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Viking River Cruise
  • John Holcomb
Currently traveling
May 2023 – Sep 2025

Viking River Cruise

An open-ended adventure by John Read more
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  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Budapest

    June 5, 2023 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Pesht side was ship side and flat. Budha side is hilly and mountainous side. The whale building connects old and new Old storage building with glass to connect them. Liberty Bridge is green Bridge. Monument is Liberty monument holding a palm leaf for peace. Big bottle opener. Red power and strength, white is faithfulness and green hope. 1873 two cities united as one. Green dome building is a palace and now an art gallery. Chain Bridge, suspension bridge. Greg has a picture. Metal elements look like a chain. Famous for porcelain. Second largest synagogue in the world. Moorish style. 3000 worshippers. Survived WW2. There are 100,000-200,000 jews in Budapest. Houdini born in Hungary.

    Greg got pics of opera house. Museum House of Terror. Nazis and Communists. Prison. Hungarian Heroes Square. 1896 was 1000 year birthday of Hungary. Greg has pictures.

    Communism ended in 1989. Budha side. Catholic martyr what I took a picture of when we came in. 1870 and 1880s built. Greg has some pics.

    Dropped off Castle District. Besieged by Soviets during WW2. Government reconstructing buildings destroyed during war. Making look like before destruction. Built in 1250s. UNESCO site.
    Plague statue. Orange and yellow dotted building from 1300-1400s.

    Church 800 year old. King Mathias. Roof made of ceramics.
    View from Fishermans Bastion. King Stephen from 1000. 1500s owned by Ottomans and became a mosque. At end of 1800s repainted frescos. Gothic medieval church. King Stephen was a pagan. On left, his son and heir in middle and bishop on right. Offered crown to virgin Mary. His dynasty lasted 300 years. Only memorial if Hungarian king. Bala III and Anne. 1100 met Richard the Lion hearted. First wife. Windows from 1896.

    Parliament building third largest 1885 - 1904. Neo Gothic. House of lords and commons. Only Commons active now. St. Margeret Bridge.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Vienna back to boat

    June 4, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Lager beer invented in Vienna. Storage in chilled cellars for larger amounts of time. Zinfadel grape from Austria. Grapes from experimental vineyards at Schonnbunn castle. Croatia actually home of the grape. Those grapes from castle taken to California. Succession building. Klimt, Gustav.Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Schonbrunn Palace tour

    June 4, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Anniversary 50 years of Franz Joseph memorial church. 1800s. First Pic of June 4. Klimt is the most famous artist of Austria. The Kiss. Maria Theresa inherited the palace and used it as a summer residence. She had 16 children. Added second floor and wings and over 1000 workers. 1441 rooms. Palace went into state ownership after WWI. Now 200 Apts can be rented.

    Winter palace is actually close in city center. Main city had high walls and no breeze and no seweage. Land bought in late 16th century. Found a spring and built hunting lodge. Destroyed by Ottomans. Rebuilt after Ottomans. Huge courtyard for all the carriages.

    Baroque style from France Versailles. Gloriette Pavillion was higher up because it represented the whole dynasty. Neptune emporer of all waters and the Empress is the leader of all lands.

    Charles V sun never set on the empire. Included Spain and the Spanish colonies. Opened gardens in late 1700s. Stalin and Hitler were both homeless in Vienna in 1913. Franz Joseph born and died here. Edison himself brought electricity to the palace in 1900. Used match chords to light all the candles at once on a chandelier.

    120 feet long and 30 feet high. Imperial Hall. Abundance, Military and Glorious rule with the empress and emporer on the ceilings. Rococo style and guilded gold.
    Kenedy and Kruschev met here in the Imperial Hall. Annual New Years Day concert here. National Operas ballet.

    Continuosly cleaned and restored. Marie Antoinette was daughter of Mary Theresa.

    Hitler annexed Austria. No Allied bombs hit the palace except one, but it didn't detonate. The military fresco was repainted after the war. Irony there.
    Austrian succession war 1743 reconquered Prague. Celebrated with horses carrying women in circles. Carousel room has paintings of that celebration after the war. Marie Theresa had to fight that war because she was the only heir and a woman.

    Mozart started with Maria Theresa at age 6. Charles I last emporer and forced to abdicate in this room. 640 years of Hapsburg line. Died in exile in Portugal. His wife lived to 1989.

    Her husband died 15 years before her. Black room was for mourning and remembering him.

    Napoleon occupied palace in 1809. Napoleon had a Hapsburg wife and a son. Servant quarters and hallways behind imperial rooms. Emporer of 2 empires for 2 years. Ferdinand I was an invalid as a result of inner breading. Franz Joseph took over as nephew of the double Emporer.

    Depart 12:15.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Vienna city tour

    June 3, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    No high rises in city center. Flooding an issue in Vienna. Just under 2 million residents. Greater Vienna is a quarter of the population. Franz Joseph ruled 68 years when Victoria ruled England. Ancient Roman camp started the city. 3 opera housed. Had to rebuild opera house. Art and science. Mother Theresa was mother of European royalty
    Look up vienese congress and period of 100 years of peace.. Vienese congress floated idea of ending slavery.

    Vienese boys choirs since around 1500. 4 choirs now.
    Gold tower late 1600 s.

    St Stephen's completed 1400as. 11:45 leaving from apothecary.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Wachau Valley Road Winery

    June 2, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Morwald. Family winery. Erhardt is the vitner. House wine on the ship is his contract. 2 other vitners - Kristof (nephew). Martin (son) also vitner. 4 wine regions alone when we drove to the winery. Don't live on wine alone. Many make schnapps also. Not like our schnapps.

    3000 bottles an hour with their equipment. Use 2-3 days a month. 250K bottles a year for Viking. 450K a year. Bottles. Don't sell by the case. We are trying the Estate wines. 98% screw tops. Corks from Portugal. That size barrel for aging reds. Made in town. Austrian oak has a finer wine. Wine takes on less oak taste.
    85% machine picked. By vibrations and set by sweetness. Mid September is picking. Cultured yeast with cold fermentation. Pull degrees of temperature down to 50-60s. Reds ferment for 10 days. Mash can be made into wine made schnapps (grappa). Use a still. Longer distilled, less alcohol.

    Malachit means higher standard over the classic. Erhardt is 4th generation vitner.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Danube River Upper Deck

    June 2, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    With David Parker program director on the upper deck of the river. He is giving commentary again. Wachau Valley. 2034 km marker.
    Castle Schonbuhel castle. 1100 years old. Owned by Swarovski diamond family. Chapel associated with the castle.

    Aggstein Castle. Evil Lord George. 12th century. Yellow house at the edge of the river is stables for horses to pull boats back.

    Trying to grow olives in the micro climate. Wine called Green Lines from the terraced grape fields.

    Devils wall. Crusades legend that the devil threw stones down on the Ottomans. Napoleon tried to cross here and failed.

    Spitz castle and the hill near it. Great white wine. Km 2020. Mountain of 1000 buckets.

    Road Bridge and church of st. Michael, oldest church in Austria. Rabbits at top of church tower.

    Durchstein. Castle of Richard the Lion Hearted. Poet servant sang song that only Richard knew. Road sculpture of King and servant. Blue tower on the water. Castle above.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Melk Abbey

    June 2, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Built 1702-1736. Originally a royal palace. Monastic community is more than 900 years old. Baroque style. 24 Benedictine monk.
    900 students here. High school. Private day school. 12 - 15 monks living here all the time?

    Maria Theresa was here 3 times. 1743. Franz Stephen husband. Lots of rooms because people stayed here. Benedictine is oldest order. 500 year old book of Benedict. A castle here was 1000 years ago. Oldest trausre ivory box depicting life of christ. Melk cross has sliver of real cross. Jewels and gold. Fire in 13 the century. 15th century and the reform movement and called Melk Movement. Leader of movement.

    Vestments became leather in end of 1700s. More frugality. No longer baroque. Reused coffins. Age of reason. 1065 windows. Over 500 rooms. Have a book from 900s.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Passau

    June 1, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    7000 years of history 50,000 people and 50 churches. Grey house 1600-1700s new town. Rococo.
    12000 university city. Black inside church from 1660.
    Archeological remains go back to 5000BC. Neathendetal here too. Churches go back to 500. Baroque style. Onion shaped towers is a sign of Baroque. 1600. After Baroque was 1800s Rococo. Then after rococo art neauvo, then 1900s art deco. This was church of people. Painted black wood. St. Paul's church.

    Danube was border of Roman Empire. Celts north of Danube. Most Italian city out of Italy. Original Roman wall. Bells on fingers and toes to hear if bell rings from black plague. Don't touch with a 10 foot pole from plague as well.

    Cathedral is baroque. Used to be largest pipe organ in world. We were in courtyard of Cathedral. We didn't go in. Five organs inside. She said lots of scaffolding inside because of renovations.

    Rococo palace in 1700s. Medieval market with fountain.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Regensburg

    May 31, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    St. Peter's Cathedral existed since 700AD. Gothic style and latest version after fires has been in place since 1320. The twin towers are 350 feet high.

    The Old Stone Bridge was constructed in the 12th century. There are 16 arches. 168K residents

    Bridge is 1000 feet long. Roman tower 1800 tears old. White top

    The city name is the king at the river Rein ( I think) 1200-1400 heyday. 1570 mural. House from 1200s. Tall tower indicating wealth.
    Clock tower 1250. Weddings held here on Fridays. Orange building built for dancing and then an assembly hall of the holy Roman Empire.

    Cathedral is limestone and green sandstone. The sandstone is subject to pollution. Cleaning done here. Original stained glass windows. Removed and then reinstalled later.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Nuremberg through History

    May 30, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Canal opened in 1972 , but took 20 more years to connect from Bamberg to Danube. Garden city erected in 1900. Employers built housing. Mentioned in 1050. Franconian region (like Bamberg) of Bavaria. Aldi grocery founded in Germany. Adidas founded near here. Another quarrel. Puma is founded a brother. 6000 employees for Adidas. Siemens headquarters here in 1850s. Train parts and electrical engine. Invented electric engine for elevators in 1880. SS barracks, Hitler's strongest supporters. US took over the barracks in 1945 and stayed until reunification in 1989. Now federal agency for immigration and asylum. 1933-1938 party rallies here. Congress Hall based on coliseum of Rome. Granite facade stark and cold. It never was finished. Mark Twain came to Nurenberg in 1880s. 'Wagner's music is better than it sounds.' Bavaria is one of 16 federal states.

    Nuremberg bombed over 40 times. International toy fair every February. Always a toy city. Dolls here in the middle ages. Intact city walls. Very rare in Europe. A round shell around square towers because of cannonballs. First train ride in 1830s. In Europe. Kissinger born nearby in Firt. His family fled Jewish persecution.

    Nuremberg trials held here. The prison and Hall of Justice were not damaged. People held responsible for behavior during the war. Not just soldiers. 12 of the 21 defendants were hanged and cremated. 3 were acquitted. The rest imprisoned.

    Blue and white flag is Blue and white. Fracovia flag is red and white. 500 years old, current castle.
    At one time , around 1500, 4 the largest city in Europe. 40,000 people in 1400. Not sure why started with stone and then brick. Prague and Nuremberg are sister cities. Towers survived WW2. Narrow house one of only surviving the bombing in this areas.

    German artist praying hands. Owned house with slooping roof. Original art distributed around the world. Albrecht Durer. Airport named after him. St George dragon slayer . Armaments made here. Even the emporer bought armor here. Treasure chest of Europe. Huge cellar system underneath.
    In 1500 s converted to Lutheran by order. Old Catholic churches. Didn't destroy art. Germans pay church tax is 8 % of the tax.

    Fountain is 750 years old.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Bamberg tour

    May 29, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    First reference in 900s .Neo Rennnnaiaance style here.like our American base closed in 2014
    Christof clauvis reworked Gregorian calendar.Not always adopted.
    U. Bamberg 13000 students. Slaughter house from middle ages with ox. University owns building with ox worked until 1904.
    Old island town hall. 1300s. Plastered overland painted.1755 painting.
    Little Venice behind slaughter house.
    The poor lived near the river
    Baroque style flavored by prince bishop. Tax breaks for those who transferred from half timber to baroque.
    1405 schlenker brewery.
    Cathedral Romanesque and Gothic. Renaissance portal. Baroque third building.

    1002 cornerstone laid. This is the third version. All stone in 1237. Bamberg horseman inside King Stephenof Hungary. He rode into the cathedral as he rode into the cathedral on his horse .there is a papal tomb 1047 died. Pope Clement II from Bamberg. Wine was sweetened with lead sugar. Emporer Henry II buried here. His wife was a powerful woman for their time. Childless and they were canonized. Hard to say her name. Holy Roman Emporer. She proved her innocence walking over red hot plow shares. Never burned as that miracle.

    Princess portal. Jesus judging
    All will be judged. Statue is woman blind to the truth of Christ

    Jews blamed for all. All calamities. Money envy. Only they were allowed to be lenders.
    1600e iinvited back for Prince . 1880s allowed citizenship. Had a synagogue open in 1910 opened by Mayor with kind words. Destroyed in 1938. Called the pogrom night or night of broken glass. In 1946 Jews started to return . Founded by Jews.
    Residence of prince bishop Theater performances coming. 3 musketeers filmed here. Bosch main employer here. 2011 movie. A Netflix series the empress filmed here. Third building Baroque residence. Palace. Only 2 wings. Ran out of money. Waiting stones.

    Linden trees. In garden. 1000 old core buildings. Layout similar to other towns.
    UNESCo site. Weren't bombed much 4% . Didn't have much industry. Nuremberg more important. Kunigunde empress.

    It did taste like bacon.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Rhine upper deck

    May 26, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    On the upper deck on the Rhine. Travelling about 7 miles an hour. Liebenstein castle . Rival brothers in love with the same maiden. Bad Salzag. Edge of Roman Empire. Salt baths. UNESCO heritage region. No traffic bridges over the Rhine.

    Church and pub together at km marker 560.

    Burg Maus castle.

    Rheinfels castle

    Kat castle

    Loreley valley of Rhine. loreley maiden

    The Germans built fake castles in train spaces because the Allies were not bombing historical castles or churches . Loreley S curve.

    Later castles Aug Schonburg
    St. Marten church
    Burg Gutenfels
    Pfalzgrafenstein Castle in the river
    Ruin "Fürstenberg Castle"
    Heimburg in Niederheimbach    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Marksburg Castle 2

    May 26, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Great room. Lock in toilet from the outside. Afraid of attack from inside.

    Weapons for foot soldiers. First armor 600-400 BC. Some armor suits 40-80 pounds. Visors for tournaments to show face. Beginning of military salutes.

    Torture chamber ceiling is original. The rack is here and thumbscrews. Torture was for the truth, then there was punishment. Shame masks. Head of pig, for adultery. Without having much, dignity was important.

    Blacksmith shop. Did not make weapons here. Made nails and horseshoes and tools.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Marksburg Castle

    May 26, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Went by Stolzenfels Castle ( white castle). Brown castle Burg Lahnneck. 800 years old. Never been destroyed or conquered. Protected with 4 gates. 6 different owners. 1238 oldest part. Locals, Not slaves, but ordered to build it. Steps added later.
    Canons added in the 16th and 17th centuries. Can shoot all the way across the Rhine. Not sure if used in battle or just as salutes for the King.
    Two families live in site.they work on maintenance. There was a well in the wine cellar. Beer and wine was safer. Drank a lot of wine, but it had less alcohol. Made own wine.

    10 to 16 people lived here in peacetime. 20-25 rooms in the castle.

    Bedroom is heated. Think everyone slept here. People slept at an angle rather than horizontal because that was the position of death.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Dinner and beer culture

    May 25, 2023 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    The first place was Muhlen. They served bratwurst, sauerkraut, pork, onions, potatoes and flava beans. Dessert was a malt mousse. Bill Clinton ate there.

    Second place was Paffgen. Sat with Henrik our guide.

    Third place was musical bar. Papa Joe's Biersalon. Lots of player pianos and mechanical musical instruments.    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Cologne Walking Tour

    May 25, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Romanesque from year 1000. First church to
    Metal anchors support the building. 30,000 Ford workers in Cologne. Cologne is a daughter of Rome. Colony of Rome. Roman city was recycled. One if the oldest cities in Germany. French Gothic style. Late Gothic. Old Roman wall. Romans had concrete. Rediscovered concrete in late 19th century. Cleaning not really possible. 8 kinds of stone. 520 steps to top. The sculpture is a one to one copy of the top. Started in 1250. Golden shrineif the bones of 3 magi. Around year 800 crucifix changed to suffering cross. In medieval times was very colorful. After a hundred years they painted them away. Church #5 in this spot. Oldest 300 AD. We stole 3 magi. Pilgrims financed it. Reformation stopped the pilgrims. Stopped building.1824 they finally started again with German unification as a result of defeat from Napoleon. Gothic means barbaric German tribe. Gothic style prevalent across the country. Then finished it in 1840 to 1880.The original architect had made drawings they kept and finished that way.Build replicas of statues. Clean stones are new replacement stones. War destroyed much of the city and. Prior to that Victorian style. Cathedral was preserved. Air Force had order not to destroy cathedral. Used Church towers as a point of reference for daylight attack industrial stuff. Wanted modern architecture. Collective desired amnesia. Biggest cities are ugly in Germany. East Germany preserved more of the old architecture.

    Each Brauhaus serves their own Cologne beer. Oktoberfest is only Bavaria. Cologne does Mardi Gras. Cologne glasses are small to keep it fresh. Empty glass in front of you is an order for more beer. Put coaster over glass to stop more beer from coming.

    Perfume based on alcohol invented here. Eu de Cologne. 300 years. Farina same scent.

    Old market square from 1050. Fountain late 19 th century.

    .    Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Holken

    May 24, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Town with Locks. Between 2 rivers. Leiken is one river where we sailed last year. Founded in year 1000. Fourteenth century Church. Catholic then Protestant. Church is leaning because of the peat moss. Napoleon stayed here a lot. Toll House in 1200s. City walls man made.Read more

  • John HolcombViking River CruiseTraveler

    Cheese making

    May 24, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    1600 gallons. Use raw milk. Cut curds into square forms. Net in mold with lid. Then press curds for 3 hours. Low fat milk is only half rounded. Mix herbs with milk intub. A brine bath starts giving flavor. Kills bacteria. 70 cheeses in one production line. The cages allow cheese to float. Hotel blocks are square forms. Less salt in rectangular molds. Wax allows breathing. Then back on shelf. Every 2 days they flip. Truffles from Italy. Goat cheese made here. Gouda seems to be curds, brine, and herbs.

    His family has owned the farm since 1632. He's hoping his youngest son son will want to be a farmer. Family Kiuper.    Read more

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