2024 September Adventures By Disney Danube River Cruise

September 18 - 19, 2024 After a red-eye flight from Toronto to Munich we arrived at our Munich hotel about 1:00 p.m. and took a short nap. We forced ourselves to get up after a couple of hours and begin exploring. As we often do, we started by touring the city on a double-decker Hop-On Hop-Off bus. We did the full circuit without getting off, but we planned exactly what we want to see tomorrow. We were back to the Westin just after 6:15 and had a nice German dinner in the hotel. Beer, sausage and strudel. (When in Rome . . . ) Yum! Sleep will come early tonight!	Our Lufthansa plane in Toronto.
Waiting for our Hop-On Hop-Off bus.
A nice sunny day in Munich, Germany.


A Munich traffic jam!

	One of the original city gates!
	There were some tight squeezes!

The world's smallest UPS truck. Yes - he's pedalling!	Dinner in our hotel, The Westin.

She didn't drink it . . . she's just spoofing her friends!


September 20, 2024 Today we enjoyed another fantastic day in Munich. Tomorrow we move on and begin our cruise on the Danube River.
	The world's smallest mail truck!
	Heilig-Geist-Kirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) This Catholic church at Viktualienmarkt has been active since 1271.

This Maypole tells the recipe for making beer!
The Viktualienmarkt has everything a girl could want.
	We stood in the main square in downtown Munich to see the glockenspiel show at New City Hall. Yes, this is NEW City Hall!
The green area is the glockenspiel.

Imagine that it's moving and bells are ringing!
	Our chariot approaches!
Plenty of greenery . . .	. . . and wonderful architecture!
Nymphenburg Palace is vast. It cannot be captured in a single photo!	Built between 1664 and 1675, it sits on 490 acres of gardens and park.

BMW World Headquarters.	The 1972 Olympic Tower.

Tell the Oktoberfest people that the beer is here!
	A bock beer today!
Sausage, schnitzel, pretzels and beer. NICE!	We didn't like that very much . . . did we?

September 21, 2024 Today was a travel day. We checked in at the hotel with our Adventures by Disney guides in the morning and were in a coach on our way to Passau by 1:00 p.m. Flooding on the Danube has marooned our original ship, the Ama Lea, in Budapest so we boarded a sister ship, the Ama Viola at Passau. After settling into our stateroom we went to the lounge for a reception and then moved outside to a tent on the shore for our own private Oktoberfest. Great fun. Back aboard the ship we had a late dinner and crashed after a long day.
	Our first glimpse of the Ama Viola.

Our stateroom #214
In the lounge.	Our Adventures By Disney Guides, Rebecca, Joshua, Gergo (George) and Jana
Our own private Oktoberfest tent!

Music, dancing and beer!	Evening on the Danube!

September 22, 2024 We had a wonderful day in Passau. In the morning we took a walking tour of the ancient town. We spent some time with confectioner Walter Simon. He taught us how to transform a blob of marzipan into a Lucky Pig. A valuable life skill indeed! Our local guide led us through the Art District and we toured a wonderful old cathedral. After lunch on the ship we split up. Carol took an elevated nature walk. The raised walkways between trees gave a birds-eye view of the world below. I toured an old monastery where the monks began brewery beer in 1268. Yes, we tippled a few! We enjoyed an upscale 'Chef's Table' dinner before calling it a day.	A misty morning in Passau.
	Chef Walter Simon shows us how to make a 'lucky pig' using marzipan. I'm sure that this is a life skill we'll find very useful!


Aren't they lovely!	Our local guide led us through the city.

	Painted cobblestones in the Art District/
Follow the yellow brick road!

It was steep in some places!	St. Stephen's Cathedral, built between 1688 and 1693.



Chef Walter Simon's confectionery shop.	We went back to the ship for lunch.
I went to Aldersbacher Brewery in the afternoon.
	Ein Prosit!
	The best of Germany!
	Our guide explained the beer making process.

	Carol spent the afternoon hiking through the tree-tops at Baumkronenweg Outdoor Adventure Park.

	She went up and down 1,472 steps and was stiff and sore for three days!
	But the view was worth it!
	These Oktoberfest cookies were everywhere!

September 23, 2024 This morning we awoke in Linz, Austria and took a bus to Mondsee (Moon Lake) where we visited the Basilica which was used in filming 'The Sound of Music.' The marriage of Captain Von Trapp and Maria was recorded there. After a short walk along the shore of Mondsee we reboarded the bus and stopped at a roadside inn on the shore of the lake for a wonderful Austrian lunch. Them our coach took us to Salzburg. We visited Mirabel Gardens where several scenes from the movie were filmed. Our last stop was at the Mozart Birthhouse where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. We wandered the streets of Old Town Salzburg; Carol visited a few quaint shops and we headed back to the bus. We pulled out at 5:00 p.m. and met our boat which had traveled to Enns, Austria while we were touring Salzburg. We were pooped after another great day on the Danube.


The lake at Mondsee.	Do you see the Von Trapp children playing under these trees?

Mondsee Abbey, founded in 748.


In The Sound of Music movie Captain Von Trapp and Maria were married at this altar.
	On the shore of Mondsee.

We had lunch at Gasthof See, on the opposite shore of the lake at Mondsee.	Mirabel Gardens in Salzburg. Another filming site for The Sound of Music.

The Von Trapp kids played here!
This trellis was vine-covered when the Von Trapps passed below.	Couples put locks on this footbridge to signify their love.

The house in Salzburg where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born.


September 24, 2024 Today we awoke in Krems, Austria . . . we weren't sure where we would be. Every day is a new adventure! Flooding on the Danube continues to be a problem, with two locks near Vienna out of operation. It was a rainy morning. We took a short bus ride to the nearby Aufreiter Apricot Farm. The family run business has operated for 20 years and they produce several varieties of apricot jam, apricot brandy, apricot schnapps, apricot wine, cookies, chocolate and many other delicacies. Our hostess explained why the Krems area, in the Wachau Valley, is an ideal combination of climate and soil for apricots. She described the harvest process and how the trees are nurtured and maintained. Then we enjoyed a tasting. We enjoyed three samples of jam as well as apricot nectar, brandy and wine. All very tasty. After a tour of the gift shop we boarded the coach and returned to the ship for lunch. At 2:00 p.m. we left the Ama Viola for the last time, reboarded the bus and took a 2 1/2 hour ride to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, where the Ama Lea was waiting for us. On our arrival we heard two pieces of good news. Our staterooms were ready and the last lock had reopened. As soon as we were all on board we set sail for Vienna. We enjoyed a nice dinner on the new ship but we were both too pooped to participate in the night life. We retired early! Our crew and guides have performed extremely well!
It was a drizzly, wet day!	A perfect day to visit an apricot farm.

At Aufreiter Apricot Farm they make jams, jellies, nectars and brandy! We sampled them all!
These ladies are making chocolates!	The cone shaped baskets help protect the tender fruit.
The still where the Apricot Brandy is made. Tasty stuff . . . Carol didn't like it so I had to drink hers!	A nice little nook in the Gift Shop.
	Beautiful countryside, even on a dreary day!
We had our last lunch on the Ama Viola and then boarded the bus on our way to Bratislava.	Vienna
Vienna	Windmills and solar farms are everywhere!
Bratislava
	Aboard the Ama Lea in Bratislava

September 25, 2024 Last night, when we went to bed, you could sense the ship's engines working a bit harder, and you could feel the strong current lapping on the bow. It wasn't hard to tell that we were moving upstream rather than downstream. This morning I threw open the curtains to see Vienna, but all I saw was another ship. There were three ships rafted together at the dock and we were in the middle. We boarded a bus at 8:30 and enjoyed a scenic bus tour of the ancient city as our local guide Sylvia described what we were seeing. The bus windows weren't good for pictures but we got a few. We stopped at Schonbrunn Palace (Beautiful Spring) which was the summer home of the Habsburg dynasty. The Habsburg's ruled Austria for over 600 years until 1918. Most of the royal families in Europe are related to the Habsburgs. Their main palace is in central Vienna and Schonbrunn was about a 4 hour carriage ride away in olden days. Our bus ride took 20 minutes, it's now in the city suburbs. It's a humble little cottage with 1,441 rooms, set in 400 acres of manicured gardens. Our first stop at the palace was the marionette theatre where we enjoyed an amazing ballet performed by marionettes to classical music. Marionette Mozart introduced the production. It was 'The Magic Flute' set, of course to Mozart music. There were ballerinas, peacocks and unicorns . . . but photos were not allowed. It was amazing! Then we toured the palace as Sylvia explained the history of the empire and interpreted what we were seeing. The pictures speak for themselves. WOW! We took a stroll in the gardens where Carol fell in love with a Cocci Heron. Our last treat at Schonbrunn was a live demonstration of the art of strudel making. We ate some delicious strudel while our chef/instructor made one before our eyes. I'm expecting good things from Carol when we get home. We bussed back to the ship and enjoyed a late BBQ lunch on the sundeck. Then we loafed and napped the afternoon away. We were both pooped and we wanted to be rested and ready for a trip to the opera in the evening. After an early dinner, we boarded a bus at 7:30 and traveled again to Schonbrunn Palace for a live opera performance in one of the palace wings, which was probably the Royal Ballroom. Vienna is known as the World Capital of Classical Music, and we now understand why. The orchestra was terrific, as were the two singers, a tenor and a soprano. The show ended at 10:15 and the bus had us back to the ship just before 11:00, exhausted after a wonderful day in Vienna. We're not big classical music fans, but tonight we felt like royalty!	Not much of a view this morning!



Schonbrunn Palace dates back to 1548.	The marionettes are amazingly detailed!


We weren't allowed to take pictures during the show . . . but it was awesome. It's hard to imagine marionettes performing an opera, but they did. The dancing was superb!
One of the backstage marionette handlers showed us some of her techniques.	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Marionette.
	Then Sylvia led us through the palace!

	All that gold you see is genuine gold leaf!
	The walls and floors are intricately inlaid with tiny wooden tiles.

A humble little summer home with 1,441 rooms.
There are 400 acres of formal gardens.

	Carol wanted to bring this Cocci Heron home with us!

	Elaborate wrought iron!

Let's make some apple strudel!
It was tasty!
We had a BBQ lunch on the Ama Lea's sun deck.
Back at Schonbrunn Palace the concert hall was bathed in pink light.
Once again, no photography, but the orchestra and the singers were phenomenal.

September 26, 2024 This morning we had no bus to catch and no deadline so we could sleep in. Naturally we woke early anyway. After a late breakfast in the dining room, we left the ship at 9:30 and took an Uber to City Centre, the old and historic part of Vienna. Our first stop was the Spanish Riding School, home of the famous Lipizzaner Stallions. We were about 20 minutes too late for the morning training session so we bought tickets for a 1:00 p.m. tour of the stables. Then we walked through the quaint streets and alleys of Old Vienna to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Construction at St. Stephen's began in 1137 and it was finished in it's current form in 1578. The south spire rises 447 feet and is visible across most of the city. After our tour of St. Stephen's Carol stopped for some badly needed chocolate at a nearby Lindt shop, then we boarded a horse-drawn carriage for a romantic ride back to the Spanish Riding School. We were a bit early for our tour so we sat in the café and watched the stallions walk by in an exercise machine that holds 19 horses at a time. Our tour took us through the entire school facility, including the exercise machine, the theatre where the horses perform and the stables. Tragically we couldn't take pictures in the stables, but trust me, we were up-close and personal with the beautiful beasts. We enjoyed a cold drink and a warm strudel at a sidewalk café before calling an Uber for our trip back to the ship. At about 3:45 we decided it was time for a well-earned nap. We were in the lounge at 5:00 p.m. when the ship set sail, heading past Bratislava, Slovakia to Budapest, Hungary. We watched closely as we passed under several bridges in Vienna and entered a lock along with another ship. After a nice dinner we once again retired early after a wonderful day in the Austrian capital.	This cathedral was just a few blocks from where we docked.
	The Spanish Riding School was on one side of the dome, the Sisi Museum on the other.
We were 20 minutes late for the Morning Exercise.	We booked a Guided Tour for 1:00 p.m.

No idea what this commemorates . . . but it's impressive!	Our first glimpse of St. Stephen's Cathedral.
	WOW!
Some of what you see goes back to 1137 AD

	I'd love to hear those pipes!

We took a romantic carriage ride back to the Spanish Riding School.





	As we ate lunch the stallions exercised in this contraption beside our table on the patio.
Our tour guide.	She explains the exercise contraption that can hold up to 19 stallions. An overhead track propels large rubber sheets around a track to propel the horses. If they stop the rubber just passes over the top of them. Some of the stallions have discovered that this can give a very nice back rub!
Carol is waiting in front of the rubber sheet for her back rub!	One of the exercise yards where the Lipizzaner Stallions work out.
	We watched a video of the stallions performing their famous jumps and tricks/

The arena where they perform!	We spent a lot of time in the stables with the stallions, but again, no pictures allowed. Then we enjoyed a courtyard that looked into the stables and were able to get a few shots.

They are beautiful creatures.	Beer and strudel at a sidewalk café.
	Sailing to Budapest!
Lots of people live in houseboats along the river.	Carol wanted to move into this one. I told her I don't like the colour!
We passed under plenty of bridges!	Carol was on the forward deck to make sure there was enough clearance!
Entering a lock with another cruise ship.	It was a tight fit!

September 27, 2024 This morning we were up bright and early, had breakfast and arrived on the sundeck at 8:15 to get a few pictures as we sailed into Budapest. Buda was to our right and Pest to our left. The vista from the river is phenomenal. The parliament buildings are prominent on the Pest shore and Buda Castle dominates the hillside on the right. The architecture is astounding . . . the city is breathtaking. It was a grey and overcast morning and the pictures don't really do justice to what we saw! We met our excursion group in the lounge at 9:15 and soon headed out to board a coach. We toured the city with two local guides as we headed to the countryside and made our way to Lazar Equestrian Park. The Lazar Brothers have been carriage racing world champions 21 times! Our first stop at the Equestrian Park was at the two fire pits where we started two batches of Hungarian Goulash in big cauldrons, one vegetarian and one with beef. Then, while our lunch cooked, we went for a carriage ride around the park, past the stables and a petting zoo. The Lazar Museum was filled with tributes to the famous racing brothers and the Trophy Room held a dazzling display of hardware, even in the floor. It was drizzling lightly as the Equestrian Show began, but we had covered seats and the rain soon ended. The show explained the Hungarian version of 'cowboys', known as 'csikosoks', and we enjoyed a spirited demonstration. Carriage racing, archery on horseback and even a rider who stood on two of the five-horse team he was leading. He circled the field at a full gallop. Amazing! Lunch was delicious. Goulash, chicken schnitzel, fish, rolled pork, duck, ham hocks, red cabbage and more. No one left hungry. After lunch we headed back to the ship and enjoyed another narrated city tour along the way. We were back home by 4:00 and rested a bit before dinner. In the lounge before dinner the Disney Adventure Guides thanked us for traveling with them and ran a slide show featuring many of the pictures they have been snapping all week. After our final dinner aboard we returned to the lounge where a local troupe of musicians and dancers entertained us. Carol and I were exhausted just watching! We took a quiet stroll on the sundeck and enjoyed the lights of the city before turning in. Tomorrow morning we leave the ship and move to the Marriott Hotel for two nights before flying home.

Our first glimpse of the Hungarian Parliament Buildings.

That's Buda Palace on the hilltop.
	We docked at this modern glass and steel building they call 'The Whale'

Parliament looks impressive, even through the bus window.	Driving through the countryside on our way to Lazar Equestrian Park.


There were two caldrons ready to make goulash for our lunch. One included beef, the other was vegan.	Ours was the 'high-test' caldron with the beef!
The ingredients were all prepared!	Carol has watched 387 episodes of Master Chef, so she was qualified to stir for a few minutes!
Then we took a tour of the park while the goulash simmered!
A carriage took us on a tour of the grounds.


	We walked through a hall displaying racing carriages and many of the awards and trophies the Lazar Brothers have won.
Ancient racing carriages.	A modern racing carriage.
	Even the floor of the Trophy Room is filled with medals and awards!


Then it was time for a live equestrian show. This archer hit 5 of 6 targets as he passed at a full gallop!	A racing carriage pulled by a team of four.
	These horses are so well trained that three of them performed in unison. The timing of their tricks and stunts was very precise!

The whips crack loudly . . .	. . . but the horses don't flinch!

	This rider rode a team of 5 horses. He stood astride the rear two as they galloped at full speed.
They circled the field several times at full speed!	Don't try this at home kids!
Then we got to meet them as they took their bows!

	Lunch was ready when the equestrian show finished.
Let's have some goulash. The one with beef, please!
No one went home hungry!

The sun was setting when we boarded the Ama Lea for the last time.
Our slide show before dinner!
After dinner we were treated to a floor show. Local dancers and musicians!


Our last views of the Danube from the ship.

September 28, 2024 This morning, after breakfast, we left the Ama Lea for the last time and by 9:30 we were at the Budapest Marriott which will be our home for two nights. Naturally our room wasn't ready so we followed the Danube for about a half mile toward the Chain Bridge where we boarded a Hop-On Hop-Off bus for a city tour. It was raining steadily so we were happy to have a double-decker bus with a glass ceiling. The rain meant that good pictures were difficult but we did manage a few. We were able to determine where we want to go to explore a bit more tomorrow, before we head home on Monday. We were back to the Marriott just after noon and enjoyed lunch in one of the hotel restaurants. After lunch our room was ready so we unpacked a bit and had a short nap. We were on the move again about 4:30 and found a wonderful pedestrian shopping area directly behind our hotel. Carol picked up a few little trinkets in a souvenir shop and we celebrated with a Hungarian favourite, Chimney Cake! There are Chimney Cake shops everywhere. We had a nice dinner at Anna Café and after our meal we headed back to the river to enjoy a night time cruise. The buildings are bridges are lit magnificently. Enjoy the pictures!	There are statues and great architecture all along the Danube.

Another rainy morning. We were glad to have a glass roof!

The Opera House	The Museum of Fine Arts


Our hotel - every room overlooks the Danube!	The funicular. A cog railway to Buda Palace.
The Chain Bridge. The lions have no tongues!
	Some signs of the recent Danube floods remain.
The train station.
The Chicken Paprikash at our hotel was delicious!
A big pedestrian shopping area near our hotel.	Carol found some trinkets here!

	Tasty!
	Club sandwich for Carol, cobb salad for me!
The riverfront is dazzling at night!

Parliament isn't lit as well as other buildings but the reflection is nice.	Our hotel as seen from the river.
	If you are in Budapest, be sure to take a night cruise on the Danube! It's simply breathtaking.

This man was playing the bells in a park beside our hotel.	The view from our hotel window!

September 29, 2024 This morning we slept in until 7:30, the latest we've enjoyed in over a week. Carol took care of our online check-ins for tomorrow's two flights home while we sipped coffee, then we had a wonderful buffet breakfast in the hotel. We had our day planned and took an Uber to our first stop - Buda Palace. The views from the Palace are amazing. The buildings are no longer operating as a traditional castle, they've been transformed into a number of National Museums. We were happy to wander the grounds and enjoy the vistas. We took the funicular (cog railway) to the bottom and enjoyed a Langos (fried dough) from a vendor in the park below. Another Uber took us to our second stop, The Hungarian National Opera House. It was just dazzling! We planned to sign up for the 1 hour English tour, but it was already sold out, so we just wandered the common areas soaking in the beauty. WOW! The HO-HO bus was across the street when we exited the Opera House so we hopped on to go to the Parliament Buildings. It seemed as though we circled the city several times along the way, but eventually they announced stop #20, about a half kilometer from Parliament. It's just as impressive up close as it is from the river. The city is under massive restoration . . . damages from WW2 were ignored by the Communist regime and after the 1956 revolution Hungary could not afford reconstruction. That rebuilding is now underway throughout the city and particularly around Parliament and Buda Palace. We enjoyed coffee and a pastry at a café near Parliament and then called an Uber for our trip back to our hotel. Carol did some packing and we had a nice dinner in the Marriott before setting in for the night. Morning will come early, we have a 5:45 a.m. pickup to get us to the airport for our 8:40 flight.
We approached Buda Palace from behind. The Danube is behind that dome.	We saw the last few seconds of a 'Changing of the Guard' ceremony.
	Restorations are taking place everywhere in Budapest!


We're in Buda, looking across the Chain Bridge at Pest.
The Habsburg Gate.



A fountain celebrating 'The Hunt'


	Riding down on the funicular.


Installed in 1880 . . .	. . . she doesn't look a day over 140
Langos, a fried dough dish. Sort of a Hungarian Beaver Tail. This one has cheese and chicken.	The pigeons like it too!
The Opera House.
The interior is stunning! They claim the acoustics are second only to La Scala in Milan.

	In the winter this is an outdoor skating rink!
Amazing sights in every direction!


	The rear of the Parliament Buildings.



More restorations!
We had coffee and a pastry on the patio at Elysée, near the Parliament Buildings.	A sunset was lighting up Buda Palace as we headed out for our last dinner in Europe!

September 30, 2024 The alarm rang at 4:30 a.m. and we were waiting in the hotel lobby for our 5:45 pickup. Naturally traffic was light so long before dawn and we made it to the airport in good time. Our Lufthansa flight to Munich was on time and our connecting Air Canada flight to Toronto boarded just a few minutes behind schedule. That's amazing performance for Air Canada! We landed at Toronto at 2:25 p.m., picked up our car and were home in Kingston with some very happy puppies at 7:45 Monday evening . . . more than 21 hours after that alarm woke us up in Budapest.	Carol had one final treat at Budapest Airport before we flew home!