The Rhine We chose the Rhine Getaway this year with my aunt and cousin. We started in Amsterdam (extended our trip 2 days), Kinderdijk & Cologne, Marksburg, Rüdesheim, & Heidelberg, Strasbourg, the Black Forest, and Basel… but only for the morning. This was a big bummer for us as we hoped to see more of Switzerland; however, I expect it would’ve been expensive. Last year’s … Continue reading Rhine Getaway: Black Forest & Trip Recap
We arrived in France after Amsterdam, Cologne, and a slew of German cities. Actually France was on one side of the river and Germany on the other. We drove into Strasbourg for our tour, which began with views of storks and their nests atop every tree by Parc de l’Orangerie. Then, we made it into the city proper. Strasbourg Cathedral Another day, another cathedral. Like … Continue reading Rhine Getaway: Strasbourg, France
Today’s post is part of a set of posts from my river cruise, which includes Amsterdam and Kinderdijk/Cologne. Marksburg Castle We left the big city (of Cologne) behind and toured some of Germany’s picturesque and historic towns. First stop, Marksburg Castle, another UNESCO site. We toured the medieval fortress and had a bit of time to walk along the water with its luscious rose gardens. … Continue reading Rhine Getaway: Marksburg, Rüdesheim, & Heidelberg
Day 2: Kinderdijk, Netherlands We woke up to our first full day on the ship. It was almost exactly how I remembered it: early morning buffet breakfast with the most careful service and fellow travelers bustling around ship. Our first stop in the morning was in Rotterdam, where I stepped outside to check out the city before we left for Kinderdijk and the 19 famous … Continue reading Rhine Getaway: Kinderdijk & Cologne, Germany
We went on another Viking River Cruise! This year, we went during summer so we were able to extend our trip a couple of days to explore Amsterdam. I wanted to see their famous canals, museums, and the Anne Frank House. Where I Stayed Instead of shelling out $600 each for the 2-day extension in Amsterdam through Viking, I decided to book my own accommodations. … Continue reading Amsterdam City Guide
This is part of a series of posts, including Passau, Germany; Linz & Český Krumlov; Krems, Austria; Vienna, and Bratislava, Slovakia. It was 11pm when we sailed into Budapest and I was the only person asleep. Thankfully, I stayed up the next night to see the Parliament building lit up. It’s just as gorgeous in the morning. The bus tour took us to the Buda castle district … Continue reading Spring Break 2018: Budapest
This is part of a series of posts, including Passau, Germany; Linz & Český Krumlov; Krems, Austria; and Vienna. This is a short post because we spent less than 5 hours in Bratislava and it was enough to keep me wanting more. The tour of Bratislava was somewhat of a disappointment. Speckled with new, modern homes, most of Bratislava reminded me of California. It was very … Continue reading Spring Break 2018: Bratislava, Slovakia (and am I ready to retire?!)
This post is part of a series from my spring break that includes stops in Passau,Germany; Linz and Český Krumlov; and Krems, Austria. I was most excited to visit Vienna on this trip and was up and off the ship by 7am. I successfully navigated the subway system in Austria to find breakfast. First stop: Hotel Daniel. I thought it was more rustic than modern and walked … Continue reading Spring Break 2018: Vienna, Austria
After being in industrial Linz, we sailed to a smaller city, Krems, Austria. On our way, we sailed through the Wachau Valley with castles upon castles. Our first tour was the Gottweig Abbey, where we were welcomed with a tasting of their wines. We brought home a bottle of the Grüner Veltliner, a white wine variety from Austria. Gottweig Abbey is set atop a hill in Krems … Continue reading Spring Break 2018: Krems & the Wachau Valley
In the night, we sailed to Linz, Austria and came upon a city of blazing lights. It was the complete opposite of Passau and I was not impressed. In the morning, I could see that Linz was industrialized, a port city like Long Beach. I still made a little stop for a famous Linzer torte at k.u.k. hofbackerei. I learned backerei is bakery in German. The … Continue reading Spring Break 2018: Linz, Austria & Český Krumlov
