Danube Cruise~November, 2006

Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006

Depart for Europe. Board your overnight trans-Atlantic flight.

Left BH about noon, stopped to release squirrel number 18. Lunch at Mud City, then off to Phila. Airport. They dropped me first at Lufthansa (Jamie, Meagan and Dawson were flying SW to Alabama and Jerry headed for Potter County). Met Dottie and we loaded and took off on time: 6:15. Long flight to Frankfurt, then a smooth transfer to Budapest.

Sunday, Nov. 26 Arrive Budapest, Hungary

Budapest, spanning the banks of the Danube, is the liveliest and most cosmopolitan metropolis of Eastern Europe. Transfer to your ship and enjoy exploring the city on your own before a Welcome Dinner and Cocktail Reception on board. Lunch and museums on Pest side.

At night the Danube comes to life as a kind of floating smorgasbord of moored barges. Unfortunately, they lost Dottieï¿½s bag. Hope it shows up. Changed $50 to Hungarian florins. Taxied to our ship, the MS Amadagio, arriving shortly before noon. The rooms will not be ready til 4!! They served little sandwiches and cakes. Dottie was tired, so I decided to walk along the river on the Pest side. My impression is of "drab". Many 10-12 storey matchbox apartments and lots of old Baroque buildings with peeling paint and graffiti. I crossed the Chain Bridge and took the funicular (300fn or $6.50) up to the Hungarian National Gallery. Beautiful view of the Pest side. The Gallery was large and contained mostly painting by Hungarian artists from 1820-1900. One special gallery was the Great Throne Room (the building was originally the Royal Palace), which is devoted to 15th and 16th century Gothic altarpieces--beautiful--mostly triptychs with elaborate carving and much gold. One very interesting panel was a Last Supper with a guinea pig/cuyee!! Our room was finally ready and is fine. It's the cheapest category on the bottom deck, but the ship was only commissioned this spring, so all is new and the cabins are all the same size. We have a window with a view of Buda at night. Very good. Meeting at 5 to meet Nancy, our Cruise Director, the ship captain and the ship manager. Welcome reception at 6:30--champagne and canapes. Then dinner. We chose to take the chef's recommendation--started with a different kind of crabcake/mussel appetizer; celeriac soup (clear) with a large potato chip and tortellini; entree a slice of rare roast beef, stuffed potato and green beans wrapped in (raw) bacon; dessert was a delicious combination of poppy seed ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries in a caramelized shell. The wines were a rather young pair of Hungarians: Muscat and CS. Skipped the opera singer. I slept much better than is usual on the first night.

Monday, Nov. 27 Budapest

Seven bridges, including the famous Chain and Elisabeth Bridges, connect ancient Buda on the right bank with Pest on the left. The massive hilltop castle complex with Fisherman's Bastion and the Matthias Church are sights not to be missed. From historic Buda Castle, a splendid view of the twin cities spread over both sides of the river. Also the marvelous Royal Palace and St. Stephens Basilica. During lunch, begin cruise to Vienna.

Breakfast at 7:30. Full buffet, but we missed the grilled smoked salmon--tomorrow! Left in three busses (we are the red group) for a morning tour. Most of the city was built between 1846 and 1896 (the millennium celebration of the founding of "Hungary"). Mostly classical architecture with a smattering of "eclectic". All of the bridges were destroyed by the Nazis. The Chain Bridge (built by an Englishman and a Scot) and the Elizabeth Bridge (1902--at the time the longest suspension bridge in the world) I walked over yesterday. We stopped twice, the first time on Castle Hill, where we went into the Mathius Church (Matyas), with its eclectic style, mostly Gothic from the 13th century, but with touches of neo-Baroque and very Oriental interior design, including one royal crest that has a raven with a ring in its mouth. We returned to the bus and drove again over the Grande Boulevard. We passed Heroes Square, originally part of the 1896 celebration--a beautiful open space with statues and the Museums of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art. We got out at a rather pathetic Christmas Market then returned to the boat where we drank Gluhwein as the boat pulled out and we began our cruise to Vienna. Lunch is a buffet with appetizers (roasted veggies) and salads, followed by a served delicious brussel sprout soup and choice of entree. We both chose liver and onions. Dottie's suitcase still hasn't arrived and her cold is worse. Meeting at 3 pm to go over some general information. Slight mix-up about the concert tomorrow night ("included"), but Nancy says not to worry. Pretty cruise on the river. No locks yet. Dinner was "Hungarian": bean salad, chicken broth, goulash with spaetzle, and a Napoleon for dessert. We watched the film "Sissy", a 1950's kitschy piece about Franz Joseph I and his wife, and turned in early.

Tuesday, Nov. 28 Vienna, Austria

A wonderful day to savor the baroque elegance of Vienna. A guided sightseeing tour includes lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, majestic Ringstrasse and awe-inspiring St. Stephen's Cathedral. Afterward, there is plenty of time to shop in the festive Christmas markets throughout the city. Tonight return to the market or come along for an included Mozart & Strauss concert. .(Christkindlmärte. Between late November and New Year's, look for pockets of folk charm (and, in some cases, kitsch) associated with the Christmas holidays. Small outdoor booths known as Christkindlmarkts -- usually adorned with evergreen boughs, red ribbons, and, in some cases, religious symbols -- sprout up in clusters around the city. They sell old-fashioned toys, Tannenbaum (tree) decorations, and gift items. Food vendors offer sausages, cookies and pastries, roasted chestnuts, and Kartoffel (charcoal-roasted potato slices). The greatest concentration of open-air markets is in front of the Rathaus, in the Spittelberg Quarter (7th District), at Freyung, the historic square in the northwest corner of the Inner City.)

Sailed through the night. I woke up at one point when we must have been going through a big lock (noise and lights). The river is much lower than normal (no rain for a while and temperatures much milder than usual), so we were unable to make the expected time to Vienna. To maximize our time there, Nancy arranged for busses to pick us up in Haimberg, a pretty medieval town, at 8 am. Unfortunately, as it was an unscheduled stop, Austrian customs decided to come aboard and check everyone’s passport. We had to rush to get through breakfast (but we did get lox). What was supposed to be a 40-minute trip became an hour and a half because of rush hour, but the guide talked all along the route (mainly about how she hated to have to get up at 5am). In Vienna we circled the famous Ringstrasse so the guide could point out the highlights. The town is very clean (although much graffiti is everywhere). The weather is chilly enough that I’m glad I put in my jacket’s liner. We were dropped off in St. Stephen’s Square, changed some money to Euros and went into the church. It was very dark (the outside too; it needed a power wash). It was originally built in 1147, but suffered much bombing in WWII. There is a lavishly decorated pulpit, created by Anton Pilgrim in 1510. There are all kinds of interesting figures on it, including a sculpture of Master Pilgrim himself leaning out of an open window below the pulpit steps to inspect his work. Another self-portrait is at the base of the old organ. We were to meet at 10, and we were there at 10, but the group had left to go on an old city walking tour. We made up our own tour around the Stephensplatz shopping area, by the Hofburg Palace, through the Volksgarten, by Parliament and the Burgtheatre and up to the Christmas market at the Rathaus, whose windows were all covered with numbered banners, creating what must be the world’s largest Advent Calendar. This market was better than that in Budapest, but still we found nothing original. We did find LANGOS!! This garlicky treat was one Jerry and I enjoyed at Praterpark 40 years ago, and this one was just as good. We had a mulled wine, then Dottie went back to the boat and I went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, it was first opened in 1891, houseing for the first time most of the imperial collection under one roof. It is a beautiful building and the collection of Old Masters, particularly Titian, Reubens and Rembrandt, wonderful. Lots of examples of Flemish art and a huge collection of Breugels. Also some beautiful Peruginos. I got the very clean and easy-to-use subway back and found our boat with no trouble. Dottie’s cold is miserable, but her luggage has arrived!! Went to the concert by the Vienna Residence Orchestra in period costumes—very nice!!

Wednesday, Nov. 29 Melk

Continue through the narrow Strudengau and reach the Wachau Valley to Melk's magnificent BENEDICTINE ABBEY, one of Europe's largest baroque monasteries.

Breakfast and then we boarded busses for the abbey. This is one of the greatest sites in Austria. The main attraction here is the Melk Abbey, a sprawling baroque abbey that overlooks the Danube basin. Melk marks the western terminus of the Wachau and lies upstream from Krems. One of the finest baroque buildings in the world, Melk Abbey, Dietmayerstrasse 1, A-3390 Melk (tel. 02752/555232), and the Stiftskirche (Abbey Church) are the major attractions today. However, Melk has been an important place in the Danube Basin ever since the Romans built a fortress on a promontory looking out onto a tiny "arm" of the Danube. Melk also figures in the Nibelungenlied (the German epic poem), in which it is called Medelike. The rock-strewn bluff where the abbey now stands overlooking the river was the seat of the Babenbergs, who ruled Austria from 976 until the Hapsburgs took over. In the 11th century, Leopold II of the House of Babenberg presented Melk to the Benedictine monks, who turned it into a fortified abbey. Its influence and reputation as a center of learning and culture spread all over Austria, a fact that is familiar to readers of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. The Reformation and the 1683 Turkish invasion took a toll on the abbey, although it was spared from direct attack when the Ottoman armies were repelled outside Vienna. The construction of the new building began in 1702, just in time to be given the full baroque treatment. Most of the design of the present abbey was by the architect Jakob Prandtauer. Its marble hall, called the Marmorsaal, contains pilasters coated in red marble. A richly painted allegorical picture on the ceiling is the work of Paul Troger. Stunning frescos cover the marble room's ceiling and upper walls. The artist used light in such a fashion that the paintings appear three-dimensional and illuminated in a manner that feels like you are looking up into the glorious heavens. Lions' faces and the eyes and feet of people on several of the paintings follow you as you move about the room. The exquisite library, rising two floors, again with a Troger ceiling, houses 80,000 books from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries that were re-bound in leather with gold leaf during the Baroque period, and the room itself is a beautiful example of Baroque design, with gods topping the pillars and holding up the ceiling. The Kaisergang, or emperors' gallery, 198m (650 ft.) long, is decorated with portraits of Austrian rulers. Despite all this adornment, the abbey takes second place in lavish glory to the Stiftskirche, the golden abbey church. Damaged by fire in 1947, the church is now almost completely restored, even to the gold-bullion gilding of statues and altars. Richly embellished with marble and frescoes, the church has an astonishing number of windows. Many of the paintings are by Johann Michael Rottmayr, but Troger had a hand in the decoration. The Marble Hall banquet room next to the church was also damaged by the fire but has been restored to its former ornate elegance. The terrace in front of the church overlooks the quaint town of Melk at the base of the cliff. Napoleon probably used it for a lookout when he made Melk his headquarters during the campaign against Austria. Melk is still a working abbey, and we saw black-robed Benedictine monks going about their business or some of the 900 students rushing out of the gates.

Rejoined the ship for lunch in the town of Ypp. Several locks impeded our travel and we had a number of schedule changes based on changing ETA’s at Linz. Dinner (shrimp with American cocktail sauce was 3 small shrimp; pea soup with chorizo, delicious duck breast and Swan Lake with chocolate cream puff) was moved to 6:15 so we could go ashore at Linz as soon as we docked (7 pm) before the Christmas market closed. Linz, the provincial capital of Upper Austria, is the third-largest city in the country after Vienna and Graz. It's the biggest port on the Danube, which widens out considerably here to become a majestic thoroughfare. Walked with Nancy to the Christmas market where I got a beautiful hand-carved wood nativity for Devin James. We returned to the ship in time for an 8:30 mini-train tour of the city—very fun. Back to the ship for a wonderful 9:30 concert by La Strada, a trio of excellent musicians. Slept well and slept in til 7:45, as we opted out of the Salzburg tour.

Thursday, Nov. 30 Linz - Passau, Germany

In Linz there is an option to tour Salzburg and its most popular 'Sound of Music' sights. Travel through scenic valleys and past charming riverside towns to Passau. This fairy-tale city, founded more than 2,000 years ago is situated at the convergence of the rivers Inn and Ilz at the Danube.

While the Danube is widely considered one of Europe's most beautiful rivers, along many stretches -- particularly those we have traveled thus far -- it's actually a series of manmade canals that border a lot of less-than-picturesque urban areas. But this stretch of the river, which bounds Austria's attractive wine region (with terraced vineyards that rise high on hills) is absolutely gorgeous. We left Linz for a full day of cruising. It was a pretty trip in the sun (finally) in the afternoon. Landed at Passau about 4 and went to town for gingerbread. Back at the ship for a walking tour from 4:30 to 6. Visited the cathedral, which was pretty dark, but our guide, Anna, did a great job of explaining. She talked about the shame of the German people during WWII. We walked through cute alleys (the Christmas markets in Germany don’t open until tomorrow), stopping at Simon’s for chocolate. Dinner, then Christmas carols and Santa Claus.

For years, Passau languished in a lost corner of West Germany. But since reunification, the beauty and nostalgia of this old city has been appreciated more and more. With its romantic river setting and stately streets, Passau is a city of great harmony. It's located at the confluence of the Danube and two of its tributaries, the Ilz and Inn rivers. Passau's bustling port is worth a visit in itself. Known as the "City of Three Rivers," Passau is located at the convergence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers -- all important trade routes -- and as such has enjoyed a rich history over 7000 years. Passau also has a history of flooding and was one of the cities most affected by the recent floods in Europe, as evidenced by the history of high water marks on one of the buildings closest to the river. What's most interesting about Passau's architecture is that the city was almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1662, after which it was rebuilt in the Baroque style of architecture, seen throughout the old town. Of particular note is the spectacular St. Stephan's Cathedral, built by a famous Baroque architect Carolo Lurago, which has glorious stucco works and frescos painted over the entire ceiling and walls, as well as Europe's largest pipe organ with 17,774 pipes. Passau has a small Christmas market in the square outside the Cathedral. Of all of the markets we have visited so far, it was the least interesting in terms of shopping. However, starting in late afternoon and early evening, families from the area gathered to socialize and enjoy performances by local student groups. Both at the market and inside the Cathedral there were some beautiful hand-carved nativity scenes, and the market also had a good selection of ceramic houses, designed in traditional Bavarian style, with windows illuminated by the votive candle that rests inside. We also found a more interesting selection of "smokers," or unusual Christmas incense holders, which are wooden Bavarian men with pipes and holes in their mouths through which incense smoke rises.Today's walking tour felt a bit disjointed as we stopped twice enroute to visit local shops. The first was promoted as an "advent wreath-making demonstration" at a local florist; the fact that the demo lasted just two minutes tells you we didn't learn much. Far more successful was a session at Cafe Simon where we learned about the art of gingerbread making and the three different types of gingerbread that are traditionally made in Germany. Gingerbread is traditionally served not only at Christmas time in Germany, but also at most big celebrations, including weddings. The traditional or old-style gingerbread is made with honey and no sugar, and is coarser, drier and less sweet than the gingerbread in the States, which is also made in Germany, using molasses.

Friday, Dec. 1 Regensburg

Stop in Regensburg, one of Germany's best-preserved medieval cities. Or you can decide to visit the “royal” Christmas market at the Thurn and Taxis Palace, a very traditional Christmas market with craftsmen making the goods in front of you. A guided walking tour of the old city will show you the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall, and the Porta Pretoria - gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 AD. Marvel at beautiful churches and one of the oldest bridges crossing the Danube. During free time you can visit the festive Christmas Market and Germany's oldest restaurant, 800-year-old Alte Wurstkuche (Old Sausage Kitchen). Later, the ship takes you into the start of the Main-Danube Canal.

Very grey day. Brunch was a very “German” affair. Lots of different sausages (I tried white—blah), pork in aspic, “Schlechter Platte” (suckling pig), lebukase (meatloaf), sauerkraut, etc—also with champagne. Sailed on through two more locks (very interesting) in a heavy cold fog. Landed at Regensberg about 1 and opted to go with Nancy to the Thurn & Taxis Christmas Market (She paid the admission). Very nice, lots of bonfires to keep us warm. Then we were on our own and walked lots. Went to the Lucrezia Craft Market and the main Christmas Market. Went to the beautiful Gothic St. Peters and listened to the end of an evening Mass. Had six sausages with kraut at Germany’s oldest restaurant, 800-year old Alte Wurstkuche. Then Dottie went home and I crossed the Stone Bridge. Found the statue of the architect pointing to the Dom. Then I looked and looked for the fox/geese statue—without success. Came back to the boat, got better information (courtyard of a hotel behind the Roman walls) and found it.Regensburg started as a Celtic settlement called Radespona, around 500 B.C. The Romans later took it over, renamed it Castra Regina, and made it their center of power on the upper Danube. From the 7th century, the town was the center from which Christianity spread over southern Germany. The architecture of Regensburg testifies to its long history and past grandeur, which reached its peak by the beginning of the Gothic era. Its buildings and towers offer an unspoiled glimpse into history, and many of its ancient structures are still in active use today. The best example is the Stone Bridge, built in 1146 on 16 huge arches, in continuous service for more than 800 years. Regensburg is a city of churches; it was once the focal point from which Christianity spread throughout Germany and even into central Europe via the Danube. The most majestic of these churches is the towering Dom St. Peter's, Domplatz (tel. 0941/5865500; bus: 1, 6, or 11), which was begun in the 13th century on the site of an earlier Carolingian church. Because it was constructed with easily eroded limestone and green sandstone, this French Gothic edifice is constantly being restored. The massive spires of the two western towers, added in the mid-19th century, were almost completely replaced in 1955 with a more durable material. The well-preserved stained-glass windows in the choir (14th c.) and south transept (13th c.) are impressive. Most of the pillar sculptures in the aisles of the nave were made in the cathedral workshop in the mid-14th century. The townsfolk call the two little sculptures in the niches on opposite sides of the main entrance The Devil and The Devil's Grandmother. The cathedral is home to a famous boys' choir, the Chor Dompatzen, the cathedral is open November to April, Monday to Saturday 8am to 4pm and Sunday noon to 4pm. Admission is free. Of all the remnants of Roman occupation of Regensburg, the ancient Porta Praetoria behind the cathedral is the most impressive, with its huge stones piled in the form of an arched gateway. Through the grille beside the eastern tower you can see the original level of the Roman street, nearly 3m (10 ft.) below -- which is why you often have to step down into the churches of Regensburg. Regensburg is a beautiful old city, full of colorful stucco facades and architecturally rich with a wonderful melange of medieval Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque buildings, many of which date back to the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Most of Regensburg's old city escaped damage in World War II. Our guide told us that Regensburg was very lucky to have an angel watching out for the city -- an American general who was a son-in-law of the von Trapp family (of "Sound of Music" fame). He apparently gave orders to his troops not to destroy the historic old centers of Regensburg and Salzburg, and Regensburg in particular suffered far less damage from bombing compared to other German cities. There were very few tourists here other than those from our river cruise ship, and I definitely enjoyed our visit much more so than Nuremberg. The local residents are as friendly and charming as the old city itself, and there's definitely an artsy feel in the Christmas markets and local shops.

Dinner onboard was the usual two-hour affair, beginning with appetizer and soup, then moving on to entree and dessert. We loved the entertainment afterwards -- a local male a cappella group sang Christmas carols in English and German. It was the perfect way to wind up our dreamy day in Regensburg.

Saturday, Dec. 2 Nuremberg 169km (105 miles) NW of Munich, 225km (140 miles) SE of Frankfurt, 204km (127 miles) NE of Stuttgart

Continue along the Main-Danube Canal, crossing the Continental Divide (with a Blue Danube cockatil and certificate of passage) at Hipoltstein.Relax during a leisurely cruise through the beautiful Altmuhe Valley. The Main-Danube canal straddles the Franconian Alps via the locks. Truly a fascinating feat of modern engineering. After lunch, a short drive through the pastoral countryside brings you to Nuremberg. Then enjoy a guided morning tour of historic Nuremberg with its fabulous Gothic churches and elegant patrician houses. See the storybook 900-year-old ramparts that surround the city, the Imperial Castle and the Justice Place where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. This afternoon there is time to visit the Christmas market, where over 100 red and white canvas-topped booths offer an assortment of toys, tinsel angels, dolls, dollhouses and gingerbread. End the day with a Captain’s Dinner

When this city celebrated its 900th birthday in 1950, the scars of World War II were still fresh. Nürnberg was once a masterpiece of medieval splendor, but that legacy was lost in the ashes of war. With the exception of Dresden, no other German city suffered such devastation in a single air raid. On the night of January 2, 1945, 525 British Lancaster bombers rained fire and destruction on this city, the ideological center of the Third Reich. Nürnberg today has regained its vitality and is now a symbol of postwar prosperity. The city swarms with people, both longtime residents and the Gastarbeiter (foreign workers), who have flooded the city in recent years -- many from the old Soviet Bloc countries to the east. For most of the year, the city is thronged with visitors, too. It's a notable industrial center, still associated with its traditional gingerbread products and handmade toys. The first pocket watches, the Nürnberg eggs, were made here in the 16th century. Centuries of art and architecture made Nürnberg a treasure. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Nürnberg enjoyed a cultural flowering that made it the center of the German Renaissance, bringing together Italian Renaissance and German Gothic traditions. In the artists' workshops were found such great talents as Veit Stoss, Peter Vischer, Adam Krafft, Michael Wolgemut and, above all, Albrecht Dürer. Koberger set up his printing press here, and Regiomontanus built an astronomical observatory. Here, too, flourished the guilds of the Meistersingers, composed of prosperous artisans; Wagner made their most famous member, Hans Sachs, the hero of his opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Many of Nürnberg's most important buildings, including some of the finest churches in Germany, have been restored or reconstructed. The old part of the city, the Altstadt, lies mainly within a pedestrian zone. Today's visitors can see the ruins of the ramparts that once surrounded the city as well as more modern sites, such as the Justice Palace, where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. Visitors can also see the Zeppelinfeld arena, the huge amphitheater where, from 1927 to 1935, Hitler staged those dramatic Nazi rallies that were immortalized by Leni Riefenstahl in Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will). Hitler's architect, Albert Speer, constructed what has been called a "concrete mecca," whose grounds today have been turned into a park with apartment blocks, a trade fair, and a concert hall. Speer's Congress Hall, larger than the Colosseum in Rome, has become a recording studio and warehouse. At first, Nuremberg's Christmas market was a bit overwhelming, almost like hundreds of Christmas stores outside, one after another. It's one of the largest and most famous Christmas markets of all, visited by two million people each year. It is also one of the oldest markets, dating back to the early 1600's. There are about 200 stalls altogether located in the market square in front of the old church. The atmosphere is quite festive and crowded, and got even more so as the afternoon wore on. Sweet smells of gingerbread spices, mulled wine and bratwurst filled the air and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

At least half of the stalls sold Christmas ornaments of every imaginable kind -- angels, Santas, snowmen and even Titanic! -- in wood, metal, paper and glass. But we quickly started seeing the same ornaments over and over again and it became a challenge to find unique ones that you couldn't find at home and weren't made in China. My favorite stalls sold "prune men." In the Nuremberg area these prune men are considered a patron saint of the family and are placed behind the window facing the outside to prevent any harm befalling the family members. Somewhat similar to gingerbread men, but much more fanciful, their bodies are made of figs, the arms and legs of dried prunes and the heads of walnuts. They are whimsically dressed as chimney sweeps, bride and bridegrooms, leprechauns, and other lively characters. By far the liveliest spots in the Christmas market were the Gluhwein stands, which sell hot mulled wine in souvenir mugs which some fellow passengers began collecting (they are different at each market). Another local specialty to try is the Nuremberg sausage. It's typically sold "three in a bun," as they are no bigger than your pinky finger. Legend has it that during medieval times, there was an 8 p.m. curfew and the sausages were made that small in order to sell and pass them through keyholes after curfew and into jail cells. And, you can't leave Nuremberg, known as the "gingerbread capital of the world," without tasting the local specialty -- here called Lebkuchen. You'll find dozens of gingerbread stalls at the market, with intricately decorated cookies decorative tins and several different varieties. The best, sweetest and moistest gingerbread is called Elisen (it also comes with vanilla and chocolate icing).

Here's a tip: Before you buy any to take home, you may want to check out a couple of the gingerbread stores on the edges of the marketplace or at a local supermarket where the prices are less expensive.

Local history of Nuremberg dates back to 1050. From 1216 until 1806, when it became part of the kingdom of Bavaria, Nuremberg was a free imperial city, whose citizens elected their local leaders and the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, who lived in the local castle for 500 years. As such the city developed quite independently of any heavy church or outside influence, and during the 1500s was known as the Venice of the north for its art and culture. Nuremberg is well known in Germany and Europe for its toy making, which dates back to the 13th century. Up until 100 years ago, over 250 local toy factories were still operating. Many of the Christmas toys and traditions we enjoy today, such as nutcrackers, the nutcracker ballet, gingerbread houses, gingerbread men and the concept of Christmas tree ornaments, originated in Nuremberg and are still popular in the Christmas market. In the U.S., Nuremberg is known more for the Nazi war crime trials that took place after World War II, and that was the focus of our morning tour, in which we had the opportunity to visit the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Congress Hall and the Hall of Justice where the trials took place. Today was a particularly gray day, which somehow seemed fitting for this "gloomy period" -- as our guide put it -- of Nuremberg's history. Interestingly enough, Hitler chose Nuremberg as the capital of the Nazi party efforts in part because of the fact that it was less cosmopolitan, less influenced by the church and more purely German. It was also chosen because it was a centrally located city with an excellent network of trains to transport the million party members who were brought in for the annual Nazi party rallies. Our tour continued on to the Nuremberg Castle (or Kaiserburg), where we briefly toured the exterior and enjoyed panoramic views of the city. The castle overlooks the old city, which is surrounded by a virtually intact wall that's three miles long. Unfortunately, 90 percent of the city was destroyed by bombing during World War II, as was most of the castle -- though it has, however, been restored. The Burg looms above the city from its hilltop at the northern edge of the Altstadt. From 1050 to 1571, it was the official residence of the German kings and emperors, including Frederick Barbarossa, the zealous crusader who entertained the emperor of Byzantium and the sultan of Tyre within its walls. The castle is divided into three complexes: the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle), the Burgraves' Castle, and the Municipal Buildings of the Free City.

Sunday, Dec. 3 Nuremberg (Disembark) - Prague, Czech Republic

Drive from Nuremberg through the pastoral countryside to Prague, one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Transfer to your hotel and take the rest of the day at leisure to explore the city, mix with the locals at Wenceslaus Square, or enjoy one of the many charming cafés and restaurants. Pretty and interesting drive—much more industry than in Germany or Austria. The Renaissance Hotel is very nice. We got in about 2, and our rooms were ready. Very nice and centrally located. Walked with Nancy to the Old Town Square with its Christmas Market. Most beautiful city so far. Came back to shower before our concert. Walked to the Rudolfinum. It was excellent if short (only one hour). Came back and had an autumn game dinner at U Korbele—delicious cream of deer soup with cepes and pheasant breast with foie gras sauce. Early to bed.

Monday, Dec. 4 PragueSightseeing this morning includes thousand-year-old Hradcany Castle, the Old Town, the Jewish ghetto and many other major sights. The afternoon and evening are free to continue exploring on your own or to do more shopping in the Christmas markets with their tempting assortment of handicrafts, toys, wood carvings, and ornaments. (BB) Best things to do for free: Wake up before dawn and catch the sunrise from the Charles Bridge. It’s probably the only time you’ll see the ancient stones and statues without a whirlwind of tourists, and the stillness of the city at that golden hour adds a magical touch. When the day ends, stroll around the vast green spaces at Letna park and Petrin Hill, across the Vltava River from the Old Town, as the sun dips below the city’s rooftips and skyscraping spires. Don’t take a taxi without agreeing on the price before getting in. Instead use public transportation and buy a travel pass (8-k for one day). Pragueis eminently walkable. I got up at 6 to go to the Charles Bridge and had a good walk. The sun didn’t really come up til after 8, so I didn’t have quite the views I was hoping for. Did the tour, then split up. I went to find the street with the house signs and Dottie went on the concentration camp tour. Met and had dinner at a little place on an alley and then she went back and I went on a ghost tour of Old Town—much fun, with ghosts popping out at odd times.

Tuesday, Dec. 5 Depart PragueTransfer to the airport for your onward flight. Extra nights are available if you wish to extend your stay in Europe. Uncrowded flight home. We were able to spread out. Jerry met us and we got home, tired, but happy