Our holiday began in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, a city studded with domes, spires & towers; and ancient bridges spanning the Vltava River. We walked thro its castles & roamed its cobbled streets lined with shops full of arty hand blown glass masterpieces & paintings. While sipping coffee at sidewalk cafes, the air constantly rang with the lilting sound of talented street musicians playing the music of the great european composers.
A short drive from Prague took us thro the Bavarian region of Germany, to Nuremburg; famous for the Nuremburg trials, Hitlers parade grounds and his grandiose building plans, many of which were never completed. In contrast, it was pleasant to tour the old walled city built in the 15th century, dominated by the Imperial castle, Gothic churches & elegant patrician houses.
The time we were waiting for had come - & we excitedly boarded our cruise ship, the River Princess on the banks of the Danube, near Nuremburg.
Rivers have greatly influenced the history, culture & economy of Europe, from Roman times to the present. Along their banks, cities rose & civilisations grew. Though they spread away from the rivers with the passage of time, their historic hearts still lie on its waterways - & this is what our ship sailed through.
Sitting on the deck of our ship, charming medieval towns & castles, quaint villages, vineyards, cyclists & picnickers, ducks & swans floated by everyday.
Through Germany & Austria, along the border of Slovakia and into Hungary, our ship traversed 26 locks on the Main Danube canal.
The captains bridge was a glass cabin on the top deck & many of the hundreds of bridges that span the Danube were low - so everytime we approached a low one, the captains cabin would slowly 'sink' into the deck below & staff on the top deck would warn everyone to 'duck' as we sailed under !!
We docked & explored little & large towns & cities like Regensburg & Passau in Germany, Melk & Vienna in Austria. We absorbed in awe the art in ancient cathedrals & abbeys, & shopped in the local market squares, learning a little about their history & the rise & fall of empires.
Budapest marked the end of our 7 day cruise. Our ship sailed into this elegant city under some of the 7 beautiful bridges tha span the banks of the river for 8 miles, connecting the ancient city of Buda on one bank to the more modern Pest on the other.
Like all other cities we visited in Central Europe, the buildings in Budapest boast of a colorful patchwork of architectural styles ranging from Gothic to Rennaisance; to Rococo & Art Nouveau. It was interesting to learn that the Hungarians first came as pagans from Mongolia in 896 AD !
Tho we were sad to leave the luxury of the ship, our holiday had not yet ended!
Our next destinations were Krakow & Warsaw in Poland. There were many poignant moments when we visited the concentration camps of Auschwitz & Berkenau. Poland is strewn with war monuments like no other place in the world - stones to speak lest the world should forget - silent reminders of the Nazi brutality. Its sad to think that that same brutality & hate still exists, & has carried on into todays world.
On a lighter note, the Wieliczka Salt Mines near Krakow were worth a visit. A world heritage site, it has developed into a unique underground city, with chapels, salt lakes & banquet halls complete with salt crystal chandeliers & salt carvings, salty walls & salt polished floors, 125 meters under the ground !
Next stop - Berlin - a modern hitech city. Bits of the wall still remain as a reminder. Hoards of tourists crowded Checkpoint Charlie & the Brandenburg Gate. A highlight was the new Parliament Building, the Reichstag, an architectural wonder with its glass dome.
Being the home of many great composers, we did not miss the chance to listen to their music while in central europe. We attended a delightful classical Staruss/Mozart concert in Vienna, in a hall that Mozart himself once performed, listened to a young talented pianist playing Chopin in the drawing room of the Lazienski Palace in Warsaw, & heard an organ recital from 17,774 pipes in an old church in Passau.
The last few days of our holiday were spent in Switzerland.
Armed with a Swiss railpass, we roamed the country
from Zurich to St Gallen,
from Zermatt to Interlaken,
from the Matterhorn to Jungfrau,
from Bern to Lucerne.
No more need for Bach & Mozart,
Cowbells & gurgling brooks were our concerts.
No more ships & hotels with 5 stars
Only B & B's & railways with vistas!
At the base of the mighty Jungfraujoch, we discovered the quaint little village of Grindelwald. From here cogwheel trains took us up to the top of the mountain via a series of tracks & tunnels. At the top, there is something for young & old to enjoy - an ice palace, snow activities like trekking & bobsledding, restaurants, or just enjoying a breathtaking view of the 'top of europe' from the comfort of a glass enclosed viewing deck. We just played in the snow & attacked each other with snowballs !
Back in Grindelwald, an opportunity to paraglide just could not be missed.
The invisible power of the wind deflecting upwards from the cliff, lifted us off the ground ! Imagine soaring like a bird over this fairytale village, dotted with farms & cows, apple trees & bubbling streams. And towering all around us were snow capped peaks - it was the perfect setting to make one's fantasy of flying come true.
Truly we left our hearts in Grindelwald.
But our tummies are very much with us after having enjoyed hungarian goulash in Hungary , wiener snitchzel in Austria, & rosti, fondue & apple strudel in Switzerland.
