Best Day - Kutne Hora

Absolutely loved our full day in Prague on our own.  Karen had tipped me off that if she were in Prague the one thing she would especially like to see would be the Sedlec Ossuary.  I did remember seeing about that one time on a Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door program on PBS, but hadn't paid much attention since I never, ever thought I would one day be in Prague.  Madeline was not too excited to see a bone church but agreed to take a train and find our way out into the Czech countryside.

When we had gotten to the hotel we discovered that Kutna Hora was one of the optional tours being offered so the adventure was toned down a bit by having a private car, driver, and guide.  What a bonus!  I now know more about Central Europe than I ever could have wanted to know, about life before and after WWII,  before and after being Czechoslovakia, and again before and after Communism.

Candy and Dave, the other Steve's fans, agreed to go so we had our needed four, and Ron and Lily Thorpe from Perth, Western Australia went along as well.  Ron and Lily are a lovely couple.  He always calls her 'Luv' and when they walk along they hold hands.  Even though they were celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary the hand holding was because they want to, not just to support each other over the cobbled walkways.

The drive took about an hour through some lovely suburban and rural country side.  Once we were off the main roads the pavement was actually better and the ride was smoother.  As we arrived in the little silver mining city I was surprised by how modern it was.  Turns out that Kutna Hora (sometimes spelled with an 'a' and sometimes an 'e') had long been a rival of Prague to be the capital city.  It was favored to be the seat of royalty but after a major fire and the exhaustion of the silver mines, it lost prominence.  


Our first stop was at the Sedlec Ossuary. These pictures are perfect to give you the feel of this large underground mausoleum. Those who had no idea what to expect were stunned.  The beauty of this obviously reverent display is remarkable.  The artistic works are not Halloweenish or garish.  Rather it was a silent reminder that no matter our earthly power or wealth, we are all the same in the end. 

The story of Sedlec is that it was an effort to organize the bones of the mass grave found when the little church was built in 1400.  It was not until the approach of the 20th century that a need was found to create order. In 1870, František Rint was hired by the wealthy Schwarzenberg family to put the 'bone heaps' in order.  His macabre sense of mortality is evident, but not scary.  I loved the intertwining of snakes among the pillars of skulls and the Schwarzenberg Family Crest is a fascinating piece of art.

Notice the raven pecking the hollow eye.

In the surrounding cemetery the graves were mostly perennial planted. Many  had cabbages or other vegetables.  One headstone showed the life dates of the young man buried within and also had a mounted steering wheel.  Car accident?  I would have liked to spend a little more time here, but there was so much more to see.

We drove across the modern center to the Old Town.  Here we found St. Barbara's church.  Workman were busy laying a new and extensive paver walkway.  This was the first church on this ABC Tour that was not shrouded in scaffolding.  The flying buttresses give the church a light and airy feeling.  The bright windows let not only the facade seem gentle but gave plenty of light inside.  The link I have given you will let you see many pictures of this beautiful edifice both inside and out. The church features a shrine to the silver miners who made this part of Slovakia a valuable asset to whomever controlled it.  The numerous side altars are elaborate and really stand out with their dark wood and stone against the surprising lightness of this baroque church.

Once again outside in the beautiful summer air, cooled by the thriving greenery around us, we strolled through an arcade that the citizens built to rival the Charles Bridge.  Not as massive but really lovely with grape vines trailing below it and the city church of St. James in the background.

The Jesuit Seminary that backs the arcade is now a museum and as we passed by the friendly gatekeeper gave us a huge smile and big wave.   I think the bunny ears made him laugh!

St. James was in the traditional modern European church garb: scaffolding and sand blasters cleaning the centuries old facade.  We bypassed that with a stroll through town toward the brewery where a choice of traditional lunches was waiting.  All the time the guide continued to give us a blow by blow description of Czech life, then and now.

After a pleasant biergarten meal we continued our stroll, stopping here and there to browse in the quaint shops.  I actually bought a souvenir for myself which is something I really never do.  A carved brown dachshund I have name Czechkers.  She now sits on my hearth keeping Skeeter company.  I decided to get an apricot ice cream cone.  The whole group agreeed this would be the perfect ending to our time here.

During the ride back to Prague, which like most trips seemed faster than the ride out, it was quieter in the van.  Candy was already making notes from Rick Steve's for their visit to Copenhagen which was where they were heading out to next.  Madeline, Ron, and Lily napped.  I couldn't see Dave, seated behind me, but every now and then he commented on the passing countryside so I think he was just chilling and watching the world go by like me.

Upon returning to the Prague Hilton I was still excited by our wonderful day.  I was not ready to just hang out in the room or the pool.  Since the day before (you remember it was a long, exhausting day of non-stop hiking on rough city streets) we had decided not to visit Wenceslas Square on our return to the comforts of our elegant hotel, I suggested this as the grand finale.  Madeline decided to to rest in the room and put her feet up.  Candy and Dave were going to go for a swim but before I could regroup and set out on my own, they called our room to let me know that they too wanted to see this iconic location.  I was glad, because wandering alone around cities where I do not speak the language - no matter how many people there speak English - is probably not smart.

We set out on a quick walk to the nearby square.  It is massive.  At least as long as our own National Mall in D.C.  As wide as that open area but not as wide if you consider that streets that run along side of it in D. C.

At the head of the square is the enormous National Gallery and Museum fronted by the St. Wenceslas Fountain. All along the way beautiful hotels, restaurants, stores, and boutiques line the sides.  Throngs of people were heading home after their work day or coming to the square to enjoy the leisurely atmosphere for dinner or an evening out.   Laughing children ran behind the truck that was spraying water to cool the streets and keep down the dust. In one store window of a Thai spa ladies were having their feet nibbled by fish to remove dead skin.

At the top of the square, in front of the fountain was a memorial to two young men.   As I took this picture an older man threw a piece of paper over it.  ( I had moved the paper thinking it was trash that had landed there.) He said "Don't take home these lies to your newspapers. Your newspapers love lies!"

When I got home I looked up these two names. These youths protested the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia with self immolation. Their deaths are not a lie. I think I agree with those who placed the monument, they are heroes.

So map in hand we took the short cut home.  Yep, you guessed it.  After more than an hour wending our way through parks, past derelicts, through a modern train station, backtracking to avoid going over a highway, we made it back. Candy and Dave wanted to stop for dinner.  Once we were nearer the hotel where I knew Madeline was waiting for me to go to dinner I was going to go back on my own. By then, they too decided that the hotel sounded like a good idea.

Back at the room I learned that Len had called up to share the bottle of wine he and Diane had been saving for this occasion.   It had welcomed them in their room aboard the ship when they arrived.  A year or so earlier, Len had met a guy in an airport when they were stranded by cancelled flights.  Len helped him get a hotel room and then met him again over dinner.  Turned out he was the owner of Viking River Cruises, Torstein Hagen.  When Len emailed him that they were going on this trip, he had sent wine to greet them and asked that Len let him know his opinion of the experience.

Since Diane was not feeling well Len brought the wine to our room and Madeline, Len, and I enjoyed a recap of their day and ours.  They had opted for a tour of the elaborate Lobkowicz Palace and a classical concert.

Len went to pack and get ready for the next day's trip home.  M and I went to dinner and again ordered the delicious pizza.  When I paid the bill I used the remaining Czech Krona and put five dollars on the charge and was happy not to be carrying home a ton of foreign money.  My grandkids don't get a kick out of it like my kids did when they were little and Mom and Dad brought home the change. Then they used it for school projects but projects are done differently now a days.

Candy and Dave were just finishing their dinner in the same spot and brought their dessert over to join us.  I always hate to see vacation end because of all the nice people we meet along the way.  It does not surprise you that I talk to everyone and feel like we become friends.

And so I come to the end of this journey.   They next morning I was out of the hotel by 6:45 am for a 9:50 flight home.  It was uneventful, just long.  I enjoyed my window seat so that I could see the shores of England, then Ireland, and finally the good old U.S. of A.  We flew over Manchester in England where my cousins live.  I think I will write them that I saw them working in their garden.  Then over Dublin, and New York City.  I saw the Statue of Liberty waving a warm welcome home.  In the distance you could see Washington, D. C. and finally Lake Lanier and came in right over my favorite, Stone Mountain!

This is the end of this blog.  However as soon as I figure a way to post some photo albums I will.  Adding personal pictures while working with the limited internet aboard the ship was not realistic.  Since I am home, you can see that I have included some of my own. If you want to see all four thousand plus I will just send you the link to my online albums, but I think instead that I am going to try to create some annoted photos that we would all enjoy more.

Thanks for following along on this trip!

Sincerely,
Judy-Lynn

Long Day in Prague

At 6:00 a.m. I crept out of the hotel room to head to the spa area for an early morning swim.  The water wasn't too cold but the hot tub was not very warm either.  I took a quick walk around the rooftop garden, went back and dressed and enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the Hilton buffet.  Just as I was finishing, Madeline joined me. We then got ready for our morning included tour.

We started out on a small bus for a tour of the city and disembarked at, you guessed it, Prague Castle. One highlight was The Changing of the Guard.

We spent quite a bit of time exploring the fantastic St. Vitus Cathedral.  If you are not familiar with that name you will recognize Good King Wenceslas  whose burial chapel is here.  Seven locks guard the room with the Bohemian Crown Jewels.  This Gothic edifice is, itself, a crown jewel attesting to the faith and soul of the people of the long suffering region which is now the Czech Republic.  No longer predominantly Roman Catholic their culture still takes great pride in their Catholic history.

Completing our visit to the castle with a quick look around the gardens we boarded the bus for the short ride back to the center of the Old Town.  For nearly two hours we walked the cobbled streets crowded with tourists (who would have imagined?) who were from all around the world.  Since we did not have our AudioVoxes our tour guide's voice joined the cacophony of competing explanations in a variety of harsh languages. Several bike tours mingled with us in the narrow streets as we passed through the Josefov Quarter.  The narrow Jewish Cemetery where layers of graves top each other seems a peaceful release compared to the final outcome for the city's Jewish population under the Hitler regime. Yet, ironically, here in this humble neighborhood is where Hitler took great pride in creating museums of the wealth confiscated from slaughtered Jews.  I think it was his way of justifying their murder and in glorifying his own brilliance at recognizing and preserving the fantastic art treasures of European culture.

We then moved toward the Astronomical Clock.   The noon 'show' is not as remarkable as the clock in Messina, Italy.  But the robotic saints performed on schedule and the live trumpeter capped the display and also ended our morning tour.  Most of the others went back by bus to the hotel.  Candy, Dave, Madeline and I opted to stay in the town center and continue our own explorations.  But not before we had a delightful hour atop the  Hotel U Prince having lunch at their Terasa Restaurant.  (Note the St. Vitus Cathedral on the distant horizon.)

We then set out for the Charles Bridge.  This famous tourist magnet had massive crowds gathered at its foot but once we were on it we found ourselves among those few who were willing to take the walk across the river moving further from the city center.  The thirty statues are mostly replicas of the originals which are either in museums or have been destroyed by natural disaster and man-made havoc. However they are none the less impressive.  Also along the bridge are several small, nice, vetted crafts booths. Not overwhelming and mostly nice people.  One exception is the lady who swatted at my camera as I raised it to photograph the wooden boxes her husband had made.  I guess she thought the photos would help me create my own masterpieces.  I just wanted to show my Katie what she was missing by deciding to no longer collect them from my many trips!

Like all good things one thing led to another.  After crossing the bridge we could see that the Church or St. Nicholas was quite nearby.  Heading that way we made our turn to see the church that is the home of the Infant of Prague. I had never thought of it before arriving in the ancient city but then realized it was something I really wanted to see.  My Mom and Aunt always had these statues and in my head I had never really associated it with Czechoslovakia, or the Czech republic.  In my head I thought of it as being Polish since so many Polish Catholics have the statue in their homes. Although Mass was in progress we were able to visit the shrine.

I always wondered why the robes of the Infant were changed since they do not always match the liturgical seasons. Now I have found the answer.  You can see that they are bright Marian Blue the day we visited.

Our walking continued since now we needed to begin to head 'home.'  Candy had first caught my attention earlier in the trip for two reasons.  Each photo she took Dave or she made a note with the photo number and the view for future reference.  Neat but time consuming idea.  Also, she was carrying Rick Steve's guides to the countries we visited as well as the Czech Republic and Prague.  Since I had not done my homework this trip, I was glad to hook up with people who swore by the same travel guru I admire. Candy also had remembered to carry a map!

So following the map we worked our way back to the Powder Tower and from there to the hotel.  We had left at 8:30 a.m. and it was now after 6:00 p.m.  That is a lot of walking so we bypassed Wenceslas Square, and dinner.  I hit the refreshing pool and then we settled in to order room service.  Because of the high charges for the pizza we wanted, we dressed and went to the hotel Bistro.  It was perfect since lunch had been so huge and I hadn't had Italian food since leaving home.

Back in the room we surfed TV stations and actually found American football.  Thinking it was the Bears in a pre-season game we watched a few minutes. It was pre-season okay!  The Champion Chicago Bears against the Miami Dolphins in 1985!  How funny to see McMann, Payton, Ditka and The Fridge!

On to Prague

After breakfast on Sunday morning we boarded a bus to the Czech Republic at 8:30am.  I had thought the transfer would be by plane or train but the bus is actually faster because trains stop in every town.  There was not a high speed connection between BudaPest and Prague.  I was miserable the whole way!

Because only 26 of us were continuing on the bus was not crowded so pretty much everyone had their seat all to themselves.  I was right behind the driver.  This may have been good - nice view - and it may have been bad.  The driver seat was on springs so he kept bobbing up and down like a fishing line being nibbled at.  Sometimes it was quite a hop!  The roads in the Czech Republic are not really decent.  Seams every 50 feet or so meant the bus thumped, bumped, and clumped along like on a real washboard.

The scenery was reminiscent of Wisconsin or Indiana.  Corn and sunflowers growing in vast fields.  A few quaint villages with a pretty steeple lay in the distance.  I did get a lot of reading done once I realized there was not a great deal to see.  This is unusual for me but I had to keep my mind off the constant thumping. 

At the boarder we stopped at a truck stop for a rest room break.  So while in a public bathroom in Hungary I got stuck!  I had locked the door before I realized there was no paper.  No matter which way I turned the lock I could not open the door.  I tried full turns, half turns, quarter turns, and jiggling the lock.  It finally opened but not before pinching my finger enough that it still has not healed.  I got back in line and tried another stall.  Even though these were just a row of outdoor toilets I did not expect what happened next.  As I was preparing to use the facilities a little door opened in the back of the cabin and a man looked in to see if there was a need for more toilet paper.  He reloaded the empty spool and adjusted the full ones and closed the hatch!  I do not think I will ever again be in a truck stop in Hungary but if you are, take warning!

Another hour or so passed and we stopped at a little restaurant at the roadside that had a nice selection of hearty Czech meals.  Hearty is definitely the word for the cuisine in this culture!  You cannot finish the quantity served of heavy meats and dumplings and if you do you just want to nap.   One of the guys got stung by an enormous waspy thing.  Not sure what it was.  I was glad I had chosen not to order anything because I did not want to invite any critters to check it out.

After an hour lunch break we had only two hours left of our seven hour journey before reaching the Hilton Hotel and I was very, very glad to see it.  Our room was very nice with a good view toward the old city.  I must say though that it was not Hilton service as I would have expected.  You had to ask every day for wash cloths and shampoo.  They did not turn down the room in the evening and during the day turned off the air conditioning.  But the included breakfasts were quite good and I got hooked on Prague Ham.

After a quick unpacking of only the essentials (we were only there three nights so no need to unpack everything) we connected up with Candy and Dave for a first look-see into the center of the Old Town by the Powder Tower.  Quite beautiful with extravagant buildings and quiet shops but bustling with people rushing from work or weekend outings.  Trolleys are the main means of transportation and private cars stop as soon as you set foot into the crosswalk.

We found the restaurant we were looking for after a few missed turns.  These mistaken streets were a bonus, though, as we so so many unexpected sights.  The restaurant had a different name on the sign and was way off on a side square but then we spotted the name we were looking for on the sidewalk seating umbrellas.  We settled in for a two hour European style dinner on a lovely deck surrounded by trees and under cover of the umbrella when there was a slight shower.  The food was delicious and you can see that Dave Schade enjoyed the dark beer!

After a peaceful stroll back to the hotel I could not wait for a dip in the pool and hot tub and a drop dead sleep in the comfy bed with the lights of the city twinkling before by closing eyelids.

BudaPest

Our time in BudaPest got better and better.  After the beautiful, glittering entrance on Friday night it was difficult to settle in for the night but since I had taken the afternoon to pack for the Sunday travel I relaxed with our new friends and got ready for our final day on the Danube.

Saturday morning dawned bright and we were on the road for our bus trip through the city.  As I said in the last post, the crowds prevented a careful examination of the city but being there for the biggest holiday of the year had definite benefits.  After lunch on the ship, Heinz, Helga, and I found an excellent vantage point for the afternoon boat parade.  Ship after decorated ship sailed past us and back again.  This was followed by a motor boat race.  We had a GREAT view and with my camera I got some great photos!

The excitement of the boat race, during which at least two drivers flipped out into the water and had to be rescued, was followed by an equally exciting air show.  Vintage biplanes performed aerobatics overhead...literally.  Sometimes as they spiraled down I thought they might land right on us!  Old transport planes, early commercial planes, helicopters, and modern jets whizzed past.  So much activity was going on that when it ended we were relieved to enjoy the sight of ordinary people enjoying Saturday afternoon on the river.  The crowd began to thin out as they sought refreshments during the lull.  From the Parliament buildings down the street we could still enjoy the concert in progress.

The Captain's farewell party commenced and we celebrated a wonderful trip with champagne and hors d'oeuvres.  The program managers read a lovely poem about hugs and everyone complied by hugging goodbye their fellow travelers.  This was all followed by an elegant dinner.  Dinner usually took about two hours each night.  Very European.  This night there was a grand farewell from the chefs and waiters, more toasts, and more good byes.

We finished a little early though so we could reclaim our beautiful deck chairs for the evening's fireworks extravaganza!  Four sets of barges were spaced between the bridges.  Each barge had four tons of fireworks which were exploded in synchronization with each other and the music!  Fireworks Display  Since our ship was so strategically anchored we had the sky ablaze on either side of us.  Actually,  I thought it might have been even more fun to see it from one end or the other to see all four sites at the same time.  After almost forty-five minutes of pyrotechnic excellence we were too excited to just end our journey.  Music and dancing continued on our sun deck to the wee hours.

But all good things must come to an end.  We needed to be up and out by 8:30 the next morning and so we said good night to a Grand European Tour!

Morning in BudaPest

We left the boat immediately after breakfast in order to beat some of the crowd that would be descending on this city center later in the day.  Our bus was not able to take us past all the usual sights that are shown to the tours but that is because today is the biggest, greatest, national holiday festival in Hungary.  Today is the feast of Saint Stephan!  Celebration today.  Many streets were closed and squares blocked as marching bands, mounted Hussars, and folkloric groups gathered for a huge parade.

We did exit the bus at the Palace and Castle.  And walked all through it.  Because of the holiday there were arts and crafts booths and throngs of revelers.  (I was posting this when we lost internet connection.  So I am home now and have four more days to fill you in on and lots of pictures to post! Lots!)

BudaPest arrival

BudaPest at night was a wonderous sight as we sailed through the heart of the city beneath the Chain Bridge.  Our captain took us all the way down the river between the city fronts and back again to anchor just beneath this fabled bridge.  Festival music played loudly as though in a competition between the city centers.  Revelers waved and shouted from the bridges.  We waved and shouted back.  The gala party atmosphere mad it hard to fall asleep last night.  And this morning we are all a little quietened by knowing this is our last full day of river cruising. 

We are docked on the Pest side so that our view last night was of the glittering monuments of the long time capital of Buda.  And this morning as the Funicular began to carry its passengers up the hill to their Saturday morning destinations we have full view. Must go as breakfast is ready and in an hour we leave to tour this gem of Europe.

Bratislavia

This morning right after breakfast we boarded busses for a tour of this capital of Slovakia. Its long history was most recently as Czechoslovakia and of a Communist regime.  I was surprised at how large the city is.  Everywhere we went was in renovation and our guide talked a lot about Communism and how now the politicians are no better.

I did not enjoy the tour.  Our bus guide had a heavily accented English and was quite hard to understand.  The walking tour guide stood directly in front of each thing she was describing and therefore is in every picture!  She also could ot answer questions.

The city itself seemed depressing and the once beautiful buildings were covered in graffitti.

Vienna, Austria

We opted this morning for an unusual tour that was called 'Up Close and Personal.'  We walked from the ship to a nearby Underground Station and took the subway into the center of the city.  We exited near the State Opera House. I loved the restrooms in the subway station.  Painted in faux opera galleries and scenery, opera music is playing beautiful from within!  Vienna is like most big cities---it is a big city. The difference is, that because of its neutrality, it has remained relatively unharmed over centuries.  There is a memorial to Jews massacred in World War II and to the people killed in the collapse of a safe bunker during that war.

Mostly it is an homage to the opulence of monarchial power.  Each building is more magnificent than the other.  Each palace larger, whiter, more covered with stucco lace than the one before.  Rodeo Drive holds no comparision to the shops of Coal Market Street. Coffee Houses serve famous caffeine concoctions to relaxed citizens and tourists alike.  Shops do not open until 10 am and cars and trucks are banned from the shopping streets after that hour.  Deliveries are complete and it becomes an exciting pedestrian promenade.

We visited St. Stephan's Cathedral.  The facade is in the cleaning process, so cleverly designed photos replicate what it would be like, so that the scaffolding is hidden.  We found the same thing when we went out to Schonbrunn Palace after lunch.  Maria Thersia inherited the kiingdom and ruled for 40 years.  She married the love of her life who was crowned emperor but knew that he was a figure head and indicates this in every protrait by subtley pointing to her.  She did find time to have 16 children and these intermarried with most of the ruling heads of every European country.  Hapsburgs are throughout the ruling heads of state 'til this day.

The rooms were opulent and magnificent, the crowds were overwhelming, the gardens cost extra.  Definitely worth the trip and would not have missed it but might have liked to do it at my own pace.  Our guide however was very good about answering all my questions and someone actually asked if I was a teacher.  They said I seemed 'so interested' in everything  I think they meant I ask so many questions everywhere we go!

Dinner was a Vienna Feast.  Those who chose to go to the Mozart - Stauss Concert ate an hour early so I took advantage of the time to update this blog.  We then had a delightful Vienesse dinner of Schnitzel and the Emperor's Souffle.  This was like waffle pieces, ice cream, and applesauce.  When our Canadien friends, Helga and Heinz, return from the opera we are going to share some apple and also apricot streudal that Madeline bought at the most beautiful pastry shop on Stephansplatz this afternoon!

Melk to Durnstein

As we left Passau we entered Austria.  Actually, our Passau guide hopped on her bike at the end of our tour and pedaled 4 kilometres to her home in Austria.  Melk was our morning stop and we took a bus after breakfast to the abbey at Melk.  This is one of the largest Benedictine Abbeys and was an incredible site.  The edifice itself is nearly as long and broad as the Bavarian town that sits below it.  We toured through the vast building but I was a little disappointed.  Inside the magnificent facade was a series of rooms that comprised a modern museum of antique artifacts.  Kind of a strange contradiction of terms.  each room was lighted in a different color to signify a different stage of the life of St. Benedict.  Representations of various articles and some rather mundane actual articles of monastic life.  The library was very interesting as it contains something like 60,000 volumes all carefully catalogued and in pretty much matching spines and covers.

The gardens were quite beautiful but were green gardens with some roses around the pavillion but we most enjoyed the walk down from the hill perched Abbey back to our ship.  Wonderful quaint shops, a weekly farmer's market and lots of sidewalk cafes and biergartens.  We quite enjoyed the morning and returned to a sundeck Austrian Picnic.  The Weiner Schnitzel was my favorite.  I discarded the sausages and had secons on the schnitzel.  We then relaxed in the warm sun, drinking weissbeer and seeing the most magnificent castles as we floated through the Wachau Valley which is 24 miles from Melk to Kremes.  These castles are more of the fairy tale type than those on the Rhine.  And the weather was perfect!  Bright blue skies, warm sun, and nude bathers all along the Danube.

After a short afternoon we arrived in Durnstein.    We walked ashore and to a lovely quite river town,  Yes, this means that all the streets were cobbled, uphill climbs. All of the shps were open.  No national holiday, not Sunday, and not after hours.  My friend Madeline found several things and I bought Christian a tee shirt that is quite popular here in Austria.  He has the right sense of humor for it.

The church tower quite reminded me of Wedgewood.  We stolled back and the only frustratio I am feeling is that I missed some beautiful photo opportunities becaus emy camera batteries are not taking a full charge.  Dinner was again quite good and the talk this evening was on how to order Vienese Coffee...(unless that was last night and tonight was Mozart!)

Passau

Passau is a wonderful small city.  It would be one that would surely be worth spending some time if ever the opportunity arises.  We took a walking tour of the not ever badly damaged town.  The cobbled streets all led up hill past the Town Hall which in Germany is a Rathaus.  'Haus' is  a house or building and 'rat' translates very well.  Ironically it is the Tax or Tax Collector.  I think that is very funny.

Our included walking tour in the morning focused on the pennisular portion of this City of Three Rivers.  At the top of the hill was the Cathedral of St. Stephan.  This tour has been what we are calling the ABC tour.  Another Beautiful Cathedral...although at times it is overwhelming and you might hear 'beautiful' substituted with 'bloody' or blasted!  however overwhelmed you are by churches, cathedrals, castles, and palaces you must not miss a noon time or evening concert by the Organ of St. Stephan's Cathedral.

The details are mundane until you focus on and realise the uniqueness of this instrument.  Truly you cannot fathom it.  The pipes are in five banks but all played by one man (or his only substitute) from one organ which is not visible while he is playing.  The statistics you will have to read twice to take in.  5 manuals, 327 ranks, 17,774 pipes.  There are 233 registers, 233 stops.  It was built by Steinmeyer, 1928; Eisenbarth, and reworked by 1978-1981.  The Passau Cathedral Organ was for many years the world's largest church organ, but it has now been superceded by First Congregational in Los Angeles.

This is only the portion of the organ which is centered over the main entrance.  If you look carefully you can see how tiny the head of the man playing appears in the lower left in the sort of indentation between pipe sets.  The largest pipe is the size of a bus and the smallest less than one centimeter in circumference!  And the sound!  Yes it could be very loud but was not played in an ear splitting manner and at times was like the gentle tinkling of a wind chime on a starry night.  Our Noon Concert (I do not have a way to test if this is a good sample of the concert but I did take a little filem of my own when I get home I can add it if need be!)

But this tour was only the norning of our day in Passau.  After lunch aboard the ship we went by bus with our delightful guide Eva out to an open air museum.  Beyerischer was founded by a very wealthy local who wanted to have some hotels in an area where there were no really big things to do.  The founder of Rotel was also interested in the changing way of life in the Bavarian woods.  As late as the 1970's people still lived in the old cottages with no plumbing, low ceilings, and primative tools. 

He bought first the old mill and fifty acres and let it be know he was interested in more.  Soon people even just gave him things and even old farm buildings so that they did not have to tear them down.  The collection includes some 150 homes, barms, schoolhouses, chapels and at least 60,000 examples of tools, utensils, and art works.  Do not miss this.

At the end of the tour we viewed our boat from hig atop the castle hill and could easily see the differently colored waters of the the River Danube and the River Inn.  (You will see this clearly from the first link in this post.) 

After returning to the ship we had a great question and answer session with the Captain and the various Officers of the Viking Euope and line dancing lessons!  Take a moment, if you did not, and click on the link to rotel.  These are fascinating vacation options.  And available in the States as well.

Regansburg

Yesterday started out to appear quite grim.  Rocky cliffs rose above the shrouded trees and wayside chapels perched among the clouds.  The beautiful, blue Danube was winding and raindrops rippled the sparkling surface.  We were met at the ship by a lively guide who led us along the stony path to the old stone bridge.

Wiki will tell you "The main attraction of Regensburg is its excellently preserved medieval city centre with the cathedral and the stone bridge being the highlights. As one of the few cities in Germany largely undamaged during the Second World War, Regensburg boasts the largest preserved medieval city centre in Germany. It is sometimes called "the northernmost city of Italy" due to the lively places and streets with lovely outdoor cafes during summer, as well as the large number of Italian-style medieval merchant houses and towers. The historic centre lies next to the river Danube (Donau), and crossing the medieval stone bridge into the town provides a perfect entrance to the city."

Did you know that you now get a 'salary' because at one time salt was the most valued currency of exchange?  That is why you would say someone is 'not worth his salt.'  Regansburg was key to this salt trade because of it's location at the mid point of Europe and because it had the only stone bridge!  It became a very rich city.  Merchants, who had traveled for trade, mimiced Tuscan towers to demonstrate their wealth.  These towers are among the many buildings remaining from Medieval times as Regansburg did not have armaments during World Was II and so was not a prime Allied target.

We are not getting the least bit tired of seeing these marvelous remnants of history.  In this case not remnant at all as the existing buildings are extensive.  This is the town where Benedict the XVI was a professor at the university for so many years.  He lived here longer than anywhere else in his adult life and still has a home where the house keeper cares for his cat.  Cats are not allowed in the Vatican.  His brother also still lives here.

Because of his recent visit the cathedral has been cleaned.  Sort of a power washing without the power as that would damage the delicate and ornate surafces of the facade.  The stained glass windows which must be forty feet high by twenty feet wide are original from the early 1300's.  The delicate glass of each is comprised of thousands of tiny pieces leaded together to make fantastic biblical representations to educate the illiterate during the Masses.

On the way back to the ship I took a solitary stoll through a lovely green garden.  Most interesting was the female Esche Tree (Fraxinus excelsior) with cascading blooms.    I then took a nosy little look around the Viking Legend which was parked next to us.  It is newer and had larger, more spacious rooms, both public and staterooms.  It did not have the outside half - promanade that we have and they have not been able to use their sundeck at all because of the low bridges.  Since I have taken advantage of both of those things, I think I prefer our little boat!

After dinner entertainment was provided by a trio of local singers called The Sound Of Europe.  Very lovely voices singing mostly classical operal and operaetta, but a nice change.

Nuremberg

This has been a most emotional day.  Standing before the enormous high platform where Hitler made his most famous speeches you could feel the heat of the parading soldiers and workers and perfect young men and women with hearts pounding with pride and love for their rise to power...their right to control...their destiny.  The Nazi party rally grounds was our first stop this morning.  To stand in those footsteps brought tears to my eyes.

We had a view across a beautiful man make lake with gentle swan boats floating on it to "the remains of the buildings on the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds with their immense proportions are a vivid testimony to the megalomania of the National Socialist regime. This area of eleven square kilometres was intended as an impressive backdrop for the Nazi party rallies staged here to demonstrate their power."  This massive building dwarfs the Coliseum after which it is modeled.  It was a symbol to Hitler's pre war Germany that Hitler could build an empire which would rival the Roman Empire.

Housed here is the Documentation Centre which is the museum of the Nazi domination of Germany.  There was not much new here since we have studied the newspaper accounts and seen the newsreels many times over.  But the mueseum is very well done with English audiotours available.

Our next stop was very moving.  We actually were in Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg High Court Building.  Here is where the most famous of the Nuremberg Trials were held by a joint committee of Allied forces.  The site was chosen because this courtroom was the largest of this courthouse  and in the American Zone.  Justice, it was decided, was more likely to be served based on an American trial system than on the Russian one.

The courtroom had a door that led directly to the prison thereby not having any public access when the prisoners were in transit.  After all was said and done the executions of the convicted were done within 16 days.  Also not publically and the ashes were scattered over the river so that there would be no ability to establish a pilgrimage site. 

However when Rudolf Hess died in 1986 by hanging himself in the Spandau Prison while serving a life imprisonment sentance he was buried and had an elaborate tomb.  Because, by that time, there was a rise of Neo-Nazis who gathered at the grave Hess was dug up, cremated, scattered to the river, and the tomb razed.  The prison was also torn down.  It had been still there because he was sentanced specifically to it and it was no longer being used as a new prison had been built. He was the only occupant. The new Germany wanted no lingering memorials to a period of time that the older ones did not even want to talk about.  The Nazi period was not even taught in schools until the late 60's early 70's.

We did finish the tour on a less somber note at the Beautiful Fountain in the main square.

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Bamberg

In German naming of towns you might be confused by the use of 'berg' and 'burg' which have distinctive pronounciations!  'Berg' means hill and 'burg', which is said as though it were spelled 'bourg,' means castle or fortress.  Bamberg definitely needs to be 'hill' as the river passes through it dividing it into three distinctive parts, although now the island is integrated by modern, 18th century, cobbled roads.  Bamberg is built on seven hills much as is the city of Rome.

Our guide, Jorg, led us up hill to a lovely church and then even more uphill to the Cathedral.  Here the Bishop's residence is also modeled after Versailles but we did not tour through it.  Instead we spent some time in an extensive rose garden overlooking the city rooftops.

We visited inside the Romanesque cathedral which is considered a 'white' church. It was thought to be more pious and more modern to have everything not decorated by color.  A unique statue is not religious at all but is that of King Stephen mounted on a horse high above the worshipers. 

Our walk led us through the Jazz and Blues Festival and so was a really pleasnt afternoon in this Baroque town where peoploe earned a ten year tax credit if the first floor had a baraoque facade and twenty years of no taxes if the second story was also made to look baroque.  The typical half timbered town was covered with facades that give it a unique rococco look.

We were welcomed back on board with a shot of Schnapps and a delightful German dinner of duck or flounder.  The entertainment was a rousing rendition of liar's club.  Four guest were the panel and our team of guesses did not do well but we all laughed for an hour before the nightly dancing began.

This norning my wireless signal is pretty good as we are docking outside of Nuremberg along with about twenty other river ships including the Mississippi Queen.  It however is docked permanently or for day trips as a dinner restaurant.

I will take a moment now, however, to apologize for typos and errors.  The connections are very iffy and so there is not really time to doublecheck what I am writing as at any moment it might be lost.  I hope though that you will follow what links I can create and learn more about this beautiful trip.  You might also be interested in how I can go fromthe Rhine and Main to the Danube.  It is a very well masterminded canal that takes you across Europe on an East - West run.  Main-Danube-Canal

Photos you might enjoy!

Wurzburg / Rothenburg

Today was a beautiful  day.  Although it looked a little gloomy we boarded busses for the short ride into Wurzburg. Our first stop was the Bishop's Residenz.  As another UNESCO World Heritage Site it makes me realize how smart we are to take pride and responsibility for the treasures of the world.

Prinz-Bishops were the political rulers in Germany as well as the religious ones.  They controlled the people by the fear they created for them of eternal retribution. Prince - Bishops were eminant in all of pre - Napoleonic Europe.  The Bishops of Wurzburg controlled the Main river and all the territory surrounding it and used the "donations" of the poor people, and the licensing of the merchants to increase their own wealth.  The ornateness of their palace was not so much to demonstrate wealth as it was an in your face statement of power.  But then, as is often the case now, wealth IS power.

The palace was built after Versailles and that the architects and artists had been to Paris is evident.  The Hall of mirrors, the perfectly lined up chamber doors and the overwrought ornateness makes this evident.  The entire building was greatly damaged by incendiary bombs in the war and have been rebuilt based on the drawings from the 1800"s.  Howeverever in some areas the original frescos remain. We could not take even non-flash photos but then the little books of the palace pictures to buy afterwards were all sold out so you will have to rely on the internet to see these beautiful rooms and massive building.  When I get home  I will be able to post my own photos of the gardens. I did like that instead of scattering ID signs throughout, they had a small adjacent bed with one or two of eveything clearly identified.

We then boarded the bus to travel through the Franconian countryside to Rothenburg.  Upon arrival we passed through the narrow city gate and were stunned by the beautiful, German town. Walking up hill over original cobbles we came to a tiny restaurant where our delicious lunch of cauliflower soup, bratwurst, wine - saurkraut, mashed potatoes, and strawberry custard was served.  We then set out on a walking tour of churches and shops.

A highlight was St. Jacobs Church with the fantastic carved altar.  Strangely enough, Judas, not Christ is the centerpiece of this carving.  He is removed at Good Friday and replaced after Whitsunday! We walked out to the Castle Garden.  There are no remnants of this enclave except the wall.  Within that is a really beautiful, well designed garden through which we strolled for most of our afternoon.  It has within it a small building dedicated to the town's heroes from W.W. II.  Outside of that was a small memorial to all those lost in the Pograms.

In the distance we could hear the music coming from the annual Woodstock type music festival.  A little time in the many Christmas shops and Teddy Bear Emporium and we had to reboard the bus to return to the ship.  It was about an hour each way although on the return we traveled on the Autobahn.  Busses have to maintain a 100kph! (65 mph)

We were greeted ship side with warm washcloths to freshen up and Virgin Pina Coladas to tide us over until dinner.  Dinner was delicious Surf 'n' Turf and now I am writing this while listening to tongiht's entertainment which is a lecture on the EU - European Union.

Miltenberg or Mildenberg

Absolutely my favorite of the trip so far.  Totally preserved Medieval town, half timbered houses and shops with overhanging second stories.  Not as pronounced as in The Shambles but used for the same purposes of emptying chamber pots and hanging hams.

We arrived to see the picture perfect town nestled on the outside curve of the Main.  A Claudia, our guide, led us through the narrow streets and told us many, many stories about Medieval life.  Especially of interest of me were how the stories of Grimm's Fairy tales are really clear representations of historical necessities of the hard life the average, poor people lived.  Hansel and Gretle would surely have been sent to the woods in time of amine in order for the rest of the family to survive.  No mystery that if the stepmother could only feed some of the children her born ones who were younger would be preferred.

I loved the stories of the witches as well and how witch hunting ended forever in all of this area.  A ninety - two year old lady, knowing she would soon die anyway, answered all the questions of the court with a not necessarily honest reply but very effective.  When asked if she was a witch, she said "yes."  Do you practice the craft -yes; do you go with other witches -yes; and so on and so forth.  In a final surge of great pride knowing that at last they, as council men, had found the key to who was practicing witchcraft they asked the last question ever asked of anyone to be accused of withcraft.  "Will you name these other witches with whom you consort?".  The old lady slowly raised her hand, extended her finger and and said "yes."  As she pointed to each of the, and priests, and bishops she called out each of their names.  Every accuser was now named to be a witch and it was decided that witches should not be punished and that was the end of witch hunts in Bavaria!

In World War II the mayor saved the town, evn though he himself was Jewish.  He risked his life to confront the tanks, one man alone, and was successful in changing their plans. To him we owe the preservation of the town and the lifestyle.

And why did I give the town two names?  Because here in Franconia the German language is lasier, softer.  Much like in our own Southland.  Since everything was not written out people thought it was one way or the other according to their own accent.  And so in the town, signs are different.

Miltenberg is a quaint and peaceful must see for a German tour.  If you like to camp all along all the rivers of Germany are tenting camps and caravan parks.  No one can live permanently in a mobile home but the accomodations could not be more beautiful for the casual or serious vacation camper/hiker/biker.

As members of the Viking Explorer Society we were invited to join the captain for a private cocktail party with only a few of the other guests.  The Hotel Manager joined us and we had a quite nice chat before heading into dinner.  It was interesting and I must say that all of the food has not been to my liking.  I can always find enough to enjoy the meal and the company and since this is a small ship, only 132 passengers, there is not as much exercise as an ocean cruiser so overeating is not highly recommended.  No pool!

The entertainment was provided by a young man who comes from a long line of glassblowers which is the major industry in this region.  His grandfather was the teacher of Dale Chilhuly.  Peter Falk used to come here every year to get a new glass eye from his father.  His skill was great and nothing like what you see at a kiosk in a mall or carnival.

They have 'bing-bonged' for dinner and so I must go.  Dinner is done as a set serve and so one must be on time!

Floating Down the Rhine

After we left Cologne we stopped at Koblenz.  Madeline and I went with the included excursion out to see the quite remarkable Marksburg Castle.  It is one of the few legendary castles of the Middle Rhine that was not damaged in the Allied bombings of World War II.  The outer castle walls are still surrounding this much photographed gem perched high atop the rocky bluffs along the river banks.

Different parts of the castle were added through the centuries. So the styles changed from Roman, to Medieval.  The tour was over jagged Roman cobbles entering by way of the horse gates and proceding from the uppermost bedchambers through the kitchen and down to the torture chamber.  Our guide spoke very clear English with a lovely german accent and gave knowledgeable answers to our many questions.  We returned to the Viking Europe for lunch as we sailed away down the picturesque German river.

A lunch of typical or classic German fare was served on the sundeck.  We had sausages, pretzels, and beer and lively music from Otto on his electric piano.  The commentary explained that the castles high on the hillsides were in full view of the tax collectors toll booths - lovely stone towers - on the opposite shores.  Or actualy vice versa.  If a ship tried to sail past without paying the tax collector signaled the ever watchful brigade at the castle that promptly opened fire!

The commentary also pointed out the many private castles some of which are now hotels or guest houses.  Many are being restored and some are left to remain in ruins.  Some ruins are a natural occurrance of the lack of money for upkeep and others are loud reminders of the suffering of the German people during the war.  

I skipped dinner and stayed on deck with Clarie.  She taught in Weisbaden when Bud was stationed there in the early sixties.  Clarie was living in nearby Mainz and crossed the bridge to the air base to teach kindergarten.  I was glad to see the places Bud had talked about and to do so with someone who knew them well.  She was excited to revisit, at least by sight, the scenes of her own youth. 

Surprising to me the Captain lowered the ship bridge hydrolically in order be able to pass under the very many bridges joing those living on either side.  As the sun set I went inside to join Len, Ruth and Don, in a Musical Murder Mystery game.  Tom and Delores read a script in which Otto would give a musical clue to the Who-Dun-It.  We didn't do too badly but did not have a perfect score and so did not win the champagne.

A Day in Sweet Cologne

Our day started with a leisurely breakfast with made to order omelettes, french toast, and mimosas.  I tried mine with grapefruit juice!  I wonder what that would be called?  Whatever, it was delicious.  When our ship docked at 10:30 we were in the heart of Cologne, just a couple of short uphill blocks to the Cathedral that is their priceless treasure.

Our guide led us throught the cobbled streets up from the river bank pointing out interesting sights like the bronzes whose noses you rub for luck or money, or other parts for other things!  The sight we beheld after rounding the corner into the Dom Square was not dampened by the drizzling rain.  The Cathedral was begun in1248 and not finished until the late 1800's.  A prime example of Gothic and Romanesque architectural details is made even more fantastic by the fact that only one of the expansive stained glass windows was damaged by the Allied bombings in W.W.II. That window has been replaced by one that does not have biblical or philisophical design but rather is a homage to them by using the same bright colors but in tiny squares.  One corner of the massive stone work, only a few feet square, near the entrance had to be rebuilt and is noticed because of the brightness of the facade.  The depiction of Christ upon the cross is the first European expression of the humanity of Jesus.

We ventured out on the extended tour and so the Germanic Romanesque Museum was included in our walking tour.  Fascinating artifacts of the Roman Domination of the world is evident everywhere.  We were walking on original cobblestones that charioteers rode over through original arches of the city walls.  Inside the museum were so many burial monuments, household utensils, and so much history of Germanic Roman occupation.  My favorite is the delicate decoratively layered glassware that has lasted for 2000 years!  It wouldn't make it that long at my house! 

Delores from Viking was at the museum exit so we asked her for directions.  Instead she led us on what turned out to be an additonal tour.  We saw the site of the new dig which is revealing an early Synagogue.  We also saw some humorous touches from Carnival including a gargoylish statue perched high above the street of a man 'mooning' the city below.

We stopped at the original shop that is the home of colgne itself on our way back to the ship for lunch.  Right after lunch our new friend Diana went to the room to rest so her husband Len came with us to the Chocolate Museum.  Only  a couple of samples were given but the museum was very large, covering several floors, and would be especially nice for the kids because of all the interactive displays.

Len headed straight back while Madeline and I took a more meandering route.  We were back in time for the five pm lecture on Germany today.  I have now met the only person in the modern world who would give a one hour talk with only one audio-visual aid.  An 8 1/2" x 11" color printer rendition of a map of Germany divided. which she held up in front of the room while talking about the various states and the war divisions!  Lame!

We changed for dinner.  River cruises are more casual than ocean ones but I feel that a clean top and some fresh makeup with a quick teeth and hair brushing make me feel more presentable at dinner and sort of give me a second wind.  We ate again with the Aussies who are three couples traveling together and totally delightful.  My steak was delicious and done perfectly to my liking.

The briefing for tomorrow was followed by a concert of  classical music by a local trio.  The piano player finished the night with a bang - or rather a clatter.  She tap danced during the final number!

At last I can post the start of my adventure!

As I am sailing down the Rhine away from Amsterdam I will pause and to bring you up to date on the grand river tour. Grand it is, indeed. After arriving safely via Lufthansa we quickly were escorted to our ship which I will from now on rightly call a boat. One hundred thirty two passengers and a crew of about twenty. Since I was among the last to arrive I was quickly able to access my luggage and unpack. The room is not spacious and the window is literally at water level. Madeline had gotten there hours before so her suitcase was the last to be delivered and we had to wait for her to get her coat out of the bag. Amsterdam is very windy and it was quite cold.

We ventured out to walk which felt really good after the very long flight. No time to see the things I really wanted to see but I am sure we will be back again as the jumping off point for some cruise or the other. First impression of the city was that it is not as clean as I expected. Second thought is that being a very flat country is a good thing. Bicycles everywhere. At one point we were walking on what we thought was the sidewalk when the repeated ding-ding made us realize we were on the bike path.

Since it was Sunday I was surprised to see how busy everywhere was. Thousands of bikes are augmented by excellent, bus, rail and trolley services. Young people seem to have locked away all the oldsters as few were seen. And young people have a good time in Amsterdam where coffee shops are adults only and Hookahs are evident and in use there and in Smoking Bars. I started to make a stop in the Seeds store to looks for something interesting to bring home and plant. That would only get me in a lot of trouble --- Seeds stores sell marijuana seeds of several varieties!

This morning we went out to Kinderdijk which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only 17 kilometers from Rotterdam there are nineteen working windmills.  Each raises unwanted water 3 or 4 feet at a time until it is up 22 feet to river level so it can be carried to the sea. Families live in each in order to preserve them for emergency use as a back up to the now active Andromeda Screw System that does workhorse job of creating dry land for crops and cattle. In exchange for this free housing they maintain the windmills which otherwise the owning foundation would find to be a multi million dollar proposition. Luckily the rain stopped part way through our included excursion and the sun has been playing peek-a-boo ever since.

Back on the boat the delicious cheese soup with grapes and walnuts was delicious as a warming lunch.

Got to go – evacuation drill. No lifeboats so maybe we will find there are rubber rafts. But the Rhine is only about 50 to 75 yards wide hear so not too worried!

Our nest fun activity today was a tasting of juniper gin, Jenever, and varieties of Dutch cheeses (Gouda).  A quiet chat and some picture taking on the sun deck followed this and then was soon interrupted by time for Dutch tea time which featured liquor laced Dutch coffee topped with double layer whipping cream and strawberries. Also served was Plum Cake which is a favorite of my family. Very nice but the amazing thing was how small the world is.

Joining me at my table was a very nice lady from Michigan. When I asked where she was from she held up her hand in typical Michigander style and indicated near the base of the thumb I told her that my daughter, Christine, used to date a young man from East Tawas which is the next town over. I said his dad owned the weekly paper. It turned out that these people are friends of Neal and Barbara Miller, Torre's parents!

The time passed so quickly that before I knew it the time had come to raise a glass to the Captain and then have dinner. More lovely people at our table from Kansas City, Missouri. He had been the person who was the one responsible for all the benefits of the boilermaker union. Very interesting and well traveled.

The evening entertainment was a lesson in speaking the German language since we are now in German waters and tomorrow will dock in Cologne, Germany.  River Cruises are not the same as Ocean Cruises. Everything is very low key and quiet. Only one option at a time offered and a little more regimented. There are plenty of things to fill your day if you choose but the best part is the scenery that is ever changing and an arms length away.

At last the day and night are here

It is way too early to be up on the day of a flight that doesn't leave until dinnertime!  But maybe that is good and I will sleep on the plane tonight.  My flight leaves Atlanta at 6:05 PM barring any late afternoon thunderstorm delays.  I fly overnight to Frankfurt on Lufthansa.  A short layover there before flying on to Amsterdam to begin the Viking Cruise Line Grand European Tour. 

This is the second time a cruise has started in Amsterdam for me.  Last time we had a whole day to explore the city.  The Sail Amsterdam event was the same weekend that we were there.  Traffic stalled in every street as hundreds of thousands of people converged on the two harbors and Grand Canal to see the Tall Ships.  Some eight thousand sailing ships of all kinds and small motor boats clogged the waterways in celebration.

We did not risk missing our own sailing to see the sights of the city.  But what a fantastic front row seat we had on our balcony overlooking the end of the sailing route where every ship and boat turned to head back to the starting point. 

My hope is that this time Amsterdam will be relatively quiet and we will have time to visit the Anne Frank House at the very least.  Someday Amsterdam will have to be our destination, not just our jumping off point.

Lufthansa

Found out my flight cannot be on Delta. I am flying Lufthansa to Frankfurt, Germany on the way to Amsterdam. I have heard that the airline will make it a comfortable flight. BUT I checked their website and got some bad news. Only one 40 pound bag can be checked for free. International Delta flights allow two bags.I pack extremely light but three weeks in Europe with a wide variety of activities from hiking to the opera and symphony makes for more stuf needed. Shoes alone will take up lots of space!