Category: Europe

We docked at Amsterdam in the early morning, very close to the city centre, but had booked a coach tour out to the countryside villages of Alkmaar and Schermerhorn. As we got off the boat, we had several guides and cruise staff on hand, to guide us across the bike lanes, to the waiting coaches. The bikes in the Netherlands have right of way and arrogantly enforce their right. You really have to wait for a chance to race across the lanes as the bikes come from both directions. We made it, unscathed.

The windmills, when you first see them, are huge and it is hard to imagine the countryside being full of them. They are/were used for the most important purpose of grinding grain. In certain areas its uses in land drainage and water pumping were equally important. In the picturesque agricultural landscape of the province of North Holland you’ll find the Schermerhorn museum windmill. It was part of a gigantic land reclamation project in the 17th century. At that time, 52  mills were built to make polders, i.e. land created by draining water. They pumped the polder water from the inner basin, which had been pumped up by the 14 polder mills, in three steps to the Schermerringvaart.

We got to see a windmill up close and went inside to see how the owners used to live in there. Way too small for the big people of this era and you would have to sleep sitting up in bed. Very interesting. I tried on a pair of clogs, but they were just a tad too big for my feet.

From Schermerhorn, we then went to the town of Alklmaar, which is famous for its cheese market. It is built in the medieval era and maintains many of the picturesque and historical buildings. Many buildings are right on the edge of the many canals and are really stunning. One of these, is the Alkmaar – Waag (Weigh building) on the square Waagplein.

Alkmaar has many medieval buildings that are still intact and the Waag is also home to the local tourist office and a cheese museum. Alkmaar has 399 registered monuments of which most are situated along the city’s old canals.

 

We returned around lunchtime and had a lovely meal on board.  We just relaxed in the lounge and cemented relationships that afternoon as we had to pack bags and leave them outside to be collected for transfer to various destinations, such as hotels and the airport for those departing the following morning.  We had decided to spend a couple of extra days in Amsterdam, staying at the Hilton Doubletree, which was within easy walking distance of the main railway station, where we were going to catch a train to Bremen and continue our trip for another three weeks. The plan was to mainly visit relatives, see the place where I was born and meet some cousins I never even knew I had.  Another adventure awaiting.

The following day, we walked around Amersterdam and had a look at the various sights of the city and some of the ships around the canals.

The buildings are really tilting. The foundations are apparently sinking.

You could visit the Tulip museum and if you get sick of the smell of flowers, you can pop in next door to the Cheese museum and taken in the atmosphere.

  We also went on a canal tour, which was interesting and showed just how many boats and barges are actually moored in the canals and used as accommodation.

Don’t eat the space cakes, magic cookies or space cookies. I would be wary of eating any cakes from this bakery.

The building on the right, has swings on the top deck, where you can pay to swing out over the edge. Good for digestion, apparently.

Of course, it started to rain that afternoon and we had a tour booked to visit the Anne Frank house the following day. I ended up having to buy an umbrella for myself, but Beryl had come prepared. The line up for the tour was formidable and it was quite crowded inside, but worthwhile listening to the various audio stations. Yet another terrible atrocity of WW2.

This was the last day of our Jewels of Europe adventure.  It was a fantastic experience and highly recommended. We walked back to the hotel and had a good nights sleep in anticipation of heading away the next morning, for our 3 weeks of catching up with relatives in Germany.

As we cruised down the Rhine, we took in the scenery and the many castles along that stretch of waterway, before retiring for the night. Truly wonderful.

The Lorelei

The “gang” enjoying the sun, the views and the refreshments on the sun deck

We arrived in Cologne, the largest city on the Rhine river and realised that we were nearing the end of this fabulous cruise.

Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded and established in the 1st century AD, as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. “Cologne” is the French version of the city’s name, which has become standard in English as well.

The Hohenzollern Bridge joins the two sides of Cologne

We had booked the tour of the Past and Present history of Cologne and we joined our guide for the walk along the banks of the river to the fish markets and then to the City Hall on Alter Markt. The hall is located next to the old Jewish Quarter and the Mikvah, where a Jewish Heritage Museum is currently being built. Our guide told us about the Stolpersteine and Jewish influence on medieval Cologne. There are many remnants of Cologne’s Roman past, with the remains of a road, preserved near the Cathedral, being prominent.

A portion of an old Roman road

The guide told us the stories relating to the design and construction of various fountains, gargoyles and related buildings in the small area we visited.

 

The tour ended at the Cologne Cathedral, (Kölner Dom) where we were given an hour or two, to explore the many shops and streets, before heading back to the coach pickup location and return to the ship.

Beryl and I walked down the High St (Hohe Strs) and looked in a few stores. I was tempted to wander into one of the many candy stores but Beryl had a firm hand in mine. We went back to the Cathedral area and had a coffee, before going inside to gaze in awe at the magnificent structure and the architectural wonder of this edifice. Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity.

There is an opportunity to climb to the platform of Cologne Cathedral’s southern tower, which provides visitors with a fantastic view from a height of about 97 metres. However, you need to go up 533 steps in order to enjoy this panoramic view of downtown Cologne and the Rhine because there is no lift, then you have to also climb back down. We both decided that our old legs wouldn’t be happy to do that, so we let the opportunity pass us by

Today we were docked at Miltenburg, a town in Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.  The town can trace its history all the way back to pre-Roman times. However, the town as we know it today had its beginnings in the 13th century. Most of the approximately 150 half-timbered houses, which give the town its fairy-tale like appearance, were built between the 15th and 18th centuries.

We decided to do the tour to Kloster Engelberg (Engelberg Abbey), a Franciscan monastery in Grossheubach in Bavaria.  Kloster Engelberg is located on the hill Engelberg (“hill of Angels”) above the town of Grossheubach, on the right bank of the river Main.

The pilgrimage way (612 steps of red sandstone, the so-called Engelsstaffeln) through the vineyards from Grossheubach features 14 Baroque chapels and 14 Stations of the Cross from 1866.

The church and some other areas of the monastery are open to visitors. The order runs a restaurant and shop in the buildings. The restaurant offers wine grown by the abbey and beer brewed by the Franciscans.

The Abbey is located in a lovely area and has great views. We were greeted by one of the monks, and he was exactly as depicted in movies and books. A rotund, happy, smiling monk in a brown habit. They must enjoy their food and beer. The monks brew their own beer and also have a vineyard.

We were able to catch the coach up to monastery, rather than struggle up the pilgrimage way and as we entered the building, we were greeted by the restaurant staff to receive our meal and a tankard of beer. We then had time to walk around and see the abbey and some of its history.

We walked back to the coach, through an arbour of hanging grapes. They were delicious.

The following morning, saw us getting ready to do a short walking tour of Rudesheim. We caught the small “train” up to the town and did a walking tour with the guide, who showed us the various historical buildings and sites.

At the heart of the old town in Rüdesheim is Drosselgasse, a 144m (472ft) cobbled street lined with timber-framed buildings. These old buildings are some of the best entertainment venues in the city, from live music in taverns to restaurants serving regional dishes. We had to try ( of course ) the apple strudel and a cup of the iconic Rüdesheimer coffee, which is prepared at the table.

We stopped at Siegfried’s Mechanical Museum and saw the magical collection of all things musical, from the era or self playing pianos, to carousel music machines and organ grinding type machine. Incredible, whoever thought to design such things.

Next, we went to the cable car station and caught one to the top of the mountain, crossing massive vineyards and affording expansive views across the valley and river. We walked through the park, to the Niederwald monument, which is a must to see if visiting this part of the world. It is massive.

The monument is located within the Rhine Gorge, a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk up the stone steps of the Niederwald Monument for an up-close look at Kaiser Wilhelm I among soldiers, carved into a relief, beneath a 10m-tall (34ft) Germania figure. The statue was built between 1870 and 1880 to commemorate the unification of the German Empire after the Franco-Prussian War. It’s flanked by vineyards and sits atop a vantage point at Niederwald Park, so the peaceful setting alone is worth a visit.

All too soon we returned to the ship for a departure time of 2.30pm, where we then sailed through the magnificent Rhine Gorge, which stretches from Rüdesheim to Koblenz, a 65klm stretch of water. There are many awe inspiring castles on this stretch as well as great scenery and the famous Lorelei statue. We were due to dock in Cologne around 9am the following day, but stayed up late into the night, sitting on the sun deck and enjoying the starlit sky.

We reached the city of Wurzburg just before midday and docked close to the city centre. There was some time before our scheduled bus trip along the Romantic Road to the old town of Rothenburg. We chose this one ahead of the other tours of the Bishops Residence and city tour and the Weikersheim Palace visit.  We decided to walk up to the Old Main Bridge, which is a famous bridge built in the 18th century. There are statues of the great men who founded Wurzburg on both sides of the railings. It is a popular historic site and there were plenty of people visiting.

A wedding was also taking place, adding more to the crowds. We didn’t have much time to spend here, before our coaches arrived to take us on the 1.5 hour drive to Rothenburg. It was a scenic trip there, with extremely narrow roads and houses with their front doors opening up right onto the edges.

I tried to tell these boys that there was a toilet down the block.

We arrived at the town to see the ancient ramparts and walls guarding the town.

We encountered the usual, narrow, cobblestone streets and the old houses with their window boxes of colourful flowers in hanging baskets.

Very pretty. We saw the house which inspired the producers of Pinocchio to model their sets after, as well as the old child catchers wagons and hanging steel cages used for torture and stocks used for public punishment.

The Catholic church held immense wealth and power in these times and the lavish Bishops residences and palaces, reflect how the money taken from common folk, was used. The peasants and populace struggled to eke out an existence as well as pay taxes, whilst the wealthy basked in their excess. Not much has changed, really.

We had free time, so walked around and looked at the expansive Christmas store, which was a fairyland of tinsel and lights. We were also recommended to try a local cake delicacy, the Schneebalin – not a fan.  Before we knew it, the time had run out and we met at the fountain, for the hike back through town to meet the bus for the return to Wurzburg.

There was an hour or two left, before we were due to cast off again, so we walked into town and had a look at the markets.

Saw another wedding in town and got turned around on some of the streets, but found our way back, albeit by a longer route. It was so hot and exhausting, so we were glad to get back to our air conditioned cabin.

We continued our journey along the Danube passing through many lochs and then joining the Main (river) canal at Kelheim, to continue on to our next port of call, Nuremburg.

This is one of two highest lochs on this river. 25 metres

Going down

Here, we chose to do the walking tour of the old town, departing by coach for a narrated orientation talk of the historical part of the city.

We met up with the tour guide for the 1.5 hour walking tour of the medieval city centre.  The cobblestones made it tough going, but the old town held many amazing sights.

Nuremburg Castle

A view over the city from the castle.

Schöner Brunnen is a 14th century fountain

In hindsight, after talking to the guests who went on the WW2 tour, to the Rally Grounds, Congress Hall, Zeppelin Fields and courthouse, it seemed to be the better choice.

The fountain is very ornate

Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Nuremberg

We left Nuremburg and sailed through the night, arriving at 8am to Bamberg. The trip from the ship to the old town, only took 5 minutes and we had booked the guided city tour.

The town is very picturesque and is one of Europe’s largest, intact medieval town centres. There are plenty of stunning Baroque and Medieval style buildings along with the ever present cobblestones. Bamberg was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1993 and has a vast history.

The town survived WW2 bombing, virtually intact, so it is like stepping back in time to an earlier period in history.  After the tour, we had some free time, so Beryl and I walked around and had a closer look at cathedrals, as well as the many stores in the town centre.

I can see how to head home.

Bamberg

Cathedral in the old town

It was a hot day, so we found a café which had shade umbrellas and enjoyed some iced coffee and strudel – yes I know, we ate too many strudels.

In olden times people who couldn’t read or write, identified buildings by statues or designs on the outside. This is a butcher shop.

Altes Rathaus (old town hall), built on its own island in the middle of a double-arched bridge over the Regnitz,

Smoking is prevalent in Europe and it is hard to get away from it, even at cafes and restaurants. A lady at a table close by, was also dragging on a huge cigar and the smoke was quite strong.

All too soon, it was time to head back to the ship for a 2.30pm departure for the next leg of the tour.

The Scenic Jewel, patiently waiting for all the passengers to return

Today we docked in Regensburg, which is regarded to be the best preserved medieval city in Germany. It is also a Unesco world heritage site.

Regensburg is a Bavarian city on the Danube River in southeast Germany. The 12th-century Stone Bridge, is 310m long, with 16 arches and crosses the river to the old town. There is also a 13^th century Regensburg Cathedral, which is a twin-spired Gothic landmark. Walhalla, a Parthenon replica just east of the city, honours illustrious Germans. defines the character of the town marked by tall buildings, dark and narrow lanes, and strong fortifications. The buildings include medieval patrician houses and towers, a large number of churches and monastic ensembles as well as the 12th-century Old Bridge. The town is also remarkable for the vestiges testifying to its rich history as one of the centres of the Holy Roman Empire that turned to Protestantism.

There was a free choice of which tour to go on her – a walking tour of the old town or a ferry trip through the Danube Gorge to the Weltenburg Abbey. We chose to do the ferry trip and boarded the bus for the drive downstream to the wharf, some 30klm away.

The waters of the gorge are an off shoot of the Danube and a popular spot for visitors

 

The Weltenburger Enge (Weltenburg narrows) of the Danube Gorge is one of the oldest nature reserves in Bavaria. Anyone travelling along the Danube through this unique cultural landscape south of Regensburg will experience an unforgettable natural spectacle. The crowning glory is Weltenburg Abbey. It was founded in the year 600 and is Bavaria’s oldest monastic complex. The splendid Asamkirche of this Benedictine Abbey is one of the masterpieces of European Baroque. Weltenburg Abbey is a Benedictine abbey with a rich past and a magnificent church as the first joint major work of the Asam brothers in the midst of a unique natural ensemble. All of these special features can be experienced in a colorful picture book with a variety of exhibits and films on the church, monastery and brewery on a walk through 1000 years of history. The exhibition shows fossils as witnesses of prehistory, when today’s Weltenburg Narrows was flooded by a subtropical sea, tells of the legendary founding of the monk’s cell on the Danube beach, of decline and new beginnings in the Middle Ages, of work on the large construction site in the 18th century for the Asamkirche, with which the baroque became Bavarian, but also about why the Benedictines live in Weltenburg today with convinced faith. And she invites you to discover why the purity of the water in the Weltenburger Enge is not just the secret of the tasty monastery drink.

The ferry ride along this waterway was truly picturesque and the many canoes, kayaks and inflatables, along with families picnicking along the sandy shoreline, testified to the popularity of this place.

Beryl was below in the covered section of the ferry, as it was too hot in the sun, but I was on top, getting photos. About 10 minutes out from our destination, a dark cloud formed and a bolt of lightning and a rumble of thunder broke overhead. A few raindrops spattered the deck but it was still sunny, so I went back down. The rain got heavier and heavier, until it was teeming down and the temperature dropped by about 10 degrees.

The rain is pelting down

The ferry docked at the Weltenburg Abbey wharf, where there were dozens of people standing in the rain, waiting to board for their journey back. Everyone got off and rushed along the narrow path dodging people coming the other way. It was chaos. One of our party, Vera, was about 80 years of age and walked slowly with the aid of a walking stick, but she was forgotten in the rush. We reached the Abbey but it was so crowded with people trying to get out of the rain, that we were left out in it. The water coming off the roof was like a river. We eventually squeezed our way into the dining room where we received a big pretzel and a mug of beer. Beer from the abbey’s brewery has also won numerous accolades. It can be tasted in the beer garden of the Klosterschenke Weltenburg, along with other regional specialities.

Beryl told the cruise director about Vera and he walked back out and found her still walking along the path, totally drenched. Poor lady. After the snack, we went into the Abbey, where we heard the history of the monastery and church, which was founded by Irish and Scottish monks. The icons and other statues as well as the paintings were in amazing condition, after 300 years.

The organ and pipes are well off the floor

The mural on the ceiling is actually painted on a flat ceiling, showing that early artists had an understanding of perspective.

It was a sodden walk back to the bus, for all of us and we were all looking forward to a hot shower and a change of clothes. Regardless, it was a fabulous tour and well worth experiencing.

 

 

 

Today we arrived in Salzburg during the night and it was going to be a big day, so we ate breakfast to be ready for the Scenic bus pickup to visit the city of Salzburg for a walking tour and to focus on the various sites where the filming of The Sound of Music took place.

First we walked to the Mirabell Gardens, from our drop off and pick up location, taking in the magnificent gardens and listening to the guides talk on the various parts each location played in the film. The entire end of the song ‘Do Re Mi’ in the Sound of Music movie was filmed at the Mirabell Palace Gardens.  The Mirabell Palace was completed in 1606 (rebuilt 1693) as the home for Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau’s mistress and the gorgeous gardens were built out later from 1715-30.  In addition to its Sound of Music fame, the Mirabell Palace is also where Mozart would play private concerts as a child.    As you enter the Mirabell Palace Gardens from the South, you will recognize the two impressive pairs of Greek fencing statutes from The Sound of Music movie as the Von Trapp children had mimicked their playful poses.  The stone figures, which were inspired by the ancient Borghese Gladiator Statue from Ephesus.

While wandering further into the Mirabell Gardens, you’ll also remember the central spouting fountain from the ‘Do Re Mi‘ scenes of the Sound of Music movie.  From here make sure to turn around and check out the fantastic views the Mirabell Palace Gardens provide of High Salzburg Fortress (Hohensalzburg) towering over Salzburg.

Several bridges link the historic centre with the more modern part of Salzburg. One of these bridges is the famous “Love-Lock” Bridge (Makartsteg), a pedestrian overpass that you will probably cross at least once, going into the Old Town. About 20,000 pedestrians cross this bridge every day.

The focal point of the busy Residenz Square is the centrally located 45-foot-tall Horse Fountain (Residenzbrunnen).  Four horses leap out of the base while the Greek God Trion spouts water from a seashell at the top of the fountain.  Completed in 1661, the upper section is a replica Bernini’s famous Triton Fountain in Rome and it is the largest Baroque fountain located outside of Italy.

Grain Lane (Getreidegasse) is the main shopping street in the historic centre. It has an abundance of designer stores and small gift shops, all waiting to be explored. Secondly, it has a plethora of cafés and restaurants serving some of the most delicious dishes, specialty coffees and deserts.

Also in Mozart Square is the house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived with his family between 1773 and 1781. This is different from the house where the composer was born, which is also in the Old Town, but in a different area. The house at Mozartplatz was rented by Mozart’s father, Leopold, for his son’s growing family. At the time the house was known as the Dance Master’s House (Tanzmeisterhaus), but it later became known as the Mozart’s Residence.

St. Peter’s Cemetery is one of Salzburg’s most popular attractions. It is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to the 700s. The small and picturesque graveyard has quite a few tombstones and burial vaults. Among the famous people buried here are Michael Hayden, Joseph Hayden’s younger brother and Maria Anna Mozart (Nannerl), Mozart’s older sister. Their tombs are next to the entrance of the catacombs. In the middle of the cemetery is the beautiful St. Mary’s Chapel, a small late Gothic church.

As you walk towards the cemetery, you are greeted with the smell of fresh baked bread and come across an old bakery located below street level. Next to it, is an operational water wheel, which you can hear from some distance away. The old water mill was built in the 17th century and was used to grind the corn. It was in use up to 1958. Six farmers were the owner of the water mill. During the winter time each farmer could use the water mill for one week to grind his corn and oat. During this time, you could hear the rattle of the mill day and night. The wheel was shut down in about 1922, it was replaced with an electric turbine.

The tourism office and the community of “Scheffau” restored the water mill 1975. It is a cultural monument. After the closing of the monastery mill in 1966, a new water wheel has been operating since 2007. The master miller and baker fulfilled his wish to reinstall a water wheel here and to operate a small mill. The water wheel produces electricity via a transmission system and a generator. The electricity supplies a small mill, which grinds part of the flour demand of the monastery bakery.

We spent about an hour walking around the old town and then found the Lovelock bridge again, to meet up with the rest of the guests and all got back onto the Scenic buses to go to the Zistelalm restaurant for lunch and a special performance from the Sound of Music.  As we arrived, we were fanfared by men dressed in traditional clothing, including Lederhosen, an playing French Horns.  The restaurant is located high above the city and offered magnificent views.

We were then driven back to Passau, where the ship had sailed to from Salzburg.

We stopped along the way, for a rest and toilet break, at the Mondsee rest area and café. A very picturesque location. Further along the Eastern edge of Mondsee, is one of best Sound of Music film locations where the Maria and the kids ride bikes during “Do, Re, Mi”.  As the children bike around Lake Mondsee, you can see the Zwölferhorn Mountain visible across the water.

After a 10pm departure from Vienna, we awoke to find the ship docking at Dürnstein, a small town on the banks of the Danube and with a population of around 900 people. It is located in the Wachau valley in lower Austria and has a mix of authentic historic buildings and an amazing ‘blue church’. It takes its name from the castle which looks down on it from the cliffs above. The castle is now a ruin, but a taxing hike for old legs, can make it worthwhile for the views alone. The Swedish soldiers contributed to the destruction of the castle when General Torstensson and his army blew up the castle in 1645. After this, nobody cared to rebuild it. Castle Dürnstein, was also reputed to have imprisoned the English king Richard Lionheart, from December 1192 until March 1193 for a ransom. Apparently, the king refused to share his spoils of war with Leopold V and then tore up the Austrian flag. A year in the lockup and a ransom of 150 silver marks, secured his release, or so legend goes.

Farmers around Dürnstein cultivate different varieties of fruit, one of the most popular being apricots. Apricots are sold as fresh fruit but are also made into a liqueur. In Dürnstein and the surrounding farms, you can buy locally produced schnapps and liqueurs.

I got up in time to catch sunrise from the sundeck of the Scenic Jewel and was off on my solo hike to the castle ruins, as soon as the gangplank was secured to the dock.

Sunrise

The sundeck of the Scenic Jewel

Another couple of early risers, Ron and Dave

Narrow cobbled streets surrounded by historic buildings are hidden behind a fortification wall. Strolling through the town’s main gate, “Kremser Tor”, is almost like leaving this century and moving backwards in time. It was a steep and energy sapping climb to the ruins, but I was the only one up there and only met a couple of other people on my way back down.

I climbed up onto the walls of the ruins

We were only docking for a short time and the cruise director was taking a few hardy people up to the ruins, so I knew that I had time to have a walk along the Danube giving me a different perspective of this lovely historic town. Dürnstein’s landmark, the characteristic blue-white church tower, is best visible from the riverside. It’s part of the Stift Dürnstein monastery. Constructed in Gothic and Baroque styles, mainly between 1400 and 1700, the monastery occupies a large section of the town.

The Blue church

We departed Dürnstein for the short journey to the township of Melk, where we had a guided tour of a castle, Burg Aggstein. The castle ruins are situated at about 300 meters altitude above the right bank of the Danube on an outcropping that runs in an East-West direction. It is some 150 meters long and has a rock structure at both ends.

Ruins of the castle present majestic views of the valley

The fortress was presumably built in the early 12th century by the Kuenrings and maintains the layout it still has today three centuries later. It allowed its various owners to control transit traffic on the Danube. With their hidden stairways, courtyards and towers, a dungeon and a chapel plus a knight’s hall and a tavern, these fortifications are a great place to explore.

We were also treated to some free cheesecake and coffee as part of the tour. Our German speaking tour guide was joined by another guide who gave the history of the castle and also entertained us with a rendition of the Frog Prince fairy tale which she assured us had its roots in this very castle. The partial ruins of this 12^th century castle is mainly used these days, for weddings and tourism. We had Bluetooth audio setups for the tour and I overheard (as no doubt all the guest did) them talking in German and saying how slow some of the old folk were in keeping up. I strolled past them and said in German, that I could understand what they were saying, as they stopped in their tracks and looked sheepishly at me, saying “he understands”. A bit of fun.

The bus trip back to the ship was along the Danube and he was quick to point out the common practice of nude bathing and cavorting on the banks of the river by the Austrian population, several of whom we witnessed.

Today was another free choice, so we decided to catch the Scenic bus into Bratislava, at 8.30am for a guided walk through the old town. We walked the cobblestone roads and saw many old buildings and fountains.

St Elisabeth Roman Catholic Church, but is more aptly referred to as “The Blue Church”. 

People cooling off near Roland Fountain

The memorial commemorates the 105,000 Jewish victims from Slovakia who were murdered during the Holocaust. Erected in 1996, it is an important site of public memory for Bratislava residents. Many citizens remember the synagogue that stood on the site until 1969, when the SNP Bridge was constructed. Its demolition is perceived as an irreparable loss for the city. You may find historical images of the synagogue in many local cafés. The centerpiece of the memorial is an abstract sculpture with a Star of David. A granite platform features the word ‘Remember’ in Hebrew and Slovak. A silhouette of the lost synagogue is engraved on the adjacent granite wall. The memorial is the site of the official Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration event, which takes place annually on September 9.

The Holocaust memorial

We also had an hour of free time to explore, so we looked in some shops and then sat down for a coffee and strudel.

The Old Town Hall on the Main Square is one of the oldest buildings in Bratislava. In front of the Old Town Hall, you’ll find a quirky Napoleon soldier statue and Maximilian’s fountain. This statue is a reminder of when Napoleon’s troops marched through Bratislava in 1805.

There are loads of small statues around the streets, as well as memorials and fountains.

Schone Naci statue stands outside the iconic Mayer cafe

Man in manhole looking up skirts

We caught the coach back to the ship and had lunch on board at 1pm.  After lunch we caught the shuttle back into Vienna and had a look around the big city, almost getting lost, but we found the pickup point for the shuttle and made it back.

Narrow cobble stone streets of Vienna

St Peters Catholic church

We were due to arrive in Vienna today, so got up late for breakfast and had a leisurely morning, sitting in the lounge, drinking coffee and eating cake and then up onto the sun deck to laze around further and sip cocktails, juice, beer or anything else that took your fancy. All inclusive of the cruise cost. Dinner in the restaurant was early, at 5.30pm, as everyone was invited to a private – Scenic guests only, concert at the Vienna Palais Lichenstein, which is the Garden Palace and summer residence of the Lichenstein Prince and family. Such opulence and value is hard to imagine one family owning. The Palace is one of two owned by the family in Vienna, the other one being the City Palace. The family own around 20 castles in Austria. The Baroque gardens of the palace were immaculate, as you would expect and the palace houses some of the art collection of the family.

Summer Palace, Lichtenstein – Vienna

The value of that coach would buy an island in Australia

We were all seated in the theatre area and were entertained by an orchestra as well as a couple of opera singers and dancers. The acoustics were amazing as was the décor. A funny moment occurred as a couple of ballet dancers performed the Blue Danube waltz. The lady stopped the orchestra half way through and they both looked into the audience and left the stage. She walked straight towards me, as I was in the front row. I had asked Ron and Roz to come and sit with us as they were a few rows back and were nearer the action. She looked along the row and walked over. I was already blushing and had my head down, as she chose Ron to be her dancing partner. He did well and copped the name ‘twinkle toes’ for days afterwards.

I think Twinkle toes Ron was itching to hold her tighter

It was a fabulous night and we arrived back on board around 9.30pm.