DESTINATIONS – Page 40

DESTINATIONS, International, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Cafe Tirolerhof – a Rick Steves Fail

August 31, 2016July 16, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: WHERE NOT TO HAVE LUNCH IN VIENNA

While many of the wonderful things I discovered on my Danube River Cruise I can attribute directly to Rick Steves, he failed me miserably at lunch in Vienna. Please don’t go to Cafe Tirolerhof.

Rain, Rain Go Away

When I first shared my dream day in Vienna with my husband, he balked at lunch and dinner in the city. He couldn’t understand why we’d look for places to eat, when we had a perfectly good boat serving both meals without incurring any extra cost. I explained how we’d be a bit of a stroll and a subway ride away from the boat in the Hofburg environs, creating both time and monetary constraints on our day. He seemed to acquiesce to my research, but I don’t think he actually gave up on getting back to the boat for lunch.

When we exited the Treasury he was on museum overload and he really wanted that lunch. We had a few tense minutes, but the sun was a little bit on my side and it appeared we were in for some better weather, so Bill agreed to take in some of the sites which were, by my estimation, within walking distance – but first he wanted to sit down and have a meal.

Cafe Tirolerhof

I read him Rick Steves’ description of Cafe Tirolerhof, “a classic Viennese cafe full of things that time has passed by: chandeliers, marble tables, upholstered booths, waiters in tuxes and newspapers.” Sounds irresistible, right? And the cafe was only a block away.

Well, it’s not really that Rick Steves lied. Everything he listed was there, but instead of being as charming as it sounded, it was creepy and somewhat disturbing. My first complaint is that along with all the other things time has passed by, the Tirolerhof has a whole lot of dirt their staff has been passing by for a long time. I’ve heard waiters in Viennese coffeehouses can be rude to American tourists. Well, the Cafe Tirolerhof waiters are rude to everyone – a real equal opportunity situation.

What’s more the menu is downright weird. I pride myself on being able to pick something delicious off menus in unfamiliar places – even when the menus aren’t in English. Well, the Tirolerhof menu is translated into English, but you want to believe something is lost in translation. Let me tell you, it’s not. The food is as weird as it says it is. What’s more the cafe does not take credit cards and because the broken credit card machine at the Imperial Apartments had forced us to use most of our euros, I had to wander down the street and figure out the Viennese ATM.

The Gray Continues, But at Least the Rain Quit – For a While

Love is the only thing that saved me at this juncture. The sun which had been on my side right before lunch had once again retreated, but it wasn’t raining right that minute. Having already paid for lunch, Bill figured he might as well let me trot around the palace environs, especially since I promised we’d just be sightseeing, not paying fees and trudging through museums.

So we set off on the walking tour I had charted out in my head. What else should you see when you visit the Hofburg? Come back next week and I’ll tell you about our trek.

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

The Hofburg Palace Treasury

August 24, 2016July 16, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: HOW DO YOU SPELL EXCESS?

Exiting from the Hofburg’s Imperial Apartments in Vienna, we discovered it was still raining on our parade. A little morning precipitation had been disheartening. To discover drizzle still dominating the day was downright frustrating.

Mourning the Loss of Plan A

I know my husband. It’s all well and good to spend a few hours in a museum and the Imperial Apartments were extraordinarily fine museums, but I’d better have something else besides museums on the agenda.

Plan A was designed with just that in mind. Next door to the palace is the Volksgarten. We’re talking European next door, not American. That means right across a small street from the exit of the Imperial Apartments is this popular garden. We were supposed to catch our breath from all that royal grandeur in a lovely garden which just happened to have a coffee kisok right there. It was perfect or at least it should have been.

The glorious Volksgarten is not so inviting in the pouring rain.

Instead, the main thing we wanted to do was get out of the rain. I half-heartedly offered up chocolate at Dremel or a visit to the Dortheum, an auction house he’s shown an interest in. I know either one would have been a good choice, but right then all he wanted to do was get out of the rain. Well, he’d probably have been perfectly happy to take a taxi back to the boat and see what kind of pastries were available at the free coffee bar.

Because he loves me, he wanted me to see the most important things on my very long list of must-see attractions, but he wasn’t thrilled about it. A part of me whispered that I should get this man back to the boat and let him browse the coffee bar, but I was afraid that if I did, I’d miss everything else on my list. He doesn’t approve of me wandering around strange cities without an escort of some kind and once he was back on the boat, I’m betting dynamite would not have gotten him off it for yet another subway ride and more stomping around in the rain.

As I stood there with all of this floating around in my mind I mourned the possibilities I’d wished for. I’d imagined Bill in the Volksgarten, with his cup of coffee in hand, oooohing and aaaahing over all the wonderful options we had to choose from. Instead the chill of the mist was invading our crevices and Bill became impatient with my list of attractions. “What are we closest to that’s inside?” he wanted to know. “The Treasury,” I replied,”but it’s a museum.” He said, “lead the way.”

Back into the Hofburg

Thanks to my friend, Rick Steves’ Eastern Europe guide book and DK Eyewitness Travel’s Top 10 Vienna, I knew my way around the palace. I led Bill through a tunnel to the In der Burg courtyard, through the Swiss Gate to the Schweizerhof which held the Treasury. Part of me whispered I was making a big mistake, but this was number two on my list of must-see’s and it was out of the rain, so I didn’t know what else to do. I think this was one of those lose-lose situations and there had not been a correct answer to the drizzle dilemma.

We were wowed by the Treasury. Bill’s fatigue was dispelled as he began photographing everything in sight. I kept trying to put it all together. This was the fourth day of the cruise and all four days had been dominated by the Hapsburg Dynasty. We’d already seen so many remarkable sites associated with their wealth, grandeur and power. I couldn’t get over the fact that the Hapsburgs toted all this stuff around with them wherever they went. I’d assumed that each of their many castles had it’s own set of china and flatware, but instead the emperors and their entourage packed it all up in velvet and silk lined leather boxes to carry it with them. After all, an empress never knows when she might need several hundred silver charging plates.

As if the Silver Collection of the Imperial Apartments had not held enough treasures for any dynasty, we were now in a treasury which was chockablock with more golden, silver and jeweled wonders. At some point my disbelief checked itself out and I just wandered around awestruck.

I’ll share some of the pictures Bill took. Then you come back next week and hear how my dream day in Vienna continued to disintegrate.

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

The Rest of the Imperial Apartments

August 17, 2016July 16, 2016 Jane Sadek

In between the wonders of the Imperial Apartments

TRAVEL THERE: COMING DOWN OFF MY DECORATIVE ARTS HIGH

So we’re in Vienna on Viking’s Danube Waltz Cruise. I’ve just been through the Silver Collection of the Hofburg’s Imperial Apartments and my excitement level is at about 27 out of 10. The Hofburg allows you to take all the photographs you want in the Silver Collection, but you have to put your cameras away for the Sissi Museum and Imperial Apartments, so you’re imagination (or the internet) will have to provide the visuals.

The Sissi Phenomena

Austrians love their Empress Elizabeth and I can’t exactly figure out why. Her story starts out pretty well. Beloved daughter of obscure Bavarian royalty enjoys an idyllic childhood. In her early teens, she tagged along on a trip with her big sister, who was being checked out by the Crown Prince of the Hapsburg Dynasty as a potential mate. Once old Fredrick laid eyes on Elizabeth, big sis was toast. Within days, Freddy and his “Sissi” were engaged, to the extreme joy of everyone in Europe, with the exception (perhaps) of big sis.

A few days later, the story changes. Sissi is a drama queen. She starts wringing her hands and emoting all over her diary. Poor pitiful princess finds being adored a real challenge. The rest of her life is one big panic attack. I’m sorry. I’m not suggesting panic attacks aren’t serious, but Little Miss Sissi makes a career out of them. Pretty much her whole life can be summed up by the famous Garbo line, “I want to be alone.”

Now the woman’s life was punctuated by tragedies, but she’d already cast herself as the Queen of Melodrama long before any of them occurred. By the time her son committed suicide, mama was already far along down the road to nutcase. This is a woman who spent three hours on her hair each day and she thought her most important duty in life was to keep her eighteen inch waist. No wonder her son was desperate for female affection and committed suicide when his mistress was going to be taken from him.

In spite of her complete failure in the wife and mother department (she did give birth to several children, but then promptly ignored them) she was adored by her rather stick-in-the-mud hubby and idolized by her subjects. I just don’t appreciate all her hand-wringing. I prefer somebody like Empress Maria-Theresa, who gets out there and does something more with her life than fix her hair, watch her waistline and write dreadful poetry.

So, with the opinion I have of the woman, you can imagine I was not thrilled with the “Sissi Museum” section of the Imperial Apartments. It was interesting to see some of her clothes and other personal items, but I would have been happy with a small sampling, instead of room after room of Austrian swooning.

The Imperial Apartments at the End of the Trail

By the time we actually reached the Imperial Apartments I was worn out. We’d been through the excitement of finding our own way to the Hofburg from our longship via Vienna’s underground and Graben Strasse. I’d exulted over every item in the extensive Silver Collection and then been held hostage by the Sissi Fan Club, but we weren’t finished. Now we entered the actual Apartments all tricked out as they had been during the reign of Emperor Fredrich and his tragic Empress Sissi.

Confession, I was underwhelmed. Yes, they were beautiful apartments exquisitely furnished, but it just wasn’t my taste. I much prefer Schonbrunn Palace or the delightful Linderhof. Maybe if I had liked Sissi more or hadn’t been so overwhelmed by the Silver Collection, I might have enjoyed the Imperial Apartments more, but that’s the way it goes. All three sections are included in the price of admission, so check them all out, but if your time is limited and you love Decorative Arts, spend your time at the Silver Collection!

So where did we go next on our rainy day in Vienna. Come back next week and find out.

ART, Attractions, Cruising, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, International, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL

The Hofburg’s Imperial Apartments – A Real Must-See

August 10, 2016August 10, 2016 Jane Sadek

Here's a place you need to see to believe! — Here’s a place you need to see to believe!

TRAVEL THERE: MORE GOLD THAN YOU CAN COMPREHEND

Let me make one thing very clear, if you are in Vienna, don’t miss the Hofburg. If I had gone there on my very first visit to the city I don’t know if I would have ever gotten to anyplace else in Vienna, ever. Chances are, if I ever do get back to Vienna, I’ll be making a beeline the Hofburg and the first thing I will do is go visit the Imperial Apartments – again and again and again.

Getting There

The Stephanplatz is a good starting point for all things Vienna. When you land there you are moments away from the Hofburg. Enjoy those moments. Gawk at the goods in the designer stores, people-watch and stop in Dremel for some chocolate. Spend some time at Michaelplatz, the grand entrance of the Hofburg. As if to prove this has been always been the center of activity in Vienna, you’ll find an archaeological dig with Roman ruins right outside the entrance to the palace.

Don’t hurry through the Michaelplatz. Along with the Roman ruins you’ll see spectacular sculptures. If architecture is your thing, turn around and gaze at the very plain bank building across from the palace. A persnickety architect, built the building as his home to act as affront to what he considered the very gaudy palace. Poor Bill! I was desperate to capture all of this in photographs and he obliged me, but it wasn’t exactly the right day for great pictures.

Entering The Imperial Apartments

After enjoying Michealplatz, enter the palace and turn right. You’ll be in the vestibule of the Imperial Apartments where you get your ticket to enter. We had the misfortune of being there when their credit card machine wasn’t working. Instead of being in a tizzy, trying to find out what was wrong and how to fix it like American cashiers would be, the attendant informed us we’d have to use cash in a very blase manner suggesting she really didn’t care whether we saw the museum or not. I felt very American at that point. I wanted her to sympathize with the fact that she’d be depleting almost the entire cache of our euros. Euros Bill had been loathe to buy and besides that her city was raining on us. This was all very distressing. You’ll be glad to know I managed to restrain myself and cough up the necessary euros, but that didn’t mean I was happy about it.

Decorative Arts Heaven

My dismay was short-lived, because I was soon standing in Decorative Arts heaven. I cannot begin to tell you how amazing and wonderful the Imperial Apartments are. As I lay dying, with my life passing before me, a good portion of the pictures I’ll see will be from the Imperial Apartments’ Silver Collection. Hyperbole? Don’t judge me until you see this!

Calling this orgy of beauty the Imperial Apartments is a bit of a misnomer. The Silver Collection is actually the first part of three very different attractions which have been rolled into one. The actual Imperial Apartments are at the end of the line and while quite nice, they are nothing compared to the Silver Collection.

To help you better understand why I am so blown away with the “Silver Collection” you first have to understand silver is just the tip of the iceberg. There is silver and gold and porcelain and linens and even the boxes they transported all these wonders in. We’re talking flatware, dishes, epergnes, vases, platters, bowls, tureens, napkins, tablecloths – all in multiples like you would not believe.

I’m someone who will dutifully spend hours stomping through the rest of a huge museum for the privilege of spending time in the one small room most institutions devote to the Decorative Arts. There are museums which have more Decorative Arts than others, for which I am grateful, but I’ve never been anywhere like this.

I think I’ll just shut up and show you the pictures Bill took for me. Then maybe next week I’ll tell you about the rest of the Imperial Apartments.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Self-led Shore Excursion in Vienna

August 3, 2016July 16, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: OUR DAY IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA

From the moment we booked our Viking River Cruise, I knew Vienna would be the highlight of the trip for me and a challenge for Bill. He loves to get on a bus, take in the major sites and be done with it. If we can get off the boat, see a few things and get some pictures without much hassle, as we could in Budapest, he likes that, too. Negotiating subways, taking in multiple museums and figuring out someplace to eat is not on his list of must-do’s. I confess, I was in heaven.

The Viking Shore Excursion in Vienna we are glad we weren't on! — The Viking Shore Excursion in Vienna we are glad we weren’t on!

Been There, Done That

Vienna is a city I am familiar with. I know my way around the Ringstrasse. I’ve been on the underground. I know the Stephanplatz. I’ve been to Schönbrunn Palace and the Belvedere. What I wanted to see was the Hofburg.

Sitting at my desk in Dallas I planned out the perfect day in Vienna. We would start with a museum in the Hofburg, hang out in gardens and see where the day led us. I imagined finishing the evening at some romantic sidewalk cafe with shopping bags spread around my feet, each bag holding a perfect gift for a special friend. Do I have to tell you that it didn’t exactly go this way?

It Rained on My Parade

The Viking Tor docked in Vienna around six. Had this been a girl’s trip with my bestie, we would have been standing in the foyer as they extended the gangplank. Kudos to Bill however, we were up and out, with breakfast under our belt, by 9ish. To our dismay it was a gray, chilly day with intermittent rain. More kudos to Bill, he intrepidly strode along the dock, determined to give me my day in Vienna.

Though I love an adventure, as I’ve confessed before, I have arrival anxiety. It’s one thing to read up on a destination and a whole ‘nother thing to actually get there and execute the necessary logistics to complete your plan. If I screw up getting us started, I can ruin the whole day. Talk about over-planning, just in case I didn’t get the underground details right, I had a map of taxi-stands and bicycle rentals waiting in my backpack.

Fortunately, finding the underground and grabbing our ride was a breeze. We stepped out of the Stephenplatz station like we knew what we were doing. The Graben Strasse pedestrian plaza was well marked and we took off in the right direction. So far so good. We delighted in the atmosphere and the architecture. Bill had his camera out and I had my map. I was looking for Kohlmarkt.

Just about the time I thought, “We should just about be there,” Bill shouted, “WOW, look at that.” He’d seen the Hofburg at the end of Kohlmarkt. It was so exciting that tears actually came to my eyes. Dreams really do come true. I was a little damper than I’d imagined, but my day in Vienna was going well.

Come back next week and join us at the Imperial Apartments.

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

Shore Excursion to Bratislava, Slovakia

July 27, 2016July 27, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: NOT EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED IN BRATISLAVA

Bratislava is a lovely little town with the oldest surviving town gate in Continental Europe. However, I ran into several complications in my efforts to enjoy this stop on our cruise. The video includes the highlights of the shore excursion and I’ll tell you about my difficulties behind the scenes.

The Walking Tour That Wasn’t the Walking Tour

I had carefully studied the available shore excursions back in Dallas and after a careful examination, decided the Bratislava Walking Tour was superior to the Bratislava City Tour. Both involved walking around the Old City, but one included a bus trip to what I call Faux Castle.

See there once was a real castle up on Castle Hill. However, it was nothing but a ruin when the Communists showed up. They decided they needed to replace the castle, but all they did was build a modern building and call it a castle. I had no desire to see their modern day monstrosity.

However, when I showed up on the dock, we were ushered to a bus and I got the distinct feeling I wasn’t going to be happy about it. In Viking’s defense, I didn’t say anything to anybody once I feared I was on the wrong tour. I guess the jet lag or something had finally hit me, because I wasn’t feeling completely up to par and I just didn’t have the desire to rock the boat – or the bus. My bad.

I have no idea who this guy was, but he has pride of place on Castle Hill.

The bus took us up Castle Hill and dumped us out at the Faux Castle for an orgy of picture taking. The scenery was great, but there’s nothing that makes you feel more like a tourist than being dumped off for a photo opportunity when you don’t really understand why you are there in the first place. The guide never even pretended the castle had any historical or architectural significance. She just said we had ten minutes to take pictures and abandoned us.

On cue, we filed back on the bus after taking our photos and rode down the hill. Then we went on a walking tour which was somewhat interesting, but not compelling. That might have been because the grumblings in my stomach were getting most of my attention, but I was also wondering how the tour sans the Faux Castle would have differed. My new friends assured me they had a great time on the real walking tour, but since Deb was the sort to have fun whatever she was doing, I don’t know if she can be trusted.

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

Andrew Petcher (a fellow travel blogger I highly recommend), suggested free-style wandering was the best way to see the town, but with Mr. Bill in tow, free-style can be problematic. I think Andrew was probably right. With my Rick Steves’ tour book in hand and no tour guide to keep up with, I think I would have thoroughly enjoyed the capital of Slovakia. The architecture was charming and the quirky sculpture sprinkled throughout the town made for some great snickering.

I think it would be a great place to spend a quiet weekend, but it’s a little far from Dallas for me to check out that theory. My greatest regret was not getting to the UFO Restaurant atop a bridge, another gift of the Communists. After the walking tour we were given some free time, but by then I desperately needed a little private time in my cabin.

A Slovakian Evening

By 6:45 I had gotten myself back into cruise mode and was front and center for the Daily Briefing. We had dinner with our cruise buddies and then made our way back to Lounge for “A Slovakian Evening.”

The entertainment was delightful. Those great big ocean liners can provide productions to rival Broadway and Hollywood, but you have to share them with your 3000 new friends. I’m sort of over that. I much preferred the intimate setting of the Lounge, where we gathered comfortably with 178 (give or take a few) other passengers. The show was marvelous. In fact, after some expensive entertainment in Vienna, our friends told us the onboard entertainment had much better performers than the Viennese show. We thoroughly enjoyed the Slovakian Evening, because the songs were familiar, the costumes were beautiful and performers were gifted.

Below I have included some photos of the entertainment. I hope you’ll come back next week for Vienna – the highlight of the cruise.

Architecture, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

A Quiet Morning on the Danube

July 20, 2016June 20, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE:ON THE DANUBE BEND

The third day of our trip began on the river. We cruised an area known as the Danube Bend and while it is a pleasant stretch, it’s not exactly postcard worthy. Bratislava, Slovakia waited around then Bend and a lovely evening of entertainment was in store, but our morning was quiet.

A Slow Start

This was the only day we didn’t have to be up and about for a morning shore excursion, so we took it a little slow. I was up before Bill and when I looked out the window I saw piles of dirt along the riverbank which were similar to the piles of sand American road crews keep for icy weather. I have no idea what the sand was for, but that’s what the piles looked like. As I said, not exactly postcard perfect.

While we took our time, it’s not like we were lag-a-beds. Breakfast was only served until 9:30 in the restaurant and we got there in plenty of time for Bill to order from the menu. I stuck to nibbling goodies from the buffet.

All manner of entertainments were available on board after breakfast. The “Safety Instructions” were mandatory, a sort of lifeboat drill for river cruisers, but the Nautical Talk, Wheelhouse Tour, Apple Strudel Demonstration and Vienna Coffeehouse Talk were all a matter of choice. We listened to some of the nautical information, but skipped the Wheelhouse Tour, because the wheelhouse was enclosed in glass and we could peek in whenever our hearts desired.

Our favorite entertainment of the morning was the locks. When we were in Oregon we watched a riverboat go through the Bonneville Locks, but I assure you it was much more exciting to be on a riverboat in the locks – not to mention that we were on the Danube, not the Columbia. It is amazing how quickly the water fills the lock once the gates are closed behind you. Then you sail away on a part of the river that is much higher than you were just minutes ago.

We skipped the Apple Strudel Demonstration. I’m not all that fond of fresh apples and I don’t like baked apples at all. I knew I wasn’t going to try to duplicate their recipe and I didn’t want the promised samples. I attended the Coffeehouse Talk, but it wasn’t as informative as I had hoped. I would have been interested in more information about the history of the coffeehouses and I depend on Rick Steves for my tipping advice, so perhaps I should have just stayed up on deck enjoying the locks. The bottom line of the cruise director’s chat was that Americans over-tip. So what? I bet the cruise director didn’t complain about overtipping when he counted his take.

In hindsight, I think I would have been better off spending more time up on deck or perhaps enjoying my balcony. We pulled into Bratislava early and had lunch, eagerly anticipating the afternoon’s activities. Come back next week for the shore excursion.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Sail-Away on Viking Tor

July 13, 2016June 2, 2016 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: DRAMATIC DEPARTURE FROM BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

After our shore excursion to the Szchenyi Thermal Baths we were transported back to the Viking Tor on one of Viking’s buses. Transforming myself from a well-pruned spa goer to an elegant river cruiser was somewhat of a challenge, but I made it.

6:15, Time to Party

Each day the Viking Daily would let us know the day’s schedule. Cocktail Hour always began at 5:30, but since they served us more wine than we should’ve been drinking at dinner, we didn’t join the die-hards ordering martinis and whiskey neat. However, on the night of the Budapest Sail-Away, the Viking Daily announced “A Toast to Our Guests” and since that usually means champagne, we made sure to be there. I love champagne.

We found our new cruise buddies in the Lounge. They’d also been to the baths that afternoon. We settled into a section with enough seats for six of us and then helped ourselves to the flutes of champagne passing by us on trays. Our Captain was from Bratislava and while he could speak English, none of us could understand it. I bet he hates having to do that.

Soon the Welcome Toast was over, but fresh flutes kept coming around. Next on the agenda was the Daily Briefing. Program Director Daniel was fluent in English and excellent at charging up the crowd for rave reviews about the day’s activities. Then he’d fill us in on what the next day would hold, along with any logistical details we needed to know. By seven we were released to the Restaurant.

Sail-Away on the Sun-Deck

On the evening before, Bill and I had taken a stroll along and across the Danube. We’d seen just how dramatic the landscape looked with the major buildings all lit up and we were excited to see what it would look like from the middle of the Danube aboard our longship. Theoretically, there was commentary being given, but what I remember was a lot of laughter and a good dose of exclamations as the dramatic vista passed before us.

We’d started the evening with a champagne toast, drank our fill of wine at dinner and then were given shots of schnapps up on the Sundeck to celebrate the Sail Away. Definitely a case of alcoholic overload.

I assure you there was plenty to oooh and aaah about. Budapest is a lovely city and after dark it is an absolute wonder. With perhaps the exception of a light show at Luxor, Budapest gleaming in the night is one of the most spectacular evening scenes I’ve ever viewed. If you decide to take this cruise, be sure to start in Budapest. Viking runs it both ways, but there is no way a Sail Away in Passau could compare with Budapest.

I’ll leave you with some photos of the Sail Away. Plan on coming back next week for Bratislava.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Szechenyi Baths in Budapest Hungary

July 6, 2016June 2, 2016 Jane Sadek

1B Hill (59) — Buda Plague Statue – Castle Hill

TRAVEL THERE: TAKING THE WATERS WITH THE HUNGARIANS

Much too soon, IMHO, it was time to leave Castle Hill. Bill (bless his heart), who does most of my photography, was just getting warmed up. On the way up the hill he’d scouted out all sorts of lovely photo opportunities, but suddenly we were late for the bus.

Time for Lunch

Never tell Bill he doesn’t have time for something. He’ll prove you wrong. It was only the first full day of the cruise and I didn’t want to get a reputation for always being the last one back on the bus. “You won’t have anytime for pictures,” I warned him, so he took a whole bunch. Confession: I wanted him to take the pictures and I wanted him to hurry, so I used a little travel psychology on him.

Back down at the bus, we weren’t the very last to board, but almost. Warning: Your bus will leave you if you are late coming back from Castle Hill. Budapest severely limits the number of buses allowed on the hill at any one time. They monitor the comings and going of the buses and only give them a small window of time to actually be on the hill. While an occasional infraction yields only a stiff fine, repeated offenses can bar you from the hill altogether. Therefore, your bus will not pick you up in exactly the same place it let you off, because once you’re off, they’re high-tailing it off the hill. They come back and get you, but don’t linger in the shops getting a souvenir for granny or you might be hoofing it back to the boat. Not that bad of a walk, but you might miss lunch.

Here’s the pictures Bill took on the way back to the bus and down the hill to the ship.

Time for a Dip

My primary source of information for Budapest was Rick Steves. He firmly convinced me there was no reason to go to Budapest at all, if you didn’t plan to enjoy one of the Thermal Baths and if you only had time for one Thermal bath, then you had to go to the Szechenyi Baths. Viking graciously provides an optional shore excursion which takes passengers to a Thermal Bath, but they keep the information about which Thermal Bath very close to their vest. I could not, for the life of me, find any information about it on any brochure, video or webpage. My travel agent wasn’t able to get anything either and she even called her Viking rep. Seems they don’t publish this information in case they decide they want to change up their thermal bath shore excursion locations. Gee guys, thanks for the anxiety!

I will tell you that Viking took me to the Szechenyi Baths for our Budapest Thermal Bath Excursion, but don’t blame me if you end up at Ruda or Gellert Spas. If you end up at one of those, be angry. Be very angry, because there is only one Szchenyi Bath House and you want to go there.

The Viking Tor primes you for the shore excursion with fluffy towels and robes in stateroom when you come back from the City Tour. They also provide you with a swim cap, because you are not allowed to enter some of the pools without one.

At the spa, you will have access to a changing room and locker. From the changing rooms you’ll go to the baths, all eighteen of them. Why eighteen? Well, some are inside, some are outside. Some are hot, some are cold and others are merely tepid. Some have jets and fountains, some don’t. Some have particular minerals, some have others. Some are for swimming, others are for soaking.

Bill and I spent the lion’s share of our time in two of the three outdoor pools. One of the outdoor pools is strictly for swimming laps and it’s where you’ll need the swim cap. We didn’t go there. We lollygagged in the other two pools with hundreds of our new Hungarian friends. Even if you think this sounds icky, you should give it a try. We loved it! We did check out the indoor pools but much preferred the outdoor experience.

The Szechenyi Baths are a lot of fun, but they are also gorgeous. Once we’d gotten prune-y from all the bathing, we got dressed and Bill started taking pictures. Enjoy! Then come back next week for the Budapest Sail Away. It was spectacular!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Across the River, Thru the Tunnel and Up Castle Hill

June 29, 2016May 26, 2016 Jane Sadek

Enjoying the sights on Buda's Castle Hill — Enjoying the sights on Buda’s Castle Hill

TRAVEL THERE: THE BUDA PART OF THE BUDAPEST CITY TOUR

With Heroes Square and Andrassy Boulevard under our travel belt, next on the must-see list was Castle Hill. A couple hours before lunch is not enough time to see it, but that’s what we had, so we went with it. Castle Hill is every much as touristy as Heroes Square, but the visitors seem a lot more European and there were no sweater ladies.

Matthias Church

The bus parked and we were led to the top of the hill by our apologetic guide. We waited a few minutes outside Matthias Church while tickets were procured by our underdog tour leader and then made our way into the church.

WOW, just WOW!

The outside of the church was glorious and the deep blue sky didn’t hurt one iota, but once we walked inside the church, we were awestruck.

While the actual church building has only been around for about 800 years, a lot of history has happened up there. Last week I mentioned the Magyars. Well, they were basically marauding barbarians who made Budapest their winter camp around around 867. Somewhere in the late 900’s the old Magyar king, Geza, noticed Christian forces were taking over Europe. Never one to miss a trick, he decided his son, Vajk, should join the up-and-coming religion.

And here’s where the legends start. At about the same time Geza was planning the strategic step of turning Vajk into St. Stephen, Hungary’s first Christian king, the pope dreamed the Magyars were about to convert and had a gold and silver crown tricked out with the popular gemstones of the day and sent it to Budapest with his blessings. However, reliefs on the statue outside the church illustrate the pope showing up with the crown himself for the coronation, so you get to choose what you think happened.

And speaking of the Hapsburgs, there are some very dingy banners hanging from the columns of the church. I was all for replacing them, until I heard they’d been up there since old Konig und Kaiser Franz Joseph’s coronation in 1867. So much for my idea of improvement!

Perhaps the banners wouldn’t look quite so dingy if they weren’t surrounded by blazing color in every direction. Every inch (and I mean every inch) of this beautiful interior is either gold or painted in intricate patterns. It’s like a sampler of bargello needlepoint on steroids.

Life in the Matthias Church has not been all crowns and banners. For awhile some of the various armies passing through used it as a barracks and stable. I’m sure that endeared them to the population. Then the Communists found out they could make some coin by opening it up as a tourist attraction, so they allowed the Hungarians to return it to its former and current glory – and it is glorious.

After the official tour was over we wandered around the church. Even at the risk of sounding redundant, I’d like to repeat that this church is spectacular and you should check out every nook and cranny they will allow you into.

St. Istvan and Fisherman’s Bastion

St. Stephen's Monument and The Fisherman's Bastion — St. Stephen’s Monument and The Fisherman’s Bastion

1896 is an important year in Hungary. Budapest was in its glory days and someone noticed it was the 1000th anniversary of the Magyar’s arrival, so the city went on a campaign of “Magyarization” and self-aggrandizement. Not only did they virtually rebuild the city in grand style, but Hungarian became the official language and many other Magyar-honoring endeavors were undertaken. Part of this was a fluffing up of St. Matthias Church, but they also built Heroes Square, the Fisherman’s Bastion and they erected the St. Istvan (Stephen) monument.

Since Istvan was the first Christian King of Hungary, the whole St. Stephen thing is easy to understand. The Fisherman’s Bastion requires a little more explanation. In Magyar times, when someone decided to attack Buda and/or Pest, the people of the area were pressed into military service. It so happens that what eventually became Castle Hill was in the district where the local fishermen docked their boats. So while the people of Budapest were honoring their Magyar ancestors, they built a double-decker rampart with seven pointy towers (one tower for each of the Magyar tribes) and dubbed it in honor of those fisherman of the past.

Fisherman’s Bastion is, by far, the best vantage point from which to admire the spectacular Parliament Building, along with the rest of the Pest portion of the two-part city. We took lots of pictures, so please enjoy them and come back next week for a dip in the Szechenyi Baths.