by Ron Largent | Dec 19, 2017 | England, London, London Marriott Hotel, Travel
Transfer from the Viking River Cruise ship to the airport was with a local taxi…Nuremberg airport is an old one with a lot of new buildings….the baggage issue came up…flights were fine…no extra time in Amsterdam….a massive airport….and on to Heathrow….
Arrival through customs at Heathrow was slow, but moving….and got out luggage and headed towards Heathrow Express….then found that the train schedule was changed and had to take a bus to terminal 5…which we did, and a hassle due to full bus, luggage, etc….
Then got to the Express train..and doors shut before I could get on…Audy was on and I wasn’t…I took the next train, but a story as I tried to get ‘CAUGHT’ in the door…but did not work….but another story.
Made it to Paddington…taxi to Marble Arch Marriott….very good check in…and a great room….we were in LONDON.
Day 1 in London to come…
by Ron Largent | Dec 19, 2017 | Austria, Bavaria, Budapest. Hungary, Cruise Line Deals, Danube Canal at Nuremberg, Danube River, Danube River and Viking River, Eastern Europe, Eastern Germany, European Travel, Germany, Nuremberg, Travel, Travel the World, Vienna, Viking Cruises, Viking River, Viking River Cruises, Vikings
Nuremberg is much larger than what I expected, and a center of commerce and industry for this area of Bavaria. It is right on the Danube Canal, which is a major transportation resource…..and then the city itself historically has been a major rail city.
We took the included tour of the City….as well as the walking…but suffice it to say that the city has put the Nazi movement in perspective, clearly indicating the size and power of Hitler and the party. The huge Nazi HQ building is still in place, as is the Congress Hall area, which is only 2/3rds completed…then we saw the area where Hitler would hold the rallies, which were attended by upwards of 300,000 party faithful.
The Old Town, for the most part, survived the bombings in WW II…and the Castle is a Medieval marvel. We had a great tour of the area, with a very knowledgeable tour guide that did college work in Oregon. It was an afternoon tour, so our final couple of hours was at the Christmas Market, which is the largest in Germany, and may be in Europe. There are a total of 4 large Christmas markets, but we were at the largest at the Old Town town hall,,,right in the square in front of the Catholic Cathedral, which was not very impressive, and near to the Lutheran Church, which was very impressive. The market itself was jammed with probably 10,000 folks doing their shopping, and this was a big day, as the last Saturday before Christmas.
The day ended with the Captains Dinner…..a full and fun day…Nuremberg is a must to see to fully understand the nature of the Nazi Party, and Hitler, and how Germany was learned and rebuilt from the War.
More to come…
by Ron Largent | Dec 16, 2017 | Uncategorized
BWe arrived in Regensberg on schedule and docked right at the Old Town…and started oue Walking Tour. Regents erg is a medieval town going back to the Romans, but the real “Claim to fame” if you will is that it was home to Pope Benedict, the former Pope that just resigned a few years ago.
We spent the morning on the walking tour with a lot of Jewish information as this was one of the cities in Bavaria that felt the brunt of Hitler and the Nazis…..so a lot of local memories and momentos, such as street markers etc….
More to come….
by Ron Largent | Dec 15, 2017 | Travel
Passau on the Danube is one of those “best kept secrets” when it comes to travel in Germany. However, not so when it comes to the River Cruise ships…it is a major player.
A great smaller city than Munich, etc….it is right at the point where three rivers come together….and is the location of St Stephens Cathedral….the home of the largest organ in Europe.
We had a great day on the walking tour….then went back into the town after lunch and had 3 hours of Christmas Market shopping and looking…. Ending up with a sweet at Simons….the famous gingerbread factory and store.
The highlight of course is the Cathedral…and not only is the organ magnificent, although we did not get to hear it, but the church building itself is among the most impressive we have ever seen.
Well, suffice it to say now…just a great day , and on to Regenburg……
by Ron Largent | Dec 13, 2017 | Austria, Northern Europe Cruise, Travel, Uncategorized, Vienna, Viking ATLA River Cruise Ship., Viking Cruises, Viking River, Viking River Cruises, Vikings, Zurich
We left Vienna during the night heading north and west up the Danube towards Krems….and Gottweig Abbey. Again, this is a spectacular setting with the Abbey right on top of the mountain. The Abbey is fully operational and has both Art and book collections that are world famous. The 2 hours at the Abbey was set up specifically for Viking, and we were told that Viking has donated considerable funds to keep the Abbey open, eventhough it is the home for 43 monks that work in the area.
Back on the ship and traveling up through the Wachau Valley…world famous for wines and picturesque towns and castles…and today was an absolutely gorgeous day with bright sun,….not much wind, but low 40’s…but a gorgeous day. Afternoon on the ship with regular updates and special events, etc….and now off to the Viking Explorer Reception…should be fun..
