Daydreaming and getting in the mood

I found this web cam that pans across the Danube at Budapest.  You can watch the boat traffic and dream about being on one of those boats twelve weeks and two days from now!

Budapest web cam

(warning - it takes several moments to load)

Who are we?

So who are these people you'll be traveling with in October?

There are forty of us in the group.  We range in age from 23 - 90, with an average age of 69 years.

Some other fun facts about us:

• One third of the group are members of Christ Episcopal Church, two thirds are not
• 40% of the group have traveled with us before
• Two members of the group share a birthday (although not the same year), while three others share another birthday (also different years)
• For the first time, in all of our trips over the past four years, no one will be celebrating a birthday during the trip
• We come from 19 different towns in New Jersey, plus three out-of-state (two from South Carolina, one from Pennsylvania)
• We are predominantly female (28 women, 12 men)
• We're all looking forward to a great time!

and away we go!

The Happy Dance

The paperwork is done!  Color me happy.  With that out of the way I'll turn my attention to this blog and to planning for a gathering in September, when we can get to know one another before the trip.

The folks in Passau are happier these days as well; clean up efforts are well underway, the river is open and tourists are returning in full force.

The web cam that overlooks the city and the river tells the tale:  Passau web cam

Passau Cleanup

Scenic Cruises, our agency (Jet Travel), and I are all monitoring the post-flood situation along the Danube.

You may have read (or seen on the news) about the record flooding that happened in early June.  River cruises along the Danube were disrupted for weeks afterwards, but now all but one set of locks are up and running again.  The locks in Austria are projected to be repaired by the end of June so we don't anticipate any problems at all as a result of this for our October cruise.

Among our stops, the city of Passau (in southeast Germany, on the Austrian border) was the worst hit.  The pictures are sad and far too reminiscent of the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy here at home.

Passau, June 2013

The folks in Passau are working hard to restore their community and to welcome visitors.  We'll continue to keep an eye on their progress and, closer to our trip, if necessary we'll substitute another stop for Passau although I doubt that will be necessary.

Just a reminder - those of us who are going on the excursion to Salzburg will miss Passau anyway.

Passau, June 2013

Passau, June 2013

You can read more about the clean up efforts here.

Dinner and a Concert in Vienna

Kursalon

On Thursday evening we have the option to attend a dinner and concert in Vienna at Kursalon Wien Concert Hall.

This excursion includes round trip bus travel from the dock to Stastpark (approximately 2.5 miles), Vienna's first communal park and the location of Kursalon.

Stastpark

The evening will begin with a three-course dinner at the restaurant Johann (located inside Kursalon) before moving on to Lanner Hall for a Strauss and Mozart concert.

The price for this excursion is $175 per person.

A Day in Salzburg Austria

On Saturday, October 26th, we'll have an optional tour of Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart made even more famous by "The Sound of Music".

The group going on this optional excursion will leave the ship at 8:30 AM, after an early breakfast, and drive about two hours to Salzburg while the ship continues on to Passau.

Upon arrival there will be a two-and-one-half-hour guided walking tour of Old Town Salzburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

Included in the walking tour will be:

Residence Square & Fountain

Mozart Square

Old Market

The walking tour will conclude with lunch at 1 PM, followed by a couple of hours of free time to explore.

Salzburg Cathedral Dome

At approximately 4 PM the group will depart by bus and drive to Passau to rejoin the ship.

The price for this excursion is $110 per person.

For more information on Salzburg, see their tourism web site here.

Prague Extension

Our optional three night extension in Prague, the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, begins upon departure from the M.S. Crystal on Monday morning, October 28th.

This extension starts with a guided tour of Nuremberg that includes the major World War II sites, as well as a stop at the Nuremberg museum.

In the afternoon the group will transfer to Prague, which is approximately 190 miles ENE of Nuremberg (about three hours by bus).

Upon arrival in Prague the group will check into the hotel and will be on their own for dinner.  The hotel currently planned is the Andels, a four-star hotel  (web site here) in the 5th district, known as Smichov.  Located on the west side of the Vltava river, the area is described as

an upscale neighborhood with newly renovated buildings, hotels and the large Novy Smichov shopping center. Trendy restaurants and nightlife abound.

on the praguenet web site.  The hotel is less than two miles from Prague Castle, and just over a mile from the Charles Bridge.

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Tuesday, October 29th will feature a full day guided tour of Prague, including the castle.

Wednesday will be a full day on your own in Prague.  Departure for home will be on Thursday morning.

The price for this extension is $699 per person, double occupancy.  There is an additional $199 supplement for single occupancy.