Due to the fact that I woke up with heavy chest congestion, I asked Peggy if she would mind taking Kari and Mikaela into the city that day. I was concerned about committing myself to a lot of walking and I felt better about not ruining it for everyone else.
Entrance to the school
Front of the Melk Abbey
Peggy took the girls on the short excursion to see the Abbey in Melk, Austria. Since the city center was only half the distance and not uphill, Bryan decided to go into town instead.
Medieval scroll inside the Abbey
The Melk Abbey was built in the early 1700’s. It managed to quickly gain fame due to its large collection of frescos and an immense library containing many ancient manuscripts and scrolls.
Kari and Mikaela at the Abbey
Today Monks run the Abbey and they take care of the upkeep. A school servicing nine hundred local school is also run out of the Abbey.
I’ve really enjoyed the unobstructed floor to ceiling view from our Viking stateroom. Because I can fully open the sliding glass door, I can poke my head out, breathe the fresh air and take pictures directly from our room.
Sunrise near Spitz, Austria
I woke up to a beautiful sunrise near Krems, Austria. As we moved west along the river, the sky changed somewhat, but the ripples along the river made this a very picturesque scene.
This time, I didn’t feel like braving the cold and watching the scenery from the top deck. I did manage to see some quaint towns, some ancient castles and a few churches.
In the morning, we traveled through the picturesque Wachau Valley. This is a series of small towns between Krems and Melk that attract wine connoisseurs.
On the way to Melk, Austria
At approximately 11:30am local time, we docked in Melk, Austria.
The girls don’t have their body clocks adjusted yet (or perhaps they are staying up late at night). In any event, they missed breakfast and the bus tour into Vienna.
Since I anticipated this, I provided them with a plate of fresh baked muffins and pastries and told them to come knock on my door when they were ready to go. In the meantime, Peggy went into town as scheduled so that she could benefit from the tour.
After they showered and changed, they knocked on my door with lots of energy and willing to take on the day. Walking towards the debarking area, I consulted with the concierge about how to get into town. He provided me with detailed directions on how we could get to St. Stephens Square.
Kari relaxing on the Danube riverbank.
Mikaela working out
Northeast Vienna, near the Danube
The river bank had a nice walkway and a small exercise park. A few non-electrical exercise machines were present and Mikaela tried her hand at working the elliptical. On the other hand, Kari flopped on the big hammock.
Mikaela and Kari in the subway station.
Check, we’re on the correct side of the subway station.
Walking across the bridge, we made our way to the street. It was only a block away to the subway station Kaisermühlen and in fact, Kari found it first. The concierge told us to board the subway labeled Reumannplatz. After I figured out how to work the ticket machine, we successfully boarded.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, Austria
The 18th century Baroque statue shows St. Francis under an extravagant sunburst, trampling on a beaten Turk.
We made our way to St. Stephen’s Square and I think we were all overwhelmed. It was similar in nature to an ancient New York Times Square. Beautiful churches and architecture, but with high end shopping. Following Dennis’ practice, I told the girls to meet up at Rolex if we got separated.
St Stephen’s Square, Vienna
Unfortunately, cellular service for Peggy and Kari was supposed to be supported as I had preordered a global roaming plan. Since it wasn’t working, we had no way to contact Peggy. Walking around St. Stephen’s Square aimlessly, the girls were starting to get worried.
Christmas Ornaments
Gourmet Cupcakes
After asking a few people, I finally found one of the Christmas markets – it was located near St. Stephen’s Church on the Square! I think the girls were upset with me, because we had walked about 1/2 mile in the wrong direction and had to double back on our tracks to find this.
After seeing about 8 or so stands, they didn’t seem satisfied and so we boarded a taxi and I asked him to take us to a “big” Christmas market in town. After traveling about 20 minutes, we arrived at the Wiener Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz.
The “big” Christmas Market in Vienna
I could tell that I needed to address lunch quickly and being “lost”, I had to improvise. The taxi driver recommended Cafe Einstein and after walking into it, people were smoking and drinking beer. Hmmm.. what was he thinking?
Kari said “now where?” and seeing a restaurant directly across the street, I proudly declared “there!”
Michl’s
Schnitzel with Austrian-style potatoes
After entering, we quickly learned that the staff did not speak English very well. Fortunately, one of the servers spoke better than the others and took over for the lady that gave up on us. Since the special that day was schnitzel, I ordered that and when the girls found out what that was, they followed suit. I quickly discovered that both girls liked Austrian-style potatoes.
Since I had to soothe the girls, I took a taxi back to the dock. As our taxi pulled up, Kari immediately saw Peggy on the Viking tour bus. She ran out of the taxi and gave her a huge hug.
Addendum:
Some of the pictures that Peggy captured during her time away from the ship:
St. Peter’s Church in ViennaSt. Stephen’s CathedralInside St. Stephen’s CathedralLight a candle for a loved one – inside St. Stephen’s CathedralPeggy added two extra cups her collection!
Because of the distance between Budapest, Hungary and Vienna, Austria, the boat was scheduled to move during the morning’s tour of Buda. We rode a passenger bus on a road alongside the Danube to a city called Esztergom in the northern part of Hungary.
Near the border crossing to Slovakia
On the other side of the Danube is Slovakia. Anita was still with us and pointed out a border crossing. She said that border checks aren’t performed anymore and when they were part of Czechoslovakia, it was not uncommon to wait 5 hours before being able to cross.
The dock at Eztergom
Because I didn’t read our daily itinerary, I didn’t know that we weren’t spending any time in Esztergom. We quickly boarded our ship and departed west. I was slightly disappointed because I recently learned that Esztergom was the first capital of Hungary. It was also the birthplace of Saint Stephen of Hungary.
The Gabčíkovo–Nagymaros Waterworks is a large barrage project on the Danube. It was initiated by the Budapest Treaty of 16 September 1977 between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the People’s Republic of Hungary. The project aimed at preventing catastrophic floods, improving river navigability and producing clean electricity.
This barrage contains the only lock on the Danube River between Vienna and Budapest. The difference in elevation is 20 m (65 feet) and it produces 8% of Slovakia’s electricity.
Our cruise director mentioned that if we stay up late, we would be able to see the ship travel through a river lock. Since I haven’t experienced that before, I drank a couple cups of black coffee and braved the cold weather.
Budapest is composed of two geographic areas separated by the Danube River. The Pest side is more commercialized and the land is entirely flat. On the other hand, Buda is hilly and more rural.
Mercedes Benz deluxe passenger buses
Millennium Monument
A Jewish Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter
Kunsthalle, Hall of Art
Four brand new deluxe passenger buses were parked and waiting for us to board. Kari opted for the front seat and so we had a nice panoramic view of our tour. We slowly toured through Hero’s Square. The driver went around the square a few time to make sure we had ample opportunities to take pictures.
This is Andrassy street in Budapest. This street was modeled after the Champs Ellysees in Paris.
We drove across the Elisabeth Bridge, the newest bridge in Budapest. After that, the terrain quickly got windy and hilly. Despite the size of our bus, the driver adeptly took the turns and successfully navigated the narrow streets. We parked near the peak of Gellert Hill.
Our tour guide, Anita, giving us an overview of the changes to Budapest
After leaving the bus, our tour guide led us up the hill. Along the way, there was a timeline wall which provided an overview of the changes to Budapest over the years. It was great that the signs were in English. If it wasn’t so foggy, we would have been able to see the Pest side of Budapest.
Fog over Gellert Hill
Statue of Liberty on Gellert Hill
Bronze statue is on the other side of the Statue of Liberty, Gellert Hill
Next to the Citadel were a couple of bronze statues that were first erected in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from Nazi forces during Word War II.
Fisherman’s Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen that was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. It is a viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths.
View from the Fisherman’s Bastion.
Kari and Mikaela in front of a dress shop for dolls.
At the crest in Buda
Matthias Church
Rear image of Matthias Church
The guided portion of the tour ended and we were allotted two hours to walk around town. We continued walking up the hill and reached the Matthias Church. This is an architecturally stunning church with a colorful tiled roof. Because we were there during their Sunday service, we were’t permitted to enter (unless you were to stay through the entire service).
Happy Birthday Mikaela!
After we ate dinner in the dining room that evening, the Viking Crew served us cake and sang Happy Birthday to Mikaela.
During the evening preview of the next day’s events, I discovered that the ship would take a mini cruise around Budapest that night.
They warned us that it would be late and could end as late as 11:00 p.m. local time. The cruise director also said that it’s with it; unfortunately everyone else was too tired to join me.
Boarding the Viking Baldur. Will sail west on the Danube River.Kari, Peggy and Mikaela boarding the Viking Baldur
Today we boarded the Viking Baldur. This is a rivercruise boat that will take us from Budapest, Hungary to Nuremberg, Germany. We arrive in Nuremberg on Christmas Day!
Kari and Mikaela wanted to visit the Budapest Christmas Markets one final time. That didn’t bother us because it was another chance to sample the food that Eastern Europeans enjoy during the holiday season.
Cabbage Roll, stuffed with duck meat.
Yesterday I instagrammed a large cauldron of rooster testicle stew and a Budapest Travel Agency responded to me that “it’s good”. I passed again on it and choose something that many people had on their plates. They were shaped like tamales and I discovered that they were stuffed cabbage with a side of sauerkarut. This vendor had them stuffed with either duck or pork.
After seeing the available options, Peggy, Kari and Mikaela selected Hungarian flatbread. Hungarian flat bread is deep fried. After placing it on a vertical rack, they add various toppings. The end result is like pizza except that the toppings aren’t baked.
Upon looking at all of the available food, I saw two different cabbage rolls.
Hungarian Mulled WineKrampampuli
Peggy ordered “punch” for herself and the girls. This is the non alcoholic version of the mulled wine drink (a warm fruit drink with spices). Both Kari and Mikaela seemed to enjoy it. Bryan selected krampampuli. This is a hot drink made with red wine, rum, nuts and raisins.
Other food offerings that weren’t previously mentioned included:
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After boarding the ship, an announcement was made that they would have a brief city tour of the “Pest” side of Budepest. I was up for it because I felt that I might see something new. Everyone else seemed to be content with remaining on the ship.
When we go on vacation, we generally take turns on suggesting what we should do. Because many of the attractions are unfamiliar to us, the “choice” usually comes down to the restaurant.
The girls both wanted “to go” pizza from the cart vendor in the Christmas Market and they didn’t want to leave the hotel room. Fortunately the Market is only two blocks from our hotel.
For us, we quickly decided on a tapas restaurant that I had found in my research. We were lucky because the restaurant is located across the street from our hotel and on the way to the Market.
DiVin Porchello is a cozy restaurant featuring gourmet ham, cheese and a small selection of entrees. Because we did not have reservations, we were seated at a very small table next to what I would call the “carving station”.
Per our direction, the server selected 2 different hams and cheeses from Spain. To compare, he also selected choices from Hungary.
We selected a Hungarian Syrah from the Villány appelation. This was a full bodied red wine with a slight hint of licorice. I thought that it was an excellent choice to pair with the tapas.
The tapas varied quite a bit by county and I wanted to dive into Italy when I saw a ham from Parma, Italy (they had a full array of ham and cheese choices from Italy as well).
Hungarian ham is much more delicate in nature whereas the Spanish counterpart is aged longer and more like bacon. The Spanish cheese was definitely harder and well suited with our wine. Creamy and soft were the characteristics of the Hungarian cheese. One of them was lightly sprinkled with red chile powder.
Since the girls were waiting for their pizza, we opted out on dessert.
Fortunately for us, the pizza vendor was open and had both selections – Mikaela (pepperoni) and Kari (cheese). The girls were happy with their choices.
After visiting the Christmas Market last night, my mind was set to visit that venue before we left Budapest. Since we slept in late this morning, we got a late start on the day.
The Marriott is only a couple blocks away from the Christmas Market and visiting it was an easy choice for us. A huge noble fir with Christmas tree lights allowed us to find the market quickly.
Given the cold weather (upper 30 degrees Fahrenheit), Peggy and I both ordered a “mulled wine”. This is traditional warm Hungarian drink served during the holidays. After tasting it, I’d have to say that it resembled a hot Sangria with some additional spices like cloves and cinnamon.
I also ordered a “Hun Dog” and when I saw “pork knuckle”, I had to order that as well. Seeing me order food and share it this way probably caught Mikaela by surprise and my family has gotten used to my strange foodie ways.
The hot dog consisted of a Hungarian sausage. It was topped with chopped cabbage, ketchup, mayonnaise and dijon mustard and wrapped with a rustic artisan hotdog bun. Bite sized pork knuckle was combined with steamed white potatoes and caramelized onions.
Christmas Carolers adding to the spirit!Christmas CookiesGingerbread House
On the outer portion of the Market, you’ll find a lot of craft vendors and food that hasn’t been immediately prepared (e.g., baked goods, cheese, jerky). An abundance of vendors that typically attend craft fairs are also available to sell winter hats, scarfs, socks and children’s toys.
An indoor Christmas Market in BudapestInside Central Market
After lunch, we took a long walk towards Central Market in search of interesting locally made products. Many of the restaurants had people with coupons trying to lure unsuspecting tourists. Some even tried to make Hungarian food comfort cuisine by stating that they have a “tourist menu”.
Peggy, Mikaela and Kari
One of the more traditional things to eat at the Christmas Market is the “Chimney Cake” and Kari had to sample that. Dough is rolled around a cylinder and mounted to a long skewer. It is then rolled in white sugar and placed on a BBQ similar to the type that is used to make kebab. The cake is piping hot and smokes like a chimney once you receive it. It is similar to a stiff cinnamon roll.
Once we managed to submit our info for baggage delivery, a nice man was waiting for us in the public area of the airport. Despite waiting an hour for us to appear, he was very polite and friendly.
I loved the ~approximate 40 minute drive from the airport into the city. Despite the light rain, we were still able to appreciate the scenes and admire the historic architecture of the city.
Most at of the hotel are located on the “Pest” side of Budapest. Peggy selected the Marriott Budapest because it met the criteria that we were looking for.
Just before we arrived at the hotel, we observed the Liberty and Chain bridges and the illuminated sighta from Castle Hill on the Buda side of Budapest.
The Marriott was beautifully decorated for the holidays both inside and out. The girls were so glad that we made it to our destination.
Table DecorationsLamb chops with french friesRoasted goose liver with cranberry and a red wine reduction sauce
I had selected a place for dinner and gave out to the girls that wanted to stay at the hotel. The restaurant hotel was beautifully decorated complete with a view of the Danube.
After dinner I went looking for a drugstore and found the Christmas market. I’ll save the pics for the next post.
Kari and Mikaela wanted to visit the Budapest Christmas Markets one final time. That didn’t bother us because it was another chance to sample the food that Eastern Europeans enjoy during the holiday season.
The tapas varied quite a bit by county and I wanted to dive into Italy when I saw a ham from 
Tsunoda Family 