Performing Arts – Page 3

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

Trudge, Trudge, Trudge; Sweat, Sweat, Sweat; Rinse & Repeat

June 10, 2020November 27, 2019 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: FLORENCE, THE HARD WAY

“Mommy, I’m not having any fun anymore!” That’s what I felt like saying, only my mommy wasn’t there. In fact, I lost her several years ago. I thought she’d be so pleased I was getting to visit Florence, but I’d gotten to the point where all really wanted to do was hang out at the pool.

No Pool!

Remember way back at the Boboli Gardens when everyone was hungry and little grumpy. Yeah, well, we’ve been stomping all over the place since then. We’re all drenched in sweat and lots more hungry than we were on the other side of Ponte Vecchio.

Guide lady kept trudging ahead of us, complaining about the heat and waving herself with her “12” sign. The shore excursion I’d been so excited about had turned into a march through Hades. We’re trudging around all these teeny tiny backstreets, sweating like pigs and trying to ignore the grumbling in our stomachs. I’m still mad I didn’t get to see the Boboli Gardens. If we’d gotten lost in this maze, I think we’d still be there. Things were not pretty.

Piazza Santa Croce

Then suddenly we were in familiar surroundings. We were near the spot where the bus had let us off. Sitting at my desk, looking at a map of Florence, I can track the places we went that day. What I can’t figure out is how the guide turned it into such a miserable hike. It’s only about 300 yards from the Piazza della Signoria to the Piazza di Santa Croce. Not much more between Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Pitti. I’m telling you we walked a lot further than three football fields to get from Signoria to Santa Croce. It’s like when you’re in Vegas and you can see the sign for where you are going, so you decide to walk, only to find out it was miles away.

Guide lady cued us up in front of a trattoria. We filed inside and obediently sat where we were told. Finally, we had gotten a break. The food was good. Fresh pasta, a pork dish, potatoes and wine in a wine glass that kept getting filled. For dessert we got panna cotta. Some were disappointed, because tiramisu had been promised, but not being a fan of coffee, panna cotta suited me just fine.

With an attitude adjusted by copious glasses of wine, I was ready to make the most of the rest of my day in Florence. I probably should have visited Santa Croce, but we’d passed a Pinocchio store on our way to the restaurant and several wanted to visit.

According to guide lady, there was supposed to be some sort of demonstration at the galleria next to the trattoria before we boarded the bus. Like good little tourists we lined up for it. Again, I should have gone to Santa Croce, but when your hot and a little sleepy from wine, you don’t always make the best decisions. As you might have guessed, it was a thinly veiled shopping opportunity.

We were all ready to get back to the boat when we boarded the bus. We went back the same way we came and the view hadn’t gotten any better. If you go to Florence, I heartily recommend the Palazzo Pitti, but figure out another way to see it, besides taking the Renaissance Vacation.

Enjoying the Evening

Back on board, Bill and I cleaned up and went to the best entertainment we experienced on board the Edge, Hot Summer’s Night. It was a “Cirque de Soleil” style romp, loosely based on Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream. So very glad we caught it, but sad others missed it.

This was the evening some in our party were having dinner up on the Magic Carpet with the CEO, so it was just Bill, Deb and me, having dinner in the Cyprus Restaurant. Really a nice meal. The others enjoyed theirs, too, so it was a delicious meal for all of us.

After dinner, Bill and I headed down to the theater to see the Love and Marriage Game. Perhaps you remember that Bill and I were contestants in a similar game on the Vision of the Seas back in 2018. I was very glad to be on the other side of the stage this time. I still can’t believe we shared some of our secrets with an entire cruise ship. The Edge version was much the same. They must all go to the same school for this stuff.

Next it was time for bed, because Monaco was the next day.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, TRAVEL

Let Club Med Punta Cana Entertain You

October 10, 2018July 3, 2018 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: ENJOYING THE EVENING PERFORMANCES

If you were looking for it, there was always something to do at Club Med. As I said earlier, live music entertained the guests in the Cielo Bar before dinner. After dinner there would be more live music, often from a different band. And so it would go into the the wee hours of the morning, but we can’t tell you much about that, because we usually turned in after the evening show.

Not Broadway, But Not Bad

Perhaps you read some of my reviews of our recent Royal Caribbean cruise which included scathing remarks about the on board talent, or lack of it. At Club Med, the performers weren’t pros (with a few exceptions) and they didn’t try to pretend they were, but the entertainment was completely enjoyable. Most evenings, some time in between the end of dinner and the beginning of the hard core partying, there would be entertainment. We found it quite fun.

Michael Jackson Tribute

Our first night featured a tribute to Michael Jackson. A professional performer danced to familiar Jackson tunes and he was accompanied by a cast comprised of Club Med staffers – known as GO’s (Gracious Organizers). We discovered a large number of the GO’s are interns on a stipend. Pretty much ~~slave~~ cheap labor, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The pro had the right build to play MJ and had someone doing great make-up. His wardrobe was very convincing and so was his dancing. While I can’t say it was just like watching MJ himself, it was high-energy, fun and entertaining.

After the MJ tribute there was something very familiar – an introduction to the staff. I felt like I was on a cruise – but without the trays of champagne. The intro went overly long I thought, but the Chef du Village (the guy in charge of Club Med Punta Cana) was embarrassing people who left early, so we sat in our seat until he was through.

Creactive Demo

Creactive is the name of the Cirque du Soleil (CDS) trapeze training school at Club Med Punta Cana. There guests can pretend they’ve run away and joined the circus. Bill wasn’t the least bit interested in taking a high-flying class and I’m a little acrophobic, so we didn’t take advantage of Creactive at all – except for the show they put on one evening.

The show was great. Performers, alone and in pairs, put themselves through their paces high in the sky. If you’ve ever been to a CDS show or seen one on TV I don’t have to tell you of the aerial feats of skill and awe they performed. However, it was also different from the usual performance.

There was no plot or theme and I missed it. I love the crazy costumes and surreal stories featured in the CDS shows I’ve seen previously. There was also none of the floor acrobatics, juggling and magic that make a CDS show so fantastic. As I said, it was a great show and this isn’t meant as criticism, just a warning about what to and not to expect.

After the show, there was a Balloon Party in the Rondele, a circular patio next to the Cielo Bar. Whatever they called a party at Club Med, it contained a lot of singing and swaying. There’s a song they sang all the time that started out “alle’ alle'” and included hand signals that everyone seemed to know – but us. It was called the Crazy Dance and they gave Crazy Dance lessons every day, but since I don’t know my right from my left, I stayed away. This was the Balloon Party, because they dropped balloons on the crowd. The White Party was white, because they dropped white confetti on you. The Red Party was red because…well you get the idea.

The Brazil Show

Another evening we were entertained with a show featuring Brazilian music and dance. As far as I could tell, there were no professional performers for this one, just jiggling GO’s giving it their all in skimpy costumes. I’m not complaining. It was a lot of fun.

Then out came the Chef du Village (CDV). This guy really needs his own TV show. I don’t think the stage at Club Med is big enough for him. He had on a knock-out Carnivale costume and performed some “magic” that were actually gags, which poked fun at his victim, but entertained the audience.

From Carnivale, the CDV moved on to world peace. (See I told you his stage was too small.) He recognized all the countries represented by staff and then moved on to the audience to see how many other countries were represented. Then we all sang, “We Are the World.”

No Dominican Show

We were disappointed on our final day that there was no show. It was supposed to feature the Dominican culture, which I would have enjoyed. The show had been on the schedule I took a picture of that first day. The show was on the schedule I picked up in the lobby. However, the schedule at the Cielo had been changed somewhere along the way and the Dominican show had disappeared. The only people to show up were Bill and I and one other group. There’s being prepared and being over-prepared. I think I was over-prepared – as if that’s a surprise.

Sometimes after the show we would head over to Cielo to check out the action, but usually we were worn out by so much relaxation, so we’d head to the room. Come back next week and I will tell you about our accommodations – and as always, thank you CTC Travel.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, TRAVEL

Drinks at Cielo Every Evening & All Day Long

September 26, 2018July 3, 2018 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: ROCKING WITH A TROPICAL RHYTHM

When they raise the traffic gate and welcome you into Club Med Punta Cana, you enter another world. It took me a few hours to slither out of the daily grind and figure that out, but I did. I was still in a bit of a rush as I hobbled back to our room and then headed out again for dinner, but by

dessert, I was on island time.

Dressing for Dinner

Sandra Rubio, my travel agent at CTC Travel, warned me they had themes each night at Club Med. It wasn’t a have-to thing, but something to add to the fun. She’d mentioned a pirate night, but if they have one of those at Punta Cana, it didn’t happen while we were there. Our first night was White Night. I wore a mostly white top and some white jeans, but if you are into themes, be warned, don’t take any shortcuts, especially on White Night. Your fellow members have spent a lot of money on gorgeous white sundresses, white linen suits and all things white.

Saturday was Denim & White, Sunday Red & White, Monday Flowers, Tuesday 45 & Fluorescent – then we went home. The 45 thing requires an explanation, but it can wait.

Meet You at Cielo

Cielo Bar is a large, circular, open air, (wait for it) palm-frond-roofed bar/cafe/coffee shop/living room sort of place that takes central stage in the entertainment section of Club Med Punta Cana. We were wandering in and out of it all the time.

During the day they had salsa lessons and various games. The bar was always open for coffee or drinks. A serve-yourself soda fountain sat at one end of the U-shaped bar. A very convenient restroom was around the back. Though we never quite figured out a schedule, there were often snacks available – pastries in the early hours, chips, salsa and guacamole during the day and at night hors d’oeuvres. Comfortable sofas and lounge chairs hugged the outer edges.

Most of our evenings began on the white sofas of Cielo. A live band would entertain the crowd. We’d try to make conversation with some of our fellow GM’s (Guest Members), but most of them were French. We grew to absolutely love the French Connection. We also discovered we weren’t particularly proud to be associated with the other Americans on the property.

We didn’t usually bother with evening hors d’oeuvres, because the fabulous buffet meals kept our hunger at bay, but we would have a drink. The first night I tried a rum & coke, which was fine, but I’m really a white wine girl and that became my regular. Bill would get a beer with a tequila shot chaser. He really was on vacation.

Many of our French friends would arrive at Cielo in family groups, but unlike the usual situation with American families, the children were not the center of attention and they didn’t sit staring into a tablet or phone. French children of all ages were expected to sit quietly in their seat, enjoying their hors d’oeuvres and sodas, while the adults chatted with one another. We were very impressed by this. Temper tantrums and meltdowns just didn’t happen. Americans are doing something wrong.

Eventually, we’d leave Cielo and head over to Samana, the dinner buffet. Dinner officially began at 6:30, but the Cielo experience began at 7, so Cielo is where we began our evenings. Then we’d wander across to Samana. I’ll tell you about that next week.

ART, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, TRAVEL

Formal Night on Vision of the Seas

June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: PUTTING ON THE RITZ

I love dressing for dinner. It’s not required on most cruises anymore. They discourage you from wearing flip flops and tank tops, but pretty much anything else goes. Even on formal night dressing up is optional, but I dress up every evening and on formal night I pull out the stops.

The Captain’s Greeting

I can only imagine how much the captain hates formal night. He has to get all dressed up, spend an hour or so shaking hands and taking pictures with skads of people he has no interest in and then he has to get up and make a big welcoming speech. It was probably fun the first hundred or so time, but he does this week after week after week! He probably realizes that most of the people are just there to get the free champagne.

Then after he makes his speech he has to introduce his management staff and let them make their own speeches. How would you like to take the top management out of your organization to entertain a crowd that just wants free champagne? Yeah, who’s running the boat – right? It was almost impossible to hear what they said, but as long as the trays of champagne wandered around the room, they had an audience.

Happy Birthday, Anniversary and Everything Else

Since this cruise was to celebrate Bill’s birthday, our travel agent asked which evening we’d like commemorate the occasion. I chose Formal Night. Bill’s birthday wasn’t the only celebration at the table. The Youth Pastor and his wife also got feted for their anniversary.

Our table mates were a blast, so we were grateful for the delightful company. The food continued in it’s mediocrity. This was the night of the lousy lobster bisque and I followed it up with a steak. Nothing to write home about. One more meal down.

Another Show, Another Disappointment

For formal night the entertainment was Boogie Woogie Wonderland, which was supposed to highlight the music of the seventies. They were a little loose about hitting their target. The seventies were my boogie woogie wonderland, but I have no idea what inspired some of the costumes they wore.

The songs they chose to highlight were among some of my favorites, but the voices just weren’t up to the challenge of the music. Overall, it was an entertaining show, but it just came up short in the quality department.

Awkward!

To top off our night, after the show we headed to the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge for The Perfect Couple Game Show. We were expecting a “Newlyweds Game” knock-off, but instead got the Embarrassment Olympics.

When we arrived Adult Karaoke was still going on. There was a group of drunken bridesmaids dominating the room whether they were on stage or not. I was glad when the spectacle was over.

Instead of a Q&A of martial habits, The Perfect Couple was a series of party games designed to embarrass people who were unwitting enough to volunteer to be contestants. Why pay entertainers when you can get passengers to entertain everyone with karaoke and awkward feats of skill. We made it through a few rounds, but when they started with tennis balls in men’s jeans, we decided it was time for bed.

Come back next week for sure, because we arrive in the Yucatan and enjoy a marvelous shore excursion.o

ART, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, TRAVEL

Dinner & a Show, But Not in That Order

May 28, 2018March 6, 2018 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL HERE: WELCOME ABOARD SHOWTIME

Though he was still fighting the internet, my sweet husband put a good face on it and headed to the Masquerade Theater with me for the Welcome Aboard Showtime. Live entertainment is something we really enjoy, but don’t often splurge on it. It’s usually one of the highlights of our cruise. Follow me to the 5th deck.

Getting There is Not Half the Fun

Our least favorite space on any cruise boat is the casino. The area is usually loud, and it also has lots of lights blinking, garish decorations and second hand smoke. For some reason, the people who design ships think it’s cool to direct traffic through there. We disagree with them, but apparently that doesn’t make any difference.

On Vision of the Seas going through the casino was just about the only way to get to the theater without going outside and when you’re all dolled up, outside is not preferable. Those romantic shows you’ve seen, where a couple stands at the railing of a ship at the end of the evening, are lies. Most evenings, unless you’re on a protected deck, the wind is enough to blow you and your carefully coiffed hair into the sea.

Bill probably didn’t even realize what kind of expression he had on his face as we walked through the casino, but I saw it. It definitely said, “What have I gotten myself into?” I was hoping the show would be good.

The Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers

For fun lets call them the RCSD for really-can’t-sing-or-dance. Well, there was one guy who was a pretty good dancer, but I’m not sure whether he was all that good or they were all that bad. When he’d do a high kick, he’d almost smash his nose, but none of the others were anywhere in his league, so even that was distracting rather than entertaining. The singers were consistently weak. I know there are all kinds of really talented people out there dying for an opportunity of any sort. Where were they all when it was time for Royal Caribbean auditions?

The Comedy of Nery Saenz

The best part of that evening’s entertainment was that the RCSD were not the whole show. The bulk of the time was devoted to a really funny comedian. I’m not all that crazy about comedy routines, because usually they cuss too much, use foul language, depend on sexual innuendo and insult people. This comedian managed to be funny without resorting to any of that.

The comedian’s primary shtick focused on how un-glamorous it is to be a comedian on a cruise ship. He poked fun at himself and his husbanding skills. You got the idea that while being away from home all the time was difficult, he really loved his wife and family. He also had a show later that evening, so he’s probably well-versed in cussing, foul language, sexual innuendo and insults, but I didn’t go to that show and I’m glad I didn’t. If only people 18 and older are allowed, I’m probably not going to enjoy it.

After the show it was time for dinner. You won’t want to miss that, so come back next week.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Midnight at the Oasis

February 7, 2018February 10, 2018 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: CLIMB ON YOUR QUAD AND DRIVE

Imagine a sheik has invited you to his desert oasis for a banquet. What would you expect? What would you wear? Well, let’s pretend my nephew Ayman is the sheik and I’ll tell you about our night under the stars.

Transportation

For this adventure we had a van, that took us to a place that rented quads to tourists. Some of the girls wanted their own vehicle but I was content to climb up behind my hubby. Off we went into the horizon. In every direction it seemed there were miles and miles of sand, but straight ahead was a mountain and we headed towards it.

As we departed the rental facility, the mountain appeared no further away than the length of a football field, but as we took out across the sand, it seemed to back away from us. At the same time, it got bigger and bigger and bigger. The ride was a lot of fun, even if it was a little tame. We had to line up and follow the leader. Bill tried to jazz it up a little bit, but was admonished to get back in line and behave. It was kind of like one of those trail rides where your horse plods along in a rut he’s trodded along for decades. You were imagining galloping along with the wind in your hair and all you got was dirt between your teeth. On the quad you got wind in the hair alright, but you also got sand in every imaginable crevice. Still it was fun.

The Oasis

Our destination was no oasis. I didn’t even see a palm tree – merely a collection of tables in a nook below the mountain. We were among the first guests to arrive. We settled around what seemed like an advantageous table and let the evening unfold. Service was, to say the least, slow.

While I wouldn’t say we were in a hurry, you really don’t want to leave these guys without any entertainment for very long – otherwise they will make it up. Soon plastic cups and adult beverages came out of the bags some of the ladies had brought along. As groups wandered in and began to fill the tables around us, our guys started providing some of that entertainment they are famous for coming up with. Yes, that’s my husband waving the checkered scarf.

Just as night fell, the servers began to pass out platters of food. It was, in fact, so dark that we had to guess at what we were eating. While it was not the best food we had in Egypt, it was OK and no one got sick. Then the entertainment began in earnest. If you’ve been following this trip on my blog, you won’t be surprised to know there were belly dancers and sword dancers and belly dancers and fire dancers and belly dancers and native music and belly dancers and whirling dervishes.

The best part was the whirlers. I’d seen quite a few of them by this time and pretty quickly you get down the shared repertoire. However, these guys didn’t just whirl around on the stage and then go their merry way. Oh no. There was a rock ledge right behind the benches we were sitting on and suddenly we had a whirler doing his stuff right next to us. Yes, it was pretty cool.

When the whirlers were done, the sword dancers came out and shortly thereafter it was time to drive back to the bus. After our second quad trip, I felt grimy in places I didn’t even know were places. We crawled onto the bus for the trip back to the hotel, but we couldn’t get into bed until we’d done something about the grime. Sweet dreams until next week, when we’ll go yachting.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Broadway on the Red Sea

January 17, 2018January 17, 2018 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: WHAT’S NEXT SHARM?

I’m in Sharm el Sheik, a resort town on the Red Sea, and it’s past my bedtime. I’m stuffed into the back seat of my niece’s car trying to stifle my yawns. My husband is in our nephew’s car at some other location. Our niece and nephew are on the phone discussing what we should do next. It’s all in Arabic, so even though the whole conversation is on speaker phone, I have no idea what is going on. Some resolution is made and we zoom across town to our next destination. It might be late at night during the week, but you wouldn’t know it from the festival atmosphere. Why all these people prefer to wander around inland,when there is a perfectly good Boardwalk on the Red Sea, just a few blocks away, I will never know. That was my big question over the next few days as we scurried around trying to entertain ourselves. Why were all these venues spread out all over town, when it had been so perfect to have everything right there at the beach?

Going to the Mall

Our destination was a mall, but is wasn’t like anything we have in Dallas. Here in Dallas we are serious about shopping. There they also shop.

My niece found parking, a constant challenge, as she continued her phone conversations, probably with her sons, who were wandering the city on public transportation. We piled out of the car and reunited with our spouses. All of us stomped through a virtually empty shopping center and I wondered where we would end up. Don’t get me wrong, the place was beautiful with all kinds of lovely stores, but most everything was closed and it looked like a ghost town.

After what seemed like a long trek, across esplanades, around grand staircases and through narrow hallways, we arrived to the middle of everything, a large open-air patio, full of patrons smoking sheesha and enjoying a lively stage show.

My nephew Ayman started working the room and magic started happening – something I saw a lot of over the next few days. Though it seemed our big group would have to break up into smaller bunches to enjoy the show, it was only an illusion, because we had Ayman. Like the Red Sea parting, a large space opened in the center of the crowd and chairs began to appear out of nowhere. In just moments our entire group was seated in the center of the action.

Drinks, food and hookahs were ordered and we sat back to enjoy the show. The only problems were a few mosquitoes and the fact that I was about to fall asleep, but those were minor irritations. The stage props suggested the show had a Broadway theme, but don’t let that fool you. It was all the usual Arab entertainments, belly dancers, whirling dervishes, belly dancers, a magician, belly dancers, swords, belly dancers – well you get the picture. I’ve included some photos below.

When the show was over we gathered up our belongings and headed back to the hotel. This day, which had seeped over into the next, was over. Within a few hours, we’d be climbing into another vehicle for our next entertainment. Enjoy the images below and come back next week for more Sharm.

Swords and Fire

Another Belly Dancer

Another Whirling Drvish

Belly Dancer

Whirling Dervishes

ART, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Music, Performing Arts, TRAVEL

A Great Night of On-board Entertainment

November 30, 2016October 13, 2016 Jane Sadek

Cruise buddy Deb hams it up with the talent — Cruise buddy, Deb, hams it up with the talent

TRAVEL THERE: RODGERS, HAMMERSTEIN AND MOZART

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it did!

Back to Elegant Dining

I’d been disappointed by the over-hyped Taste of Austria dinner. Visually, it had been lovely, but the culinary experience couldn’t beat what we’d already been enjoying. Quality not quantity is my interest.

After my trot around Linz, we scurried back to the boat and I jumped into my evening attire. This was the penultimate evening of the cruise and the captain was throwing a cocktail party. That included a toast, which meant champagne would be served. So I was janie-on-the spot in the lounge. I didn’t want to miss any champagne. The captain didn’t try to labor through another bout of English, thankfully. Instead our cruise director translated for him.

After the toast, the lederhosen, dirndls and oom-pah-pah were gone from the dining room- much to our relief. We waxed nostalgic about our service throughout the evening as if we’d been living on the boat for years, instead of a matter of days. The Viking Daily had promised Mozart and the Sound of Music as our evenings entertainment and we wondered how that mixture would pan out.

A Salzburgian Romp

A troupe of singers appeared and offered a few tunes. Their voices were wonderful and they wore authentic period costumes. The evening started out very high-brow and then they began the audience participation part of the performance. I was not surprised in the least that they chose Bill. They always choose Bill. I’m beginning to think he must be offering bribes. Anyway, here’s a few photos from his appearance.

That was fun, but the next part was even more wonderful. They switched from classical to a classic, The Sound of Music. I can’t say I was actually yearning for tunes from the Julie Andrews movie, but as soon as the first few bars of intro wafted through the lounge, I had tears in my eyes. The singers merely zipped through the soundtrack, hitting the high points, which was lovely, but I secretly wanted more. I wanted to be reminded of every frame of the movie and especially Edelweiss, which is on my personal top 10 (along with Leon Russell’s Stranger in a Strange Land, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and Gordon Lightfoot’s Rainy Day People.) I’ve never streamed a movie to my phone, but it did cross my mind that evening.

The performers were real characters. They were hamming it up with all the guests, so Bill wasn’t the only one to garner their attention. He’s just the only one who entered the spotlight. After the performers left, the tempo got much faster and the girls hit the dance floor. I have a few more photos to share below.

The boat didn’t head towards our next destination until 10:30 and I’d entertained thoughts of taking another stroll onshore, but it didn’t happen. If you let them, Viking will fill every moment of your day and that’s what happened on this particular day, except for the visit to the Mariendom.

Next up is Passau, Germany. Come back next week and visit this lovely little town at the confluence of rivers.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, International, Performing Arts, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Durnstein, Gateway to the Wachau Valley

September 14, 2016August 18, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: DARLING LITTLE DURNSTEIN

Going on a cruise, in some ways, is like travelling for dummies. All I had to do was show up for a spoon-fed itinerary. Sometimes that was great, like Budapest and Vienna. Then again there were the Bratislavas out there, where things were not exactly the way I wanted it. Had I been planning a road trip through Austria, I doubt Durnstein would have made the cut, but having been there on a cruise, I found it a perfectly charming place to spend a morning.

On Your Own or By Shore Excursion?

I knew less than nothing about Durnstein and what research I was able to do didn’t tell me much else. Alone, I may have taken a hike up to the craggy ruins of Durnstein castle, but instead, I reserved spots for Bill and I on the Optional Shore Excursion. I figured after Vienna he’d be pretty well done with me and my explorations – and I was right. Even though we had to pay extra for the escorted walking tour, Bill was happy to do so.

The town is so tiny that it would be impossible to get lost, so we didn’t really need a guide. In addition,the town has exactly one significant historical fact associated with it – Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom in the castle on the hill. The only other item of any interest was Princess Di and Dodi Fayed meeting there for their romantic trysts. It’s funny the only claims to fame for this charming little place on the Danube River were both related to the British throne.

While I can’t exactly recommend the escorted walking tour as a good value, you absolutely must walk through the winding cobblestone streets and get a feel for the place. I wished for a little freedom to check out the shopping opportunities, but the tour trotted right past them – perhaps because it was so early. The walking tour began at 8:30 AM and that’s just about the time all the lorries were making their deliveries. There was actually a traffic jam!

The Crown Jewel of Durnstein

The tour ended at the church where we were delivered for an organ concert. On the outside, the church, with its blue and white tower, looks much like other churches in the area. What sets it apart is the interior. During the 1700’s, it was renovated by one of its abbots. Our day would be book-ended by abbey churches and Melk Abbey is, without a doubt, the most over-the-top religious edifice I have ever seen. Still Durnstien, while smaller, gives Melk a run for its Baroque money.

Before the organ concert we were guided through an odd hallway along a series of alcoves filled with scenes from the Bible. That was a little weird, kind of like window-shopping for a Bible story, but the guide who attends the church was quite proud of them. Then we were seated in the pews and the organ concert began.

Organ concerts are an acquired taste and this organ had a sort of wheezy, high pitched shrill to it. We were informed of the uniqueness of the small organ and the talent of the organist. I’m glad to have heard it, but would have been happier with a smaller taste of its product.

Should you go to Durnstien, skip the escort and wander the enchanting lanes on your own. Do see the interior of the church and if the concert is available, by all means take a seat and listen. Then tighten up the laces on your hiking boots and head up the hill to the castle. We didn’t have time for it, but those who went there, instead of taking the escorted tour, raved about the view.

From the church we strolled along the river’s edge and enjoyed the beautiful morning. This seems to be a different Danube than the one we enjoyed earlier in the cruise. It actually is the same river, but so quiet and so bucolic, that you can’t imagine it is also the lifeblood of vibrant cities like Budapest and Vienna.

I’ll leave you with various scenes from the lovely little town and next week we’ll visit the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, International, Museums, Performing Arts, Road Trips, TRAVEL

A Stroll Through Vienna

September 7, 2016August 17, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: MILKING THE SHORE EXCURSION FOR ALL I CAN GET

So, after a morning of museums, Bill was done with Vienna and ready to go back to the boat for lunch. However, if we went back, I knew he wouldn’t be getting off the boat again, so I convinced him to at least have some lunch in the city. I told you how that went. Shame on you Rick Steves! Now I’ll tell you about the balance of the day.

A Drizzly Walking Tour

Because he loves me and maybe a little bit because he’d loved the architecture he’d seen so far, Mr.Bill agreed to a stroll around the Hofburg environs for awhile. I was able to show him on the map that I didn’t plan to get more than a block or two away from the palace, so he set his teeth and headed off with me.

Whereas Mr. Bill was trying to be cooperative, the weather was not. The sun played peek-a-boo (more boo that peek) with us and whenever the sun disappeared, the drizzle would return. Was is miserable? Yes! Was I going to let it deter me? NO!

The Gang at the Opera – a bit damp but quite happy!

Our first stop after lunch was the State Opera House. I would have dearly loved to go to one of their productions or take a tour of the interior, but that didn’t fit into our schedule. I have to confess that the exterior of the venerable old lady was not one of my favorite edifices of the day. It really pales in comparison to surrounding buildings. However, that’s where we ran into our shipmates and that was a bright spot in the day. I have to admit they pranked me. They pretended they were lost and asked me to show them how to get back to the boat.

After that Bill trudged along behind me snapping pictures of the sights along the Ringstrausse. I got him all the way down to the Rathausplatz before he mutinied and demanded to be taken back to the boat. So we strolled through the Volksgarten towards the Grabenplatz. I reminded him of the Dortheum, an auction house he’d shown some interest in during my days of research. Rick Steves redeemed himself, because that was quite interesting. Maybe not as interesting as Rick made it sound, but interesting – and dry.

The Dortheum is about half a block from Grabenplatz and from there we entered the underground at Stephanplatz. We had a little difficulty purchasing our return ticket, but the problem was with the machine, not us and a nice subway attendant lady came and helped. Soon we were back on board the Tor – just in time for our afternoon tea break. Bill was once again a happy boy.

Dinner was a little later this evening than it was during the rest of the cruise, because they were serving a special meal to those heading out to a night shore excursion. Had I known how the day would go, I would have probably opted for one of them, but part of the adventure of traveling is not knowing. Sometimes that’s good and sometimes you end up having a quiet evening on the boat. Since our friends were on the evening shore excursion, we had a quieter than usual evening, but a good one. We still very much enjoy each others’ company.

I’ll share our pictures from our walk about, then I hope you’ll come back next week for The Wachau Valley.