Euro2023

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Traveler Euro2023
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- Sep 1, 2023, 11:37pm
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 441 m
- Germany Free State of Bavaria Hofkirchen, Markt Hagenham 48.68174, 13.18319148°40’54” N 13°10’59” E
Day 32
Passau and Vilshofen
September 1, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Lots of overnight rain again, but turned very nice by 10 AM. Because of high water we could not dock in Passau. We docked about 20 minutes away and took a bus into the city. Today we did a nice walking tour since our bike tour was canceled because of rain. Because Passau is surrounded by three rivers streets have to be very small and narrow because there’s just not much room to build. Fifty-two thousand of the 12000 are students.

We saw a dedicated bike route along the Danube. You can drive the entire 600km journey from Budapest to Passau on the trail. A nice way to travel unless you are in a hurry. Our guide mentioned that she drives around 180 km/hr on the autobahn. They’ve driven as fast as 250 km/hr with no chance of a speeding ticket…. but only when they are in a hurry.

Bus drivers have a special talent here in Europe in these small towns. Narrow road, steep hills and sharp turns make it look impossible. But they pull it off. Terrifying at times.

After landing back at our boat for our sail to Vilshofen, we were informed that the river from Passau to Vilshofen was closed due to the high water and an inability to fit under the bridges… so back to Passau for a couple of hours before our Oktoberfest farewell celebration. Off to London vis Munich in the morning.Read more
Traveler Your bus driver comment is spot on… I can see myself peeking over the ledge of a winding mountain road in tiny Sintra. 😳 Simply magic… and loads of biking opportunity in Europe! I love your updates folks! Cheers… Janie & Chris
9/2/23Reply
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Traveler Euro2023
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- Sep 2, 2023, 8:46pm
- 🌙 19 °C
- Altitude: 12 m
- England City of London Southwark 51.5088, -0.09351°30’32” N 0°5’35” W
Day 33
Off to London
September 2, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
A day in the life … on a river cruise. This being our first river cruise, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. We got a bit of a summary from the Cameron’s and Vangestel’s but it was still quite a bit of a mystery. So here’s what a day is like. We were usually in bed by about 11:00PM after a long day. Sleeping is quite comfortable as the boat is usually cruising to the next port so there if is nice bit of ‘white noise’ from the boat cruising through the water. Most days we were awake by 7:00-7:30 AM for some breakfast. We had the option of some self serve breakfast in our lounge (bacon, eggs, yogurt, croissants, juice, coffee, etc…). Or we could do a full sit down service meal with an extensive menu of full meals. After breakfast it was usually time to grab a coffee and go sit outside on our own patio and check out the scenery in our new port. Usually by 9:00 AM we were on the move for a tour by local guides. Some day it was a bike tour, some days walking and some days walking/bussing. The local guides were so talented as they found a way to recreate the history of every area we visited. Some days we landed back at our ship for a lunch and other days we just kept moving and found a way to eat on our own at a local restaurant. The afternoons usually consisted of another tour or some relaxation time back on the boat. We’d either sit on our patio, in our lounge area or up on the top of the ship where you could get the best view of the region. By 5:00PM we were usually ready to get spruced up for the evening. The ’sip and sail’ session took place in the lounge from 5-6PM. This was a time to meet up with friends for some local beer/wine or a special ‘drink of the day’. By 7:00 PM it was time to head to supper… usually a 2 hour affair as most suppers were 5-6 courses. By 9:00PM it was time to head to the lounge or to the top of the boat for some local entertainment. AMAWaterways did an excellent job of treating us to the wines/beers and foods of each country we visited. Phew…. now I’m guessing you’re reading why I said that we usually slept well. Our boat had 97 passengers and 47 crew members… so a pretty nice ratio. Rooms were equipped with a bed, bathroom, computer/TV system, two indoor chairs sitting in a French balcony and 2 other chairs in the outdoor balcony. The boat provided audiovox earphone systems so we could tune into our guides, an outdoor pool, small gymnasium, laundry services and a hairdresser and massage room if needed. A pretty neat experience.

London

We’re staying in the Southbank region of London this time. The Borough Market, Tate Museum, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden will be part of our focus for a couple of days.

And… we are really looking forward to the ABBA Voyage concert. “Formed by the CGI of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), which has appeared in the Star Wars and Marvel films, ABBA’s virtual comeback is a truly breathtaking spectacle. Conceived by the beloved Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid, the ABBA Voyage concert is the kind of production that they were destined to make - an immortal and immaculate presentation of themselves, giving their fans the best of everything as they are supported by some of the worlds finest modern musicians. Witness ABBA brought to life by the latest in motion capture technology, blurring the lines between the digital and physical world, making it look so real that it will feel like the stars are physically there before your very eyes. It may very well be the greatest ABBA performance that the world has ever seen”.

Check it out here-
https://abbavoyage.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwusunBhCYA…Read more
Traveler Thanks so much for the “River Review” Mike… we’ve never been but I think that gives us a great glimpse into life on one of those vessels. Like NY, London seems to always have something going on somewhere. I find it hard to sleep there as the FOMO kicks in when I lay down 😂! Concert sounds like a blast… gotta love the travel! Have a superb finale…
9/2/23Reply
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Traveler Euro2023
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- Sep 4, 2023, 11:27am
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- England Greater London Westminster Abbey 51.4964, -0.122451°29’47” N 0°7’21” W
Day 35
ABBA DAY!!!!!!
September 4, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
And a full day it was. Up early and off to the Borough Market. The market scene is often one of the first places we visit when we hit a city. A great way to check out the people, the vibe... and the food. The Borough did not disappoint. We got there about a half hour before it opened but we could still cruise around. It was fun watching them make the risotto, slice the cheese and cover the strawberries in chocolate. I could spend hours here... but we had to head to the ABAA VOYAGE concert by 11:30. Out to Pudding Mill Lane on the tube/underground. We grabbed a 'sip' and were ushered into the concert venue at about 12:50. The concert started at exactly 1:00 PM and ran for about 95 minutes.

A bit about the concert. A dedicated stadium was built to host the 3000 or so visitors for 7 concerts per week. It took several years of high tech programming, recording, etc... to create the concert. Probably the most amazing 'tech' experience we've seen. The company worked with the ABBA members (averaging 75 years of age) to put together the performance. A 10 piece band is situated a bit out of site. But on the main stage are the 4 members of ABBA as they appeared in the 70's. It 100% looks like 4 live people dancing around the stage. It was impossible to tell that they were projected avatars of the 4. If you get a chance ... Google ABBA VOYAGE and watch the 1 minute clip. It was incredible.

After a tube ride back to our hotel, we were off to Piccadilly Circus which to us, seemed like NYC Time's Square located in London. Tons of shops, bars, restaurants, buskers, a Chinatown and everything you could or maybe can't imagine. A real cool place to hang out. From there, back on the tube and off to bed. We were up at 7:30 to tube out to Heathrow for our flight home Monday afternoon.

As for the London Metro... what an amazing system. You can now just tap your credit card when entering the system and then tap out when you leave. It is a cheap, fast and efficient way to get literally everywhere. Our trip from downtown London to Heathrow cost us $1.74CDN per person. A cab was close to $200.00CDN. We travelled all over the city for 2 days and no trip cost us more than $1.74. So neat.

So this essentially ends another amazing trip. Thanks to Jim and Maura Lee Murray as well as Linda Juurlink/Iris Stanley (who we just ran into on the plane over) for making the river cruise part of our trip such a treat!! And of course to Colleen and Paul Kearney.... our Europe partners for the last 9 years. I think this was our 6th trip to Europe. Confident, flexible and keen travel partners. Until the next one.

Using local guides

We make a point of relying on the expertise of others when travelling:

-Travel experts like Janie and Chris Lumsden have in the past (and continue to) inspire us to hunt down neat spots to visit. We’ve hit a ton of Europe so far, but one look at the map reveals so many possibilities.

-Printed guides like Rick Steve’s are helpful to get a feel for the areas we’ll visit. One of the most exciting days of the planning experience is going on Amazon to purchase a few new guides.

-We take advantage of Rick’s Audio Guides as well. We download some of his ‘walks/tours’ to our phones and the plug in our earbuds as we move through neighbourhoods.

-We always believe in hiring a local city guide (or a free one) for our first full day in a city. It helps us gain a little better understanding of our neighbourhood and the city itself.

-We really believe in hiring some of the professional guides when visiting areas like museums and galleries as it is just not worth it to venture into these places with our untrained eyes and ears. Many of these guides hold a Ph.D. in History and Art and are an endless source of amazing facts.

Here are a few travel tips that we’ve learned over the years:

-Don’t carry too much cash as there are bank machines everywhere… but try your best to use one attached to a valid bank.

-When choosing accommodations, look for spots near metro, tram and bus stops as it can just make things so much easier.

-Eat where the locals eat. Look for a place that DOES NOT have a TOURIST MENU SPECIAL. Instead find a place with NO English on the menu.Read more
Traveler Once again, Mike & Kathy, you have folks have assembled an impressive travel adventure. Cudos all the way ‘round and we hate to see it end after sailing vicariously with you through Central Europe. Thanks for the shout out, but I’d reciprocate the compliment by affirming that we have learned so much from your experiences abroad, whether it be in Europe / North American / Sun destinations. After the “lean years” that descended during the Covid pandemic, we realize even more how fortunate we’ve been to resume travel both near and far… and what a privilege it is! We take the opportunity, as modelled by you and Kathy, to share what we’ve learned with others. Welcome home!
9/4/23Reply
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Passau and Vilshofen

Off to London

ABBA DAY!!!!!!