• Chris Mcwhirter
  • Chris Mcwhirter

Christmas markets cruise 2017

A 22-day adventure by Chris Read more
  • Trip start
    December 15, 2017

    Perth - Singapore - Frankfurt -Prague

    December 15, 2017 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Arrived in Prague 15/12 . Hotel room ready early and we will have a welcome drink and small walk around the area later this arvo..looks like a big place..lots of apartment blocks. .Our hotel..Grandior..is really lovely..a modern hotel. .Read more

  • Night walk..

    December 16, 2017 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    Early evening last night our travel guide Simona took us on a walk from our hotel and through the old part of Prague. .Prague is called Praha by the Czechs..It is beautiful..it gets dark early so no problem. .We had little head phones and Simona was very informative. ..now let's see..one of these building with the balcony is where Indepence Day was announced in 1918,. Municipal House..one of these buildings is where some of the film Amadeus was filmed..Mozart played here..The building Bila Labut The white Swan shopping mall is a dept store representing communist days..something like that..ha..Simona where are you..
    The streets are lit up like Christmas trees..ha funny that..There is the black tower where all the emperors had to go through when in Prague..the streets are lined with cobblestones and this means a sign of a wealthy city apparantly..There is so many different types of crystal..Moser crystal an unleaded crystal being the most famois here..
    So I am writing this in middle of might in Prague but morning in Perth as we went to bed at 7.30...combined with my darling auntie making some amazing tunes I am awake..bahaaaaa.I will get back to sleep and make tunes myself. .ha ha this will be fun..tomorrow we are off for a day tour. .
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  • Prague castle and Charles bridge

    December 16, 2017 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    Today we had a wonderful tour of the Prague Castle..just magnificent. .way back from the 900s and part of it has only been recently added in last 100 years but looks exactly the same. .amazing. .Charles IV built the bridge in the 1300s..Charles the IV has been named the greatest Czech person ever..so much to know about this place...it is amazing but very very busy...Read more

  • Budapest

    December 19, 2017 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    Well what another beautiful place. .and so much history. It is very moving when you are told so many stories about the war and communism as it was here for years...Budapest is actually split by the river and one side is called Buda and the other pest...and they don't really like each other...Read more

  • Vienna

    December 20, 2017 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    Today we arrived in Vienna..we had a tour of the city this arvo..saw some more beautuful buildings and the Christmas markets look amazing all lit up...a trip back in tomorrow. .and a classical concert tomorrow night that I am really looking forward to..Read more

  • Concert. .

    December 21, 2017 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    Tonight one of my dreams came true...to see a concert in Vienna... we went to see the Vienna Supreme Orchestra perform at the Palais Eschenbach....it was so beautiful. ..

  • Durnstein

    December 23, 2017 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    We stopped at this beautuful little village today...just gorgeous. .I must say this is what I enjoy the most. .the big cities are great but I prefer the small towns with the beautiful scenery. .
    This little place was never rebuilt so the buildings were all around 700 years old..amazing. ...
    We have gone through a few lochs overnight. .they are amazing too..you look out the sliding door and you are right next to a huge wall that you are slowly creeping up to the top of...as the dining is free sitting we are meeting lots of interesting and wonderful people...I am really enjoying that..
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  • Salsburg

    December 23, 2017 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Well today was just magical..a winter wonderland on out bus trip down to Salsburg...and a lovely little place Salsburg. .lots of christmas markets once again. .

  • Christmas ....

    December 26, 2017 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    A few days have passed ..Regensburg ..Nuremberg. .and today Bamberg...nothing open Christmas eve..Christmas day although we did find a lovely coffee shop and had a hot chocolate. .half the bus was in there..parts of Nuremberg were very dull and depressing. .areas where hitler held rallys etc where they have just left them..a castle on top that was very protected..very dreary..but other parts in the town were lovely...Regensburg was a gorgeous little place and we had lunch at a beautiful little cafe...but once again shops shut..and this morning we have decided to skip the tour and stay in...this arvo apparantly is one of the nicest parts of the Main River.so we are looking forward to that...auntie merl and I ended up walking into the outskirts of Bamberg along the river just adventuring...was a lovely morning..Read more

  • Frankfurt

    January 1, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    A few days have passed and I have forgotten the place already oh I know..we docked right in the city so we could just walk in. It was a lovely place..what we saw of it..here is a few photos. .

  • Rudesheim

    January 1, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    We went to a mechanical musical instrument museum here.. was very interesting..Siegfrieds Kabinett..
    It was a beautuful little town wirh a street called Drosselgasse full of decorated restaurants..

  • The Rhine Gorge

    January 1, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    This was perhaps the most beautuful part of the river cruise....so many castles. .churches. Vineyards. ..and a beautuful part of the river. ..I sat in the lounge all afternoon and up on top deck..

  • Amsterdam

    January 1, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    After a canal tour and walking tour we enjoyed our last dinner on the boat followed by a party and then the most wonderful fireworks that we were surrounded in from up on the top deck wirh champagne...magnificent night..Read more

  • Amsterdam

    January 1, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Well we left the ship today for our hotel here in Amsterdam..not overly thrilled with the place..we caught taxi into the city with a couple from the ship and we went to a dept store which they say is like Harrods. .it was pretty spec. Then we went up to the skydeck in the Hilton and had a drink and nachos. ..great view..we have booked a tour to Rotterdam tomorrow. .Read more

  • Grand Holland Tour

    January 2, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Today we had one of our best days...a long day but well worth it...we stopped at the Hague..a beautiful city wirh the peace palace there...then a miniature park Madurodam...then a gorgeous little town Delft...loved it here...a stop at the Royal Delft ceramic factory...then Rotterdam up the Euro mast tower...a drive around the city and a stop at some amazing indoor markets..very different...Rotterdam is a bit more modern but loved it ....Read more

  • Volendam

    January 5, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Well last day in Amsterdam and it was as windy as hell...we just a about got knicker over by the wind when we went to the windmills so we sat and had a yummy hot chocolate instead there. .went to the clog making factory and then caught a little boat to Volendam...beautiful little fishing village...about 22,000 people normally but over summer 2 million..Read more

  • Trip end
    January 5, 2018