Day 15 Slovakia, Here We Come

I woke up early this morning and laid my things out on our table. For a moment I felt like Paul the Conqueror reclaiming my territory on the good ship Rinda. All we needed were a few sturdy walls, a tower, and of course… a moat.

I ventured up to the top deck. It was silent, peaceful, and cold — that kind of quiet that feels like the world is holding its breath. A fisherman and his young son stood along the shoreline and gave me a wave. Funny how a simple wave can unlock an entire memory vault. I was suddenly back on those early mornings fishing with my dad… and then years later with our daughter, teaching her how to cast while the sun woke up the world around us.

The crew let me slip into the “Crew Only” area so I could capture a few photographs of the sun rising over the Danube. They didn’t have to, but that’s the Rinda way — always a kindness tucked into the day. The morning light was soft and silver, the river as calm as a deep breath.

I chatted with a few of the crew — everyone on board has a story, and if you take the time to listen, you’ll hear some fascinating journeys. I had a bit of administrative work to take care of: Emil and Thomas at Guest Services, as always, were incredibly accommodating. When we arrive in Vienna, we’ll need a couple of taxis for our excursions and then a ride to the main train station to begin the next leg of this three-month adventure. They made it all seem easy.

I peeked in on Donna — she was peacefully enjoying her sleep — then had a quick chat with Romona before heading to the coffee station. Two cappuccinos later, I was settled into my usual spot, catching up on my FindPenguins posts while the morning slowly unfolded around the ship.

Slovakia, here we come.

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