Thursday, June 4, 2015

Meals and Drinks - On Board

Anyone who goes on a cruise looks forward to the dining experience but fears the weight gain.... our group was no different..... Viking's food was excellent and plentiful but luckily for us they do not go overboard as some cruise lines do.... their portions were reasonable and almost always delicious.... there were choices at every meal to suit every palate....white wine, red wine or beer are included in the price of the cruise (there is an option to upgrade to finer wines and liquor, but none of us did that).....At most meals there was an option to dine even MORE casually in the lounge area..... Here are some of the delights we experienced along the way.....
Breakfast - Options Plus Omelet Station 

Strudel Demonstration - Then Tastings 

Afternoon Tea - Scones and Yogurt 

Afternoon Tea - Cherry Strudel 

Bavarian Dinner - Beer Display 

Specialty Desserts

Artichoke Appetizer 

BLT Pinwheels 

Banana Split - Lunchtime 

Breakfast Buffet 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Friends - A Great Way to Travel

Thanks to Margaret Mary for FORCING us to make a decision early about travel with Viking.... and thanks too to her well organized travel agent.....



First Night on Board the Ship 




Margaret Mary and Garry 


Don and Kay 

The Gang's All Here 


Don in the Wachau Valley 


Don and Kay on Their Balcony 

Enjoying the Sun 

Don and John in the Lounge 

Kay Getting Some Tips in the Kitchen 


A Rainy Stroll in Budapest 


Waiting for Our Table at "21" 


Margaret Mary Serving Up the Local Liquor 



Capturing the Beauty of Schonnbrun Palace 


Her Excuse: She's From Florida! 



Wachau Valley  
Toasting to our Travels

Departure - Flight from Nuremburg to Paris to Washington, D.C.

Viking handled the departure very smoothly..... for us, leaving the ship at 7:15 by bus for the airport.... It was a Sunday so it was quiet and almost deserted....Kay noted, and I agreed, that even a solo traveler who was uncomfortable in a foreign airport would have NO trouble travelling with Viking..... they did not leave the airport until each of us had a boarding pass and knew where our gates for the planes were.... VERY efficient...


Nuremburg Souvenirs 


Never Enough EXTRA Baggage to Shop! 

Kay Gets a Little Exercise Before Boarding



Catching Up After Our Vacation



After a brief stay in Paris we were on an Air France plane headed for D.C.   A large staff tried to make the 8 hour trip palatable.... quite a task..... complimentary wine helped a little....

NOT captured in photos are the 7 children under the age of 3 travelling in our section of the plane, the 6 foot tall man with broad shoulders who sat in the seat next to us (covering his head with a blanket for most of the trip and placing his long legs under my seat), the hairy rear end of one of the harried parents who reached for his child's toy on the floor revealing LOTS right at about John's eye level nor the French lady in a window seat SHOUTING in rapid French into her cell phone LONG after it should have been turned off..........a memorably awful flight home.....

The French Open on a Big Screen in Paris Airport 

Complementary Wine and Snacks 


Great Memories of a Fabulous Trip



Monday, June 1, 2015

Nuremberg - Germany - WWII Tour

John, Garry and Don took a tour with local guide, Alexander that visited significant Nazi party sites within the city. It included the Zeppelin Field (used as a Rally location), the Palace of Justice (location of Courtroom 600 in the Nuremberg Trials) and the Documentation Center (location of the Nazi Party Congress now a Memorial).

Documentation Center (Memorial) 

Alexander Showing Historic Photos 

Display Inside Documentation Center 

The Zeppelin Field in Use (Nazi Rally) 


Zeppelin Field Today (Used for Concerts) 

Nuremberg - Germany -Neef Confectionary

While the 3 ladies were ogling some fabulous sweets, some kind gentlemen told us we could NOT pass this shop without trying something yummy. They were right!
Candy Modeled After a Sausage Sandwich 

The Bakery 

Exquisite Cakes in the Window 

Nuremberg - Germany - Toy Museum

After our walking tour we strolled around the colorful city.  We had enough time to squeeze in a short visit here.....


Model of  Town 


Amazing Detail in the Doll House Rooms