A Wonderful Gift
In 2016…
I’m going on a Great Adventure near the end of summer. A two-week river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Our family was floored by this totally unexpected and magnificently generous gift from my mother-in-law. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine an opportunity such as this would come along at this time in my life. It’s been years since I last visited Europe. Thoughts of returning and the desire to do so had faded with my youth but now the old excitement is back. I like movement. Movement is life according to Jack London and I heartily agree. A cruise is nothing but movement. The ship moves, the river moves, wind blows, light changes. A ship in port is pure potential. A ship in motion is pure adventure. The history, culture, people along the river are pure potential. Sights, sounds, smells—anything that impacts the senses—all gateways to adventure. To exhilaration in the freedom of the new. To deeper understanding of the world. To serene acceptance of existence and understanding of our particular time and place in life. Those things are available everyday but in a diffuse form. Travel thickens Life and allows us to get more, sooner than we would otherwise.
Unexpected Memories
In 2016…
There’s one other point at work here. Something I’ll be eternally grateful to my mother-in-law for drawing out of my subconscious. I spent a large part of my childhood with a couple of river rats—my Dad and his friend Tom—goofing around at the marina and cruising the Savannah river. Those memories have started trickling back along with the excitement of long-ago adventures. Below is a photo of the means of our adventures, a 35 foot Chinese junk. That’s me and my brother freezing our butts off on deck. We were watching the barge crew unload a reactor vessel for the Oconee nuclear power station then under construction. There were other cruises and other adventures. Some documented in home movies but most only exist as nearly forgotten memories in the minds of my brother and myself. Those memories are returning and I can now relive the joys of my ancient past.
I kept two diaries. One manual and one digital. The manual diary was lost but found last weekend. I transcribed to electronic form so I won’t lose my thoughts again.
Diary, Digital
Used the Day One app for journaling. Digital journaling turned out to be a lot easier.
August 6, 2016 • Home
7:58 am • Richmond, Virginia • 70°F • Mostly Sunny
We leave for Hungary today. I never expected to write that sentence but there it is. Our flight leaves at 2:55 pm and there’s still much to do. No contemplative entries today.
August 8, 2016 • Danube
11:39 pm • Budapest, Hungary • 61°F • Mostly Clear
Toured Budapest this morning and went to the Széchenyi baths in the afternoon. Both were excellent. I think I just may retire here. We’re on our way to Vienna now. I absolutely love traveling by river. It brings back old memories of cruising the Savannah river on Lazy Bones. I’m turning into a sentimental old man. Good thing Rex and the girls are here to keep me honest. :)
August 9, 2016 • Danube
2:19 pm • Fischamend Dorf, Lower Austria • 79°F • Nearby Thunderstorms
A river day today. I woke up to locking through and Anna watching the process. We went up, got breakfast then got into a friendly shuffleboard competition with a couple of other early risers. It was fun. There’s been a definite increase in commercial marine activity. I like seeing all the types of river activity including the dachas along the river. Reminds me of the fishing shacks back home. It’s raining right now. Still pretty nice though. Looking forward to tomorrow.
10:28 pm • Vienna, Austria • 63°F • Light Rain
Docked in Vienna now and will be heading in to tour tomorrow. We (Rex, Anna, Bronwyn and I) opted for the subway tour. All walking except for a 10 minute subway ride. Everyone is worried about Bron making it. Instead, they should be worried about me. 😐
Too sleepy to keep writing. Talking to Rex now…
August 10, 2016 • Danube
7:39 am • Vienna, Austria • 55°F • Rain
Raining today. There is a swan across the Danube. I wonder if it’s the one I saw yesterday? Probably not. Wait. A swan on the Danube? Yes, some stereotypes are true. Just one, possibly two though. I wonder what it looked like in the 1800’s?
Should be an interesting day. Walking in Vienna in the rain seeing, smelling, hearing and tasting raw history. What a trip this is!
6:18 pm • Vienna, Austria • 59°F • Mostly Cloudy
We did the subway tour of Vienna. It reminded me of the Paris and London tours I did in 1977. The big difference is the tour guide is connected to us via radio. They’re easy to use and it’s like your head telling you about the stuff you’re seeing. The best part is you don’t have to crowd around the tour guide to hear. I basically gave up 39 years ago and read about everything after I got back to the hotel. The radios are a huge advance. Absolutely huge.
The history of Vienna is as sad as Budapest’s. Eastern Europe has just been a plaything to Western Europe for centuries. Conquest after conquest and little freedom in between. I like Eastern Europe a little better than Western Europe though. The Hapsburgs look like us with the double chin and they’re just as crazy too. I think burying the heart, organs and body in several places is just fine. :)
Schönbrunn Palace stood out. Bronwyn got into it. She was picking out rooms for us in the palace. I guess when they discover we’re direct genetic descendants of the Hapsburgs and we get the palace back, we’ll know just which room is ours. Doesn’t have wi-fi though so we’ll be generous and leave it in the hands of the people. I think Franz Joseph wouldn’t mind.
The most moving thing we saw was the war memorial with the statue of the Jewish guy scrubbing the cobblestones. That along with the statues made for a very, very sad place. But, it is necessary. The statues in the square represent the end point of socialism. Absolute brutality. I’m glad the Austrians are facing their past. The world needs reminders like these. If the past is buried, it eventually comes back to haunt the world again. A wear mixed metaphor. Words truly fail when confronted with the horror depicted in those statues.
August 11, 2016 • Danube
4:25 pm • Melk, Austria • weather unavailable
We toured the Melk Abby today. Nice but I liked Schönbrunn Palace much better. The Abby was preserved behind glass. They put out a different message than Schöenbrunn and I didn’t like it as much. Of course, the highlight was the library. Pretty impressive. I wonder if they will ever digitize the 9,000 volumes? Probably not. That’s a sea of data that I suspect will never be turned into information. Who knows if any of that data has any real value. The concept that collecting books equals collecting knowledge is a comforting thought but probably not too accurate.
I’m going to have to start writing in port. Wifi doesn’t work when in transit so the location and weather data aren’t available. I’ve also got to decide if I want to keep a pen and paper diary or a digital diary. Right now I’m doing both but I’m not too sure how sustainable this will be. Well, I’ll keep going with both until it shakes down.
The highlight of the day was the Austrian gentleman. He wrecked his bike–not badly–and I helped him. I thought he was a tourist but he wasn’t. He spoke some English but Rex had to help us with the German part. The guy showed us some off the beaten path stuff in Melk and we got to see some things most people don’t. Adventure is always just around the corner. Sometimes you just have to turn the corner instead of walking on.
There is a fantastic bike path along the Danube that looks cool. I can imagine Anna, Bronwyn and Rex taking a bike tour together in the future, maybe with their spouse or girl friend along, just for fun and remembrance of times past. Valerie and I will fall to the wayside soon and our time to do something as youthful as a bike tour is nearing an end if not actually over. This imaginary future for those I love makes me feel good about life. Odds are it won’t come to pass. Too many twists and turns in life to think that three people can coordinate something like that. But, like so many things in life, it doesn’t have to be real to have a real impact. Sometimes it’s the thought that counts.
August 12, 2016 • Danube, Inn, and Ilz
1:13 pm • Passau, Germany • 57°F • Mostly Cloudy
Passau is another great German town. Oddly enough, I really liked the mall. I guess modern Germany is more interesting to me than medieval Germany. One thing I really liked was how they used the same color scheme in the modern buildings that they did in medieval times. The Baroque cathedral was a standout. We attended an organ concert and listening to the music while looking at the wonderful Baroque artwork was simply transporting. I know now why the organ exists. A music machine was needed to fill those big cathedrals. You couldn’t fit enough musicians in with the worshippers to fill the space. But the organ can. Cathedrals were the high-tech of their time. The people who came up with these things were simply brilliant.
It was Valerie and me today. Omi walked away from us and disappeared and we sent the girls off with Rex. Of course, we got turned around. I normally have a good sense of direction but when I’m with Valerie, I’m too distracted even after all these years. It work out well though. We went down a side street to what I hoped was the Inn river (nicknamed the Wild Man) and it was cool. First a street, then a lane, then an alley, then a shoulder width slit at the end for which was the Inn river. I love doing stuff like this.
After we ate, we (Valerie, Omi and me) had to look for some minoxidil for Valerie. Bron had used up Valerie’s trying to rub it on Rex’s chest. I guess Bronwyn likes chest hair on a man. :) We found some and while we were paying, the tour guide from the morning shows up. It turns out that the woman Valerie was buying minoxidil from was his mother! We all got a charge out of that and they just started chatting away in German. That’s okay. I thought the whole situation was cool.
The girls had a bit of a panic. We had agreed to to rally at 5:00 but the girls got tired and went back to the ship at 2:00. The ship cast off at 2:30 but the plan was to bus us to the next stop. This girls didn’t realize this and they thought the ship was leaving us. Luckily, there are some very motherly passengers on board and they calmed the girls down. Passau was a good place to cut them loose because it’s on a peninsula and it’s almost impossible to get lost. They had their adventure so overall everyone had a fine day.
August 13, 2016 • Danube
3:30 pm • Regensburg, Germany • 75°F • Partly Cloudy
Regensburg is cool. I really liked eating the sausage, sauerkraut, sweet mustard, rye rolls and weisebier at the oldest fast food place in Europe. It was built as a canteen for the workers who were building the stone bridge and it caught on. We ate inside instead and it really reminded me of the old pubs in London. Maybe that’s were the pub style came from.
The stone bridge is interesting. It was the only permanent crossing point on the Danube for centuries and the towns people took total advantage of it. There were dozens of billionaire equivalents in the town. They had more money than they knew what to do with so they got into a tower building contest. The higher the better. Most were empty shells above a certain height. Totaly wasted space. Human nature never changes it’s just expressed differently in different times.
It was Rex, Anna and me today. I bought a nice drivers cap at the Hutkoenig. All sorts of hats there. They even had the Panama hat style Dad used to have. He wore that thing for years in Florida. I guess Andy still has it. I wanted to buy it but 150 Euro for a hat is too steep for my cheap blood.
The cathedral was especially nice. Very quiet and uncrowded. Not in the best of condition but I liked that. Overall, it reminded me of the ones in England.
August 14, 2016 • Rhine–Main–Danube Canal
9:51 am • Roth, Germany • 68°F • Mostly Sunny
Unscheduled stop due to traffic. We’re going into Nuremberg by bus today then meet the ship this evening. Just saw a little girl and her father. She said hello I said hello back and that was the end. Kids are the same everywhere. It’s the adults who have issues. I probably should have tried English on her but didn’t think of it until it was too late. Oh well.
Everyone sleeping in today except Omi. She has a cold. It’s mild and I hope it stays that way. Nothing worse than being sick on the trip of a lifetime.
I like seeing the operation of the boat. Boat, it’s really a ship but I can’t get boat out of my head. It must be frustrating for the crew to hear boat. I’m going to make an effort to think ship instead of boat because the Viking Baldur is an extremely well designed and executed ship and I love sailing aboard her.
5:52 pm • Nuremberg, Germany • 77°F • Mostly Sunny
Back from touring Nuremberg. Looked like a cool city. Anna, Bronwyn, Rex, Valerie and me had a rattler–half beer, half lemonade–together in a biergarten. A lot of fun especially for the girls. Waiting for dinner now.
I can see Omi baiting Rex just as she did George and Valerie. I’ve never known why but I taught Valerie to recognize it and now I’ll teach Rex. George never had a chance. He left us before I could get a handle on the situation. Well, it’s sad that Omi has to be managed. We just need to do it in a non-offensive way even though being offensive is more satisfying.
I’m getting tired of touring towns. I’m ready for another bath like in Budapest and a off day where nothing happens. I think we all are. I just had the thought that I’m tired of ambling along with the old people. Well, I’m one of them at 57. I just don’t feel my age and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
August 15, 2016 • Regnitz and Main
9:49 am • Bamberg, Germany • 64°F • Mostly Sunny
We’re heading into Bamburg. It occurred to me that one day everything in my head will be gone. The memory of the beautiful houses with their window box flowers easing by will be erased possibly forever. No wonder people want to record their experiences. That’s the only long term way (well, beyond an individual lifetime anyway) to preserve memories. I think everyone instinctively feels this and that’s the reason travel photography is so popular.
6:19 am • Haßfurt, Germany • weather unavailable
Just got back from Bamburg. Everyone grouchy. Rex and I are going nuts. Will have to do something soon.
Can’t get wifi or GPS so don’t know exact location. Went on deck and got GPS. I think we’re in the headwaters of the Main river. Very narrow.
Bamburg is cool. Anna wants to work there one day. She likes the recreational culture there and I do too. The smoke beer is interesting. It smelled more smoky than it tasted. The flavor was just slightly smoky and it was more in the after taste. Good but not my cup of tea.
August 16, 2016 • Main
6:47 am • Ochsenfurt, Germany • weather unavailable
Somewhere on the Main.
Bronwyn had her first good nights sleep since the start of the trip. She has done extremely well for a 12 year old stuck in amongst a bunch of oldies. The crew has been wonderful towards Bronwyn and I’m really grateful for that. She says she’s having a good time and I’m pretty sure she is. There are times but that’s just Bronwyn.
We’re docked now. The docking procedure is always interesting to me. I don’t know why.
Today is Rothburg aub dur Tauber. Omi is excited so it should be fun. I’m going to look for opportunities for Rex and I to break away today. We need a break. It’s odd how small voyages mirror big ones.
I just discovered the first line by itself automatically makes a title. Neat.
6:19 pm • Würzburg, Germany • 75°F • Mostly Sunny
Good day today. Rex and I got away for awhile. We found (in Würzburg) a cool antique shop and I bought Rex replacement sunglasses for the ones the girls smashed. I think the new shades look better than the old ones. Rex likes them but has a bit of nostalgia for the old ones. I’m like that too. We also found a cool record shop. It reminded me of the ones in the 80’s in the states. Rex bought a couple of LP’s. He’s becoming a collector. I’m going to give him my old record collection. I have a couple of real collectibles but mostly the standard stuff.
Toured Rothenburg ob der Tauber today. Rex, Anna and I climbed to the top of the tower with the gold balls on the railing and a bell on top. None of us remember the name of the building or tower. Our best collective guess is the town hall tower but something about the guess doesn’t set right with me. Anyway, I was scared s***less once I made it to the top but I kept it together long enough to enjoy myself. Not too sure how it’s going to go in Cologne with the cathedral climb.
We also went to the Waffenkammer armorer and medieval clothing shop. It was super cool. Rex and I bought knives and Anna bought a quill pen. We also signed their guest book. I wonder how long they keep their book? It would be cool to look at our names several years later.
We did a quick tour of the town wall. I can imagine “running the wall” as a punishment. Run up the steps, run to the next set of steps then run down. Rinse and repeat along the whole perimeter. Just going up the wood steps then down the stone steps wore me out.
Rothenburg was definitly one of our favorite places but mostly because we broke away from the pack and put time pressure on ourselves. The young like challenges and the old who like challenges are just plain sick. =8)
August 17, 2016 • Main
8:38 am • Wertheim, Germany • 59°F • Mostly Sunny
Waiting for Oliva to arrive. It will be interesting to meet her. Oliva visited Valerie years ago and they hit it off so well that they’ve kept up with each other for nearly 40 years. A face to face meeting should be interesting.
I can see Wertheim from the ship. Nice castle ruins to the left and a modern town to the right. We’re going to have to skip the tour because we cast off at 12:30 today. It’s going to be cruising afternoon.
Just saw a swan cruise by. He must be waiting for food scraps. The after cabins have balconies and I bet he cleans up when the ship is docked.
12:59 pm • Wertheim, Germany • 68°F • Mostly Sunny
Just finished lunch and under way again. Oliva and her family are nice. I can see why she and Valerie get along so well. They’re two peas in a pod. The children speak English but the visit was almost over before I could get my kids to talk to them. Well, one of my kids at least. Bronwyn talked to them and so did Rex. Too much shyness in my family. The oldest boy found some pokie mons (I know that’s not quit right but eff it) on the ship. Cool.
Cruising day today but I think I’m just going to take a long nap and forget about the scenery.
2:38 pm • Wertheim, Germany • 73°F • Mostly Sunny
Watching gliders right now. Glider activity is high in Germany. A couple of days ago I saw an auto gyro and a bunch of parachutes. Aerial activity seems popular here. I wonder where they get the money from?
One things for sure, Germans love bike touring. I’ve seen about a dozen groups today. No one waves but they sure do smoke.
Camping is big too and so is kayaking. Saw an antique motorboat just now.
BTW, not really forgetting about the scenery.
5:27 pm • Miltenberg, Germany • 77°F • Mostly Sunny
Waiting at a lock. Again. I’ve lost count of the 21 we’ll be going through on the Main river. So, to pass the time, here are some things I would do differently.
Bring
- 7 tee shirts. Every shirt will be worn twice. Maybe Polos instead. The collar is hot but prevents chaffing from the camera strap and wireless listening device.
- 2 khakis. Both dark colors. Wear at dinner and if it’s rainy. One spare in case something is spilled on it. Don’t bring both.
- 4 shorts shortened 1 inch. 1 short navy blue.
- Soft leather belt instead of cloth. The cloth one stretches too much when sweaty.
- 4 darned tough socks. I don’t want to wear the others.
- Chronometer. It would be useful for calculating return time and general coordination. A countdown timer would be better but I don’t think cheap analog ones are available.
- Dark sandals. Replaces boat shoes and flip flops.
Leave
- Dress clothes. Didn’t need them.
- Boat shoes. Use sandals.
- Flip flops. Useful on board but the sandals will do.
- iPad. The iPhone SE works just fine for journaling and it gets better GPS and wifi reception.
- Kindle. I haven’t read once during the trip. iPhone can hold camera manual and one book easily.
- No show socks.
Out of lock now.
Oh yea, a decent GPS app. It’s cool to know the speed of the ship.
August 18, 2016 • Main and Rhine
7:50 am • Hochheim, Germany • 50°F • Sunny
Sailing past Frankfurt. Lot’s of air traffic. We’ll be at the mighty Rhine soon. Among the good news is they are setting up the sun deck again! All the railings, wheelhouse and everything else has to be folded flat to go under the low bridges on the Main-Donau canal and the Main river. The sun deck is excellent and we’ve missed it a lot over the last few days.
Everyone’s mood seems to be improving although I think Rex and the girls are ready to go home. Me too really. Omi seems to be about the same but one can never tell with her. Three full days then we fly home and work. I hope Jeff and Jim are still alive when I get back. They will be but still.
We’re going to tour Marksburg castle today. Should be a good, strenuous and a little bit dangerous workout. This should help everyone’s mood. There is a lot of stored energy in the young and the old just like to remember.
The Germans wear shorts and tee shirts. I’ve even seen them wear “marshmallows”. Take that you American Internet fashion f**s. American sartorial taste is taking over the world! Probably because it’s comfortable and practical.
Rex and I have a cabin routine. I process photos and he draws. The man is talented. No doubt about it. He has a bright future. I wish I could be there to see it’s maturity but that effing circle of life always closes. Oh well.
4:41 pm • Koblenz, Germany • 68°F • Mostly Cloudy
We’re at Koblenz. Very nice cruise through the middle Rhine River area. Castle after castle after castle after castle after castle. I’m suffering from castle overload and I love castles. I’m even having to recharge my camera battery in the middle of the day. One day I’ll look back at all the castle photos and wonder who took them and why. Still, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Such beauty should be experienced at least once in a lifetime.
We took the gondola across the river to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. There was a band playing there.
Anna was goofy last night. We hung out at the Kaiser Wilhelm statue and filled in Anna about some parts of life as an adult.
August 19, 2016 • Rhine
7:36 am • Cologne, Germany • 55°F • Fog
In Cologne today. Anna, Rex and me are going to climb to the top of the Cologne Cathedral. Should be interesting. This would have been a little easier on the early part of the trip. I’m basically fat and out of shape from almost two weeks of constant food and sitting. Today is a fear facing day. Looking forward to it.
The highlight of yesterday was Marksburg Castle. Parts of it reminded me of a cave.
1:12 pm • Cologne, Germany • 77°F • Mostly Sunny
Toured the Old City part of Cologne. Very pretty place. The locals are a fun loving bunch and they’ve put up statues to compete this fact. They even have a statue of one of their local soccer stars. Of course, he put it up himself after buying the building and turning it into a restaurant. I guess that’s part of the fun loving aspect the guide was talking about. :)
Mentally preparing for the Colgne Catherdral climb. The climb itself won’t be the issue. It’s walking around on the steep roof that will be the problem. Should be fun though. I like challenges.
9:02 pm • Cologne, Germany • 70°F • Mostly Cloudy
Top of Cologne. The best tour ever!! We went into the attic of the cathedral then walked around the base of the the roof. The only thing we didn’t do was pee in the bathroom in the cathedral attic! I had the chance but just couldn’t go. It wasn’t as strenuous as I thought it would be and I was so fascinated by it all that there was no fear. Took plenty of photos but we can’t share them. No problem. The rewards far exceed the price. This was easily the highlight of the trip.
August 20, 2016 • Waal, Beneden-Merwede, and Lek
7:11 am • Gendt, Netherlands • 59°F • Mostly Cloudy
Sailing to Amsterdam today. From the map, it looks more like we’re going to Rotterdam instead. I think we just fly out of Amsterdam because we’re seeking windmills today. I’m tired. Maybe I won’t look at windmills today. Nah! I’m all in on this trip.
11:49 am • Papendrecht, Netherlands • 66°F • Mostly Cloudy
Omi is sick. Blinding migraine on top of a cold. We’ve got her drugged up and she did a brandy and a vodka shot. No help of course. Everyone in my family just goes to bed and suffers. Omi just goes from person to person telling her tale of woe. The thing is she really is sick but it’s hard to take her seriously when she’s actually moving around and talking to everyone. Most sick people take to their bed until they’re well.
We ate lunch together then I applied a little TLC. Worked. Omi is taking a nap now. I think Omi was seeking my attention this time. Not to sure how I feel about being manipulated this way. Oh well, Omi is old. Why should being manipulated by her matter anyway?
1:20 pm • Kinderdijk, Netherlands • 70°F • Mostly Cloudy
The windmills are cool!! I was getting a little blah and ready to go home then I saw the windmills. I got real excited about seeing them live. I don’t remember but I must have loved them as a kid. They are ultracool!
4:28 pm • Kinderdijk, Netherlands • 70°F • Mostly Sunny
Perfect windmill day. Steady breeze and sunshine. It’s been three years since the tour guide last saw all the windmills working at once. I felt blessed.
I was surprised that the millers live inside the windmill. I should have guessed. Lighthouse keepers live in the lighthouse so why not the miller living in the windmill? Anyway, a sparse life judging by the one we saw today. The windmills we saw today pump water but are no longer effective. There at modern pumps that use Archimedes screws to pump the water out. Kinderdijk is the Colonial Williamsburg of the Netherlands.
The area we were in today is 12 to 15 feet below sea level. It’s beautiful but doomed. I like the doggedness of the people. I hope they can keep figuring out ways to keep their feet dry.
August 21, 2016 • IJ
3:13 am • Amsterdam, Netherlands • 59°F • Showers
We go home today! It’s been a great trip but now, onward to the next thing! Rex and Omi left the ship at 4:30 this morning. We’re leaving at 8:30. It’s raining. We started in rain and we’re ending in rain. I hope the flight is smooth but I’m so tired I don’t think I’ll care. Well, it’ll depend on how rough it is. Everyone except me will be drugged up so it can get pretty scary. I’ll be glad to get home.
Omi is feeling a lot better this morning. She seemed to be in a good mood as well. Maybe a little homesickness was magnifying her pains. Omi is a little self- destructive in how she handles things. Mostly impatience combined with low observational skills. Not a good combo when trying to find a drug mix that works. The important thing is she feels good now so that’s how she’ll remember the trip.
10:02 am • Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands • 59°F • Heavy Showers
Big thunderhead near the airport. Could be a rough flight out. The girls are doing really well at maneuvering through airports. I wouldn’t hesitate sending either of them off through an airport on their own. Still a but iffy on destination other than family but they are close now. Anna is actually there but I’m not. They are growing up so fast.
My left foot and leg are beginning to bother me. It started a couple of days ago. Good thing the trip is just about over. I’m starting back fencing next week and I’m starting a diet. I’m curious how much I’ve gained this trip.
Amsterdam airport has excellent wifi. It’s big though and it takes awhile to get around. Still, excellent wifi.
August 21, 2016 • Home
9:57 pm • Richmond, Virginia • 72°F • Clear
Finally in Richmond. Our flight into Richmond was delayed until 10:30 so we drove from Dulles instead. Of course, we get about two hours into the drive when we find out they changed the flight time to 8:50. Oh well. We went with the info we had at the time.
Diary, Manual
6-12-16 • Preparations
I’ve just about completed the trip preparations. The only thing left really is learning Hungarian. We’ll start that as a family and keep it up until we leave. I’m totally pumped for this trip!!!
We didn’t make much headway learning Hungarian but we did learn enough to show we tried. That’s the important thing.
8-8-16 • Vienna, Austria
Ok, I’m actually writing in a trip diary. Of course, it’s actually day 3. It’s been good so far. Food great. Bronwyn good. Anna good. Rex good. Valerie good. Omi [my mother-in-law] good. They’re feeding us well. First class all the way. It’s 9:03 and the Bron just stepped on, no, stomped on, my foot and I just signed up for the maximum length walking tour. Nothing is right with this! Anyway, just effen anyway. Still, I’m having a blast!
8-10-16 • Vienna, Austria
Walking tour in the morning, Schönbrunn Palace in the afternoon. The highlight of the day was Bronwyn picking out rooms for us in Schönbrunn Palace. Well, after all, we have the Hapsburg double chin! I liked the War and Fascism square with the [statue] of the Jewish guy scrubbing the street. Very, very moving. Too much tragedy in Eastern Europe. They get conquered over and over but they just keep going. Makes you wonder why.
8-11-16 • Melk, Austria
We had another adventure today. This time an elderly man on a bike wrecked. I helped him recover his bike and he took us to the oldest house in Melk. 900 years old. Very off the beaten track. He spoke a little English but Rex helped us through with his German. It’s nice to get these adventures. This is so much fun!
I’m splitting into two diaries. This one and the electronic one. Just put the two together after I’m gone. Maybe I’ll just keep the electronic one and make it into a booklet like I’ve done on my blog [the old one].
8-12-16 • In route to Passau
- Overcast, drizzle, cold.
Well, the electronic diary [DayOne app] has one downfall. It really needs an internet connection to work well. The auto weather and location doesn’t work so why not write in a paper diary? Also, the syncing between iPad and iPhone doesn’t work. Now the spontaneity is gone. Overall though I think the electronic is best. Its just easier to write down thought in a readable way. No translating scribbles anymore.
One thing that struck me at the Abby were the medieval books. They mixed black and red ink extensively. And in an organized way. I thought the original Orders of Benedictine were cool. I’ve read them so a I liked seeing them as Benedict wrote them. I should have brought a blue or red pen along. Wait…
No, I didn’t bring a blue pen. Just a space pen.
8-13-16 • Regensburg
I think the paper diary is just about done as a travel diary. Well, it’s not because I just thought of something I didn’t write in the electronic one [because it would mess up the timeline]. We toured one of the old steam paddle wheelers. I love old boats especially the transition to steam. Nautical stuff is simply fascinating and it’s fun to mess with the old technology. The rest in in the electronic diary.
8-15-16 • Bamburg, Germany
I like writing in a diary but the electronic one fits my personality better. I’m going to keep writing occasionally but only as sort of a therapy. Just to keep my fine motor skills up. Or rather, assess my skills. If I see deterioration, maybe I can intercept a potential problem. Just a thought.
Bronwyn says she is scared Maria is going to die on this trip. I don’t know what to say to that. I can’t promise she won’t. It’s possible. Omi is 78 years old [she’s 88 now]. She could go at any time. I think this is a long trip for Bronwyn and her anxiety is getting the best of her. Well, we’ll deal with whatever comes along just like always. That’s just how I’m built. [Bronwyn and I discussed the difference between possible and probable and she decided Omi would be fine. The storm had passed with only a few ripples.]
I think I’ll keep up the diary for private things. The physical act of writing seems to bring out private thoughts better. Besides, there is security in the written word and bad handwriting.
8-16-16 • Somewhere on the Main
A lot of waiting on this trip. I suppose this is the by product of being on a leisurely river trip with a bunch of old people. It’s nice in it’s way but I’m still young enough to want to go, go, go. I’m in hyper mode from work and maybe it’s stuck.
We’re in O?enburg. Right. [I have no idea what this means.]
8-17-19 • In transit to Koblentz
“Not much to do today Jim” said Rex. He’s right. Today is a cruise day and I’m getting restless. Beautiful country. I could live here in Germany.
Watching some cyclists, a family, stop and take a break. The kids act like kids anywhere. The genetics are the same in Europe and America so why would this be a surprise? I love the cycling culture here. Makes me want to join it. Not too late yet. I’m going to get the girls into it when we get back. [I introduced both and it stuck with one.]
8-17-19 • In transit to Koblentz
Rex is listening to the same type of music I listened to at his age. The style is different but the feel is exactly the same. Makes me remember a little how I felt at his age. Facing an uncertain future while resting on a shaky past. I was so lost at his age. I think Rex has just as good a chance as me, Fred and Andy had so I’m not worried. It’s something we all go through but it can be painful as Hell. I guess that’s what some people call growing up. Why does it have to be that way?
8-20-19 • Kinderdijk, Netherlands
Absolutely perfect day! This mornings shadow was dispelled by the windmills. They were all working today and it was wonderful. Almost like land sailing. I loved the sound they made. Sort of like an old sailing vessel but without the movement. I’m too optimistic. It distorts the decision making process especially when the decision has a high consequence. Oh well, people put themselves into boxes. No one else can do it as well.
Viking Cruise Summary
Outstanding!!! Best fun we’ve had in years. I loved having Rex along. It made the cruise so much better! Well, maybe someday we can we can do it again. We’re running out of money so another cruise will remain a fantasy. I probably should print out a few photos so I’ll have something to look at and dream about while living under the bridge. :)
[I’ve always felt I’d end my days living under a bridge somewhere. Wouldn’t bother me much if I did. Just another experience to savor.]
The best vacation of my life was our honeymoon in Jamaica.