The Final Stage - Budapest to Munich
!0 Aug - Pre-Boarding
We waved farewell to Seabourn Encore and transferred to Venice International Airport. The ship docked in Fusina which is about 30 mins from Venice so no time to take in the views of the City.
The flight to Budapest was via Vienna with Austrian Airways. 2 x 1hr flights landing in Budapest early afternoon. We decided to catch the bus into the city. What a breeze. Straight out of the terminal. The bus was just pulling in. Jumped on (express to the city - 3 stops) and took us about 40 mins. Because we are ancient (over 65) the trip was free. The last stop was ours and it was about a 2 min walk to our hotel which was lucky as the temp was about 36 Deg.
The hotel was very comfortable and in the centre of the City close to the river.
That night we wanted to sample some Hungarian food so headed out. Many restaurants to choose from so we wandered around looking at different menus until one took our fancy. Thought we would try typically Hungarian food. I had goulash and Julie had pork knuckle. We should have chosen either another restaurant or other dishes as both were rather average.
To overcome the disappointment we continued our walk along the river (Danube) front.
Some spectacular views.
Budapest is the capital, most populous city, and one of the twenty counties of Hungary.
It is Hungary's principle city with 1.7 million inhabitants and its greater metro area has a population of about 3.3 million.
The historic centre of Budapest along the Danube is classified as a World Heritage Site due to its numerous notable monuments of classical architecture, from the 13th-century Matthias Church to 19th-century landmarks such as Hungarian Parliament, State Opera House, the Museum of Fine Arts and St. Stephen's Basilica.
We went on another walk in the morning to see the sites in the daylight as boarding wasn't until the afternoon.
It was another hot day so we were keen to get onboard. A very easy boarding process, our cabin was ready, bags delivered and off for a bit to eat and a cool drink,
Scenic Opal
The guests on board are made up approx 80 from UK, 40 from USA, 9 Aussies with a similar number of Canadians with a handful from a few other nations. The average age is younger than on Seabourn. A good mix.
The 1st evening meal was delicious and a good omen for the future river cruise.
That night we did a cruise of Budapest. Again quite spectacular
We went to bed thinking this is going to be a lot of fun 😊
Day 2 - Still in Budapest
Overnight in Budapest and the next morning, following a good breakfast, we set out on a bus tour of the City.
The tour guide was excellent and we got to see the sights from the pervious evening plus a lot more. The City was bombed during WW2 however, luckily most of the grand sites were spared. The City is highly recommended for a visit. During the tour we were treated to a piano recital.
Back onboard timeout to enjoy a dip in the very tiny pool, a great way to cool of with a glass of local beer.
Due to the small number of guests, it is very easy to meet up with people and have a laugh.
The onboard entertainment is limited but still good to get the people together, having a drink (or 2) and sharing stories. We hooked up with a couple who were originally from East Doncaster 😱 and we have played at a couple of the same golf courses. Small world.
We cruised through the night towards our next port of call - Bratislava
Day 3 - Bratislava
Woke up still cruising and went through our 1st lock.
A tight fit
On the river it was full of other river boats of various sizes but not enough to be distracting.
We arrived in Bratislava around mid-morning.
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and is set along the Danube River by the border with Austria and Hungary. It’s surrounded by vineyards and the Little Carpathian mountains, crisscrossed with forested hiking and cycling trails. The pedestrian-only, 18th-century old town is known for its lively bars and cafes.
We took a walking tour of the City. Another warm day so we didn't want to do anything too arduous a 2 hr walk was enough. An interesting place to visit accompanied by a very animated tour guide (clearly loved her work 😊)
Back onboard in time for lunch followed by another dip in the pool to relax before dinner.
That night we dined at the Italian Specialty restaurant. The meal was superb and the wines just as good.
The food onboard is much better than that we have had on any ocean cruise. Not as expansive in respect to the selection but most on offer was of the highest quality.😋
That night we were treated to Hungarian dancers for entertainment before dinner.
Day 3 - Vienna
We cruised through the night and awoke in the beautiful City of Vienna.
Vienna, Austria’s capital, lies in the country’s east on the Danube River.
Its artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud.
The city is also known for its Imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer residence. In the Museums Quartier district, historic and contemporary buildings display works by Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and other artists.
The boat was docked at a pier a bit out of the City. A 15 min bus trip had us in the middle of the City for a tour of downtown and the Cathedral of St Michael.
There were all kinds of shops, some of which took Julie's attention (jewellery) and others that didn't
Even saw our friendly mutt
After the centre we drove to the Belvedere Palace to see the art museum. I'm not that into art but the Palace was very special.
A great time was had by all (although the lady in front of me kept herself entertained by playing solitaire on her mobile 😱
We cruised away at 10 pm towards our next stop - Durnstein.
Day 5 - Durnstein and Melk
Our first port of call for the day was at Durnstein. Just a small village (still in Austria) to drop off a few brave souls you elected to undertake a bike ride to Melk. A warm day so interesting to see how they pull up at the end of the ride.
We cruised on enjoying the view and the peacefulness of the river and watching the small towns pass by.
Next stop was Melk.
Melk is an Austrian town on the River Danube, west of Vienna. It’s known for the 11th-century Melk Abbey, a vast monastery built high above the town. Gold statuary adorns its domed Abbey Church, and the huge library houses medieval manuscripts.
We had booked for another tour to another castle but all castled out and it being a hot day so stayed onboard and relaxed (pool, cider and beer).
Light snack in the afternoon
Dinner that night was another delight.
Duck a 'lorange followed by Crepe Suzette
Day 6 - Cesky Krumlov
We stopped at a small town, onto buses and headed out for a full day tour of Cesky Krumlov. A 2 hr drive along a windy road and through a few small villages. A pleasant but long trip in a bus with many churches along the way.
A rest break along the way and Julie found time to shop 😲 (didn't buy a thing).
The trip, though, was well worth it.
Český Krumlov is a city in the South Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. It’s bisected by the Vltava River, and dominated by its 13th-century castle. The castle has Gothic, Renaissance and baroque elements, an 11-hectare garden and an original 17th-century baroque theatre. There are panoramic views of the old town and the river from the top of its round bell tower.
A very interesting place, cobblestone paths, restaurants, bars and souvenirs. Rafting down the river is the thing to do apparently. The place is extremely popular with tourists and today (being a weekend) was packed).
Apparently they are rescued and live here. There are 3.
We had lunch (more goulash and Julie had fish) and were to head off for a little free time. The first bit of rain for the entire trip fell for about 30 mins which slowed down the shopping. 😥
After the visit we headed back through different villages and rural properties to Passau where the ship had cruised too for our next port of call.
Another lovely meal.
This was followed by music (our Cruise Director is a great entertainer with a very good singing voice. Excellent personality.
The evening saw us (our group has expanded to a regular 8 people by now) drink a lot, laugh a lot and dance. It took me back to our cruise on the Legend (our first Seabourn cruise) a long time again when we had much merriment
Day 7 - Vilshofen and Renegsburg
The final day on the river was to Vilshofen. We were to finish in Renegsburg however the river was too low for us to cruise there. So Vilshoven with bus tours to Renegsburg was the order for the day.
A very slow drive and Sunday drivers.
Renegsburg is a Bavarian city on the Danube River in southeast Germany, is known for its well-preserved medieval core. The 12th-century Stone Bridge, a 310m-long icon with 16 arches, crosses the river to the old town. The 13th-century Regensburg Cathedral, a twin-spired Gothic landmark, is home to the Regensburger Domspatzen choir. It did not suffer damage during WW2 so the historic township is a remarkable example of ancient Roman and gothic architecture.
Very crowded and the old sausage factory
And we finished the tour at the local for a much wanted Germen beer 😁.
Back to the bus and another long drive to the ship. Tonight last drinks with our newly found friends and then packing for the bus trip to Munich.
The Last Day
Bags are on the bus, breakfast with our friends from East Doncaster (but now in Torquey) followed by the bus trip to Munich Airport. After that a flight to Paris, Singapore and then Sydney.
So it has now come to an end.
We selected this itinerary to get away from the cold Sydney weather and definitely succeeded. The temperatures rarely fell below 30 Deg and it rained once (and then again only for a brief period).
We also have never done a river cruise before so saw this as the perfect opportunity. The ocean cruise and river cruise were 2 very different scenarios The river cruise enabled us to visit many different cities and actually spend time discovering what they had to offer. A lot of castles and churches 😉The river cruise was a lot more intimate and relaxed. It was more casual (no formal nights 😊). The cabins were much smaller but still comfortable and as there were fewer guests it became easy to form relationships and have the fun we hadn't had on a cruise for some time.
The food was better (albeit still very good on Seabourn) as was the wine selection. The spirits were all top shelf whereas Seabourn had dropped its standards on spirits and wine in recent years. There were more things to do onboard on Seabourn, but then most of the time you were ashore on excursions. The entertainment was better on Seabourn yet more guests got involved on Scenic.
Staff on both were excellent.
Both Julie and I suffered from medical issues that restricted what we could and couldn't do. But it did not stop the fun.
About 7 weeks, many countries and activities. Many new friends, some we will continue to keep in contact.
All 3 stages of the trip have been special and each had something different to offer and now it is time to go home. Time to get the home back in order, the pool and garden will need some tender loving care. Hopefully the cars will start and all will be as it was before we left back in early July. A change in eating and drinking habits will be a shock but definitely needed.
We have 2 new fluffs arriving for foster care just after we return and I am already booked for golf.
The memories of the trip will fade over time but I hope the blog will be a reminder of the special time.
So until Julie starts looking for the next adventure - happy reading.
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