An Uninvited Guest

 The four of us had a FABULOUS cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, and loved every minute of it. However, when we got home, two of us discovered we were accompanied by an uninvited guest - COVID! Perhaps that's what Dianne and I had all along. The coughs and tiredness should have been a clue, but somehow we failed to even consider it. We were blissfully unawares of what we were carrying until days after we got home. Neighbor Maureen, who picked us up at the airport, suggested we test ourselves because she had come down with COVID! Sure enough, we discovered we were both positive. We were past the point at which Paxlovid could have helped, so we simply isolated for days, and took lots of naps. Now we're doing much better, and tested negative days ago. Thankfully we had been fully vaccinated, so undoubtedly that reduced our risks. Anyway, we did our best to protect ourselves, and have NO REGRETS for taking the trip! However, we may stay home for awhile - sorting photos and writing blog posts if nothing else. Check out Dianne's latest post on the Hungarian Horsemen. What FUN!!

Day XX - We're HOME!

 OH, it's so good to be home! But, what a fabulous adventure we had!! I can't wait to sift through all our photos, and gather together some more blog posts. If we add information about the past, I'll post an update to link to it so you won't miss a thing. And when Dianne (and with luck my brother) add photos, they'll hopefully add them in the date sequence of the trip. Eventually we'll also update the website so that blog and web complement each other - one is intended for current/updated information (blog) and the other for stationery pre-and post-travel information (website). And both are or will be linked to Google Photos albums. Let us know if you have suggestions on what you'd like to see here (or what needs to be removed!) And please please please - add comments! Sign in with your google account, and add any information or opinions for this privately-shared "public" blog (no sharing on social media, please).  Hope you enjoyed taking this trip with us! Can't wait to plan for the next one!!

 

Another Soliloquy

Why do I never remember that it's the PEOPLE that make all the difference?!! I start to fall asleep on the plane home and am bathed in remembrances of the delightful people I met and spent time with - Kathy and Pat (the Irish musician) from AZ (whose luggage took 5 days to arrive!), Cathy and Danny from AR, Janetta and Mark who volunteer as missionaries in El Salvador(?), Judy and Zena from Australia, our cabin stewards Chino and Lawrence, and DANIEL, the Program Director Extraordinaire! Why did I not exchange contact info with more than Kathy and Pat? And why didn't I take more close-up "portraits"? I can't wait to go through my photos when we get home, to finally SEE what I saw. But it is the people I met, and the time spent with my brother and sister-in-law: THESE are the memories that stand out for me. The cities are a blur; the buildings are interchangeable; but the people made indelible impressions. My life has been enriched. I will live off of this "feast" for many months to come. Far more nourishing than the food they served us was the experiences the delivered to us. Thank you, Viking! We created a world together, for just two weeks, and the 21 nationalities intermingled to create a smorgasbord that feeds the soul. THAT'S what I love about traveling! It's the serendipity of it all. And Sir John from Bristol - who WAS that mysterious man? Too crippled to get off the boat, he entertained dozens of us at mealtimes with his passion to travel. Such a gift we gave to ourselves, in celebration of our 50 years together! Well done, mon amí! ❤️

Martha

Sent from my iPhone

Day 15 - Heading Home

 This has been a wonderful voyage, but it’s time to head home. We’re waiting at the Amsterdam airport for our United flight, a non-stop to San Francisco. We walked as many steps today in the airport as in an “easy” walking tour of Europes great cities! Did I mention, it was raining when we left the ship this morning? Viking did a superb job of connecting 183 passengers with at least eight differing schedules of departure. I can’t say enough for their efficiency, and courtesy. And the soothing music and energetic art everywhere - it’s a top- notch tour company! 

Here are some photos from our last night and today. ❤️

Day 14 - Kinderdijk

 Kinderdijk was a fitting end to a fabulous trip with Viking River Cruises along the Danube, Main, and Rhine rivers in Europe. Dianne and I elected the optional tour of a river barge trip to see a working windmill, and we were richly rewarded. The non-profit that maintains 3 museum-mills and 16 working mills was well-designed to preserve the Netherlands traditional industry. Robert the miller showed us the inside of the mill, and Jan led us through the garden and along the dyke pathway. What a memory we’re left with - history and heritage preserved.  Kudos to Viking for leading us along these waterways. 

Day 13 - Cologne

 We played hooky! Dianne and I slept all day, and completely missed the chance to visit Cologne. However - no regrets! We visited Cologne in 2006 with Grand European Tours, and thoroughly enjoyed viewing the majesty of the cathedral, and the vibrancy of the railroad center. It would have been nice to see it again. However, enough is enough! Sometimes one needs to recognize one’s limitations, and we were TIRED! All told, we canceled 3 of our scheduled optional tours, and got reimbursed for two of them (the third was not within the 48-hour window). Here are photos of the day - the schedule, a map, a postal souvenir (from my brother) and a rainbow over the Rhine. 

Day 12 - Crashed, but still Cruisin’!

 I’m “under the weather”, and Dianne was for the past two days. But, we’re still cruisin’ along, through the most spectacular scenery. Hope Dianne is taking some photos!