Melk to Linz

Thurs.

Dec. 03
Melk, Austria

This morning we toured the charming town of Melk. A quaint village situated along the banks of the Danube River. Cobbled streets are lined with lovely buildings painted in soft pastel colours of yellow, blue, green and gold. Very charming. The highlight of the tour was a visit of the Benedictine Monastery. This large structure is home to a school run by monks and houses one of the most magnificent churches . I've never seen such opulence, rich dark wood, gilded alters and magnificent frescoes.

Today was a little less strenuous. We cruised for a while this afternoon until we pulled into Linz. After dinner we strolled along the river bank into town. The main street was lined with glittering lights and a quaint Christmas Market. Unfortunately we were a little too late as the shops and stalls were already closed for the evening. We went back to the boat just in time for a lovely sing song of Christmas carols performed by the staff of the Amalyra. What a treat. Santa showed up and had a lovely gift for everyone. Such fun.

Vienna has so many magnificent buildings and an array of architectural syles. From Roman, to Gothics. A feast for the eyes.

Sisters, Jocelyn and Louise admire the glowing lights illuminating the pedestrian walk.

The Christmas lights are like nothing I have ever seen. Such splendid creativity with flowing lights of all colours and shapes, including large trees filled with decorative lights. My favourite was a tree filled with red heart shaped lights.

Vienna

Wed. Dec. 03.

Sorry , there was no internet yesterday so I wasn't able to update the blog. Our signal strength is quite low so I'm not sure how much I can get on here today.

Yesterday was a a beautiful sunny day in Vienna. Our walking tour was brisk and very informative. We covered quite a few miles as we toured around the majestic city of Vienna. Christmas markets were found in various corners of the city and the lights, sounds and decorations were fabulous. This is a city I must come back to. Very beautiful, clean, safe and friendly. We returned to the city in the evening so we could view the splendid lights sprinkled around the city. Magnificent. Our tour of the historical Library building was wonderful, brimming with walls and walls of ancient leather bound books and fantastic frescoes on the ceiling. The rooms were magnificent pieces of art in themselves. We found a wonderful street lined with fantastic shops. It must be a good shopping area as it was filled with locals busy doing their Christmas shopping. Some of the ladies took in a concert and were treated to fabulous pieces composed by Mozart and Strauss. Our dear Betty was invited up on stage to play the triangle. She helped to create a moment in time that she and the other gals on our tour will remember always. Others visited the Christmas markets and toured the decorated pedestrian streets. So much to take in and such little time. We all agreed on one thing, this is a city we must visit again.

The ladies gathered together for a group photo with the St. Stephens Cathedral in the background. At one time this was the largest cathedral in the world.

The Parliament Buildings in Budapest are beautiful, built in the late 1800's. The architecture is magnificent.

Danube River Cruise - Day 01 - Budapest

The mulled wine, or Gluhwein is very tasty. It warms the insides and puts a pleasant smile on your face. Susan enjoyed a mug while touring the Christmas Markets.

Here we are, cruising along the Danube River. Life doesn't get much better than this. We are on the 5 star Amalyra, a beautiful, luxurious river boat. Today was Day 1 of our tours. We visited the city of Budapest, the Buda Castle, then crossed the river to Pest and browsed around in the Christmas Market. It was a balmy 12 degrees with light rain. A little bit of rain won't dampen our spirits.