Final installment of the river cruise saga | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Please join me in welcoming our newest contributor to BCN, Kathy Manos Penn, a native of the "Big Apple", by way of the "Peach City" - Atlanta. Kathy, a former English teacher, authors The Ink Penn blog and is now happily retired from a corporate career in communications.



    I've enjoyed reliving our vacation by writing about our Viking ship and the historical perspective we gained while traveling. If those topics haven't sparked your interest, this description of the sights along the way is bound to do the trick.

    We started in Prague, where we'd chosen a hotel in Old Town. When we arrived before check-in time, we wandered to Old Town Square just in time to see the medieval Astronomical Clock Tower strike the hour.

    We did the typical tourist thing and ate an alfresco lunch in the square, before heading back to the Hotel Savic. There we discovered we'd been upgraded to a junior suite with an entryway, sitting area, wood floors, and a good size bathroom. Heaven!

    Despite the chilly rain, we ventured out. We found our way to the Charles Bridge and had coffees on the opposite bank of the Vltava river. Another day, we visited the garnet district where my friend found a ring. For us, though, the Prague experiences that stand out are the WWII and Hidden Prague tours. We saw truly hidden statues, artwork, and gardens off the beaten path.

    Next up was Nuremberg where we boarded the Viking Egil. We saw WWII sites−the Nazi rally grounds, the SS building and the site of the War Crimes trials−but spent most of our time walking within the medieval city walls.

    My favorite city was Regensburg, the oldest city along the Danube and one that was spared WWII bombing. There we saw remnants of Roman walls, a medieval bridge, and quaint cobblestone pathways. We saw stumble stones, just as we'd seen in Prague and learned that Oskar Schindler was a refugee here after WWII.

    Possibly my second favorite city was Passau at the confluence of three rivers-the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz. Founded by the Celts rather than the Romans, its buildings are marked with dates and water levels of major floods; the most recent was in 2013 until the June flooding that hit the Seine and the Inn rivers this year. Water levels rose as high as the second story in 2013, and the resilience of the townspeople in continuing to dig out and restore the town amazes me.

    That afternoon, we cruised the Wachau Valley enjoying views of castle ruins and colorful towns before sailing into Vienna, where the majestic Hapsburg palace is the jewel of the city. We got an insider's view of Austrian delicacies during a spur-of-the-moment market tour with the ship's chef and the concierge. From that adventure, I came home with several packets of spices.

    We headed downstream to Dunaalmas, Hungary where my husband tried his hand at making strudel. As he pulled dough and sprinkled cherries, sugar, and poppy seeds, I caught it all on film. More fairytale scenery followed as we cruised the Danube Bend and again saw villages and castles including the Durnstein Castle where Richard the Lionheart was held captive.

    When we sailed into Budapest for our last two nights, we were greeted with the sight of the magnificent Hungarian parliament building on the banks of the Danube. Buda and the Castle District on the opposite side from Pest also offer spectacular views of Pest, the Chain Bridge and more.

    To top off our trip, the Viking Egil sailed upstream and re-entered Budapest our last night so we could take in the breathtaking sight of Budapest at night. We have plenty of memories from our trip, but that nighttime sail may well be the one we never forget.

    I've already had one friend sign up for the same cruise, Prague hotel and tours. She walked into the travel agency and said, "I want what Kathy had." Will you be next?