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Danube Cycle

June - July 2016
A 40-day adventure by Shazzij Travel Log Read more
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  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    Day 18

    Budapest Day 2

    July 2, 2016 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Today we discovered more of Budapest's treasures.

    We crossed the Liberty Bridge and our 1st stop was the Central Market Hall. A large market hall completed in 1896 housing a huge variety of stalls on 3 levels. Most of the stalls are on the ground floor and produce includes meat, pastries, cheeses, sweets, spices and spirits.

    Next stop was the St Stephen's Basilica and the Dohāny Street Synagogue. Both beautiful buildings.

    A walk around Hero's Square and then back across the Chain Bridge - the 1st permanent and oldest bridge in Budapest, opened in 1849.

    We had to check out the famous Lion statues. Apparently the story goes that when the Lion Statues were completed and unveiled, somebody shouted "but they don't have tongues! ". At which stage the sculptor threw himself off the bridge and into the river.

    After today's excursion, I think we can safely say that we have seen all the noteworthy sights in Budapest - now for Vienna 😊    Read more

  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    Day 20

    Vienna

    July 4, 2016 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    What a beautiful city! Statues, churches, parks and old buildings with beautiful facades are dotted all around the city. Some of the attractions we visited today ...

    St Stephen's Cathedral is the most important religious building in Vienna. The Cathedral has 23 bells. The largest hangs in the north tower and is officially named for St. Mary, but is usually called Pummerin (Boomer) and weighs 20,130 kilo's. It is said that Beethoven only realised his deafness when he saw the birds fly out of the bell tower while they were ringing, but he could not hear them.

    Hofburg Imperial Palace. The Palace remains the centre of government for Austria. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria.

    The Spanish Riding school, is located between Michaelerplatz and Josefsplatz near the Hofburg. The school was named for the Spanish horses that formed one of the bases of the Lipizzan breed. They are used exclusively at the school. It is the traditional riding school for Lipizzan horses, which perform in the Winter Riding School.

    The Museums Quartier is a 60,000 m² area in the city, containing Baroque buildings as well as Modern architecture.

    St. Peter's is thought to occupy the oldest Christian sacred site in Vienna, as a church has stood here since the second half of the 4th century.

    The Vienna State Opera was hit during an air raid in 1945 during WWII, when an allied bomber allegedly mistook it for a train station. The interior was completely destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt in 1955 following the original design.

    The famous Johann Strauss monument is situated in the City Park. During the demolition of the city walls and the creation of the Vienna Ringstraße, the mayor promoted the creation of a public park in it's place.

    The Pestsäule (The Plague Column) is a Holy Trinity column in the inner city. It was erected after the Great Plague epidemic in 1679, and is one of the most well-known and prominent sculptural pieces of art in the city. In 1679, Vienna was visited by one of the last big plague epidemics. Fleeing the city, the Habsburg emperor Leopold I vowed to erect a mercy column should the epidemic end.    Read more

  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    Day 21

    Vienna Day 2

    July 5, 2016 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We spent the day bumbling around the city. Mostly going from one coffee stop to the next. Needless to say, I managed to find more churches to visit 😊

    Vienna's drinking water originates in the Lower Austrian-Styrian Alps. “Vienna has the world’s best drinking water” and free water dispenser's are dotted all around the city. Doggy water bowls are seen all over the city as many locals take their dogs everywhere with them. There many are public water fountains, where you can fill up your water bottle for free. The German term for drinkable water is “Trinkwasser“ Because water should not be a luxury item”, Vienna is the first city in the world to place its' water under constitutional protection. Since December 2001, the city of Vienna has protected its' water for future generations in the Vienna Water Charter.

    The Hotel Sacher is a five-star hotel located in the Innere Stadt first district of Vienna, Austria, vis-à-vis to the Vienna State Opera. It is famous for the specialty of the house, the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling. As neither of us are fans of the Sachertorte, we only walked past the hotel and didn't come in.

    Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence located in Vienna, Austria. It boasts 1441 rooms and is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in the country. The name Schönbrunn (meaning "beautiful spring"), has its roots in an artesian well from which water was consumed by the court.

    Trams in Vienna are a vital part of the public transport system in Vienna. They have been in operation since 1865.

    Tomorrow we leave for Munich, where we'll spend a few days with Elke and Dieter.    Read more

  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    Day 23

    Wilen - Sarnen

    July 7, 2016 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Spending tonight and tomorrow with the Brunners. Going to watch the football now at Dani's friends.

    Tomorrow we are driving South to check out some of the Swiss passes. Then back to Wilen for the night.Read more

  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    1
    Day 24

    Grimsel and Sussten Pass

    July 8, 2016 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    After a quick stop in Lucern, we took a drive up and down Grimsel and Sussten Passes to see the sights from 2500m.

    The beautiful scenery was well worth the drive and we saw many "crazy cyclists" peddling their way up and down the passes! Needless to say, those roads are NOT on my next cycle trail!

    Loads of bikers and sports cars up and down the passes too...

    At the top there is still quite a lot of snow and the little lake had what looked like miniature icebergs 😊 The view of the pass from the top was something else....

    Thanks Dani and Armando for your hospitality.

    Tomorrow we start bumbling through the Alps.    Read more

  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    Day 25

    Sarnen to Lago Maggiore

    July 9, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    There's something special about waking up to the sound of cow bells "clinging" 😊. This has been the case the last 2 days having stayed with Dani and Armando.

    After breakfast, we headed towards Italy and Lake Maggiore.

    The Italians are awesome. Feels like Africa in Europe. Nothing is a stress, but everything works ...in a fashion anyway 😊

    As we crossed the border between Switzerland and Italy, the roads got bumpier and more uneven, but were still usable. At times they narrowed to a single lane and I had to breath in so that we could get past another car in one piece.. But all good in the end, we made it to Hotel Restaurant Lago Maggiore in Lesa, on the lake.

    Tomorrow we'll be exploring more of the Italian countryside .... and popping back across the border into Switzerland, before spending another night in Italy.    Read more

  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    Day 26

    Lago Maggiore to Aprica

    July 10, 2016 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    The area around the lake is quaint and there are a couple of small island in the lake. On one of the small island is Rocca d'Angera, a medieval fortified stronghold.

    We stopped in Laveno to take the cable car to view Lago Maggiore from 1100m above. The cars are tiny and only hold a maximum of 2 people ... Oh and most of them are open 😊

    We then travelled back into Switzerland to Logano before once again crossing back into Italy. Fortunately the border crossings are easy... No getting into and out of the car at each one. Just simply drive through.

    We passed many old villages on the mountains on both sides of the road coming up to Aprica. More narrow winding roads and lots of tunnels. Needless to say, each and every one had a huge church.    Read more

  • Shazzij Travel LogDanube Cycle
    Day 27

    Aprica to Geselhaus (Italy to Austria)

    July 11, 2016 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Drove through more beautiful area's today and some rather scary passes. I was grateful for our SA driving experience, as the Italians drive in very similar fashion 😯

    Villages, orchards and vineyards in abundance. The Italian Dolamites were next. Completely different from the Swiss and Austrian Alps. Lighter in colour and not as jagged.

    Tomorrow we head for Grossglockner.    Read more

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