Typically regarded as the bane of solo cruisers and travelers, single supplements normally range from 120 percent to 200 percent, depending on stateroom and itinerary. This means that a traveler cruising solo would typically have to pay near double-occupancy price. But with this latest deal from Avalon Waterways, solo travelers can get in on the river cruise of their dreams without breaking the bank.

This offer applies to bookings made before April 23, 2013 on select itineraries. Below are just a few of the voyages and departure dates applicable to this great deal:

• Blue Danube Discovery – Budapest to Nuremberg: June 15; July 21; August 24; October 27; November 2, 2013.
• Blue Danube Discovery – Nuremberg to Budapest: June 22; October 23, 2013.
• Capitals of Central Europe – Budapest to Passau: August 1, 2013.
• Capitals of Central Europe – Passau to Budapest: October 20, 2013
• Capitals of Central Europe – Prague to Budapest: October 18, 2013
• Tulip Time Cruise – Amsterdam roundtrip: May 12, 2013.
• Paris & Normandy’s Landing Beaches – Paris roundtrip: June 11, 2013.
• Tulips of Northern Holland – Amsterdam roundtrip: April 14, 2013
• Balkan Discovery – Bucharest to Budapest: June 9; July 14; August 18; October 27, 2013.
• Austrian Highlights & Bavaria – Vienna to Munich: October 14, 2013.
• The Legendary Danube – Prague to Budapest: June 19; October 20, 2013.

From the train between Amsterdam and Haarlem. I thought the contrast of the factory smokestacks and the windmills was worth a photo. There are lots of windmills in the Netherlands. Some old ones still work and many new ones like these.

One day we went on a 20 minute train ride to Haarlem.   It is a much smaller city than Amsterdam.   A very clean and nice walking town.    We had lunch outside in the square and walked around the town.

Lunch in the Haarlem City Square. You can share with the pigeons.

It was interesting seeing how the bicyclists observed (or not) the walking only streets.    The conservative bikers got off and walked their bikes.   Some younger ones zoomed along dodging pedestrians.   The mildly rebellious stood on one pedal and pushed the bike like a scooter.    Interesting.  What would you or I do?

This is the Ten Boom house just as it was used in the Dutch Resistance as a hiding and smuggling station for Jews in WWII. The watch shop is still operating on the ground floor with living quarters above. You can see the one bicyclist obeying the walking only street signs. Like most, but not all.

We could see that boating around on the many canals would be fun.   We thought of our friends Steve and Debbie.  I’m sure they’ll be on Netherlands canals one of these days.

One thing we wanted to see in Haarlem was the Corrie Ten Boom house and museum.   The Ten Boom family had been part of the Dutch Resistance in World War II.   They hid and transported many Jews and others who were being hunted by the Nazi regime.   Over 800 people went thru their house before they were caught and sent to concentration camps.

She is stepping out of the hiding place thru a cutaway that was added later. An architect was retained to make a false wall with a space behind it. When the Nazis came, there were several in the hiding place. They remained quiet for 47 hours and finally escaped through the roof. Can you see the entrance? The Nazis couldn't either.

Corrie was the only one of the family to survive the camps and spent the next 40 years speaking and writing about her experience.   The movie “The Hiding Place” is about their experiences hiding Jews from the Nazis and in the camps after their capture.     The original house with the Hiding Place is open as a museum.   The downstairs is still the Ten Boom Watchmakers store, which was papa Ten Boom’s occupation.

Entry door to the Hiding Place

It was interesting reading reviews in Trip Advisor before we went.   Some people felt that the message was too evangelistic for them … and some Jewish visitors felt their history was being exploited.    With our particular tour guide, we saw no validity for either of those complaints.   There were some Jewish people on the tour and they seemed pleased and added some commentary.    The message by the volunteer tour guide was simply what these people did and that they risked their lives to follow Jesus teaching to help people and resist evil.

This is what you see in the alley. It will tell you what time the next tour in your language will be.

One example that she shared was that Papa Ten Boom, the watchmaker, would have been allowed to stay in his home because he was over 80 years old.  The only requirement was that he must promise not to smuggle any more Jews.    He said, “If someone comes to me and needs my help, I will help them”    The SS officer said, “OK then, You go with the rest of them.”  and he was loaded onto the train to the camps.   With the harsh treatment he was dead in two weeks.   People of any faith can recognize that as the actions of true faith, not a faith of convenience.

One other example that would test anyone’s faith came later when Corrie was speaking and sharing her testimony and a man came out of the audience.  She recognized him as the guard who had beat her and her sister in the concentration camps.   He had become a Christian and  had found forgiveness from God, but was now asking for her forgiveness.   She prayed and said, “God, I can’t do this.  You need to help me.”    And he did.    Isn’t that what God is about.  Doing the impossible.

Tours are an hour long and limited to 25 people due to the tight quarters.

There are no reservations so the first thing to do is go to the house and a sign will say when the next tour in your language will be.  Then go about 50 yards to the city square for lunch or go walk along the canals.

In the Ten Boom Living Room. Our tour guide, on the stool was a volunteer who did an excellent job explaining the part that Corrie and this house played in the Dutch Resistance in WW II

There is no admission fee, but Corrie’s books are for sale in the dining room and donations are accepted.   When you are in Amsterdam for a few days, a short train trip down to Haarlem and the Corrie Ten Boom museum is definitely worthwhile.

Looking across the Danube to the New City of Vienna.

changing and interesting enough to justify another look, especially at another time of year.  Last time we were here was the “Christmas Markets” cruise.

We skipped the Vienna Mozart Concert, having been there last time … but were able  to tell a few folks with back problems that the chairs are hard and packed in tight. (for photos, see previous blog & albums)

Church right across the street from where the River Ships dock.

This is truly a case where the people in charge are resting on laurels of previous generations and they dont care much for the comfort of the consumer… they figure it was good enough in the 1800’s … it’’s good enough for today.   And there’s no competition … yet. Since every single person complained of the hard chairs and tight quarters … I’ll bet a place with good accoustics and comfortable chairs  would do very well here.

Gustav Klimpt exhibition at the Belvedere Palace.  

His art was a departure from the type of works popular in the late 1800’s in Europe … bringing a greater sensuality to his works and forgoing all depth perspective except on the subject.    The conservative art critics were harsh and unaccepting of this new style.

Headquarters of the Secession movement of modern artists started by Gustav Klempt ... still in use today.

So Klimpt withdrew from the Artists Union and  became the leader of the Secession movement of European Artists from the Snobbish Circle of Artists of the 19^th century.   Historians consider him the father of Modern Art.   See the famous Art Nouveau building that still houses his Association

"The Kiss" was Klempt's first piece of this style that caused an uproar in European Art Circles.

Another example of Klempt's "Golden Period"

Some facts we learned about him: He avoided the social scene & stayed to himself & never gave interviews.  He travelled only for art inspiration, one of which were early Christian Mosaics.  He worked hard, morning till nite … His only social outlet was his artist’s secessionst group which he continued with his whole life.  And his female models…  With whom he fathered 14 children.  He never married, but had one life long companion, who historians think was possibly lesbian.

There are several more examples of his work in the Photo Album.   Pull down “Photos” on the banner menu and then choose Vienna 2012.   Some of these works have recently sold for over $50,000,000.00 apiece!

Prince Eugene.

Physically weak and unattractive, Eugene was rejected by the French for military service, but he was determined on a military career, so he moved to Austria and became their most famous and undefeated General.

Prince Eugene of Savoy, Austria's ugly but undefeated general.

He was never defeated by the Turks, even when confronted with much larger armies.   Turns out he was a military genius, gathering his captains the night before and making plans and alternate plans.   In battle, he would start in one direction, then after the Turks had ordered their counter attack, he would have the Austrian army completely change directions.   And with these tactics, his forces were never defeated.   “Blessed are the Flexible…..”

The Vienna Ferris Wheel

has been a landmark for nearly 100 years.   It takes  20 minutes  to make the complete circle and the cabins carry 15 people.

The Vienna Ferris Wheel. Each car holds 15 people and the cycle takes 20 minutes.

People have done unique things in those 20 minutes …  have a meal,   get married… ??

The National Library   

The National Library houses one of the largest collections in the world … Over 8 million volumes …many of which are very old, even a large papyrus collection.   To access these old books you must be a certified academic and can only read the books in a special reading room and wear gloves.

One of 70 posters marketing Austrian Tourism in the early 20th century.

There was an exhibit of austrian tourism posters from 1900 – 1970.   After that, television and other media replaced the poster, but it was interesting to see the development of the number one method of tourism marketing in the first half of the 20^th century.

Our guide had a masters degree in art history, and was a good story teller.   On tours like this the  local guides make or break the value of the tour.   Uniworld does a good job of selecting their local guides.

Here our guide is doing a sound check before we head into town ... with the earpiece that we have in one ear ... so that we dont have to stay tightly bunched and they dont have to shout.

Most had advanced degrees and were passionate about their city and country.   Stuff that’s pretty hard to get from just a guidebook.    In asking this Vienna guide about all the graffiti, she said it was mainly just youths, not so much gangs, like in some US cities.  She said that the authorities dont do much about petty crimes because they dont want to be seen as “harsh”    Even the ordinance requiring dog owners to clean up their dog poop … the city refused to enforce … until a mother got tired of it and got 145,000 signatures.  Only then would the city begin to enforce the law.  All for not wanting to be seen as harsh & authoritarian.   Perhaps understandable after a heavy dosage of harshness under Hitler and Communism …. Interesting.

In addition "George" our keyboardist, Local talent came on board when we were in towns for the evening.

On Board Entertainment.

The on board entertainment is at the opposite end of the spectrum compared to the big Ocean Cruise ships.   Where they have lots of options every night, the river cruise ships usually have a keyboardist who plays every afternoon and evening.   Except when special local folklore groups come on board and play.   Most people come on river cruises for the destinations rather than the entertainment and after the tours and free time roaming, dont need a lot of entertaining.   There are also special lecturers on topics of interest … like our History professor who gave a great lecture on the war(s) in the Balkans including the recent Kosovo war.    She used the metaphor of making a stew, using many ingredients, mixed in over time, with lot’s of stirring, and pressure.   It was a good overview of 1500 years of history of this area.   One fact that was new to me was that the Turkish Sultans maintained a level of religeous tolerance.

The subway is easy to use and is perhaps the cleanest we've been in.

They didn’t even want full conversion to Islam … because the Christians and Jews were taxed higher and had to do the less desireable jobs.   Like defend the frontier and fight in the Sultan’s army.   So changing religeons became for some a matter of expedience that would change with the many regime changes this crossroads area has seen over the centuries.    Our historian suggested that the “corruption” that Eastern European countries are known for is an extension of the people’s skill at working outside normal channels that they have developed in order to survive the many changes over these many centuries.

Dining.   

Like the Entertainment, the dining is limited.   There are no specialty restaurants like on the big ships.  But the food onboard Uniworld ships has been excellent.    Our chef on the River Princess was from Portugal and had trained in France and Italy.   He favored Italy and it showed in his offerings.

George and Lianna, two doctors from Rumania. She was the official doctor. He and I were protecting our wives from pirates. ... And having a good holiday!

Perhaps the best thing about the dining room is that it’s the place where you meet people from all over the world.   This trip we met a lot of people from Australia, Canada and England, as well as from lots of places in the US.     We met the the ship’s doctors, who we shared several dinners and bus rides with.    Lianna was an internist from Rumania as the official doctor on board.  Her husband George was also a doctor, a psychiatrist who came along … kind of like me.    We joked that in both our cases, Uniworld was getting two for the price of one …. And that George could fix us if the tour got stressfull.

A trip to downtown Vienna wouldn't be complete without a look at St Stephen's Cathedral. It's over 1000 years old ... and eternally now in maintenance and cleaning on the exterior.

]]> http://oldworldrivercruises.com/?feed=rss2&p=2501 0 http://oldworldrivercruises.com/?p=2485 http://oldworldrivercruises.com/?p=2485#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:56:23 +0000 Dave Robinson http://oldworldrivercruises.com/?p=2485 Hungarians are crazy about their horses.   Many city dwellers even have horses which they board on farms outside of town.    Children have horse riding lessons and there are many races and equestrian competitions each year.

We learned that the Huns came down from Mongolia and settled in this area several centuries ago … but kept their horse riding traditions, and contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire.    They were from time to time part of the Austrian Hapsburg empire, the Turks and sometimes independent … as they are now, as part of the European Union.

Roman aqueduct seen thru our bus window

Hungary is definitely a unique and different people group from its neighbors.

We visited a horse farm and were treated to a Hungarian Horse Show.   The farm was on a huge island in the middle of the Danube River.   It had been thoroughly settled by the Romans in the 2^nd century and ruins from Roman times are plentiful.   The Danube was the extent of the permanent Roman Empire.    Beyond that were “the Barbarians”

There are more photos from the horse show in the Photo Album.  Click Photos in the menu bar and select the area of the tour from the pull down menu.

The Hall of Terror had been used by the Nazis until their defeat in WWII. Then the USSR took over the building and continued the Terror. The museum shows the techniques and victims of both totalitarian regimes.

The Thai massage was great … as was the Apple store, which had what I wanted and looked a lot like the Apple stores I go to in  Fresno and Reston.

The Hall of Terror wasn’t nice or like anything I had seen.   It turns out that it was only a few blocks further down Andrassy Avenue from the Apple store.   It is a memorial to all the victims of the Nazi and Communist secret services which opperated out of this building.

A tank is displayed in front of the wall of faces. The display starts on the second floor and descends into the basement.

Thousands were interogated, tortured, and killed or sent to concentration camps from this center.

Names and photos of victims are on display as well as renovated torture cells and command offices and hundreds of photos and live TV footage.    Mock trials with people being sentenced to death and huge parades with adulation of the leaders, etc.

I noticed two categories of tourists with reactions at opposite ends of the spectrum:

There were groups of students who were on a field trip with their class mates.   This group seemed like they were on any other field trip: chatting with each other, etc.

Then there were people who were searching for a relative on that wall of faces.   They were somber and some had tears streaming down their faces.

A torture cell, complete with whips. Other rooms had electrical connections and waffle iron like devices for extracting confessions and information

Of course there was also the largest group of all, the 99% who will never visit a memorial like this … and therefore miss the message that screams out … to those who can hear.

The Nazi’s had used this building on the prestigious Andrassy St for their interrogation and torture headquarters.   Thousands of Jews were rounded up, processed and sent to death camps from here.

When the Nazis were defeated, Hungary was considered a loser because they had originally supported Hitler. USSR was on the winning side in WWII, so they were chosen to take over the administration of Hungary.   The building on Andrassy St suited them perfectly so they continued on with the same torture and interrogation and terror that the Nazis had used.

Propaganda posters depicting happy and wealthy communists

They added a huge Big Brother watching system where informants were encouraged to turn in their friends and neighbors for the slightest word against the Communist regime.   By the time it was over, one family out of every three had a victim of the Nazi and Communist Torture Machine.

On the plane over here, I read in the USA Today about some Greeks who are unhappy with the austerity measures needed in their country.

Live footage of this Hungarian being sentenced to death after his "show trial" complete with false witnesses and a pre-determined outcome.

One interviewees reaction was to leave the Socialist Party in favor of the Communist Party.   Ugh!!   Will we never learn from history?    Actually we do learn …That the only thing we learn from history is that we dont learn from history.

This sculpture is at the end of the Hall of Terror. The viewer is left to make their own conclusions.

But for anyone who wants to hear it, the message is loud and clear about the results of these types of totalitarian governments.

Was she just posing?

The rest of my DIY tour was happier. The Apple Store is always a happy place... only a few blocks down Andrassy Street from the Hall of Terror.

Joseph Broz "Tito" Tito was the nickname of Joseph Broz. It is a derivative of the Roman -Latin, Titus

but it seems he had the people’s interest in mind more than his colleagues in neigboring countries.  (Like Romania, who overthrew their dictator in 1989 and executed him a week later.   You can see the trial and execution of Nicolai and Elena Coscesciu on You Tube.)

Tito, on the other hand, lived out his days in luxury and is loved by his people.  Curious.   He was a consumate politician,  standing up against USSR and weaving amongst western heads of state, always with the Slavic cause in mind.

We learned that he absorbed over 100 Billion in aid from the US over the years.   The reason for such a high investment was to provide a buffer between USSR and Western Europe.   Our guide told a story of Tito riding with a driver who came to an intersection and asked if he should turn right or left.   To which Tito responded,  Signal left and turn right.   Chuckles.    But maybe the story is instructive about how Tito and Yugoslavia thrived in the Cold War World.

One of his hallmarks was his baton carrying youth brigade.   Like Olympic torch carriers, the youth would carry lighted torches from town to town … carrying the message of Yugoslav National Identity.

Batons were carried all across Yugoslavia proclaiming unity. It was a masterful rallying campaign and kept disparate parties together throughout Tito's lifetime.

This was to rebuild the identity that had been pieced and parcelled by the Turks and the Hapsburgs over previous centuries.    His funeral was the 3^rd largest funeral of a national leader of the entire century.

His efforts to hold together the state of Yugoslavia ultimately failed and the tension of the different people groups became the recent war in Kosovo.   Our guides didn’t really acknowledge a cause or a perpetrator.

The King and Queen have just come back from many years of exile and re-claimed their palace. They are figurehead and diplomatic rulers only, hosting parties and administrating charities, etc. Luelle got their autographs!

Several have been tried and sentenced for war crimes for their parts.  You can google it for various explanations.

All the tours feature local guides. Here Marco is showing the historical events that happened in this Square.

Many western and other nations sent aid money and most of the country looks new … with some old buildings that were not bombed, along with the rest of the ones that are waiting to be re-built.

Machine Gun and Mortar Fire remnants on this building ... 20 years later. It's still waiting for renovation ... or maybe it's being kept this way as a reminder - not to do that again. Not a bad idea!

Some wont ever be re-built as the small towns are mostly being “de-populated” … As the younger people are moving into the big cities.   It is the same thing that happens in Middle American small towns that were centered around the family farm.   We stopped at a large home that had a special room and they served local snacks along with the specialty of the area, a plum brandy, that was about 100 proof.

Our host posing with a Buso mask.

They said it could be used as an antibiotic … and the ship’s doctor who was with us smiled and confirmed that if you had bad bugs, that it would kill them!   That’s also where we learned of the legend of the Buso masks, the Buso marches and parades that continue to this day.    Every year the Buso parade is the single biggest tourist and civic event of the year.   People dress up in masks, commemorating, as legend has it, the time when 600 young displaced Hungarians dressed up in scary masks and chased the Turks out of their country after 160 years.   The actual history is a little different, requiring the army of Russia and the Hapsburgs to accomplish that task … but the legend makes for a better festival  and the locality has made it the centerpiece of their tourism.

Reminds me of my girls back home.

It turns out that the home had just been finished two weeks before by Marco and his parents, who had purpose built it to entertain tour bus loads of tourists.   Kind of like a Bed and Breakfast.   We were then treated to a country lunch prepared by another local family … who were also a certified B&B.   The lunch was good.   The farmer and his wife spoke no English and we spoke no Hungarian.   But with a little interpretation and good food, plenty of communication was able to happen.    They had a little farm with some chickens, goats and a few pigs as well as about an acre of garden.

The War Memorial alongside the Danube River, Commemorating all the lives lost in the recent war.

Marco showed us a shoe factory where his grandfather had worked during the Communist time.   Marco remembers his grandfather saying about work in that place, “ We pretended to work … And they pretended to pay us.”     When asked, he said that the preference for Communism and the present system is split.  Especially some of the older people preferred Communism.

Current Borders in Eastern Europe

Currently there is about 30% unemployment.   In communism, there was no unemployment.   Whereas that 30%  who are now unemployed … In communism they would all be “employed” – with the famous ineficiency.   On that tour we also saw some early “indoor plumbing”   It was a hole in the floor of a second or third floor overhanging room.   It was more for safety and not having to go outside than the sanitation aspect.   But for 300 years ago, I suppose it was ahead of its time.     Belgrade This is a beautiful town at the confluence of two rivers,  The Danube and Sava rivers join here.    Unfortunately that made this a prize city for the warring leaders throughout the last several milenia.   Belgrade is in the middle, between the East and the West, so from time to time lot’s of generals thought that their country should control it.    The city was the site of 600 major battles and was overthrown 44 times in the modern era, resulting in over 6 million deaths … just in that one city.   This trip is alerting me to how bloody and inhuman us humans can be.

Going through all these countries and getting off the ship and going into town and talking with the local guides and the local people in the streets gives a perspective unavailable by just reading about it … or especially by just watching the soundbites on CNN.

Thousands of Icons and frescos adorn the interior of this church

The first thing I noticed was the difference between Turkey and Romania, right next door.   Turkey is 99% Muslim, whereas Romania is 85% Greek Orthodox.  The countries developed along with their religions and when politicians, dictators, kings and conquorers tried to take over a land and force a religion change … it never worked out very well.

Orthodox Church Exterior.

Forced conversions usually lead to heretical versions of the original … plus wars, persecution and human misery.

In Bulgaria, the Ottoman Turks took over and the country was Moslem for 500 years, but there was always a remnant of Orthodox Christians.  Rather than totally outlawing the religion, the Christians were taxed extra and forced into less desirable occupations.

The Circle of Life Fresco with the 12 Zodiac signs and the wide trail to Hell.

Also they were not allowed to build cathedrals or buildings that look like churches.   This rule applied to the outside of the buildings, but not the inside, So we went to a church that looked like a warehouse on the outside … but it had over 4000 icons and frescos on the inside.   You can “see” most of the Bible in the pictures.   These icons and frescos transmitted the faith from generation to generation through all the centuries when few people could read the written scriptures.   See photos.

In that church tour we were treated to an acapella choir who did Gregorian music.   And a “church lady” who explained many of the icons and frescos to us.   She was very good and with her explanation, you could see many of the familiar Bible stories.

The one thing that seemed to be missing,  was the New Testament doctrine of grace and forgiveness.   Perhaps it’s just a difficult concept to put into a painting.   Think about it,  How would you paint Grace without any words or captions?

But the church lady’s conclusion from the icons was that you need to work hard to be good and if you did, you would go to heaven and if not you would go straight to Hell …  (See the circle of life photo … which doesn’t leave room for the Biblical understanding of redemption and grace for all the prodigals who fall short of perfection … (like me.)

White Limestone cliffs along the Danube. The trees are all re-forestation and many are considered "invasive" ... being where they dont belong. The government is trying to plant back the original species ... but it is a huge project and not at the top of the list in these economic times.

June 8, 2012 …The Danube is a lot wider here than up closer to its headwaters like we’ve seen in Germany and Austria.   The captain says this is the Golden Depth … not too high, not too low.    So we make it under the bridges easily and dont hit the bottom.

Like a "Mile Marker" It's a Kilometer marker ... We are 966 km from where the Danube dumps into the Black Sea.

There are few bridges here … we go many miles between bridges … perhaps a measure of the relative prosperity … more in the West, less in the East… where Communism was.

Some facts from the Captain’s Nautical talk.

The ship is a little longer than a football field.

If built today, it would cost about $30 million Euros

The River Princess was born in 2001

Our Captain was born in 1967… Both in the Netherlands.

His mother and father were captains.   He grew up on a river ship.

He has been captaining the River Princess for seven years.

His work schedule is 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

He has a home in Germany and also Budapest, where his wife is from.

He is a “European” comfortable to live and work anywhere in Europe.

River Princess has just been renovated….Uniworld renovates all their ships every 4 years.

2 1100 horsepower Duetz diesel engines … They consume about 105 gallons of diesel fuel per hour at full throttle.   Each powers a rotatable prop.   Those rotatable props steer the ship.   There are no rudders.   A joy stick controls the propellers … No conventional steering wheel.

The marker system on the rivers of Europe is opposite of the US: … “Red-Right-Returning,” which I learned in the US Navy.

Iron Gate Lock and Hydro project1964 – 1972   

We just went thru the first of the “Iron Gate” locks.   See photo.  These locks are a lot wider than the ones up river and in France.  These will take a lot wider ship or barges doubled up.

A Yugoslavian and Romanian project embarked on by their dictators at that time.  It created a reservoir that inundated towns and villages 100 kilometers up river.  25,000 people had to be re-located.    New towns are called New_______ … New Moldova etc.

This church on the (formerly) treacherous part of the Danube is home of the patron saint of sailors and fishermen.

A Cliff Rock Carving of King Decebalos, who defeated the Roman invaders and kept this area for the original Serbian tribes for 40 more years. Unfortunately for them, the Romans came back with superior forces and conquered this area and made the Danube the Northern boundary of the Roman Empire.

The Iron Gate project doubled each countries hydroelectric output.   Two thousand MegaWatts, with  6 hydro turbines for Yugoslavia (Now Serbia) & 6 hydro turbines for Romania.The project was one of the largest in the world.  The lock has two stages, each of which raise the boat about 45 feet.      That 90 feet of elevation takes out many dangerous rapids and sand bars.   What used to take 4 days with a lot of danger and lost cargo  & ships and lives … now is a gentle sail of only a few hours.

The cabins on the River Princess have all been completely renovated and will be a comfortable home for the next ten days.

This Uniworld ship has been freshly renovated … Uniworld does that every 4 years … so the interior is all brand new.

The drive from the airport to Bucharest and then to the River was interesting … mainly because our guide was an older gentleman who had lived through the communist times and was very eloquent at sharing about life under communism, the revolution, joining the EU and life today in Romania.   We learned that Romania had been the bread basket of Europe before the communist 45 year experience.

The Rumanian Parliament, still the second largest building in the world.

The communism in each of these satellite countries was flavored by their respective leaders.   In Rumania it was Nicolae Ceausescu.  It seems that he became more and more disconnected from reality as his reign went on.    Two of his actions were concluding that Rumania needed more workers so he tried to force women to have more babies.   This led to orphanage overload.   Now I know why so many were involved in adopting Rumanian children.

As the economy dwindled and people were starving,  Ceausescu ordered the construction of the largest building in the world for his parliament.    The parliament is there, but it is still half empty.

A sculpture making a satirical comment about about Ceausescu and Communism.

His people finally got tired of starving and being lied to, and overthrew him in December of 1989.   They captured him and after a hurried trial executed him by firing squad.