Wednesday May 9 - Durnstein Austria

As per our itinerary:
Wednesday May 9 - Melk Abbey
This morning arrive in Durnstein, and enjoy free time to stroll this quintessential village in the heart of the Wachau wine district. Continue cruising late this morning and relax on board as you sail through the scenic Wachau Valley. Later, enjoy a guided tour of the historic Benedictine Abbey in Melk, considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. On the tour you will have the opportunity to view the abbot's chambers, the Kaiser's walk and the library. Depart this evening just before dinner.
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Melk Abbey

Wordless Wednesday - Birmingham England

I'm linking up over here. 

Tuesday May 8 - Vienna, Austria

As per our itinerary:
Tuesday May 8 - Full day in Vienna
Your morning tour of Vienna begins with a drive along the famed Ringstrasse, Vienna's main boulevard. View the hub of the Hapsburg Empire, and walk the courtyards to view sites such as the Vienna State Opera House, Parliament and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

Optional: Schonbrunn Palace Tour (PM) - BOOKED

Enjoy a guided tour of Schonbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the Hapsburg emperors. Our tour includes a visit to the magnificent baroque apartments and free time to stroll through the magnificent garden grounds. 

Optional: Classical Viennese Concert (PM)

Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ruby Tuesday

I'm posting today over at Ruby Tuesday 2.

Tomorrow, May 9 is the biggest holiday in Russia. It celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Last year we were in Moscow and had a hotel room directly overlooking the tanks as they rolled down the street to Red Square.

We later walked down to Red Square where everyone was out celebrating. The streets were closed to traffic and it was just an amazing sight.

Monday May 7 - Bratislava, Slovakia

As per our itinerary:

Monday May 7- Bratislava City Tour

Cruise to Bratislava, the Slovakian capital with its charming old town and castle.
This morning enjoy scenic sailing and lunch onboard. Arrive in Bratislava this afternoon. Enjoy a guided tour of Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, which ranks among the youngest capital cities of Europe, yet retains a rich history dating back more than 2000 years. Walk through the historic town center, characterized by its Gothic-Baroque architecture, and view such sites as St. Martin’s Cathedral, the Town Hall and the Franciscan church, which dates to the 13th century. This evening set sail for Vienna.
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

SLOVAKIA

Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia is a city of some 450,000 inhabitants located on the river Danube, some 60 km East of Vienna, Austria.

 
 

Macro Monday

Macro Monday is hosted by Lisa at Lisa's Chaos.

On a building within the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia

Originally a Byzantine symbol, the double-headed eagle was adopted by the Russian tsars as their own. One eagle head represents the East and the other represents the West. The horseman in the middle has been described as St. George. The orb and scepter are grasped in the eagle's claws. Above the eagle's heads is the crown.

Now the double-headed eagle is on the coat of arms of the Russian Federation. The double-headed eagle you see here is the modern version; the double-headed eagle insignia that was used by the Tsars had some slight differences.

These symbols can be found on many buildings around Russia.

Mellow Yellow Monday

I'm posting over here today.

Taken at the Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool England.

Mosaic Monday- Bird's Eye View

Posting at Mosaic Monday

I created this layout a few years ago when we were still living in our house.

Scenic Sunday

Taken in Vancouver BC.

Sunday May 6 - MS Sound of Music

As per our itinerary:
Sunday May 6- Embarkation
Enjoy the morning at leisure before transferring to your ship. Embarkation begins at 3 pm. Tonight, enjoy a gala welcome dinner on board as you set sail from Budapest at 9pm
Optional: Budapest Jewish Interest Tour (AM) NOT BOOKED
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We have the morning and early afternoon to ourselves. We didn't book the optional tour as we have a tour booked in Prague to visit the Jewish district.

This is our home as we sail along to Danube.

I gathered some more information on the ship and have posted it below.

If you know me you know that I am a huge Sound of Music fan so it will be exciting to be aboard her.
Photos are from Cruising Holidays until I can post some of my own. We have an outside room with a balcony on the Danube deck!

Cabins
A	Danube Deck Outside Cabin with French Balcony (Cabins are 165 sq. ft with 43 sq. ft Sliding Doors)
B	Rhine Deck Outside Cabin with Panoramic Window (Cabins are 195 sq. ft with 16 sq. ft. Windows)
C	Rhine Deck Outside Cabin with Panoramic Window (Cabins are 165 sq. ft with 29 sq. ft Windows that can be opened)
D	Rhine Deck Outside Cabin with Panoramic Window (Cabins are 165 sq. ft with 16 sq. ft Windows)
E	Mosel Deck Outside Cabin with Window (Cabins are 128 sq. ft. with 8 sq. ft Windows)

*Cabins 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 301, 302, 305, 306, 309, 310, 314, 315, 318, 319, 323 have a double bed that cannot be separated.

Ship Specifications
Length	110m
Width	11.4m
Cabins	64
Passengers	128
Crew	42

Launched in 2006, the MS Sound of Music offers a worldclass cruising experience. A limited number of guests on board means you’ll enjoy superior levels of comfort, increased space and the undivided attention of our crew.

In the Public Areas On Board

• The largest wellness and spa area of any ship on Europe’s waterways
• Stylish Turkish bath, massage and beauty parlour
• Fitness centre and a peaceful library
• Three outside deck areas
• Convenient Internet Station
• Complimentary bikes for on-shore exploration

In-suite Facilities

• French balcony suites on Danube Deck
• Full ensuite bathrooms
• Plush, cosy bedding
• In-suite television and movies

Cabin Facilities

• French balcony suites

• Plush bedding

• Huge wellness & spa area

• Full ensuite bathrooms

• In suite television & movies

• Nightly entertainment on board

• No suites over the engine

Saturday May 5 - Budapest

As per our itinerary:
Saturday May 5 - Budapest City Tour

Your morning tour of Budapest begins in Pest and views such sights as the Parliament, City Park and Heroes Square. Cross the river to Buda to see the Royal Palace, Matthias Church and the graceful medieval architecture that lines the traditional cobbled streets. Explore the city on your own this afternoon
Optional: Dinner and Show in Budapest
Overnight: Budapest
Meals: Breakfast

Budapest is the capitol of Hungary with a vast amount of dramatic architecture. The city is divided by the River Danube (Buna) with the Buda Hills to the west and the Great Plain (Pest) to the east.
Much of present day Budapest dates to the 19th century. The city is Hungary's main administrative centre, and one of the world's top tourist attractions.

Breakfast was included at the hotel and we then joined the morning tour of Budapest.

We'll have the afternoon to ourselves to stroll.

Friday May 4 - Budapest

We will be flying from Copenhagen to Budapest today landing at 3:15 PM. Gate 1 will escort us to our hotel and we'll spend the rest of the day getting acquainted with the city.

Dinner -

As per our itinerary:

Arrive in Budapest

Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink at your hotel. 

Corinthia Hotel Budapest
Erzsebet Korut 43-49 : Budapest 1073 : HUNGARY

The Grand Royal is a carefully restored 18th century hotel with modern amenities. The public spaces offer unique historic grandeur with opulence and a wealth of architectural details. The Royal Spa offers a refurbished 19th century spa with all modern and deluxe amenities.

 

Situated in the heart of Budapest within a mile of sites such as: Heroes' Square, Budapest Castle, Gellert Thermal Baths, Jewish Quarter, Opera House, and Vaci Utca (pedestrian shopping street). The closest bus stop just a two minute walk away and the closest metro a ten minute walk.

Overnight: Budapest

My Recipe Box - Pork Stew with Beer

Here is another favourite of ours that's been in the recipe box for a long time.

2 pounds pork boneless shoulder
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 red Serrano chili, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans or bottles (12 ounces each) beer
1 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Trim fat from pork. Cut port into 1-inch cubes. Heat oil in 4-quart dutch oven until hot. Cook pork in oil over medium heat about 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until all liquid is evaporated and pork is brown; remove with slotted spoon. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the Dutch oven.
Cook onion and garlic in Dutch oven, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes with juice, chili, cilantro, oregano, salt and cumin; break up tomatoes. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Stir in pork and beer. heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in bell pepper. heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 25 minutes or until pork is tender and sauce is thickened; skim off fat.

14 Day Danube River Cruise

Since we will be in transit today from Copenhagen to join our Gate 1 tour in Budapest I am posting our schedule for the next fourteen days.


Friday May 4 - Fly to Budapest from Copenhagen

Fri 04/05/2012

Norwegian Air Shuttle

DY 3550 Economy

13:25 Copenhagen Airp. Terminal 2

15:15 Budapest Ferihegy Terminal 1

Arrive in Budapest
Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink at your hotel. 

Corinthia Hotel Budapest
Erzsebet Korut 43-49 : Budapest 1073 : HUNGARY

The Grand Royal is a carefully restored 18th century hotel with modern amenities. The public spaces offer unique historic grandeur with opulence and a wealth of architectural details. The Royal Spa offers a refurbished 19th century spa with all modern and deluxe amenities.

 

Situated in the heart of Budapest within a mile of sites such as: Heroes' Square, Budapest Castle, Gellert Thermal Baths, Jewish Quarter, Opera House, and Vaci Utca (pedestrian shopping street). The closest bus stop just a two minute walk away and the closest metro a ten minute walk.

Overnight: Budapest

Saturday May 5 - Budapest City Tour
Your morning tour of Budapest begins in Pest and views such sights as the Parliament, City Park and Heroes Square. Cross the river to Buda to see the Royal Palace, Matthias Church and the graceful medieval architecture that lines the traditional cobbled streets. Explore the city on your own this afternoon
Optional: Dinner & Show in Budapest
Overnight: Budapest
Meals: Breakfast

Sunday  May 6- Embarkation
Enjoy the morning at leisure before transferring to your ship. Embarkation begins at 3 pm. Tonight, enjoy a gala welcome dinner on board as you set sail from Budapest at 9pm
Optional: Budapest Jewish Interest Tour (AM)

Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Monday May 7- Bratislava City Tour
This morning enjoy scenic sailing and lunch onboard. Arrive in Bratislava this afternoon. Enjoy a guided tour of Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, which ranks among the youngest capital cities of Europe, yet retains a rich history dating back more than 2000 years. Walk through the historic town center, characterized by its Gothic-Baroque architecture, and view such sites as St. Martin’s Cathedral, the Town Hall and the Franciscan church, which dates to the 13th century. This evening set sail for Vienna.
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tuesday May 8 - Full day in Vienna
Your morning tour of Vienna begins with a drive along the famed Ringstrasse, Vienna's main boulevard. View the hub of the Hapsburg Empire, and walk the courtyards to view sites such as the Vienna State Opera House, Parliament and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
Optional: Schonbrunn Palace Tour (PM) - BOOKED

Enjoy a guided tour of Schonbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the Hapsburg emperors. Our tour includes a visit to the magnificent baroque apartments and free time to stroll through the magnificent garden grounds. 

Optional: Classical Viennese Concert (PM)
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wednesday May 9 - Melk Abbey
This morning arrive in Durnstein, and enjoy free time to stroll this quintessential village in the heart of the Wachau wine district. Continue cruising late this morning and relax on board as you sail through the scenic Wachau Valley. Later, enjoy a guided tour of the historic Benedictine Abbey in Melk, considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. On the tour you will have the opportunity to view the abbot's chambers, the Kaiser's walk and the library. Depart this evening just before dinner.
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Thursday May 10- Afternoon in Passau
This morning the ship will make a brief technical stop to drop off passengers joining the optional tour to Salzburg. The ship will continue sailing, and arrive to Passau this afternoon where remaining guests will have the opportunity to explore the city independently. Most well known for St. Stephen's Cathedral and its historic Altstatd, or Old City district, the city boasts many fine examples of Baroque and Gothic architecture. In the early evening, all passengers will rejoin the ship and set sail for Regensburg just before dinner.
Optional: Full Day Tour of Salzburg - BOOKED

Full day excursion to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and famous cultural setting for the Sound of Music. Once ashore, enjoy a walking city tour to see some of the most historic sights for which Salzburg is known, including Mirabella Palace, the house where Mozart lived, Nonnberg Abbey, Salzburg Cathedral, and St. Peter's Cemetery. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and time at leisure to explore the streets of Salzburg on your own. Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Friday May 11- Full Day in Regensburg
Enjoy a walking tour of Regensburg, built in 179 BC by the Romans, today it stands as one of the largest and most well preserved cities in Bavaria. The tour includes such sights as the Old Town Hall, the Dom St. Peter, the Roman Gates at Porta Pretoria, and one of the oldest stone bridges over the Danube. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure and depart for Nuremberg just after dinner.
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Saturday May 12 - Afternoon in Nuremberg
Today, enjoy the morning at leisure on board. After lunch, join a guided tour of Nuremberg that includes such sights as the Palace of Justice, the Market Square and the Church of Our Lady. After the tour, stroll through the shops on your own before returning to the ship for the Captain's Farewell Dinner.
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sunday May 13 - Afternoon in Prague
This morning disembarkation will end at 9:30 am. Drive to Prague and arrive to your hotel in the early afternoon. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

Marriott Hotel
V Celnici 10 : Prague 110 00 : CZECH REPUBLIC

Comfortable rooms are decorated in stylish and luxurious contemporary furnishings in rich colors. The Grand Royal is a carefully restored 18th century hotel with modern amenities. The public spaces offer unique historic grandeur with opulence and a wealth of architectural details. The Royal Spa offers a refurbished 19th century spa with all modern and deluxe amenities. 
 

The hotel is ideally located in the very heart of Prague only a short distance from Old Town Square and the beautifully restored Obecni Dum. The nearest metro station, the Namesti Republiky, is 1 block from the hotel and travels on mile into the center of Prague. The Masarykove Nadrazi is the nearest train station and is less than a mile from the hotel.

Overnight: Prague
Meals: Breakfast

Monday May 14 - Prague City Tour
A morning tour of Prague includes a visit to the Royal Hradcany Castle district, former residence of the Bohemian Kings. Enjoy magnificent views of the Charles Bridge and Lesser Town below and see the elegant courtyards, St George Basilica and the St. Vitus Cathedral. Continue to the Jewish Quarter, and the Old Town Square to view the famous Astronomical Clock and the Town Hall. Balance of the day at leisure.

Optional: Terezin (PM) - BOOKED

Visit the site of the Nazi camp of Terezin, a place of suffering and inhumanity for over 150,000 prisoners. On arrival, walk the camp's ghettos where more than 35,000 Jews lost their lives. The tour includes visits to the Memorial of National Martyrdom, the Small Fortress, and the Museum of Ghetto. Overnight: Prague
Meals: Breakfast

Tuesday May 15- Day at leisure in Prague
Enjoy the day at leisure to explore Prague on your own
Optional: Full Day Cesky Krumlov - BOOKED

This morning, travel through the picturesque landscape of Southern Bohemia to Cesky Krumlov, a fairy-tale town with a maze of narrow cobbled streets. Declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 1992, Cesky Krumlov has earned an international reputation for its State Castle* and Chateau, one of the largest in Central Europe equipped with historical furniture, art, tapestries and richly decorated weapons. Admire the worlds oldest preserved baroque theatre in the castle garden. Enjoy a guided walk through the town and its Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance houses that originated as mansions of noblemen families - the Rožmberks, the Schwarzenbergs and the Eggenbergs. Lunch is included in a medieval tavern. 

Overnight: Prague
Meals: Breakfast

Wednesday May 16- Depart for home

This morning, transfer to the airport for your departure flight

Meals: Breakfast

Depart Prague 1:55PM to Frankfurt arriving 3:05 PM Terminal 1.

Depart Frankfurt 5:00PM arriving Toronto 7:35PM

Floral Friday Fotos

I'm posting over here today!