October 5, 2006

Miltenberg was an excellent stop because we do not have to board a coach or start out on a walking tour. After a relaxing morning of sleeping, reading, and eating, we were eager to get some fresh air. We headed out with the map and warm fleece because it was sunny but cool, in the 60s. We started off by going the wrong way, but soon find ourselves back on course and in an absolutely lovely town. The half timber houses were pretty impressive, and I loved how people were growing grape vines up their buildings and even across streets. We saw one man harvesting grapes. It was even better than expected, because there were so many craft shops. If I lived near here I would have been in heaven. There were also many toy shops selling trains and the like. In any case, we did some shopping, including a suitcase, had some ice cream, pastries, and bratwurst. It was a lovely timeWe enjoyed the hot tub before dinner, and it became apparent that both of us are ready to go home. This has been an amazing honeymoon, but were also ready to see how we will get along with real life. We intend to enjoy the next few days, but we also know that going home will not be a sad event. After dinner we went to a vanilla cookie baking demonstration. It was so funny. We did the daily soduku puzzle while we waited and in between slow bits. It was the craziest cooking show I've ever seen! The man separating the eggs was just too hilarious. They went through a lot of eggs to get it right. At the end, the lady knighted the two men as "Vanilla Cookie Bakers" and one of them said “once a King, always a King but once a knight is enough!” Total insanity, I tell you!Today we crossed into the Rhine River. It is much wider than the Main River, but just as beautiful. We are now firmly in the midst of fall as we've seen the leaves change from green to yellow to brown (they seem to miss the red and orange colors here). We've seen so many ducks and swans today to. In fact, we saw quite a few over the last few days. We fed swans off of our balcony/sliding glass door yesterday! After lunch we're set to go to a mechanical music Museum in Rüdesheim and then in the late afternoon we will sail through the Rhine Gorge. It should be beautiful.

October 4, 2006

Aidan actually didn't do the port talk on October 2. The plot actually thickened considerably as more people got involved. I'll get to that story later.The night of the second and all day on the third was absolutely rainy. It was okay while we were on the ship. We just relaxed and enjoyed the ability to do nothing. I slept a lot and really got to the point where I came to appreciate the ability to do absolutely nothing. It really made me look at life a little differently. We will see how the desire for relaxation will continue to be a priority for me when I get home.We visited the Prince Bishop’s Residence at Wurzburg in the afternoon and had to don raincoats and bring out the umbrellas. We had a bit of a city overview in the bus, but it was somewhat difficult with the rain. The Prince Bishop’s Residence was nice. They have done great restoration work of the baroque areas, but have not restored the Empire areas. Wurzburg was bombed during the war so some areas of the palace had to be rebuilt from scratch. It was fascinating to see how the mirrored room was reconstructed. It took 10 years to replicate the room using the original techniques. After visiting the chapel, we headed back to the ship because the weather was still bad.Aidan made his preparations for the evenings activities, and I rested. The port talk was indeed crazy. Akos came into the lounge and begin talking about the busy day to come. He was then called down to the reception area for an important call by the hotel manager. The hotel manager, Roman, came across a loudspeaker with Akos and we heard them throw Akos overboard. Roman then announced that Aidan was the new cruise director. Aidan then came in with Akos’ jacket, identification card, and the microphone and gave the port talk for the evening. He communicated a more relaxing day since Akos’ notes were written in his native Hungarian, and he therefore had to make up the schedule. It got crazier when Akos came back into the lounge, soaking wet with a life preserver around his head. He called for Aidan to be taken away by security but instead Akos was led away by two crew members. It was absolute insanity! Aidan, Akos and Roman are nuts. Everyone loved it! Aidan then announced that the restaurant was open for dinner.At dinner, there was a pirate theme and Stefan came out dressed with his pirate captain outfit to carve the turkey. After dinner, we were treated to the crew talent show. The most memorable number was the kitchen staff's interpretation of ‘Swan Lake’. Good Lord, they were crazy. They wore shorts, their aprons, undershirts, and had boobs that were made from blown up kitchen gloves. I was crying from laughing so much. We danced a lot last night, as we hung out with Roman and the other crew members. I had a crazy merengue with one of the ‘Swans’ and had Roman cracking up when I danced with him. Aidan hung out with Roman a little longer, as it turned in for the night.Today is another easy morning before we arrived in Miltenberg this afternoon. We haven't gotten today's soduku puzzle yet, so we've rested and now Aidan is giving me a massage. All the walking has my back, hamstrings, and calves really tight!

October 2, 2006

Well, I am sick with a cold. All in all, it was a tough night. Still, I quite enjoyed breakfast and was looking forward to walking in Bamberg. The tour guide was probably one of the best that we have had. We found that we have learned a lot in the last week or so. We were able to recognize various German words, and even the different types of architecture. We went into a church, and I looking forward recognized the Gothic architecture. Aidan, looking to the sides recognized Norman architecture. It turned out that we were both correct.At the end of the tour, after a great visit to the most beautiful Rose Garden that I've ever seen, we got to run about Bamberg to see the lovely things that the city had to offer. Aidan purchased another bouquet for me because the roses that he purchased in Vienna had faded. It is a shame that I could not dry them out and take them home. I also purchased a really nice tea cup for loose tea and some Earl Grey. The Lipton tea bags are starting to get on my nerves! Lunch was lovely, and I've been napping on and off because I have a slight fever. I'm enjoying ‘Notting Hill’ on TV as I watch the scenery pass by and the rain coming down. Aidan is doing a tour of the galley and getting ready to change places with our cruise director tonight, since people keep mistaking Aidan for Akos. Yeah, Aidan and Akos to look similar, and now they've decided to have a little fun with the confusion.

October 1, 2006

Yesterday was another busy day. Granted, the walking tour of Regensburg was not until 10 a.m. We made it as far as the Stone Bridge and the Old Sausage Kitchen before we broke with our group and went exploring on our own. It was a lovely Bavarian city with great pride in their history, and in Pope Benedict since he was a professor at their university. The Pope also visited the city recently. We also saw the Pope's old house in the afternoon - people were taking pictures in front of it. In our exploration, we purchased a scarf from H&M and I got a dried lavender and rose wand from a nice shop. We then found a Moroccan store, and I found a hip scarf for the evening’s Passenger talent show. We went to the Old Sausage Kitchen to purchase sausages on fresh rolls and ate them while we walked through the Saturday market. They were all types of vendors including one with guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, and canaries.After lunch we went to the Weltenberg Abbey and the Danube Gorge. The church was beautiful! The Father gave us an overview of the history of the church. He started and ended with Gregorian chant. Talk about amazing. We found a few Christmas decorations, but never tasted the beer made at the Abbey. That was a shame because the brewery has been making beer for over a thousand years. The Danube Gorge tour was breathtaking. It was insanely beautiful. Upon our return to the ship we participated in the passenger's talent show. We performed ‘One’ and I did a bellydance. It was a fun night.

I slept most of the day today. Firstly, because I could. Secondly, because it was day one and I wasn't feeling too good. Aidan just let me sleep and woke me up for lunch. Again, Stefan, the head chef, made an amazing lunch. I think the hazelnut mousse was the best I have ever had!We boarded buses for the Nuremburg tour and honestly I did not expect much. The only thing I knew about the place was the trials after World War II. Well, the history and beauty of the place got me. The old town still had its city walls, many of its timber homes, and of course there was bratwurst! We visited the castle and saw the cityscape. After most of the city was destroyed during the war, they decided to rebuild the city with traditional rooves but with modern bodies. Therefore, the view from the castle reflected a medieval cityscape. We walked down into the city and pretty much waited impatiently to be let loose. You see, there was a market in the square with rows of vendors. We immediately went to the tourist shop for postcards and some Christmas decorations. We visited another shop and found Advent calendars, and I got a beautiful Swiss watch. We then purchased a pewter wedding cup to celebrate one week of marriage.Upon our return to the ship we sent our daily postcards to ourselves and wrote the postcards to our parents on World Cup postcards. We then went to a Bavarian beer tasting. Four beers, and four different types of glasses to enjoy them. I had double the amount since Aidan does not like beer. He took a sip and then would pour the rest into my glass. I didn't mind. I liked all of them except for the wheat beer. Dinner was great as usual. The vodka in the sorbet was quite interesting. I also enjoyed the crème caramel. So yummy. We ended our evening in the hot tub. Good Lord, we need one of those! It was a great place to relax.Well, we're a week in and have a week to go! I hope the rest of our honeymoon will be relaxing and enjoyable.

September 29, 2006

I never got to finish writing yesterday. I was so tired that we turned in at 9:30 p.m. Yesterday afternoon, we visited Melk which was another beautiful abbey. We were a little peeved about the walking tour because the pace, but the whole experience became worthwhile when we got into the library. My goodness, it was beautiful! We walked back to the ship through the town and enjoyed the sights. I even purchased an edelweiss apron. After a hot tub break and dinner, we watched the ship go through a lock before going to sleep.Today was busy. We had an early breakfast and then boarded buses to Salzburg. Our first stop was Mondsee. It was the location of the movie wedding in ‘The Sound of Music’. It was exciting to see the aisle and the steps to the altar from the movie, and it was a great indication of things to come. Aidan and I made sure we walked down that aisle. Afterwards, we found an Internet café and check the e-mails before getting back on the bus.We slept most of the way to Salzburg, but were ready to sample the city's charms when we got there. Between Mozart and ‘The Sound of Music’ we could've been kept busy for a few days. The guided tour took us to important places. On the Mozart side, we saw where he was born and lived as well as the 250th birthday exhibition. Aidan and I visited the exhibition during our free time and loved it - Aidan was particularly good at the shooting game that Mozart used to play. As for ’The Sound of Music’, there were so many spots that we were able to visit - the graveyard in St. Peter's, the gardens where they sang ‘do-re-me’, the fountain from ’I Have Confidence’. It was great! We took the tram up to the fortress near the abbey (as in THE ABBEY from the movie) and had a traditional Austrian lunch. Talk about fabulous.We slept a lot on our way to Passau in Germany. We did get to see the crossing of the border. We then had a relaxing evening in the hot tub, dinner, 1 salsa dance, 1 cha-cha and 2 merenges!

September 28, 2006

I write this sitting on the deck, eating fresh grapes that we purchased after walking tour of Dürnstein. It is such a beautiful and peaceful morning. Another reason why this vacation has been so phenomenal!Yesterday was a very long day. We spent the day in and around Vienna. The morning tour that included St. Stephen's Cathedral was lovely, but I was dealing with an awful sore throat. However, once we finished and got to a pharmacy for some medicine, I was much, much better. We did a quick shopping trip getting a few items from H&M, an edelweiss ring from a shop that specializes in enamel work, and some roses from a flower shop. Instead of staying in the city we went back to the ship for lunch and a nap. I felt much better for the visit to Shonbrunn Palace. It was beautiful. I now find that I'd love to learn more about Marie Therese. I started to also piece together the history of Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Vienna. Oh, and I was in flower garden heaven most of the day. After dinner we had tickets to a lovely concert in a concert hall that Johann Strauss conducted/played in. Oh my, the music was lovely. The program was definitely memorable and the singers were superb. There were dancers too, but I was not too fond of the male dancer. After the show, they served us goulash before we went to bed. I then managed to watch a little ‘Sound of Music’ on TV before bed.This morning was great. It was cold and foggy when we set out on our walking tour. The town was so quaint and lovely. We purchased some Christmas stuff and apricot items. We even walked up to the castle ruins. I don't have to go to the gym today! We got fresh pastries from the bakery and purchased fresh grapes on the roadside. This is the life!

September 26, 2006

I write this as the world passes by on our sail towards Bratislava in Slovakia. Is a beautiful sunrise and the river is so peaceful and almost postcard perfect. Is almost as if we are in a dream.Yesterday was a lovely birthday for Aidan. After a phenomenal breakfast buffet that even included boiled eggs, we were off for a tour of Budapest. Our guide was great and took us to two spots, Heroes Square and Mathias Church. Aidan and I slept on the ride between the two sites - I was quite embarrassed that I did. Anyhow, Heroes Square was fascinating for its statues, and for the translation of what Hungarian names meant English. I really enjoyed Mathias Church. It had been taken over by the Turks at one point and was elaborately painted inside. It was just so beautiful! The Hungarian crown jewels were also in Mathias Church and the enamel inlaid crowd was beautiful.We returned to the ship and had a great lunch with cabbage soup and Hungarian goulash among other things. We returned to the cabin and there were balloons and chocolates all over the bed with a Happy Birthday note to Aidan from the housekeeping staff. We then had a quick run down to the shopping district to buy a bathing suit for me (70% off!!!). We then went to visit St. Andrews, which housed the artists village. Again, we slept on the bus trip. I think it was the air-conditioning being turned off and on. We had a tour of the area by a guide and a visit to the marzipan museum. We then had pastries in a café. Talk about sublime. We went shopping and met up with a vendor who gave us the history of various Hungarian crafts. I loved that. We then purchased a box where the key is hidden and a chess set, both with hand engravings.The evening was relaxing. We sat on the sky deck while the boat left Budapest. Akos, the cruise director, gave us commentary as we sat on lounge chairs watching the amazing sites go by. Dinner followed with a surprise birthday cake for Aidan – complete with a roman candle on top and all of the staff singing Happy Birthday. Upon returning to our room, we opened the curtains to watch the sites go by. And that is how we woke up. It is amazing!

A true vacation day! After breakfast looking at the river passing by, I ended up asleep until 11:30 a.m. Yes, I had a luxurious morning in bed while Aidan went up on the sky deck to watch us go through our first lock. There are 62 more to go through, so I'll see one eventually. When I finally got up I did 15 minutes of cycling and rowing in the gym followed by another 15 minutes of yoga and ballet. It was then off to another superb lunch with tomato soup, stuffed cabbage, Austrian bread, and roast beef with bernaise sauce.The afternoon took us into Bratislava. Like Budapest, I love to see the window boxes. The flowers are so beautiful! Bratislava is a lovely city and we enjoyed visiting the castle and the old town. We found a flag for Aidan and purchased a few lace items and some decorated eggs. We also discovered that I looked like a gypsy – really! I was treated somewhat oddly by store owners because of it.Tonight we went into the hot tub after dinner and then watched the end of the flute quintet concert. We aimed to watch the boat disembark from the sky deck, but instead watched it from the lounge. We enjoyed watching people dance and eventually did a cha-cha, merengue, and a waltz/rhumba before heading to bed. We have a long day tomorrow in Vienna, but it should be fun!