The Douro River Valley Before we went to the Douro River Valley in Portugal with Viking River Cruises this is what we knew about the area; it's pretty and there are a lot of wineries. We were right. But Viking has this insidious way of actually teaching you all kinds of stuff while you think all you're doing is having fun. (Could someone please put them in charge of the … [Read more...]
The National Tile Museum in Lisbon with Viking River Cruises
Why you should visit the National Tile Museum in Lisbon Viking River Cruises knows that one of the first places you should visit when you arrive in Lisbon is the National Tile Museum. We didn't know that so we had been bumbling about for 4 days before meeting up with our cruise. We had been admiring the tiles of Lisbon but didn't know a thing about their origin, history or … [Read more...]
The Berlengas Islands – a fun day trip from Lisbon
The Berlengas Islands of Portugal If UNESCO’s server is ever hacked and they lose the records of all of their designated Biosphere Reserves they can call Brunette and she won’t be very far into the alphabet before she says “Berlengas”. If we were going to a desert Brunette would be trying to find a UNESCO oasis where we could snorkel. So when we began planning our trip to … [Read more...]
Porto with (and without) Viking River Cruises
Porto Porto was where we first boarded the Viking Torgil to begin our cruise of the Douro “River of Gold” in Portugal. It’s also where the cruise ended. This post is a combination of places Viking River took us and a few we found bumbling around on our own when we stayed for an extra day after the cruise ended. Porto is an ideal location to begin a Douro River cruise … [Read more...]
Out of the mouths of (cruise) babes
First timers on a Viking River cruise On our Viking River cruise on Portugal's River of Gold we were lucky enough to have two friends joining us. (Yes, we actually have friends.) Neither friend had ever taken a river cruise before so we wanted to get their impressions of the Viking River experience. After you’ve done several cruises it’s all too easy to get spoiled and only … [Read more...]
Design in Dusseldorf
Beautifully designed 5 star luxury in Dusseldorf We arrived in Dusseldorf in a driving rain that was disheartening until we ducked into the splendor of our home for the next 4 days; the Breidenbacher Hof. The staff at the hotel knew who we were when our taxi pulled up out front (might have been the police notices all over town) and they were so welcoming and gracious that … [Read more...]
Český Krumlov, a UNESCO gem of the Czech Republic
In 2001 Blonde went on a bicycle trip from Prague to Vienna with Butterfield and Robinson and, on that trip, "discovered" Český Krumlov. She even sent Brunette an email telling her how charming Český Krumlov was and that Brunette needed to see it too. However, Blonde was typing on a Czech keyboard and Brunette didn't know if she'd received a grocery list or a death threat from … [Read more...]
A brisk, blustery buzz around Bratislavia
History of Bratislava and Slovakia On our Emerald Waterways river cruise it was hard not to feel sorry for Bratislava. As one of the newer capital cities along the Danube in Europe it might easily have an inferiority complex compared to Vienna or Budapest. But it does have a certain gritty determination to it that we discovered on a very quick, due to river traffic delays, … [Read more...]
What it’s like to go on a river cruise with Emerald Waterways
Who is Emerald Waterways anyway? Emerald Waterways entered the river cruise market in 2014. They were awarded the “Best New River Ships” designation in Cruise Critic’s 2014 Editors’ Pick Awards. (As two would-be mermaids the on-board pool would have gotten them our vote!) Owned by Scenic Tours they are taking competitive aim at Viking River Cruises, the current dominant … [Read more...]
Saving Nuremberg artwork in the Second World War
The most precious and famous Nuremberg artwork, as well as other important treasures, was saved in the Second World War although the city was 90% destroyed by bombs. This impressive feat was accomplished using a labyrinth of beer cellars, built in medieval times, deep into the grounds under the Imperial Castle. Not surprisingly Hitler, a maniac with many astonishing … [Read more...]