As I write this the sun is coming up over the little village
of Durnstein in Germany. Not sure that I
will have a link to photos for you by the time I need to grab breakfast and run
as they are uploading from my camera in the background. And the ship’s cellular internet connection
does not seem to like long heavy data transfers.
Yesterday I had a morning in Bratislava and then some walking
around in Vienna. Geri took a recovery
day. She made need another for at least
part of today. Luckily, we just have a
couple of hours of free time in the village, which should be more than enough
and which she could skip, then some motoring up river to connect with a bunch
of our fellow passengers who are biking 50km to a monastery where we will meet
them. Supposed to be spectacular. Then bus to a castle overlooking the ship to
watch the sun go down.
Bratislava is very twee, heavy on the tourist stuff. I wandered off on my own to find a stamp to
send to an elderly relative and had a fine time in a beautiful old post office
until an unpleasant security guard stopped me.
I also found a monument to, I think but have not yet
translated the inscription, the Red Army soldiers who liberated the city.
Beer there is cheaper than pop and water so I could be persuaded
to put up with some twee-ishness for a while.
I tested what our guide told us by having a real Budweiser, not the US
beer but the real one. True.
The only Vienna find this quick trip was a growshop. Like make your own wine stores at home. They sell you seeds or seedlings and then you
own your marijuana plants but they grow them for you.
No push on re. the Vienna stop as Geri’s sister Lorrie and
her partner Duke now live there so we will be back. They came for a tour of the ship and drinks
the night before last. Very nice of the
staff to agree to all that and we had a fine time.
Quick thoughts on the river cruise so far. Luxurious and the
boat all good but the organized tour part of the package is starting to wear.
Want a nap? Set your alarm because there is a briefing you need to make. Line
up here, march there. Too much structure
to it. Some traditional fun fades too. So normally if going on my own to
Bratislava I would have spent enough time with some Slovak language podcasts to
be able to say hello, ask for help, understand how much money I was being asked
to pay for lunch and enough to order the lunch. But I have been made lazy by
the prospect of marching off across the city behind our flag - bearer with my
receiver around my neck.
Also a more than usually isolating way to travel. Like
renting apartments, it denies you interaction with hotel staff or better yet
B&B owners for their interpretations or takes or explanations, or even the
chance to sample local foods etc.
Final nail in the coffin: we are used to spending roughly a week in any
one place we visit. This constant movement not us I think. No 'feel' develops.
As much as we are kidding ourselves that we become part of a city, a week or
two gives us a chance to get a good sense of a neighbourhood if not a city ;
chance to winkle out some unusual spots, often bars :-) , and get people to
talk to you a little more openly.
I think Geri is headed to the same conclusions. But in any
event we couldn't ever afford this again so a bit moot I suppose. It is HORRENDOUSLY expensive.
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