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Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip
  • Amy DB
  • Eo Bodeo
  • Sean Beebe
  • Amy DB
  • Eo Bodeo
  • Sean Beebe

Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

Un’avventura di 23 giorni di Amy, Eo & Sean Leggi altro
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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Walk Through Budapest's Communist Past

    29 maggio 2025, Ungheria ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Our walking tour through Budapest’s communist history was fascinating. We stood in Liberty Square, once the courtyard of a medieval prison, now home to political monuments from both sides of the Cold War, as well as nods to two American presidents - Reagan and H.W. Bush. One of the last remaining Soviet memorials still stands here, It’s remained, in part, out of respect for the Soviet soldiers who died liberating Hungary from the Nazis… even if they forgot to leave afterward.

    Our guide shared stories of Goulash Communism—Hungary’s “lighter” version of life behind the Iron Curtain. It was the most free of the Eastern Bloc countries, yet still shadowed by fear. During the 1956 Revolution, countless Hungarians died, but official records were impossible—families couldn’t report the loss without risking suspicion themselves. Her own uncle escaped to Amsterdam by riding on top of a train, and she pointed out bullet holes hidden in the facades of the beautiful buildings.

    While a number of classic block style communist buildings are seen in Budapest, the resistance managed to keep many of the glorious old buildings intact by citing the high cost of demolition and reconstruction and other similar excuses.

    The statue outside of Parliment Square honors Imre Nagy, the martyred prime minister of the 1956 uprising. Apparently, he's often called the George Clooney of Budapest due to his good looks. Nearby, our guide pointed out a church with two equal towers - one representing church, the other state. During the communist era, a hammer and sickle was added above the state tower, deliberately taller, to assert dominance.

    She recommended the film "Walking with the Enemy", based on a true story of resistance during WWII.

    We ended our tour at the haunting Shoes on the Danube, a quiet memorial to Jewish victims shot into the river by the fascist Arrow Cross militia. Groups of 3-4 would be tied together, and then just one shot, plunging them all in to the Danube (to save bullets). Sixty pairs of iron shoes line the riverbank - men’s, women’s, children’s - a reminder of Hungary's complicity with the Nazi regime. The mood around the monument is somber, and I found myself crying at the site of the little shoes next to a pair of women's loafers.    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Controversial Memorial

    29 maggio 2025, Ungheria ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    This memorial is fairly recent and causes a lot of controversy, as many Hungarians feel it tries to downplay the role of Hungary and their cooperation with the Nazis.

    A public led counter memorial sprung up in front of it. The stories and belongings of Jews lost to the Hungarian Holocaust are hung along a chain. The photos and faces are haunting.

    The fountain next to the memorial senses when you walk up to it and let's you in - it almost feels a bit odd to have such a playful fountain right by this place held in tension.    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Budapest Retro Museum

    29 maggio 2025, Ungheria ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    The communist museum houses a large number of artifacts from the era, displayed in an interactive and engaging way. I wasn't sure about the stop, but it was incredibly interesting to see the exhibits.

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    Tucked just off busy Deák Ferenc Square, the Budapest Retro Museum is a time capsule from Hungary’s communist past - equal parts kitschy and sobering. Spread over multiple floors, it’s packed with everyday objects from the 1970s and ’80s: Trabant cars, rotary phones, propaganda posters, and living room scenes frozen in time. You can sit in an old hair salon chair, flip through retro recipe books, and even take photos in a recreated communist-era apartment. It’s a strange mix of nostalgia and eeriness - especially knowing how recent this history still feels for many locals.    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Gypsy Talk and Music

    29 maggio 2025, Ungheria ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Uniworld doesn't offer the big shows of the Icon of the Seas, but instead has wonderful cultural experiences. This group came to play the music of the Gypsies and tell us a bit about the culture.

    They started off the presentation by letting us all know that there is nothing wrong with using the word Gypsy to describe them - in fact, there's an International Gypsy Council, and while many do prefer the term Romani or Travelers, they voted to keep the name and it's widely accepted among them.

    The host mentioned that he has a daughter, and confirmed that the over the top weddings you see are totally true and his daughter will be nothing less than a princess on her wedding day. :)    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Osjiek

    30 maggio 2025, Croazia ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    One of my favorite things about river cruising is waking up right in town, steps from all the sights. We've been to the coast of Croatia, but this is on the opposite border along the Danube.

    Osijek’s neo-Gothic cathedral rises out of this little town square and was built with 3.5 million bricks. It was funded by a priest selling local beer rather than tithes. It’s the second-tallest building in Croatia (for now).

    Inside, it's full of fascinating stories - windows restored with donations from New York, the only Croatian cigarette company ad tucked into a stained-glass panel, and ceiling figures that look suspiciously like paper dolls. The people were originally painted naked...until someone decided they should probably have clothes (the Sistine Chapel would like a word, haha).

    One fresco still shows shrapnel damage from the Yugoslavian wars, but Jesus still ascending. A Slovenian oak cross, carved from a single piece of the same wood Venice rests on is in another nook. A massive rendition of the Last Supper is above the altar. And instead of the usual north-south layout, the church opens to the east, a symbolic gesture to welcome Eastern Christian traditions, requested by the big-hearted founder.

    Our guide told us the church’s founder was a twin - his brother died as a baby and, in her grief, their mother couldn’t remember which twin had passed. So at baptism, he was given both names, just in case.

    She also told us about Croatian weddings (she was married in this church). A “small” wedding hosts 200–300 guests, spans 2–3 days, and includes booze stations lining the procession route. Guests bring cash gifts in envelopes, read aloud at the reception - so no pressure or anything. The bride must waltz with every single guest. She says it's exhausting as bride or guest!

    The little elephant statue on a corner in the square has a bit of a dark legend behind it. "Once upon a time, a circus parade, which had an elephant, was passing through the city. The elephant was old and tired, he couldn't take it anymore, and he collapsed dead on this corner. As it was too big to carry, and there was a butcher shop on the corner, the elephant's body was carried in pieces. In memory of this shocking event for the city, the people of Osijek erected a monument to the poor elephant, which still stands on its corner, and you may hear someone say 'let's meet by the elephant'."    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Croatian Home Lunch

    30 maggio 2025, Croazia ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    If you're trying to decide on tour options, always choose the home hosted lunch!!

    It was a joy to visit this tiny village outside of Osijek and hear real stories of how the war effected people. I do apologize that I didn't catch her name, we had a translator.

    Her family built and owned this house. They were kicked out but were fortunate that a Serbian couple was given the house so it was preserved when many others weren't. They moved back in after the war.

    The food was simple but tasty, the conversation was lively with our fellow Uniworld guests, and we got to sample her niece's homemade wine (it...wasn't the best, haha).

    The house is lovely, with her property stretching down to the Danube in the distance, with Serbia on the other side. Croatians feel strongly that Serbia was an occupying force, and they were freedom fighters revolting against Serbia's unfair domination of Yugoslavia. Countries had been promised the freedom to leave the confederation as wanted.

    Tito was and still is wildly popular in both countries. Our guide mentioned that her father had a large painting of him in their house, and when she inherited it he insisted she keep it up. So she and her husband often joke about sitting down to breakfast with Tito. Had he not died before running out of other people's money, the story might be different ;).    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Vukovar

    30 maggio 2025, Croazia ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Our last stop on the tour was Vukovar. It's a little disconcerting at first that your ship often moves during the day while you're off on your adventures - if you go off on your own, listen to the instructions so you know where the ship will be docked and when!

    We visited the Vokovar City Museum, which was an unexpected treat with everything from ancient artifacts to modern videos of the damage the war caused.

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    Set in the grand 18th-century Eltz Manor along the Danube, the Vukovar City Museum is a powerful symbol of both cultural heritage and survival. Once the home of the noble Eltz family, the Baroque palace was nearly destroyed during the brutal 1991 siege of Vukovar—but has since been beautifully restored. Inside, the museum tells two stories: the elegant, centuries-old life of the region’s nobility, and the more recent, raw story of war and resilience. You’ll find rooms dedicated to archaeological finds, fine art, folk traditions, and moving exhibits on the town’s near-total destruction and post-war rebuilding.    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip

    Vukovar Water Tower

    30 maggio 2025, Croazia ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Our last quick stop was perhaps the most famous monument to the Croatian War for Independence. Someday I'd like to make the climb to the top.

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    Riddled with bullet holes and shrapnel scars, the Vukovar Water Tower stands as one of Croatia’s most striking war memorials. Once just a functional utility building, it became a symbol of defiance during the brutal 87-day siege of Vukovar in 1991. Despite constant shelling - over 600 direct hits—the tower never collapsed. Even more remarkable? Every night, two local men, Ivica Ivanika and Ivica Juric, risked their lives to climb the battered structure and re-raise the Croatian flag after it was shot down. Again and again. To the people of Vukovar - and to all of Croatia - the tower became more than concrete and steel. It was resistance. It was home.

    Today, the tower has been preserved in its damaged state, now housing a museum and a glass-enclosed observation deck that looks out over the Danube. Inside, multimedia exhibits walk you through the story of the siege, the resilience of the town, and the cost of freedom.    Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip
    111

    Private Concert at Serbian Nat Museum

    31 maggio 2025, Romania ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    This was a magical experience. Our ship had a private concert at the museum after hours. The acoustics were fantastic.

    It gave me chills to hear this rich music played with passion while surrounded by the remains of mankind's early history.Leggi altro

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  • Sean’s 50th Birthday Trip
    11

    Barsarbovo Rock Monastery

    3 giugno 2025, Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    These are a bucket list item for me - I just love medieval buildings built into cliffsides as it reminds me of my favorite book series where they built Holds into rock. The monks built these to hide away for safety - and it's still an active monastery today. A very rotund and cheerful monk waved goodbye to each of us after our visit.

    This complex dates back to the 15th century according to Ottoman tax records (guess even this didn't hide them from the tax man).    Leggi altro

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