Back in the USSR

NOTICE: This is not a political post. This is not a treatise on the virtues or sins of one form of government over another. This is just the observations of a little girl with a big dream.

Its been a minute since I've posted. Edited to add: Its been a looong minute. I've come back to this travelogue 3.5 years later, at what I hope will be the END of the Covid pandemic. Yes, i've dithered for years over this post and the one about Terezin. More on that later.

It has taken me a while to figure out how to do this one. I may have mentioned before how strange it is when someone asks, "What was your favorite part of the trip?" Favorite part? There were so many. However, there was one experience that I found so incredibly super cool, it stands apart from all others.

As a child of the 80's, the Cold War was real to me. I listened to my Mom's stories of Khrushchev banging on the tables at the UN, declaring "We will bury you!" Sidebar - I'll spare the discussion that this was a mis-translation of what he really said, b/c at the time, the result was a direct threat toward the west.

I grew up hearing about Nuke drills in schools and bomb shelters in the backyard.

I grew up with movies showcasing Soviet threat and intrigue and I was suitably frightened. 

As a ten year old, the thought that one day, I might be able to just skip right through the Iron Curtain with nothing more than a passport and a travel journal, would have been just as far fetched as the idea that one day my children may travel to the amazing whatever-they-have-in-North-Korea. I do hear its lovely though.

I was on a mission to learn and educate myself on the differences of then versus now. And this was a tough mission. For the most part, anyone we encountered over the age of 30 did not speak English. Now this makes sense, because until the fall of the Soviet Union, the populace of these countries were not allowed to learn English. And anyone under the age of thirty would have no memories of then v now. I had a discussion with a tour guide in our hotel. His grandma had mentioned that things were easier then, everyone knew their place and there was a deal of security in that. "But, he clarified, I think conditions are mostly better these days."

What?! That's it? In my sheltered worldview, growing up in the Mighty US of A, I expected folks to be over the moon thankful to have been able to throw off the yoke of "Big Brother". All about perspective, I suppose.

Jeff and I toured the Museum of Communism in Prague. I had to go, had to see and learn. We learned of the Czech's battle to repel the Nazi's, and the latter's occupation. Then we learned about the Soviet seizure of power and takeover of the Czech government.

In the intervening years, there were several peaceful protests against the totalitarianism of the Communist state, typically greeted with tanks and machine guns. The museum plays a video on a continuous loop, of all of these attempts. You learn about university students of the 50's and 60's, so frustrated at their failure to affect changes to the regime, that they set themselves afire, after having consumed acid to keep them from screaming. This was the only way they could keep the fight alive.

Then came the Velvet Revolution of 1989. I love that term, it sounds like a Glam Rock band from the late 70's. This was a peaceful transfer of power signed over by the old Communist government, to the new Anti-Communist party. It was sparked by the toppling of the Berlin Wall, which had taken place nine days prior. The protests took place all over Czechoslovakia, but culminated in Wenceslas Square. 

I exited the museum in tears, after watching their video, could not get the images of those young people fighting for basic freedoms that we take for granted in the west. Approaching the exit I happened to notice the museum worker sitting at his desk to my left. He wore a colorful Harry Potter hat and sat hunched over his iphone. I recalled the exhibit I had just seen, fifteen minutes earlier, about how families could not install a single telephone in their building, in as late as the 1980s, they were obliged to find the payphone on the street. I wondered if that youngster ever reflected on the juxtaposition. 

Prague - How I Love You So

Dobry Den! You gotta roll those r's to get it just right, but this is "Hello" in Czech. We started our first full day in Prague with a Panoramic tour. This was half walking tour, followed by a bus trip up to the castle and back.

Prague is just magical. No other description. It is one of the few cities in Europe which was not leveled in the Second World War, though the Soviets didn't do them many favors.

Czech Republic is the home of the founding father of the Art Nouveau movement, Alphonse Mucha. He was a good old Czech boy, born back in the late 19th Century and has a museum showcasing his works right across from our hotel in the New Town. I'm sure you'll recognize his work, it all mostly looks like this:

The buildings reflect this movement. You'll see Gothic and medieval structures, side by side with a friendly Art Deco neighbor, like these two just below. The blackened building is the old Gothic Powder Tower, next door to the Art Nouveau Municipal Building 

Municipal Center

One of my favorite stops, which I had insufficient time to appreciate was the Lennon Wall. Now, its important to know that John Lennon never actually visited Prague. However, after his murder in 1980, he became sort of a hero for pacifist Czechs, make sure to come back later for info on the "Velvet Revolution". They began to graffiti this one wall with drawings of him, art, song lyrics, etc, then every so often someone would come along and whitewash over it. Then it would come back. As time went on, the owners just surrendered to the inevitable and it became the only spot in Prague where graffiti is legal. 

Shortly after this stop, we boarded our bus and set out upon the "long and winding road" (see what I did there?) up to Prague Castle, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 years old. The castle, it seems, is the seat of government so we could not tour the inside, but we could have toured the Cathedral on its grounds. It was spectacular, and Jeff really wanted to go inside. Unfortunately, due to a personal emergency, which is none of your business, we had to climb back on the bus and head back to town. 

Next up: Communism and Harry Potter

D-Day - Otherwise known as Death and Disembarkation

Man this day was bittersweet. It's tough to say goodbye to one's room/ship/friends. But then we had the "Post Cruise Extension" to look forward to. This was three nights in Prague, a HUGE bucket list item for us.

Tip#1: There is a limited amount of time to turnkey the ship. So, though it seems a bit rude to be evicted from one's room by 9:00am, the passengers coming after you won't be able to check in until whatever-O'clock so I guess it makes sense. I hate to think about those poor souls who had to catch an airport shuttle at 3AM because they did not purchase the extra Viking Air!

Tip#2: Don't be a Cheap Ass, spend the $50pp and get the Viking Air, so that you have a say so in your flight arrangements.

Tip#3: You are getting off that ship, if they have to carry you out with the dirty dishes. It probably would have been much more convenient if I had figured out, one day prior, that I was suffering from the Black Plague and needed medical care. On the morning of departure, however, standing at the counter, sniveling in snot and making this request, "Oh no problem, just tell them that when you get to Prague! Buh Bye, enjoy the rest of your trip!!"

So we embarked on our bus. For BLOODY THREE HOURS. I spent the trip huddled in my seat covered up in all my scarves and wraps, wishing for a quick and merciful death. I perked up only as we entered the City of Prague. Even in my stupor I was able to appreciate the beauty of this "Paris of Eastern Europe".

We arrived around noon and checked in at the reception desk of the Art Nouveau Palace Hotel. "Welcome to Prague! Your room will be available anytime after 3pm today, meanwhile here's a city map", advised the hapless desk agent. Nope, this wasn't going to work for me. Leaning my full weight upon the reception desk, I all but grabbed the poor sweet young lady by her lapels  and wheezed into her face "I need your help. Please. I am sick and in need of antibiotics". "Oh!" she exclaimed as her fingers flew over her keyboard, "Then you need a prescription, I'll arrange a visit from a physician shall I? And we are happy to admit you to a room early, will this work?" Yes please.

Tip#4. If ever you feel that you need to expedite the readiness of your hotel room, read the above.

Five minutes later we found ourselves shown to a room, with the promise of a visit from a local physician.

Realizing the unimaginable coolness of being in Prague - Prague! - I couldn't possibly hold Jeff back from exploring so I magnanimously suggested that he go off exploring whilst I just lay there and awaited death. He did a bit of exploration, for a brief time, but came right back, so that he could be on hand when the fatal diagnosis was delivered.  And for bonus points, he had scoped out a pharmacy, and got a general orientation of our local environs.

At around 2pm-ish, right on time, the Doctor arrived. A local cutie-pie who appeared to be around mid-adolescence and wearing street clothes. I'm assuming he had the Czech equivalent of an MD, but no way to know for sure. He had his little roller bag and a pile of carbon copy forms, and he completed his exam and made his diagnosis:

Ear Infection, likely spawned from the earlier sinus infection that I spent several posts whingeing about. He pulled out 5 or 6 boxes of medicaments: antibiotic, ear drops, pain meds and throat lozenges. He takes cash, btw.

Here is the dilemma. You gotta take all that stuff with food, so being half dead, how do I get food so that I could take my pills? Not to be deterred, Jeff propped me up, kinda like an over-served sorority pledge after a frat party, and steered me in the direction of food. Food was required. I ate food and took my meds, then asked to go back to being dead.


The drill sergeant would not allow me to die in peace and instead made me walk around and take in the sights of Prague.

This was the view from our room. We were unable to find out the exact nature of this dig, but it was cool to watch Indiana Jones and his ministers skitter about.

The excavation outside of our room

Walking into the Old Town Square at dark truly felt like we were walking into a fairy tale.

Church of Our Lady Before Tyn

The Old Town Square houses a Medieval Astronomical Clock

This is the Tower which houses the Astronomical Clock

Stay tuned where we explore more of this beautiful city.

The Bavarian Countryside - Cats and Cows and Bots

Following our morning tour of the city, we elected to purchase an optional tour, at way too dear a price, I'm sure. This was the Bavarian Farm and Countryside. All I can say about this tour is that they way oversold the value of this very long bus ride with stop at a modern dairy farm. Now, doesn't this picture below just beckon you to frolic among the hills and caper about the cattle singing something from an Oompa Band? Yet, this was not our destination.

I'd love to show a photo for comparison, but I actually think we did not snap a single pic there, just not much photo story to tell. The highlights were the robots who milk the cows, the barn cat who liked to be cuddled, and the tiny samples of cheese we received at the end of the tour. Then it was back on the bus and to our ship. The countryside was rather pretty though, so there's that. 

And that's about all I can say about this excursion. 

We headed back to our ship and enjoyed an "Enrichment Lecture" about the Danube River. Yep, once again, I was the nerd taking notes. This was followed by the bittersweet "Captain's Farewell Cocktail Party". The next day we were to depart the Tor for our next adventure: Prague. 

But I have a few more things to say before we get to Prague...

Passau - Home to Gingerbread and Cuckoo Clocks, but not Lutherans

Passau, the last stop on our cruise, and the only stop in Germany.

Our day started with the meeting of our tour guide, Brigitta. She was tiny, lively, swift, and quite a delightful beldame. "Hurry, hurry, come on now!" I'm certain we lost half our tour due to her pace.

"Anyone need go to Pee Pee Place?" Is there, hurry up now, follow me!" And off we went on a dizzying caper through the riverside hilltown of Passau. As were ALL of the towns we went through, this was lovely as well. With its old and new. This, the "bit of old" is the Oberhausmuseum. The date that you see here, is not 1999 as it somewhat seems. It is 1499. The number 4 was written as a character representing half the character of 8. I know, Hashtag mindblown. Me too.

So our walking tour was a bit of a blur. Those few of us decades younger than the sprightly Briggita, struggled to keep pace. The others sort of drifted off along the way. But I wouldn't have missed this wee spitfire for anything. She was hilarious. We had spent so much time in Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic, all predominantly Catholic that we arrived in Germany, hoping to find "our people". No chance. Our Frau let us know right off that the area was "mostly Catholic. And Tank Gott No Luterans, Ugh!". Well alrighty then. Can you pass the Gluwein?

The end of our tour saw us seated in a blessedly heated tent, staffed by a chap crowned with chefs hat, and another lady of undetermined occupation. This was a demonstration of the history of Gingerbread and the Advent Wreath and the relationship between both of these. It was fascinating, free samples notwithstanding. Leaving the tent was a bit like exiting the Star Tours ride at Hollywood Studios, takes you right into a shoppers paradise of souvenirs, kitsch, and in this case, delicious gingerbread in any flavor you can imagine.

A word about the local Gingerbread. I've had it here in the states, but there aint nothing, I repeat NOTHING, like the real thing from Germany. I'm considering the purchase of a third airline ticket for our next trip, just to house a whole suitcase dedicated to the importing of this spicy treat.

After our tour, we did as we always do. Found a Christmas market, bought some Gluwein, and searched for food. Oh boy. Brats and onions, with a side of crinkle fries, topped by a drizzle of siracha. Granted, not the most salubrious of an early dinner, but a delicious one, to be sure.

 So we wandered on, enjoying the sights and the shops. The lovely buildings, like this one

 And stumbled upon yet another unexpected Sisi Sighting. I believe this above was the hotel she stayed at when in residence.

 Oh! And here we are. Sometimes we can't actually prove that we were on the actual trip, since all the pictures are of the pretty things, and not much of us at all.

It was right around this spot that we located an "Official" Cuckoo Store. This was important. When our little girl found out that we would be going to Germany she pleaded, with all of the feminine wiles a crafty blue eyed 6 yr old can command. "Daddy" blink blink "would you buy me just one little tiny Cuckoo Clock on your trip". Oh come on (thought I), what does a 6 or 7 year old want with a Cuckoo Clock?

Well is there any doubt as to how this happened? If there is, go and Google, "Daddy's Little Girl" 

Bye for now. Next stop is the spectacularly Underwhelming Tour of the Bavarian Countryside. 

Chesky Krumlov - A Fairytale Town

After docking at Linz, we boarded the bus which took us to Chesky Krumlov, right across the border in the Czech Republic.  I've decided that this place is the Jewel of all Tiny Euro Towns (No, I haven't been to ALL of the towns, but I'm not bothered by trifles)

The lovely Vltava river runs through the town

Dating back to Medieval times, Czesky is situated along the Vltava River which gurgles and babbles peacefully right through the heart of town. If you enjoy reading up a meaty Historical Fiction romp set in the places you visit, as do I, I must recommend this book, The Bloodletters Daughter (A Novel of Old Bohemia) by Linda Lafferty.

The Rosenburg Castle towers over the tiny town from its rocky promontory. It apparently once had ties to the Mighty Roman Orisini claim. Anybody remember The Borgias? Fun Fact about this castle: It is surrounded by "The Bear Moat", so called because centuries ago, Bears were housed in said Moat. Who cares about Old Orsinis and bears? Well, the Orsini surname was derived from the latin "ursinus" meaning "bearlike", don't believe me? Grab your telescope and search for Ursa Major, "The Big Bear", see where we're going with this?

BTW, It was the tour guide who pointed out the connection between the Orisinii and the pet bear, so I can't vouch for the validity, nor what in the name of the Seven Hells the Orsini have to do with the Rosenburgs. Sadly, the bears are now history, and the moat is just a moat.

Inside the Rosenburg Castle grounds

After the castle, we found ourselves on the main town square, and in want of luncheon. We managed to find the spot recommended to us for its local fare. Please don't ask, I can neither recall, nor pronounce the name. Must be a popular place, as our Captain and some of the crew were there enjoying a pint and a bite as well. PSA: "Local" food in this part of the world is dense. Meat, Potatoes and Dumplings. Here is Himself enjoying all of the above. I ordered the cheese. 

Having been tipped off by our tour guide, whom I'm convinced receives a King's Ransom from the local artisans, I wasted no time searching up a Moldavite purveyor. This is a green a mineral exclusive to this area, thanks to a convenient meteorite impact centuries back. Shiny stones? I'm in. I found this beauty at the Moldavite Museam, it is set in between two tiny garnets, which are also native to this area. 

After lunch and rocks, we simply walked around enjoying the shops and lovely alley-ways

Art Nouveau - born in the Czech Republic 

Doesn't this place beg you to sit and stay?

I bloody have no idea what is happening here

On the ride back to our ship, our tour guide entertained us by playing a collection of local music. Surprisingly a couple of the tunes were familiar. There was a Czech version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. But I choose to leave you here with this one, which I encourage you to enjoy, by clicking here Country Roads - A la Czech

Castles, Duct Tape and Stubborn Snot - or Cruising the Wachau Valley

A bit about the cruising. The boat typically travels at night, which is perfect because you awaken in the next city ready for your next adventure. However, typically part of one day is dedicated to scenic cruising. The Program Director provides commentary, which you can hear if you are in any of the common areas. And on a cold day they will provide you blankets and hot beverages if you wish to get a full 360 view on the top deck. 

Our cruising day occurred after our morning spent in Krems and we cruised through the lovely Wachau valley, if you want to pronounce "Wachau" correctly, just imagine you have a huge snot ball that you need to expectorate. That'll get you pretty close. Obviously it was winter, so we missed the foliage and vineyards in all their glory, but the sights were no less impressive. 

 
We passed by the little town of Durnstein, didn't stop, but isn't this beautiful?

Some spectacular ruins up on this hill. How cool would it be to explore those?

Note to self: Before next cruise will research the castles on the route. While it's great to see them from a distance, it doesn't quite seem real if you don't know anything about them.

So, as I was exploring the top deck of the boat, and taking in the view, I walked past the wheelhouse. This is where our erstwhile Captain navigates the Danube and all of her locks and bridges. The cool thing about these ships is that if the water level is a bit too high and the boat needs extra clearance for the bridge, the Captain simply lowers the wheelhouse and the boat glides safely under the bridge.

Here is notre Capitaine keeping a weather eye on the horizon. Kind of hard to pick him out in this picture. He is a diminutive little fellow and only the top of his head and his specs are visible from outside the window.

Note the duct tape fix here. Now, I'd like to think that this is the sum total of repairs our ship needed following a tiny encounter with a bridge, earlier in the month on this same ship, same cruise. If so, it is proven once again, duct tape is the universal fix for everything. 

Krems by Bed

Remember how I've been going on and on about the weather. Cold or drizzling or raining or sleeting, blah blah blah. Well here we are, five days into our cruise, I woke up with the misery.

I tried to rouse myself, after all, we had an adventure planned to go visit the Gottweig Abbey. This has been a working Benedictine Monastery since around 1100 AD, and I was very much looking forward to the visit. After my failed attempt to lift head off pillow, however, I resigned myself to a day well spent in appreciation of the Egyptian Cotton bedding Viking supplied us with. I did enjoy this view out of my window, as well as the On Demand Downton Abbey spree. I did not do too bad, all told.

Later in the afternoon, I was able to enjoy a lovely, comforting soup for lunch, and then slowly wandered around the boat, taking in as much scenery as I could from the top deck of the Tor. Which is easier said than done. Y'all its cold up there!

Bundle Up!

A warming tisane 

This is my only memory and vision of KremsI 

Thus fortified, I decided to brave the weather, enjoy the view and photograph the cruising later that afternoon.

Jeff had a great time at his Abbey Tour and I will post his photos from that adventure in a later edition.

Note to future self and travelers - Bring plenty of medications for this sort of trip. I should have brought along with me some Claritin D; Benadryl; and Halls. Because guess what, trying to find these things in a foreign country with different rules about what one may purchase without a prescription is a bit problematic. More on that later. 

Vienna Part 2 of 2 - Imperial Crown Jewel and Coffee and Cake

Well yes. Now that I've got all that off my chest. There is a whole Imperial world of Vienna that just begs for far more than 1.5 days to explore.

The city is so Grande! The Ringstrasse, built over the ancient city walls, is a showcase to the grandeur and splendor of the Hapsburg Empire. And traveling along its avenues, one can't help but imagine the pageantry of the past.

I think this cool thing was a monument to Empress Marie Theresa

Viennese Coffee is a must when visiting. As is the decadent Sachertorte, click here for a recipe by Chef Wolfgang. The coffee is not so much of a preparation or specific bean, but rather an experience of just enjoying the good life. Going for coffee in Vienna is the Anti-Starbucks. It is not a take-out or drive through, with disposable cups of mass produced and marketed coffee, but rather an event to be savored. Knowing what to expect, we wandered into a quiet coffeeshop, and ordered the recommended german-named drink which I think consisted of some nice coffee with lots of foam, along with their sachertorte. Glancing around, we noted the other patrons, all at their leisure, perusing the paper, or a novel, or a treatise on Portuguese irregular verbs, and  yes, some were hunched over their phones as well. Take your time, there's no rush. If you're running late for work, this is not for you. If your on holiday, however, sit awhile and relax. You won't regret it.

Vienna Part 1 of 2 - Sisi and the Waltz

Vienna has been known by many distinctions: Resident city of the Hapsburg Empire; Seat of the Holy Roman Empire; Capitol City of the Mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, comprised of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Montenegro and Poland. And finally, a major center of classical music and home to the famously romantic Viennese Waltz. BTW, for a sublime example, check out this Emperor Waltz, written by Strauss to celebrate Emperor Franz Josef. Feel free to skip ahead to 2:54, that's the most important bit.

Rabbit Hole: Not sure about you, but I have a tendency to search for historical novels based in the areas I am planning to travel to. This trip was no exception, so well in advance I read first The Accidental Empress and then its sequel, Sisi, both by Allison Pataki, a historical novel based on the life of Empress Elisabeth, wife to Franz Josef. There is also a movie that you can find on Amazon Prime, though its in German with English subtitles. I was all caught up on Sisi history and I was on a mission. I came across the beautiful empress years ago when I first saw this exquisite portrait where she is gowned in a House of Worth creation. Isn't this lovely?

Warning here comes a history lesson. Sisi, niece to the Archducess Sophie who was mother of Emperor Franz Josef, began her life as a Duchess of Bavaria, living a country life at her father's estate. Her elder sister was summoned, and accompanied by her mother and Sisi, to Auntie's court to see about a potential marriage with the young Emperor . Once he caught of the younger sixteen year old Sisi, however, it was love at first sight. So she became the "Accidental" bride/Empress and sister went back home with Mama, pleased with the arrangement. Sisi apparently had a difficult time adjusting to royal life, her husbands revolving mistresses, and battle ax of a Mother in Law, so she spent most of her time escaping the lot of them and traveling the world. Her beauty regimen was legendary and she refused to have her portrait taken after age 30, the vain creature.

One can't help but stumble upon Empress Sisi all over this part of the world. Her favorite city was Budapest and she loved the Hungarians, who loved her in return. You'll find her there... in Bratislava, Vienna, Bavaria and likely lots of other cities I haven't been to. Needless to say, I could not wait for our Schoenbrunn Palace Tour. She lived there and walked those halls so I had to go!

Here is the palace in all her Imperial splendor

Here is the sum total of the information provided on Sisi during our tour. A helpful geneology chart

Our tour took us through 25 opulent rooms. Hell, I don't even remember most of them. But not a single one of them had anything to do with Empress Elisabeth. Not one!

Don't get me wrong. Its a palace. And it is frequently compared with Versailles in its similar splendor. I just learned far more about Empress Maria Theresa than I was expecting to and not quite as much about Sisi. However, the Christmas market just outside the palace was quite the Bees Knees of Christmas Market experiences on our trip, so it was a great day.

Day 3 - Bratislava By Bus, But Not By Boat

As I've hinted at along the way Bratislava was a bit inconvenient to get to. Those who wished, could have just skipped it and stayed in Vienna for the day. Not us though. This was a bucket list stop and we were going, even if we had to spend all day on a bus to get there. It was drizzly again, as it had been the prior 3 days, but we didn't let it stop us.

Bratislava is in the Republic of Slovakia. If this sounds unfamiliar, you may recognize it as part of the former Czechoslovakia. Slovakia became an independent state on Jan 1, 1993, in what is sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce. The two ex-spouses are still close and enjoy a close relationship with slightly similar customs and language.

The city seems to have "enjoyed" more than its fare share of communist treatment. For example, the beautiful White Castle had been completely destroyed at some point, and rebuilt by the Soviets. They installed vinyl windows. Really?






A beautiful square in town and some curious signage

A Bit About the Cruise

I'll pause for a moment in the Day-by-Day, shall I, and tell you about life on board a Viking Cruise. We'd been dreaming about taking a Viking River Cruise since the very early days of watching Downton Abbey and seeing the Oh So Luxurious commercials, probably something like this one:

Viking Commercial

A river cruise can be exactly as relaxing or as busy as you please. Viking includes one free excursion every day, usually a walking tour. And there are countless optional ones (available for purchase, of course) All meals are included, as are beer and wine for lunch and dinner. For a modest additional fee, you can add on a Spirits package which covers any beverage, at any hour of the day. Want a glass of the Veuve but not the bottle, go see our favorite barkeep, Jeffrey, and he'll open up that bottle and serve you a glass. Want a Sidecar with your Cheerios? Whatevs, they've got it covered.

The ship: 

As I've already said, there is not much excitement on board. The ships are minimal, and the fun is in being right in the middle of the city and having such easy access to come and go as you please. That said, I am completely content to find a comfy, quiet spot to sit down and do a bit of journaling. I could likely spend hours just with a book, a pen and a journal.

For those a bit more Antsy Pantsy, there are other options. The top deck has a walking track, herb gardens that I'd imagine you might be able to poach from, and nice deck chairs.


The Rooms: 

They're small, and no mistake. Organize your stuff, early on. Here's a few pics of our room. We had a French Balcony. Which is I guess the 2nd tier. You get a sliding door but no balcony. It was just fine for us!

The trouble with any sort of a balcony room, is when the ships do this thing they call "rafting". Sometimes the docking locations are busy so they stack the ships up side by side. This is a pic of someone else's room, within arms reach of ours. Its weird, not gonna lie. Luckily we only had this happen once. I have heard that in the busier seasons, this can happen an unfortunate number of times.

The Schedule: Here is a look at a day in the life of a Viking Cruise:

8:30-9:00am - At this unholy hour, most of the included excursions are being sorted up in the lobby. Make sure to bring your ear phones with the listening boxes. If you want to cram in a made-to-order omelette or my personal favorite, their house-made Muesli, you'll need to factor in about 15 minutes in the dining room.
Noonish - return to ship if you want, for lunch. Or just stay in town, because guess what, its just a short walk back to the boat. You're on vacation, yo!
After lunch - Did you sign up for another excursion? Or would you prefer an afternoon off on your own to explore? Maybe a nap?
6ish - Meet in the lounge for a Port Talk. This is one of my favorites. They tell you all about where you'll be tomorrow. History, culture, food...Yep, I was that one geek taking notes.
7:00 or thereabouts - Dinner is served. Options are the dining room or the terrace. And blessedly, it is informal and casual. No sequins required. The food is un-freaking-believable. They did a great job of tailoring the menu to the current city and if you aren't interested in the local fare, feel free to have the Steak or Chicken.
After Dinner - Back up to the lounge. Sure there are no  neon clad dance clubs or loud casinos shrouded in smoke, but the entertainment on board was fantastic. Local musicians, folklore groups, etc. Sadly I missed most of it. By the time they were serving the soup course, I was already washing off my face and sinking into my comfy bed. Jet lag and travel fatigue are no joke!

This is usually how I ended my evening, after realizing that the TV has  nonstop Downton Abbey episodes on demand. Actually this was probably in the morning before leaving our hotel ship, since I had my shoes on the bed. I don't ever do that.

There was that one night though, where I managed to stay up for the entertainment. It was a Slovakian Men's Choir. They sang us Christmas Carols and they were divine. And wow, the main dude, MC and lead whatever they call him, looks so much like a grownup Liam, don't you think?!