The Blue Danube splits Budapest into two parts, the hilly Buda side with the castles and towering monuments and the flat Pest (Pesht) side with its government, university, civic, cultural and business iconic buildings. Towering church steeples are everywhere. The beautiful bridges that span the Danube link the two sides into one beautiful city.

Allen, Rhonda, Sherlene, Mike and Sandra marveled at the Great Synagogue just down from our lovely apartments. It is the second largest in the world and is quite beautiful. Unfortunately, it tells the story of the holocaust that claimed the lives of over 600,000 Hungarian Jews during World War II. The graveyard is left just as the Nazi’s destroyed it. The memorial to the Jews who were murdered is touching yet, at the same time, uplifting. The silver tree with silver leaves that bear the name of a lost friend or relative on each leaf and the memorial stone, “Never forget,” leave a lasting impression. We tried to eat at a highly regarded Hungarian Jewish restaurant, but being the Sabat (evening meal before the Sabbath) it was booked out.

The group also enjoyed the Grand Market. Huge by any measurement, it is filled with foods important to the Hungarian cuisine. It anchors one end of the beautiful pedestrian thoroughfare that winds its way through Pest. In the evening, Mike and Sandra attended a wonderful organ, trumpet and opera concert at the magnificent St. Stephen’s Basilica that featured Mozart’s Requiem. The rest of us watched an artist carve an ice sculpture to music and lights in the Basilica square. We all are in awe of the beauty and gracefulness of this city. WEG

As soon as our dinner cruise on the Danube pulled away from the dock, the string quartet began to play, “The Blue Danube” by Johanne Strauss. We enjoyed a very good buffet meal as we cruised by the bright lights of the Chain Bridge, Buda’s Castle Hill, the Parliament and the city monuments that grace the river. It was a delightful evening!

During the day we rode the “hop on hop off” bus and hopped off by the funicular that ascends to the top of the Buda hills. What an unexpected pleasure to find that soon after our arrival, the palace was conducting the changing of the guard and we had an “up front and personal” view!The guards were precise in their movements and gun maneuvers. Rhonda and I thought that it was better in some ways than the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace in London. The uniforms were not as colorful, nor were there as many guards, but the maneuvers were excellent.

St. Matthias Church on the hill is such a beautifully painted church on the interior. Every surface is painted with bright colors on gold backgrounds. The views outside the church looking out from the “Fisherman’s Bastian” down onto the Danube and across to Pest are stunning. The huge and iconic Parliament building with its copper red roofs and spires and St. Stephen’s Basilica stand out on the horizon. Budapest is simply a stunningly beautiful city.

Our meals on the trip have been excellent; each country is so different in its native meals. We have enjoyed that variety. We have noted that Hungarian food tends to incorporate a rich variety of ingredients. I ordered hot plum soup and “wow.” Duck is common on the menu. Hungarian goulash is not what your mother made–it is a cubed beef base with a few vegetables in a rich paprika broth. Tortes of cherry or poppy seed or creamed cottage cheese are yummy. We walk enough to eat up the calories, thankfully! WEG

October 1, 2016

We took one last long look at the Tyrolean beauty of Hallstatt, boarded the train and headed for the glory of human creation known as the Melk Abbey. Mike, Sandra, Allen and Rhonda were in awe of this 900 year plus creation. The library, with its intricate wood carvings and leather bound books, is world renowned for having one of the largest holdings of books of antiquity. It is awe-inspiring. The Marble Hall is trompe-l’oeil (an art form that creates an optical illusion) amusement. Most of the marble isn’t, and the ceiling height, while not high, seems quite high. It is the chapel, however, that is the jaw-dropper. Considered one of the finest examples of the Baroque style, it is gold upon gold with angels flying and complementary art. It is overpowering, and it was meant to be. The wonderful abbey with its yellow accent paint and imposing towers and dome looms high over Melk village.

We have a great hotel on the main street in Melk and ate outside in the cool air, with outside heaters providing just the right amount of warmth with the lit abbey on the hill above. What a treat! We had different foods tonight: pumpkin soup (it is the pumpkin oil that makes the difference); pumpkin cheese cakes (wow); battered pork liver and potatoes; pike salad; roasted chicken, to name a few of the culinary items. Sitting on a cobblestone street in the fresh air, with beauty all around and above us, we felt blessed indeed. WEG

September 29, 2016

The air is fresh and crisp; the trees have a tinge of fall color; the mountains reflect in the lake and there is serenity and quiet. Gone is the madness that is the Oktoberfest in Munich–hello nature.

Hallstatt usually appears on those top ten lists of prettiest places in Europe, and it is easy to see why. The village is squeezed against and up the mountain on one side and borders a clear lake on the other. Ducks and swan ply the water along with small boats, none high-powered. Our hotel sits on water’s edge across the lake from the village, and we have sweeping views of the lake and mountains that ring it. It is as refreshing as it is spectacular. We are in the Austrian Tyrol and happy to be here.

Our meal tonight was fresh rainbow trout caught today in the river that flows into the lake. Buttered potato wedges and salad accompanied. I started off with a garlic soup made with fresh cream and butter. Delicious! The Austrian beer was quite good. Tonight we sleep with an open glass door onto our patio, so that we can breathe the wonderful air and sleep warmly under our feather duvets. Maybe I’ll count the sheep that I saw on the train ride here today. WEG

Mittenwald is a painted village high in the German Alps just past Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is a simply delightful mountain locale. Known for the painted scenes, or pictures, on the buildings as well as its setting surrounded by jagged peaks, the village is serene, pastoral and quaint. We enjoyed the train ride to the village on our day trip out of Munich as we began ascending first through rolling hills with green fields, some holding flocks of sheep, to mountainous terrains with tall trees, some beginning to turn gold, to high mountain country near the tree line.

Our meal at a wonderful German restaurant with painted ceilings and wooden beams was more than delicious. I ate my first jäger schnitzel, a pork cutlet smothered with creamed mushrooms and a side salad with a dressing made with fresh cream that was so good I actually drank what remained. (Yes, I made sure no one was watching.)

The day was relaxing as we breathed clean mountain air in 64F temperature and sat in a park with a trickling fountain and beautiful flowers looking out at the surrounding scenery. WEG

Munich – September 26 and 27, 2016

I went to my first Oktoberfest in Munich with trepidation and reluctance, and this year marks the third year in a row that Kathy and I have attended. Oktoberfest in Munich is a blast! The mix of people in traditional dirndls and lederhosen with live music spread across fourteen huge tents and the festive decorations all across the enormous event space at the Theresaweisen Park are mesmerizing.

Munich is a great city with much to do. From the intriguing Middle Ages mechanical wonder of the glockenspiel at the Rathaus to the old Hofbrauhaus drinking and dining establishment to the fabulous Residenz of the Imperial Wittlesbach family to the castles and abbeys on the outskirts of the city, one can be quite involved with sightseeing. Our group spent the morning and early afternoon at the Oktoberfest and the afternoon at the Residenz. Its treasury of priceless art, crown jewels and artifacts left our heads spinning. Its enormous rooms with gold and tapestries and silk, crystal chandeliers and ceiling frescoes were wonders to behold. What a day!

We managed a table on the upper floor of the Hofbrauhaus one evening for a meal. The vaulted barrel ceiling painted in subdued colors and the upfront band and traditional dancers gave a great ambiance to our meal. I fell in love with the cabbage salad (vinegar based with caraway seed and bacon) and wished I had simply ordered three helpings and called it a meal. At over 400 years old, the establishment has quite a history and makes for a delightful stop when visiting the city. We were all happy to reach our hotel and put up our feet and get ready to enjoy another day. WEG

September 24 & 25, 2016

It’s Old Town Festival in Nuremberg, and the city is filled with tents and food carts along the major streets, and the main platz is filled with tidy rows of tents selling all sorts of foods and merchandise. Our two days here were filled with eating, exploring and lollygagging.

Often times, pictures of Germany feature Nuremberg because of its German character and history as being the seat of the Holy Roman Empire for centuries and then as Hitler’s National Socialist Party headquarters. We spent our time in the Old Town (Allstadt) and were able to worship at the magnificent and beautiful St. Lorenz Lutheran Church. Thunderous bells pealed for ten minutes calling people to worship. The mighty pipe organ wafted familiar hymns and tunes throughout the carved and vaulted ceilings. While in German, the service had a familiar sound and the time was reflective and deeply spiritual. The trek up the hill to the Imperial Castle Complex was strenuous. Emperors got horse drawn carriages–we got stairs and steep, cobble- stoned inclines. At a thousand years old, the castle complex is the most important medieval castle in Europe due to its Holy Roman Empire inhabitants over centuries.

Mike bought a belt and then found one at 1/3 the price in the market square. Kathy bought scarves in the market. Allen found gelato and circled back several times. I found German sausage and hard rolls and skipped breakfast so that I could indulge. Wonderful city and wonderful times. WEG

Idyllic Day

September 23, 2016

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a fairy tale city in the central German countryside. Preserved from ruin in the wars that raged through the years, its medieval walls and gingerbread buildings, peppered with towers and steeples, stand intact. The cobble-stoned streets with running fountains beckon the traveler to explore. City platz (squares) with outdoor restaurants and flower-filled planters and window boxes bid the traveler to rest and stay awhile. With clear skies and 70 degree Fahrenheit temperature, the city was idyllic and wonder-filled.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is known for its charm and German character and for the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store with its wooden hand-carved decorations and extensive Christmas collections. It is also famous for the Holy Blood altar piece in the St. Jakob Lutheran Church, with a vile of the blood of Christ (a relic) imbedded within.

Our hotel was located inside the city walls, and thus we could explore at leisure. We also could eat at some of the wonderful cafes and restaurants located there. We were delighted to eat German food in a wooden-beamed eatery–hare; sausages; pork knuckle; beef goulash; sauerkraut (to die for); hot potato salad; spaetzle and potato dumplings were the local delights chosen among our group. Of course, beer, both heffelweissen (wheat) and dunkel (dark), was enjoyed with the meal.

We are happy that Mike and Sandra and Sherlene have joined Allen and Rhonda, Kathy and me on this journey. They could not have started in a more idyllic place than Rothenburg ob der Tauber! WEG