glass doors in the foyer.

 A display of Bosojaras costumes intrigued us. 

We ambled back to the ship having to reverse the process to board. After lunch, we again completed the obstacle course to leave for the tour to Pecs and the Villany Hills. After an almost hour's drive we arrived in Pecs, Hungary's second largest city. We stepped off the bus at the 15th century Barbicon, a round tower fortification, 

 

and walked past the 12th century Hungarian Bishop's Palace and the Cathedral  

 

 

to the Zsolnay Museum, which displays examples of porcelain created by this company. Perhaps they are best known for their colorful roof tiles. 

 

 

 

 

After the museum tour, we walked downhill to Szechenyl Square where we had an hour to look around. 

 

 

 

The Church [Gazi Kasim Masque] was originally a Romanesque church which was razed to build a mosque; now it is a Roman Catholic Church unusual in that it has both a Muslim crescent moon and a Christian cross atop it. A modern metal horse sculpture, built by Leonardo Da Vinci's plans, dominates the square; it is said to be the largest metal horse statue in the world. 

 A modern metal horse sculpture, built by Leonardo Da Vinci's plans, dominates the square; it is said to be the largest metal horse statue in the world.

From Pecs we drove about 45 minutes to the Villany Hills Wine Region where we had a wine tasting before returning to the ship.

CROATIA

18 May - Sunshine beamed on Osijek, a quaint-looking place. We opted to stay aboard and not do the tour. We sailed at 9:30 and discovered the town much larger than we first thought. 

 The rain-swollen Danube was bank-full. As we left, there was one very low bridge and everything on top of our ship was as low as possible; as we sailed beneath the bridge, we saw the Captain reach out of the top of the pilot house with a measure to determine the amount of clearance. 

We were topside for a while and then went below to the lounge. We enjoyed watching the passing scenery and the differences between sides of the river. 

After lunch in the “Sky Lounge,” we stayed topside until docking in Vukovar. Once we were cleared, we walked into town. After walking up and down the Main Street for a while, we walked back toward the ship and sat on a bench beside the river. There does not appear to be much/any prosperity here; many buildings are in various stages of disrepair and many shops empty.

SERBIA

 19 May - We toured Belgrade in the morning. We drove from riverside to the top of a hill and got out to view the Kalemegdan Fortress; we also had a great view of the city. 

Belgrade is located at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers. With all the flooding in Serbia and Bosnia, the Sava is muddy and high, so it's easy to see where the two rivers meet. After a stroll in the park surrounding the ruins of the fortress, we reboarded the bus and drove to the pedestrian area in the center of town. 

After a while in the town center, we drove to the tomb and memorial museum for Josip Broz; known as Tito, he ruled Yugoslavia for decades. 

The huge unfinished St. Sana Church dominates many drives through the city. 

 

The tour to the Karadjordjevic Dynasty Palace was in the afternoon. Upon arrival, we were admitted and were given a tour of the chapel, basement and ground floor. The compound was completed in the 1920s in a Mediterranean style and decorated by several Russian craftsmen. 

 The Orthodox chapel is dedicated to St. Andrew.

 Today the compound is home to Crown Prince Alexander, heir to the throne. He spoke to us briefly.

20 May - We entered the Iron Gates, Europe's largest river gorge, around 7:00. The morning's cruising was scenic and we sat in the lounge for quite a while. We heard water swishing earlier and those on deck three said that the wind was blowing the water above their windows; those on deck two said they were "in the surf." we also heard it was very windy and cold on the sun deck; everyone wore robes. Between 9:30 and 10:00 we tied up in Donji Milanodvac so that we could clear Serbian customs. From the ship we could see the parking lot adorned with tablecloths and needlework. After climbing to our sun deck, going across the top deck of the adjacent boat, down their stairs and up a ramp, we were ashore. The small town does not have much to offer tourists. 

 We walked several blocks up the hill to the Church of St. Nicholas built in 1840; most of the icons were new and decoupaged; it hasn't recovered from communism.

On the second floor of the super market is the "Chinese Store" filled with household goods, toys, clothing, etc. Around 3:30 we entered the first of the 3 Iron Gate Locks which would lower our ship.

BULGARIA

 21 May - Vidin, Bulgaria is another depressed and depressing town attempting to recover from the ravages of communism/socialism. Located on a 3rd century BC site, the area has been occupied by Thracians, Romans, Turks and Bulgarians. We rode a bus to the Baba Vida Fortress, walked inside the structure and listened to the guide. Its high location provides some views but the fortress itself, parts of which are very old, lacks interesting features

Once back aboard the bus, we drove about an hour to the town of Belogradchik where we had an excellent view of interesting rock formations eroded into shapes. These formations are of boundsandstein and stained red by iron oxide. Tthe Belogradchik Fortress is located where Romans in the 1st to 3rd centuries created a fort using the impregnable rocks. 

We sailed downriver that afternoon. High water inundated some trees along the river's bank and came very high on others. Whether disastrous flooding will occur depends on the amount of water released upriver and the river's ability to empty itself downstream. Few structures of any kind appeared except for a few tiny villages or some vacation-type cottages.

22 May - Russe is the farthest inland port accessible by sea-going vessels. At We took the all-day-killer-tour by bus. Our guide gave a brief tour of the city as we passed. For about an hour and a half we drove through beautiful green countryside. Cultivated fields filled much of the landscape. Horses; goats; herds of sheep; herds of cattle added to the rural atmosphere. We arrived in Veliko Tarnovo and stopped briefly at the hotel. 

After reboarding the bus, we drove uphill to the nearby village of Abanassi for a walking tour. 

Our first top was the Church of the Archangels Michael & Gabriel, a beautifully frescoed "museum church," where we were treated to a choral concert by The Angelic Voices, a quartet composed of one man and three ladies. The acoustics allowed their voices to resonate within the domed structure. 

From there we walked downhill to the Nativity Church where a local guide explained the frescoes. 

A block or two downhill was the Konstantsaliev House Museum 

Today's drive showed us wildflowers, mostly red poppies, along the roadside and wild roses blooming in hedgerows

 

ROMANIA

23 May - We disembarked the ship about 9:00 for the drive into Budapest where we stopped at the Radisson Blu Hotel at 10:55 for restrooms, coffee and cookies. Reboarding the bus at 11:15 we drove a few blocks more and then got out to walk through the old part of the city seeing an inn courtyard built in the 1809 

and a couple of churches. Lunch was at the Caru' cu Bere', an old ornate structure. 

 

  After lunch it was time to visit the Peoples' Parliament Building, the second largest building in the world.

 

The Uniworld cruise ended with the bus transfer to Bucharest and one night in the Radisson Blu Hotel. Some cruisers departed for home while others took a Uniworld extension to Istanbul. We stayed in Bucharest.