Follow Luelle and I on an exiting Old World River Cruise through France!

Actually this blog will cover two cruises on French Rivers.   First we did the Bordeaux Cruise on the River Royale.   That meant flying non-stop from our Dulles airport to Paris and then to Bordeaux.    An alternative would have been flying to Paris and then getting the train down to Bordeaux.

After the Bordeaux cruise, we flew to Marseilles for the Burgundy and Provence cruise.   Once again, the train would have been an option.  Uniworld cruises always include transfers to and from the airport.  It’s nice to get off the plane and be met by a smiling Uniworld  person who directs you straight to the bus and straight to the ship.   Same thing when you leave.   They deliver you straight to the Airport, handling the bags both ways.   It’s nice to not have to think about catching the right train or tram or taxi.    But usually you will want to do something either before or after your cruise.    Many folks on this trip are doing a few nights in Paris before or after their cruise.    Then you have a lot of options,  plane, train, or rental car.    If you’re interested, Luelle knows the connections and has some opinions about the best way to avoid jet lag and arrive rested.

To view pictures of our Bordeaux Cruise click here.

To view pictures of our Burgundy and Provence Cruise click here.

This map shows these two cruise locations in France.

The Bordeaux cruise goes up two rivers which join in the estuary, the Dordogne and the Garonne.    The Burgundy and Provence cruise goes up the Rhone River from Marseille to Lyon.

Here’s the River Royale docked in Bordeaux.

 

Here’s the Catherine at her inaugural cruise just 5 weeks ago.

Then we boarded Uniworld’s fantastic new Super Ship the S.S. Catherine through Burgundy and Provence!

Our final voyage is be aboard the S.S. Catherine was christened during an elegant ceremony on March 27, 2014.

Ship Facts

Inauguration: 2014
Length: 443 ft
Width: 37.5 ft
Voltage: 110/220 volts
Guests: 159
Staff: 57
Royal Suite: 1 (410 sq ft)
Suites: 5 (305 sq ft)
Categories 1 – 3 Staterooms: 61 (194 sq ft)
Categories 4 – 5 Staterooms: 13 (162 sq ft) Camargue Deck:
• All Suites and Category 1 staterooms and have full open-air balconies that with the touch of a button raises the glass to create a completely enclosed conservatory.
• Suites and the Royale Suite also offer the option for triple accommodations.
• Category 2 staterooms on this deck have French balconies.

Avignon Deck:
Staterooms have French balconies.

Check back here for more about our exciting French River Cruise Adventure!

To view our previous travel blogs select from recent posts listed at the bottom of the right sidebar of our home page.

At the end of our trip along the Danube from Bucharest to Vienna, we stopped in Amsterdam for a few days before returning home.  Actually we jetted right past home and went to California for our twice annual family reunion at Shaver Lake in the Sierra Nevada outside of Fresno.

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.

We’ve been here twice before.   So the basic tours were not too attractive.    We went on some of them anyway and found this city a lot the same ….  But also continually

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.

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.