Category Archives: ADA accessibility on river cruises

ADA accessibility on river cruises, Apricot schnapps, incunabula, Melk, skeleton saints, Uniworld, walking the gangplank

Leaving the MT; our first stop en route to Vienna, the glorious abbey of Melk

April 26, 2016 1954 Leave a comment

After our gala farewell dinner, we bade farewell to our favorite servers in the dining room, went to the lounge for a while and then headed to our room to pack. Some of the passengers were taking advantage of their last night on the MT enjoying the music and atmosphere. We would undoubtedly see the new friends we had made on the cruise during the next three days, but we didn’t think it likely we would be in the same place at the same time again.

Chad handed out our next days schedule in the usual information session before dinner. As it turned out, we would all be staying at the Ritz-Carlton for our two nights in Vienna. Budapest was another story. It is a much smaller city and though it has its share of hotels, there was not one which could take all of us. Chad told us he was still working on placing us in Budapest Hotels, but they would all be four star hotels.

Actually most of us were pleased to be staying at the Ritz. It has a central location off the Ringstrasse and we would be able to walk to many places on our own. If we had still been on the Maria Theresa, we would have been quite a distance from the city center, requiring either a bus, taxi or tram ride. Finally, because we wouldn’t be eating our meals on the MT, we each got 90 EU spending money for our lunch and dinners in Vienna. Breakfast was included in our hotel stay. The Ramblers were surprised to hear a few people grumbling about the amount, as we thought it was quite fair and actually came home with Euros left over. However, we spent no time at the bar, didn’t order room service and enjoyed eating regional food at local places. We felt that Uniworld had treated us very well, adjusting as best they could to the low water problems.

We were asked to have our packed luggage outside our cabin door by 4 AM, so it would be ready to be loaded onto our busses just as if we were leaving for our flight home. And so it was, after a last excellent breakfast, we headed down the gangplank of the MT for the last time. Of course, a number of the staff were there to wave good-by as we left.

Before we leave the Danube behind, the Rambler would like to say her bit about exiting a river boat. If you are at all familiar with boats, you may recall that all gangplanks have some sort of cleat on them to prevent people from slipping on rainy days. These cleats stick up from an otherwise smooth surface. In the case of the Maria Theresa, they were very prominent, and placed every foot or so along the gangplank. Those of you who are prone to tripping or have trouble walking please look carefully before you place your feet when walking up or down, even when it’s not raining. It is possible to take a nasty tumble when leaving the ship, especially when you are walking downhill.

Our first stop today would be the beautiful Abbey of Melk, nearly 200 miles from Regensburg.

We had arrived at the abbey parking lot. The abbey is still quite a ways off.

We left the quay at 8:30 and expected to get to the Abbey around 12:30. On the way we would stop for a break at a rest stop off the Austrian version of the US Interstate. Of course we all got out to check out the rest stop. Some wanted to visit the bathrooms and others looked over the shops. It wasn’t quite as nice as the one we had stopped at on our way to Salzburg from Linz, but clean and neat, nevertheless.

We got to Melk at 12:30, but would only be able to stay for an hour as we were scheduled to go on a cruise of the Wachau Valley at 1:30. Seeing the abbey in an hour was a tall order as it is huge. It also turned out to be a fairly long walk from the parking lot to the Abbey entrance.

These steps were quite a haul for the Ramblers and many of the other passengers.

Some of us were dismayed to find that we would have to climb an extensive series of steps to reach the main path to the Abbey. After having both her hip joints replaces, the Rambler can now walk quite well on level ground but steps are still a chore. Nevertheless, Melk is a spectacular place, so climb we did.

Last December we had visited Gottweig Abbey, another Benedictine monastery near Krems, only a sixty miles from Melk. It too is an impressive baroque structure, founded a thousand years ago but rebuilt during the late 17th century. However, I found Gottweig to have a museum-like quality as its current congregation is quite small, and there is a sense of loneliness within. Melk, on the other hand, exudes a welcoming warmth, and not just because the sun was shining.While Gottweig has a pink and white exterior, another favorite baroque color, Melk glows in Hapsburg gold and white. Evidently that particular shade of gold was a favorite of the Habsburgs; think of the Schonbrunn Palace… In fact, Hapsburg gold is a popular colorchoice today in Vienna paint stores.

A little bit of history before we enter the abbey. It was founded in 1089 by Benedictine monks. A century later, the monks established a school there and it soon became renowned for its manuscript collection. some of the monks who worked there excelled in copying manuscripts and it soon was renowned for its collection. The Benedictine life included both work and prayer; some monks were farmers, others copied books.

This photo is from Wikipedia's public domain photos. We could look but not touch. — This photo is from Wikipedia’s public domain photos. We could look but not touch.

The abbey was rebuilt in the early 18th century in the baroque style so popular in Eastern Europe. Its library is renowned for its collection of incunabula. Although the word sounds like some sort of mystic spell, it actually refers to books printed before 1500. When you consider that the printing press was invented in Europe between 1440 and 1450 (the Chinese much earlier) these books date to the beginnings of the printed word in Germany.

One of the many long interior hallways; the walls are lined with portraits of assorted Habsburgs.

Melk has 750 in its collection which is amazing. There are many rooms to the library but only one is open to the public. The others are for research purposes only.

Melk also has a famous and expensive gymnasium or high school which currently has over 900 pupils, both boys and girls. Perhaps that it one thing that give it such an air of vitality.

We would have a quick walk through of the abbey, which included a stroll on the terrace with its magnificent views

To me, this view of the town looked almost like it could be a miniature train setting.

After being awed by the the library and admiring the views from the terrace at the top of the abbey, we headed for the church. Now Austrian baroque churches are similar, lots of gilding, curves and gorgeous frescoes but the Melk abbey church actually had something more unusual to offer. Nearing the end of a two week river cruise, we had already seen many churches and frescoes. Quite a few of the passengers took a quick look around and headed toward the gift shop. The Rambler on the other hand, had to get her money’s worth so she walked down the side aisles and stopped, looked, looked again. Yes, that was a skeleton dressed in velvet and pearls reclining in a glass coffin at one of the side altars. Looking further, I saw there was yet another elaborately dressed skeleton in a coffin at another side altar. Looking at them closely I decided they were relics of saints, but there were no identifying signs to tell just who these saints were.

St. Friedrich in his glass coffin in the Melk abbey church. For a gruesome close-up, check out the link.

We Catholics do have a penchant for relics of saints which dates back nearly to the time of the apostles but they are usually not displayed in skeletal form, or so I had thought. When we got home I found an interesting article on these skeletal saints on the web here, if you are interested. http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-most-beautiful-dead-photographs-of-jeweled-skeletons

Incidentally, the saints at Melk are Saints Colomon and Friedrich. These saintly skeletons can be found in churches in Eastern Europe and Switzerland, and are still considered by many to be a devotional aid, although others have been packed away, vandalized or stripped of their precious gems.

After communing with these saints, I was more than happy to spend time in the Melk gift shop staffed by jolly and helpful Austrian women. Since we weren’t going to be able to spend time in Krems or Weissenkirchen, I was able to buy some of the apricot schnapps which this region produces in large quantities. It makes wonderful souvenirs. For the non-drinkers, they also sell delicious apricot jam. The ladies kindly wrapped my purchases very carefully so that they would travel home safely.

On the way out, I noticed this back parking lot, must be the tradesmen's entrance. — On the way out, I noticed this back parking lot, must be the tradesmen’s entrance.

By 1:30, we had boarded our busses and were on our way to Krems, where we would board yet another boat for an afternoon cruise to the Wachau Valley. The Ramblers wouldn’t have minded staying on at Melk as its restaurant looked very inviting and the food smelled delicious.

ADA accessibility on river cruises, Camping along the Rhine, Castles along the Rhne, Kathe Wohlfart store, Niederwald Monument, Rafting ships together, Rudesheim wine country, The lorelei

An afternoon in the country, after a morning on the Rhine

October 12, 2015 1954 Leave a comment

On our second day of sailing there was much to see all morning as we cruised past a stretch of the Rhine, where castles, ruined or occupied, perch on almost every hill. Some make you wish you could stop and explore, but after a while, it’s almost, ho hum, another castle.

An impressive castle ruin on the hilltop above

I had purchased a map which showed the castles along this part of the Rhine, but it really difficult to determine just what you were seeing. The Ramblers decided to sit back and just enjoy the scenery. This part of the Rhine can be quite narrow, rocky, and dangerous. En route we passed through the Lorelei; not a person, but the spot where the Rhine flows through a narrow rocky gorge. In the days before Germany was united, local barons often collected toll from passing boats in this area. They actually constructed small fortifications which doubled as toll plazas.

Looking back at the passage through the Lorelei

We sailed past several more campgrounds along the banks of the Rhine. This is obviously a popular tourist area for Germans and Austrians who live in the area.

Crowded campground along side the Rhine. It was vacation time in this part of Germany

Local residents enjoy traveling around to the quaint villages, and tasting wine at the many wineries and tasting rooms in the area, just as much as tourists from other parts of the world. Some even bring their boats along, and launch them on the Rhine, as there are many places to dock. Crossing the Rhine in this part of Germany involves taking a ferry ride, as there are very few bridges to be seen, but ferries in almost every town.

The Drosselgasse or strangle lane, one of the reconstructed old streets in Rudesheim, little more than 6 feet wide

Our stop today was the small city of Rudesheim, within the Valley of the Lorelei and the center of the Rhine River valley wine industry. Two millenniums ago, it was a Roman settlement as were most of the cities along the Rhine. Today it appears to be a quaint, almost medieval place; the reality is that most of the original buildings were destroyed during WWII. Rudesheim is actually a tribute to the skill and determination of its citizens to restore their city. They have been so successful that close to 3 million people visit Rudesheim annually, about half from abroad.

After another delicious lunch( the MT’s kitchen served the most wonderful soups at lunchtime, with a different selection every day)our ship docked alongside a riverside park in Rudesheim.

Thousands of grapevines, with Rudesheim in the background

At this stop we experienced RAFTING for the first time. Because of the growing popularity of river cruising, sometimes there isn’t enough dock space available close to town during the peak cruise months. Consequently, the second river boat to arrive has to tie up to the boat that is already docked. The Ramblers are surprised this doesn’t happen even more often than it does, as most cruises seem to start on Sunday and end on Saturday. At any rate, the Maria Theresa was the second ship in Rudesheim, so in order to disembark, we had to walk through the first ship to reach the shore. Luckily the dock was fairly level so it didn’t involve much stair climbing. Viking seems to have its own dock space, but because there are so many Viking ships on the river, they are almost always rafted two or three together.

This is one reality of river cruising which will cause problems for people who can’t walk or climb steps on their own. There simply isn’t another way to get off the ship except by going through another ship when they are rafted together. In this case, the Ramblers suggest cruising at a less popular time, early spring or late fall, when there are fewer ships on the rivers and rafting is unlikely. Otherwise, if you can’t make it up and down sometimes steep steps, you may be trapped on the boat at some stops. Although most river boats have elevators, none of them go up to the sun deck, which is often accessed only by a set of steep stairs. However, rafting sometimes involves climbing up to the top deck in order to disembark,

After getting off the MT in Rudesheim, we boarded a mini-tram (it really was mini–generous sized passengers had to squeeze in. The tram took us to the center of the Alstadt, where we climbed a series of steps to the catch the gondola which would take us to the top of the Niederwald Monument. The best way to get to the Gondola is to ride the mini-tram; it takes you around the Alstadt and you get off near the Kathe Wolfhart store.

The senior Rambler in the gondola heading up the hill

Although the Rambler is an historian, she has never been very fond of monuments, however visiting this one had several benefits. You got to ride in an open gondola, and the view from the top was magnificent. What I didn’t find out until too late, was that we weren’t far from the cloister of Hildegarde of Bingen, the famous (to me anyway) medieval mystic, musician and physician. I wish Uniworld would include tours of her cloister along with the monument.

Built in the 1880’s to celebrate the unification of Germany as a nation state in 1871, the monument is impressive. It is crowned with a statue of Germania and features bas-reliefs of Kaiser Wilhelm and his generals on the base. There was a good crowd of river cruisers and local tourists milling around base of the monument and taking photos. There was also an opportunity to try out the local wines at the top of the hill. There were several booths set up by the local wineries offering tastings but the Ramblers found the view much more interesting. After wandering around for a while and admiring the views, we headed back to the gondola house and literally hopped back on for a ride back down to the town.

No mini-tram awaited us, so we slowly strolled back to the river, admiring the quaint buildings and people watching along the way. This had been a very nice stop, with a little of everything, tram and gondola rides, a good walk, sunshine and moderate temperatures. Some fellow cruisers raved about the Kathie Wohlfart Christmas shop in town and came back toting serious purchases. Since the Ramblers have 60 plus years of somewhat battered but beloved Christmas memorabilia, we weren’t even tempted to go inside. But evidently it is a good place to stop if you are interested in such things.

Luckily, it is very hard to get lost in Rudesheim as everything runs down to the river. Once you see the river, you can head for your dock. We had to walk through another ship on the way, and thought it not nearly as nice as the MT. Some of the folks on the other ship evidently thought so too, and we felt rather smug when they made admiring comments about the Maria Theresa. It would not be hard to get to sleep tonight as we sailed to Wurzburg.

ADA accessibility on river cruises, Docking on a river cruise, Gottweig Abbey, Vienna, Viennese food and powidl

Vienna to Krems, Austria, to visit Gottweig Abbey

July 20, 2015 1954 Leave a comment

A few words about Vienna, or Wien, before we move on to our next port. A large metropolis of close to 2 million people(1.7 M) has its problems just like any other metropolitan area. The Beatrice docked in a more industrial area; we were bussed inside the ringstrasse where we could see the beautiful buildings for which Wien is known. However, getting there, we drove to more gritty areas and I noticed graffiti on some of the buildings not so different than one might find in Chicago or Atlanta.

We didn’t get off the boat to explore the area around our dock, because the weather was against us but might have if the weather had been nicer. When you take a river cruise, you will find that sometimes your boat docks in an industrial area but other times will stop right next to a small town. One of the reasons for this is that the popularity of river cruising makes finding a suitable dock difficult. However, what the Ramblers like about river cruising as opposed to ocean cruising is that it is very easy to leave the boat when it is docked, just a quick scan of your photo id will allow you to walk up,, down or across the gangplank.

A final work on Viennese foods. Uniworld handed out a daily program that provided information about our daily activities which sometimes included a few paragraphs on the food. Having a Hungarian mother and a German father, they were familiar to me. I got a chuckle when they recommended dumplings filled with powidl (povidla to me) , saying it was something of an acquired taste… Powidl is made from prunes or dried plums, a filling that folks with an Eastern European heritage know very well. This Rambler loves it, her children, not so much. I expect that the same is true among Eastern Europeans.

When we docked along the river bank in the small town of Krems, the weather hovered around 34′, with a high of 37′ expected. However, it was NOT raining, which boded well for our tour of Gottweig Abbey, scheduled to leave at 9 am. We boarded our shiny Uniworld bus and headed through the town and along a series of local roads until we began climbing up and up the largest hill for miles around.

Going uphill towards Gottweig Abbbey — Going uphill towards Gottweig Abbey in morning fog

As we drove up, we could see prosperous farms and vineyards down below. Given its location on top of a mini-mountain, I expected to see medieval buildings at the top, but was instead greeted by more baroque architecture, with a decidedly Hapsburg stamp.

I was sorry I had not done my homework on the places we would visit before we left home. The guides don’t always provide information about the past, but focus more on what is currently visible. If you have an interest in history and culture, take the time to check out the places you will stop on your voyage. I guarantee you will get more out of the trip. Gottweig was worth seeing however, even though it was not a medieval abbey. I learned later that I was right, there had been an abbey on this spot since the 11th century.

Unfortunately, the parking lot was not on the same level as the monastery grounds, so the gentle walkers carefully trudged up a long ramp . They then found that they would also have to climb several long flights of stairs inside the Abbey. This tour was not appropriate for someone who had trouble climbing stairs.

Once we entered, we viewed a beautiful and inspiring place. The interior was ornate yet spartan. The common areas included beautifully designed baroque stairways and halls with few adornments except statues and ceiling frescoes,all painted white and shades of gray. The Hapsburg’s sometimes stayed at the abbey and because royalty did not appreciate spartan, their apartments were beautifully decorated, with a strong resemblance

to to the rooms of a royal palace. Unlike the rest of the abbey, they were heated.

paintings in the Hapsburg appartment — paintings in the Hapsburg apartment

The Hapsburg apartments are interesting because of the art and architecture they contain. One of their most interesting features, to me, were the white/gilt ceramic stoves used to heat their rooms. These stoves practical as well as beautiful because their ceramic exterior held the heat for a long time after the fire within had been reduced to embers.

Gottweig was founded by the Benedictine monks in the 11th century.

However, like many medieval buildings, the monastery burned in the 17th century and was rebuilt in the early 18th century, hence the baroque interiors and exteriors. I have always wondered how medieval churches and monasteries could burn as they seem to be mainly constructed of stone. However, no doubt there are plenty of wood beams in the structure and no fire departments on call.

Today, Gottweig is still run by the Benedictines. As we were walking around the grounds I noticed a young monk giving a tour for a group of high school students. He is wearing a black coat and hat in the middle of the picture.

Young monk giving tourIt is a popular place for tours as it stands as one of the largest monasteries in Europe. The church is rather plain on the exterior but inside it is magnificent and boasts a wonderful organ.

Gottweig is a popular place for tours as it stands as one of the largest monasteries in Europe. The church is rather plain on the exterior but inside it is magnificent and boasts a wonderful organ.

We had a chance to hear a concert of Christmas music which was, for me an added treat. I love organ music but some of our group, including the senior Rambler, didn’t much appreciate it. I must admit the church was not heated, and quite chilly inside although we were bundled up. It made me think of the medieval monks in this monastery who slept in unheated cells and prayed in an unheated church all year round.

Our last stop was the Gottweig Christmas Market.

This was quite different from the large market in Vienna. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Roman Catholic traditions, an Advent wreath is constructed by families before the first Sunday of Advent (the 4th Sunday before Christmas) Special prayers are said every night as the candles are lighted;one added each week until all four are lit. In Austria, they use red candles, in Marietta, we use white and rose.

At Gottweig, Christmas crafts and [products such as honey and soaps were sold by local folks. it was fun to look at their wares but I was not tempted to buy as we had little room in our carry-on’s for souvenirs and had checked only one bag.

Full of the Christmas shopping spirit... — Full of the Christmas shopping spirit…

Did I mention that the senior Rambler dislikes shopping even more than Christmas; here he was faced with both at the same time. Luckily there was a place for him to sit while I wandered the display of crafts. He was probably not the only man who was happy to board the bus at the end of the tour. However, we were not all going directly back to the boat but could choose to be dropped off in Krems, an easy walk back to the boat.

ADA accessibility on river cruises, The Ring road, Vienna, Vienna National Library

Romantic Vienna in the rain

July 15, 2015 1954 Leave a comment

Sailing fairly late from Bratislava on Tuesday evening, the Beatrice arrived in Vienna at 6 am. Although Bratislava and Vienna are not that far apart by road, it took much longer to get there by boat even though we passed through no locks that night. Again it was a cold and rainy morning with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees. Sunset is about 4 pm in early December, but on a cloudy day it is dark by 3:30. This is something to consider if you are thinking of a Christmas Market cruise.

Uniworld offered two morning tours in Vienna, one for the active folks which included lots of walking , and left at 8:30 am, while everyone else would leave at 9, including the gentle walkers who were instructed to board bus three. On this tour, we were all to visit the National Library and then have free time to visit the Christmas Markets by the landmark Vienna Rathaus or city hall.

In the afternoon, there would be one of the few optional tours offered, to the Schonbrunn Palace, the home of the Hapsburg’s. We didn’t inquire as to the cost, since we had already visited Versailles, the model for all European baroque palaces including the Schonbrunn. Finally, there would be afternoon shuttles available for those who wanted to to return to the Christmas Market at the city hall.

All in all, this was one of the busier touring days on the cruise, especially since we also had an opportunity to attend a special Vienna music ( featuring Mozart and Strauss) concert at 7:30 pm that evening.

After boarding our bus, we were soon rolling along the famous ring

If you want to rent a bicycle... — If you want to rent a bicycle…

road, or ringstrasse. It was built in the late 19th century on the site of the original medieval city walls. Ironically, they were built with the ransom money Richard the Lion heart’s captors received for his release.

The ringstrasse circles the inner, romantic Vienna as many beautiful buildings., both public and private, border the ringstrasse. Even in the rain, it was a wonderful drive. Our destination, the Austrian National Library is part of the Hofburg Palace complex and it would take days to see it all. We were glad the cruise director chose it as our stop in a city with many museums and historic sites as it was excellent.

The Library was amazing, not only because of its wonderful 18th century interior but because of its marvelous collection of rare books, parchments and other artifacts. Needless to say, several tour groups from other boats had also assembled in the courtyard we got there. Waiting to enter, we craned our necks to see the sculpture on the roof which included a statue of Atlas holding up a golden globe, The sculpture groups were very difficult to see from the ground. As I found out later, the Library was a true working archives as well as being perhaps the most beautiful library in the world.

As soon as we stepped inside the main hall, I could smell the familiar scent of old leather bindings, paper and parchment which is familiar to any historian. If you are interested in the holdings of the National Library, it has an up-to-date website which can help you locate both books and documents. I was interested learn that it has an extensive collection of incunabula (hand copied books) as well.

Of course we didn’t have time to see everything, but our guide, a professor, pointed out some of the highlights. Because there were many tourists milling around inside, it was difficult to see everything.

Evidently there was an exhibit of medieval angels somewhere, and I really wanted a copy of that poster you see in the photo. Unfortunately we didn’t stop at the gift shop and it would have been difficult to transport on an airplane.

The gold embossed bindings of the old leather books glowed in the soft lighting and the ceilings were decorated beautifully featuring an an impressive fresco in the center of the main gallery.

Even better, the library had an elevator which was imperative for several of the gentle walkers who were unable to climb the two long sweeping marble staircases that led to the main gallery.

I was struggling to take a good photo of the ceiling fresco when the senior Rambler suggested I hold the camera over my head and point it up at the ceiling.

The photo you see was taken with this difficult technique. LOL Surprisingly it works fairly well, if you can get the camera to focus while holding it above your head. We saw a lot of ceiling frescoes on this trip and this was a useful trick.

After leaving the building,

The clever painted back stairway; note the poster advertising the Albertina, another museum in the complex

I turned back as we were queuing up to board the bus and noticed something unusual about the staircase we had just walked down. If you look at the picture , you can see that the steps are disguised as a poster advertising a Miro exhibit.

Next, on to the Vienna Christmas market at City Hall.

ADA accessibility on river cruises, Budapest, Heroes' Square and Matthias Church, River cruising in Europe

Rainy Budapest Redux

July 9, 2015 1954 Leave a comment

Although we boarded the River Beatrice on Sunday, November 30th, 2014, the cruise wouldn’t start until Monday evening, December 1 (Most river cruises do this, to provide ample time for passengers who may have missed a connection or had a flight delayed, to reach the boat before it sailed.) Thus we were docked overnight in Budapest and were to tour the city on Monday morning with ample time later to visit the Budapest Christmas Market within walking distance of our ship.

Besides enjoying an excellent meal Sunday night we first went through the obligatory safety drill. There are no lifeboats on board the Beatrice, the rationale being that we were always in sight of the shore, There were, of course, life jackets and certain procedures to follow. We were introduced to Captain Ivanov, who was an imposing but mostly silent figure. Carla de Behar, the Hotel Manager and Tamas Kocsis, the Cruise Manager more than made up for his lack of interaction. Both were very personable and always present to see that the passengers needs were met during the cruise. In fact, every ‘member of the Beatrice crew provided the best possible service. Tamas briefed us on the next day’s activities after Carla introduced her staff and welcomed us. Most of us headed for our cabins for a welcome night’s sleep, but others who were already in Europe and not jet-lagged stayed in the lounge to talk and listen to music.

The next morning we woke up to a cold and rainy day. This was disheartening but we would get to see if our new waterproof jackets worked. LOL(They did.) After breakfast, a buffet, but one could also order from the kitchen, we headed for the busses. We had decided to go with the “gentle walkers” group, for those whose walking speed was in the slow range. Among the gentle walkers were several folks with visible physical problems and canes, and others who just wanted to take their time.

Our first stop was at Heroes’ Square, a large plaza with some imposing statues of heroic Hungarians. It was still raining so I didn’t get out. It might have been fun on a nice day.

The smoking rambler lits up. — The smoking rambler lights up.

Some folks did brave the elements to get a closer look at the square; the smoking Rambler hopped out to light up. There was no smoking anywhere inside the Beatrice or the bus and he was feeling deprived, (more about this later.) The building in the background is the excellent Hungarian National Museum, a perfect place to stop on a rainy day except that all museums in Hungary are closed on Mondays.

Heroes' Square in the rain — Heroes’ Square in the rain

Heroes’ Square was was almost empty, because of the miserable weather. You can see the historic buildings in Buda’s Castle Hill in the background of my photo. Truthfully, this is not my kind of stop, especially in the rain. But both ramblers enjoyed our next stop, the Mathias Church, partly because although it was still cold and windy, the rain had stopped.

The church is one of the most important historic sites in Budapest; founded by King (St.) Stephen in 1015 and dedicated to Our Lady. It is also a survivor!

In the 11th century it was destroyed by the Mongols and rebuilt. it is called the Matthias Church because the late medieval Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus was crowned there twice!A raven, his emblem perches on the highest tower. Hungary was conquered yet again, this time by the Ottomans who turned it into a mosque, painting out or destroying any representation of the human form. After the Ottomans were defeated, the church was restored once more but severely damaged in WWII and treated badly first by the Germans and then by the Communists. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the church was restored yet again, with the exterior finished in 2013. However, I have never visited a historic building of any kind without noting some restoration ongoing and so it was with the Matthias Church.

The church was crowded with passengers from the Beatrice and a Viking boat docked nearby.

Baroque interior, small windows were common in older churches

I would have enjoyed spending more time , as they were setting up the creche that is found in nearly every Catholic church in Europe during the Advent season, the four weeks before Christmas

. From there we walked to the Fisherman’s Bastion, a fantastic creation with pointed towers like Sleeping Beauty’s castle. It was completed in the early 1900’s as a look-out. Though it never served any military purpose, it provides a wonderful view of Buda, Pest and the Danube in between, which we took a pass on.

Few folks lingered because of the icy breeze and rain droplets that swirled around. On the way back, I bought some paprika from a store near the church. Its door was open to the elements and provided little shelter for the cheerful salesladies On the way back to the boat, our guide took us through the elegant 19th century boulevard, lined with a variety of interesting buildings where a wonderful buffet lunch awaited us. It started for me, with a bowl of delicious soup.

The rain returned with a vengeance in the afternoon and my husband refused to walk to the Christmas Market. However, a couple we had met earlier were going and I walked along with them. I am one of those hapless people who tend to get lost in unfamiliar places so I didn’t want to go alone. As it turned out, the market was a good choice.

In the Hungarian Christmas markets unlike those we visited in other countries, everything has to be Hungarian-made. Thus I was able to purchase several wooden toys and ornaments that did not come from somewhere in Asia. Of course they were selling food, lots of Hungarian sausages and the ubiquitous Gluhwein. Everyone raves about it, but I have never enjoyed hot sweet wine.

It was so cold, though, that I did get a small foam cup of the stuff. Every town’s Christmas Market has a distinctive cup, and some of the passengers collected a bunch. Since they were always filled with that darn Gluhwein, I was not tempted. This market didn’t have any special cupsyet as it was only the 2nd day of Advent.

Needless to say, we were happy to board the Beatrice and enjoy a pleasant evening on board.

Note: River cruises are not particularly friendly to people in wheelchairs, or those who can’t climb stairs. While our boat had an elevator for going between floors, getting on or off was more problematic. In some cases, it was necessary to walk down or up a steep and sometimes slippery ramp. I was particularly careful on these as the mantra for folks who have had their hips replaced is “Don’t fall!” Once off the boat, there are many cobblestone walkways, especially in the historic districts which make pushing a wheelchair difficult. If you haven’t done a European river cruise, buy and break-in a good pair of walking shoes preferably with Vibram soles and your feet will thank you later..

Georgia Rambler