Day Seven - Nuremberg

After sailing overnight, the Viking Legend arrived just outside the city of Nuremberg, Germany. Many people remember Nuremberg as the city in which the Nazi party held annual mass meetings, and where were held the war trials following the end of World War II. On our bus tour, which followed breakfast, we saw the building in which the trials were held. The tour took us to the castle high above Nuremberg, fascinating in itself, but also as a vantage point to see the area which had been mostly destroyed by Allied bombing and almost miraculously rebuilt.


Our guide then led us down from the castle past the house in which the artist Albrect Durer did his work, past St. Sebaldus church, past the city hall to the main market place of the Old Town. There were stalls upon stall selling all manner of fresh vegetables and lebkuchen -- gingerbread -- a local speciality.

After lunch aboard the ship, Jan and I went back to the center of the Old Town on our own, to see the interior of St. Sebaldus church which had been badly damaged by the bombing and rebuilt after the war. It was somber to see what is the waste and suffering of war for all concerned, and to see the hope for peace the church now represents.

We then walked through more of the Old Town and the Pegnitz River which flows through it. We went outside the city walls to the Baroque Garden and returned for a cappuccino at the Nuremberg Starbucks.

Tonight we enjoyed our final dinner and began our good-byes. In the morning we leave early for the Nuremberg airport, from which we fly to Frankfurt and then back to Newark. We look forward to being back home.

Day Five - Passau, Germany

Our day began in the morning as we arrived in the German city of Passau. After breakfast, we were given an introduction to the European Community -- its history, accomplishments and present-day hurdles. We learned about the common currency -- the euro -- and of how the economic problems of Greece and Ireland are causing other European Community members to wonder if this was the best path to follow.

Then we took a walking tour of the old city of Passau. The city is a bit hilly, so our regular excercise routine paid off as we had no problems keeping up with the guide. The city had for centuries a bishop-prince, so the cathedral -- St. Stephen's -- was magnificent. Inside the cathedral is the largest organ in Europe, containing almost 18,000 pipes. At noon we were treated to an half-hour concert, and the organist played selections that allowed the most use of the pipes.

Following lunch, Jan and I walked to the point of Passau where two other rivers joined the Danube. The confluence of three rivers is both a source of pride for the city, and a major threat for annual flooding. We saw sections of the town that had experienced over 20 feet of water above the normal levels, most recently in 2002.

The ship then sailed again, headed for Regensberg and our next set of adventures. More to come...

The Adventure Begins

Our long-planned Viking River cruise on the Danube began today.

After a 6 1/2 hour flight from Newark, we landed in Frankfurt and made a transfer to the flight to Budapest, where the cruise starts. The travel went smoothly, arriving on time with German precision. The folks from Viking met us at the airport and shuttled us to the waiting ship.

Budapest is a city with a colorful history. Some of it dates back to Roman times, has a strong Christian influence but was captured by Moors in the 17th century and had churches turned into mosques. Later the Moors were turned out, Germany took over the city; the Germans were routed by the Russians and Hungary became part of the Soviet bloc. As such the city is a conglomerate of architectural styles, some stunning and others the worst of utilitarian planning.

Today we spent most of the time around the ship, waiting for our room to be ready, then given the mandatory explanation of shipboard safety (life jackets, etc.) and our first taste of the excellent cuisine we'll enjoy. We enjoyed a stroll around the outside deck where we got a view of the Chain Bridge, the first span to join the two cities of Buda and Pest. The photo is of Jan with the bridge behind.

More to come...