Europe 2019 | FindPenguins

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Trip start
September 20, 2019
Europe 2019 The Shifting Spanners
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Day 2
Saturday, September 21, 2019
⛅ 31 °C
Altitude: 30 m
Singapore Kallang Park 1.31059, 103.876431°18’38” N 103°52’35” E
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Singapore
September 21, 2019 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
After a late 12.30 am check in, and a few hours sleep, we hit the streets and checked out the botanic gardens, did a Singapore river cruise, Marina Bay Sands and Skywalk at Gardens by the Bay.

The Formula One Grand Prix is on here this weekend, so much hype and excitement around town. A lot of Lambos, Ferraris, McClarens etc driving around...we could have had a drive of one for about $480!!

It's a pity that the city is covered in a smoke haze from fires in Indonesia, so photos didn't do it any justice.Read more
Traveler Blue suits you Marg😂😂😂
9/21/19Reply
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Day 3
Sunday, September 22, 2019
⛅ 30 °C
Altitude: 28 m
Singapore Sentosa Island 1.24916, 103.829391°14’57” N 103°49’46” E
Sentosa Island
September 22, 2019 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
After a good nights sleep, we checked out of our motel, who stored our luggage for the day, and ventured to Sentosa Island.

Very hot at 37° today, so very tiring out in the elements. Sentosa has the only maintained WW2 Fort in Singapore so was quite interesting to see. Apart from that, it's really a family fun park with most activities too expensive for our tastes.

Midnight flight tonight to Budapest via Munich so hopefully will get some sleep in our exit row seats.Read more
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Day 4
Monday, September 23, 2019
☁️ 17 °C
Altitude: 114 m
Hungary Budapest VI. kerület 47.50087, 19.0602347°30’3” N 19°3’37” E
Budapest
September 23, 2019 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Wow what a day! Had a largely sleepless 13 hour flight from Singapore to Munich despite having a full Restavit...don't know how people sleep on planes!
For some reason my feet swelled up like plates and were pretty painful which didn't help. I even wore the DVT stockings, but had to take them and my shoes off.

We arrived late in to Munich at 0630 and only had 30 minutes to get to our connecting flight to Budapest. We just made it but the Mahaffey's missed it by a minute or two...very stressful! Luckily there was a 1130 flight, so, along with another unfortunate couple, they were able to get on that one.

Because of my swollen feet and sleepless night, it meant for an exhausting day in Budapest. Our driver was lovely and took us to the luggage storage place where we stored our ports, before dropping us to our Air BnB apartment around the corner. We couldn't get in till 1400 so just made sure of the address and went about exploring.

Checked out some markets and shops, then found a little coffee shop to rest and planned how to fill in the day.

Did a tour through Dohany St. Synagogue which was great...amazing history and tragic stories of the Jewish community throughout WW2.

Finally 1400 came around and we picked up our luggage and got in to our apartment. Bloody feet looked like swollen pork chops by this stage, so I went straight to bed and put my feet up the wall to try and relieve the swelling. Mahaffey's arrived about 1500 after their big day.

Needless to say, it was early to bed for all and hopefully better day tomorrow!Read more
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Day 7
Thursday, September 26, 2019
☁️ 18 °C
Altitude: 94 m
Hungary Vörösmarty tér 47.49828, 19.0466247°29’54” N 19°2’48” E
Budapest
September 26, 2019 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Had a fantastic few days in Budapest.

The Air BnB in Budapest was small but ideal for our stay. Only a 10 minute walk to the city and other attractions. We checked out the Dahany Street Synagogue, Grand Markets, Hero Square, Liberty Statue, The Szechenyi Baths, Castle Hill district and more. Really enjoyed the Hop on Hop off bus as it covered all the attractions with commentary. Also managed to catch an historic subway to the Szechenyi Baths which was no mean feat, but much quicker and cheaper than a taxi.

Very impressed with the Viking Longship so far...extremely good food and service and the included tour of Budapest was top shelf.

We leave for Vienna tonight where we are booked in for the Mozart concert at a famous concert hall tomorrow night.

We keep pinching ourselves as we can't believe we are actually here taking in some of this beautiful achitecture and history...Read more
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Day 9
Saturday, September 28, 2019
🌧 14 °C
Altitude: 191 m
Austria Wachau 48.33427, 15.4074948°20’3” N 15°24’27” E
Vienna
September 28, 2019 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
Arrived in Vienna at around 6pm, and were transferred straight to our Mozart and Strauss concert at a famous concert hall. Only a small hall especially for Viking, but the artists were extremely talented.

We did a bus tour of Vienna the following day, including an hour free time to wander around the city. We chose to then go on the optional tour of Schonbrunn Palace which was fantastic...so much grandeur and history!Read more
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Day 10
Sunday, September 29, 2019
⛅ 16 °C
Altitude: 299 m
Germany Innstadt 48.57288, 13.4681648°34’22” N 13°28’5” E
Melk
September 29, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Had a beautiful morning's cruise before a quick stop at Melk and a tour of Melk Abbey...a Benedictine Monestary perched on a mountain behind the town of Melk.

After a 2 hour tour through the Abbey, we were back on board and spent the afternoon on the top deck basking in the the sunshine and watching the beaut little Austrian villages passing by.Read more
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Day 11
Monday, September 30, 2019 at 12:07 PM
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 295 m
Germany Heining 48.57682, 13.4061548°34’37” N 13°24’22” E
Passau
September 30, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Arrived on the Austrian/German border at Passau. Did a walking tour of the city followed by a pipe organ concert at Passau Cathedral...the largest cathedral organ in the world.

Luckily our ship was able to ride a "wave" on to our next destination whilst we were in Passau, and we caught a bus from Passau to our waiting ship. The water levels are extremely low, so luckily it looks as though we won't have to change ships.Read more
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Day 12
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
⛅ 18 °C
Altitude: 325 m
Germany Reinhausen 49.02137, 12.1314649°1’17” N 12°7’53” E
Regensburg
October 1, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Woke up in the beautiful town of Regensburg Germany. 8° at 0900 and clear blue skies as we left on our walking tour of the medieval city.

After our 2 hour tour, we had an hour of free time to check out the city, and decided to try the bratwurst sausage from the oldest continually open restaurant in the world.

Back onboard for lunch then enjoyed the afternoon in the lounge with a red or two as we watched the world go by.Read more
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Day 13
Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 5:42 PM
⛅ 9 °C
Altitude: 321 m
Germany Nuremberg 49.44061, 11.084949°26’26” N 11°5’6” E
Nuremberg
October 2, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
A rainy day greeted us in Nuremberg. Had a few hours free time in the morning, followed by a guided tour in the afternoon. A lot of Nazi history here and of course home of the Nuremberg Trials.

Places of note being the Nuremberg Castle, St. Lawrence's church, Nazi party rally grounds, and Zeppelin Fields.Read more
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Day 14
Thursday, October 3, 2019
⛅ 9 °C
Altitude: 235 m
Germany Pfisterberg 49.89865, 10.9012949°53’55” N 10°54’5” E
Bamberg
October 3, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
A cold bleak day in Bamberg today...no rain but about 10° maximun temperature made for a chilly day.

Did a 2 hour walking tour of the town which ended at the Bamberg Cathedral and Palace. Great views of the township from here.

Wandered back down the hill and looked around the market stalls and stopped for hot chocolate and of course the obligatory german sausage...Read more
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Day 15
Friday, October 4, 2019 at 6:17 PM
☁️ 11 °C
Altitude: 163 m
Germany Mainwiesen 49.80135, 9.920949°48’5” N 9°55’15” E
Wurzburg
October 4, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Another overcast day in Wurzburg as we left for the guided tour of The Residenz (Wurzburg Palace)...a very opulent home for bishops and princes. We weren't allowed to take photos inside but needless to say the extravagence was unbelievable...way over the top!

PS...I managed to find some photos online which I've attached.Read more
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Day 16
Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 2:10 PM
⛅ 12 °C
Altitude: 154 m
Germany Wertheim Stiftskirche St. Venantius 49.7598, 9.5128549°45’35” N 9°30’46” E
Wertheim
October 5, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
What a beautiful little village Wertheim is. The Cruise Director, Leonard told us it is his favourite place and we can see why.

Caught Choo Choo trains from the dock to the town centre, and had a walking tour after which Bob and I walked up the hill to the castle which offered fantastic views of the area.Read more
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Day 17
Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 5:35 PM
🌧 9 °C
Altitude: 85 m
Germany Moselle River 50.35839, 7.5942850°21’30” N 7°35’39” E
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Braubach
October 6, 2019 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
A cold and showery day as we cruised from the Main to the Rhine river. Woke at 5am and watched the lights of Frankfurt through our cabin window...no stopping here as we sailed on to Braubach.

The top deck was finally opened after being closed for the last few days due to low bridges...amazing how everything folds down including canopys and handrails, even the wheelhouse is lowered to deck level.

Spent half an hour up on deck, but it was bitterly cold and wet, so retreated to the lounge for the morning...beautiful towns and castles lined both sides of the middle Rhine as we sailed past.

Had a guided tour of Marksberg Castle, perched high on a mountain behind Braubach. Amongst the better tours we have done! An 11th century castle with all the trimmings...torture chamber, blacksmiths room where they made the swords and armour, chapel, kitchen, dining rooms etc all set up as they were in medieval times.Read more
Traveler What's that, let me get my glasses 😂😂😂😂😂
10/6/19Reply
TravelerHallo, ich denke du meinst die "Marksburg" 😜nur für die richtige Info.
8/4/25ReplyTranslate
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Day 18
Monday, October 7, 2019 at 10:02 PM
⛅ 11 °C
Altitude: 46 m
Germany Köln St. Maria in Jerusalem 50.93769, 6.9579850°56’16” N 6°57’29” E
Cologne
October 7, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
A very cold day out and about in Cologne as our guide showed us around the massive Cologne Cathedral. The allied forces largely spared the cathedral during WW2 due to it's value, so it is in original condition.

Also checked out the Eau De Cologne store (Farina fragrance museum), Lovelock bridge, and the city shopping precinct.

We were warned about pickpockets, so were careful, but one of the young male passengers from our ship was shoulder charged by a young german bloke in the city...probably an anti-American sentiment we think.Read more
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Day 19
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
⛅ 14 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Netherlands Kinderdijk 51.88375, 4.6330951°53’2” N 4°37’59” E
Kinderdiijk
October 8, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
The ship docked at Dordrecht and we bussed it to Kinderdiijk for a guided tour of the windmills.

These are World Heritage Listed working windmills dating back to the middle ages. Very interesting to see how they managed the water in and out of the dykes. Even got to climb the 3 floors inside a working mill...

Last night of the cruise tonight...the cruise director (Leonard) presented a slideshow of his photos during the cruise...very entertaining. At the final dinner, we gave our favourite waiters a gift of Aussie Stubby coolers...not sure they understood what they were though...😂Read more
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Day 21
Thursday, October 10, 2019
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 1 m
Netherlands University of Amsterdam 52.36577, 4.8869352°21’57” N 4°53’13” E
Amsterdam
October 10, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
We stayed 2 nights in Amsterdam after the cruise at an AirBnB house boat! We decided on this months ago and were really glad...a very different, quaint little boat. Fully self contained, and the owner baked fresh bread every day, and stocked the fridge with everything we needed for our stay. Tea, coffee, milk (including soy milk for Christine), cereals, eggs, cheeses, condiments etc were all replenished each day...fantastic!

The first day in Amsterdam was a bit wet, so after walking in to the city (20 mins) and checking out a few sights, we decided to get on board the 24hr hop on hop off canal boat. This turned out to be great as we got out of the rain for 2.5 hours as we cruised around the beautiful canals. It even had a stop very close to our houseboat so was very handy. We were also able to use it till 5pm the next day, which, being a sunny day allowed for some great photos etc.

Went to the Anne Frank House which we booked months ago...very interesting. Also decided to check out the Red Light district (including the prostitute windows), and went through the Red Light Museum which was pretty ordinary.Read more
TravelerLooks amazing 😊
10/11/19Reply
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Day 23
Saturday, October 12, 2019
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 59 m
Italy Obelisco di Dogali 41.90274, 12.4980641°54’10” N 12°29’53” E
Rome
October 12, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Arrived in a much warmer Rome on the flight from Amsterdam. The AirBnB apartment was great...no lounge area, but fully self-contained and 2 huge bedrooms with their own ensuites. Literally 400m from the Colosseum, and walking distance to all the attractions.

Visited all the major attractions except Vatican City...we simply didn't have time.

We pre-booked a guided tour of the Colosseum including underground and Tier 3 which were great. Not many people are allowed to get to Tier 3. Really enjoyed seeing the underground tunnels, lions cages and a rebuilt lift that took the animals up to the arena floor. Tier 3 offered fantastic views of the whole colosseum and outside ruins.Read more
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Day 24
Sunday, October 13, 2019
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Italy Pompei 40.74641, 14.511140°44’47” N 14°30’40” E
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Pompeii
October 13, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
We caught the Freccarossa fast train from Rome to Naples...reaching up to 298kph on the way. Our driver and mercedes van were waiting for us at the station and drove us to the Pompeii ruins. A private guide then took us for a 2 hour tour of the ruins which was fantastic! After the tour she took us back to a restaurant, where the driver was waiting, who then summoned the waiter who set us up at the best table in the place...we felt like VIP's! After lunch the driver (who had waited for us for 3 hours by this stage), took us to our AirBnB at Sorrento.

Unbelievable story of the burial of Pompeii from the rocks and ash from Mt. Vesuvius. Very interesting...Read more
The Shifting Spanners Note the ruts from the chariots
10/17/19Reply
The Shifting Spanners Plaster cast of a man
10/17/19Reply
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Day 27
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 47 m
Italy Piazza Flavio Gioia 40.63413, 14.6006240°38’3” N 14°36’2” E
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Amalfi Coast
October 16, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Had an amazing four night stay on the Amalfi coast. Stayed at a beautiful AirBnB in Sorrento, and travelled from here. We had a seperate 2 bedroom house high up in the hills of Sorrento with stunning views of the township below, and the ocean across to Naples and Mt Vesuvius. The hosts recommended a local restaurant that picked us up and dropped us home so we ate there twice...it was even higher up on the hills and offered fantastic views.

We pre-booked boat tours to Isle of Capri and Amalfi, and they were fantastic! Swimming into the Green Grotto on Capri was a highlight. Loved our stops in Positano and Amalfi as well.Read more
The Shifting Spanners Dancing queen
10/17/19Reply
Traveler What ya doing blonde😋
10/17/19Reply
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Trip end
October 19, 2019