Cruising on the Rivers

"Okay, before you ask, I'm six feet tall. And sometimes I like to wear high heels for an overview!" the blonde said with a Dutch accent.  She deftly flicked a strand of hair from in front of her blue eyes. Our activities director was giving our first briefing aboard the Viking longship Kara.  The ship had left port in Amsterdam, and we were on "The Grand European Tour".  That was Viking's term, not mine.  We would see five countries in fourteen days beginning at Amsterdam and ending at Budapest.

Briefings would become a daily occurrence, as Chantal would tell us about our upcoming events. At this particular briefing we were introduced to the crew and given some information about our upcoming cruise.The crew of the ship is multinational. The captain is a Ukrainian, the hotel manager German, the maitre'd and chef de cuisine German, the concierge Slovakian, and the activities director was Dutch. She also pointed out some simple shipboard conventions.  The bow was the front on the ship and aft meant the rear of the ship. The shipboard compliment was one hundred ninety-two passengers and fifty-five crewmembers.

Upon boarding we entered our cabin on the port side of the ship on the main deck.   Our steward led us to our cabin, and our luggage was waiting at the door. He introduced himself as Ivo and showed us how to swipe the key card to gain entry to the cabin and how to use it to turn on the cabin lights.  He also noted that if we opened our sliding glass door to the outside the airconditioning would shut down. Ivo brought our bags in before departing. The queen-size bed took up most of the space. Inside the cabin door the bathroom was on the right, the wardrobe with safe on the left, and a waist-high cabinet filled the rest of the width of the cabin. Above the cabinet which housed the mini-frig was a forty inch flat screen television with a mirror of approximately the same size beside it.  On the countertop of the cabinet was the telephone, a bottle of water and

glasses. There were also two "Quietvoxes" in their charger. These electronic devices were a little larger than a large cellphone and were used as radio receivers to hear tour guides commentary on tours.  The electrical outlets were plentiful and at least half of them are standard American receptacles.  No adapters required.  I was overjoyed to see the big TV. I watch a lot of TV. But this one had some added features. There was the local weather channel, movie channel and some television news shows. One of my favorites channels was the channel showing images from the bow camera of the ship.  It was good to see where we were going while kicked back on the bed. There are four classes of passenger cabins or staterooms. Suites, of which there are two, staterooms with verandas, rooms with floor to ceiling windows, like patio doors, and cabins with very small windows.

The Viking river cruise ship, Kara, is designed specifically for river cruising. It is long and narrow. Its narrow width, or beam in nautical terms, allows it to fit through numerous locks. On the rivers Rhine, Main, and Danube there is a difference of some one thousand feet in elevation. This requires over fifty locks. Frequently during the night, and we sailed every night, you could feel the ship bump into the side of a lock.  The ship contains a dining room, lounge, reception area, library, and other spaces for passenger activities or shipboard necessities. The open air dining area on the bow was a very popular spot and houses the Aquavit restaurant. I would get a cup of coffee while Claudette slept and join Steve there to watch the approaching

landscape as we moved along the rivers. The lounge, besides being a popular watering hole, was also the venue for our daily briefings and entertainment. We had some very interesting demonstrations and lectures. A glassblower came onboard to demonstrate his craft as well as some opera singers. The Hungarian musicians were a hit as were the ship's bakers as they prepared apple strudel. We heard lectures on Dutch water management, the European Union, Germany, and other subjects. Most were only as good as their presenters.   The sundeck was designed for lounging and exercise. There was a walking track, miniature golf, and shuffleboard. It was also where the chef's herb garden was located.  When the chef announced that dishes were flavored with fresh herbs, they really were fresh. Solar panels flanked the exhaust stack for the two huge diesel engines which power electric generators.  These produce the energy for the electric motors which turn the propellers. The bridge from which the ship is controlled could be lowered when going under low bridges. The canopy over some of the sun roof chairs also collapses. I estimate the speed of the ship was about ten knots.

Chef Andreas would always describe the dinner delicacies at the afternoon briefing. I must say that his dishes always lived up to his colorful descriptions. Often the food would have a local flair. Yes, sausages were quite common on the menu. Made-to-order omelets were my favorite

breakfast. Claudette, along with most of the women on the ship, had a crush of the omelet chef, Boris. Apparently the young Serbian was a charmer. We usually shared the evening meal with Steve, Evelyn, Jean, and Jim.  Normally we would dine for about two hours. Wine and beer were available with lunch and dinner. Our sextet managed to consume some eighty-four bottles of wine.  But of course that included red and white wines!

One of the most extraordinary treats of our cruise was our entry into Budapest at night. We were prepped at our afternoon briefing to expect great things as we entered Hungary's largest city.  And we were not deceived. On or about 2200 hours or 10:00PM the announcement came over the intercom that we were entering Budapest and to come to the sundeck. We joined our friends there with a bit of trepidation. I believe everyone on the ship was there. Waiters were bustling around with flutes of champagne and platters of chocolates. Around us the city was illuminated brilliantly with most buildings appearing as glistening gold. It was a spectacular event. The kind of event that would not soon be forgotten. 

Our cruise was on the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers from which we visited five countries. If time and finance permit it is a great way to vacation. One final note about the ship. If there is an ugly ship contest these Viking river longships would be near winners. But, then, that's just my opinion.

Abbey on the Danube.

We disembarked from our river cruise ship for Melk and its grand abbey. From the Danube it appears as a fortress high on a rocky outcropping complete with turrets. After a short bus ride through local farm land we reached the abbey and its surrounding village. I found it amusing that we walked down a stairway from the bus parking lot to an abbey which had appeared to be on the top of the mountain when viewed from below. It was founded by the Benedictine monks in 1089, and the current structure was built beginning in 1702.  It has been a school for many centuries and currently serves as a school for local children.  As you would imagine, the massive structure has over one thousand rooms with chapels  and a baroque style cathedral.  Through the halls and rooms you learn the history of the Abbey. There is a scale model of the entire complex which allows you to become more oriented. 

The displays in some of the rooms are of the old artifacts presented with new technology. The Kaisergang, Emperors' Gallery, was a 658 foot long hallway with, of course, portraits of rulers.  A personal favorite room of mine was the library.  As we stepped into the library of the Melk Abbey I said.

"Can't you almost hear the sheep bleating?"

"What in the world are you talking about?" she queried.

"Look around. There are hundreds of bound manuscripts here," I responded, indicating with my raised arm walls over twenty feet high full of books.

"It's the monks' library. Of course there are a lot of books.  The guide said there were about one hundred thousand. But she did not say anything about sheep," she said.

"Sheepskin, dear. Books were first made of vellum, sheepskin. Only about four pages could be made from one sheep's skin. Look around, many of these old books have vellum pages, and that was a lot of sheep!" said I.

"I thought vellum meant 'calf skin'?" she asked.

"Well...it does, literally.  You got me on that one. But when someone graduates from college we say 'They got their sheepskin', not calf skin!  Did you know that vellum is more permanent than paper?" I was still trying to impress her.

"Look at these book shelves.  They must be twenty feet tall, and the gilded wood carvings are awesome. I can't believe that this library is still in use," she mused.

"I wish I could take some pictures in here," I commented.

"You know they are forbidden! You shouldn't have taken those in Nuremberg where the sign said: 'No Photos'."

Wikipedia photo

There was a sculpture in the center of the library representing wisdom. Also, there were antique globes representing the earth that were true works of art.   The largest was over four feet tall. There was a spiral staircase to the other floors of the library which were off limits to tourists.  We did not see a scriptorium, which is where the monks would have copied manuscripts by hand. However, we had seen one at Mont Saint Michel, France.

Another favorite room for visitors is the Marble Hall.  This hall, that was originally used for meetings and dining, was empty during our visit. It was a thing of beauty with sunlight streaming in illuminating the interior. The floor is parquet style marble with colored stone in various colors. You can detect the wear of centuries in its unevenness. But the center is dominated by a huge ornamental iron grate which allows for heating of the large hall. The ceiling was spectacular not only because of the fresco by Troger but because of the design. Following the idea  trompe-l'oeil  the artist created the illusion of a domed ceiling.  Another bit of visual trickery is in the wall decor.  Some of the wall treatments are actually painted on to represent carved marble. (see photo above) However, the Marble Hall at Melk Abbey was definitely worth our time and shouldn't be missed by a traveler in that part of Austria.

We exited the building through the church. Since mass was in progress we did not tarry, but did take a few photographs of this beautifully decorated church.  Built in the baroque style, ornamentation is lavish. This style was encouraged by the Catholic Church in rebellion against the Reformation. Much of the ornamental stone work was covered with gold leaf.  Having done some gilding as a signmaker, I particularly enjoy good examples of the gilders craft.

Once back aboard ship, we sailed for Krems. Some of our shipmates went to a wine tasting tour of a local winery. But, Claudette and I did some window shopping, because most of the stores were closed. There was a street entertainer, a one-man band, rendering American folk songs. He was good.  We dropped a few euros in his cup.  I did a few sketches, and we enjoyed ice cream at a sidewalk cafe. Soon we were back aboard the Kara and enjoying hearing of our friends' visit to a local winery at dinner.

I am fast becoming a fan of Viking River Cruises.

Killer Bikes

Today we entered the killer bike zone
Am I talking about huge Harley choppers with giant tattooed burly riders. N-o-o.. I'm referring secretaries and shopkeepers on simple black bicycles!  We're in Amsterdam and the most dangerous vehicle is the bicycle. They don't obey the rules of the road, they ARE the rules of the road. This is the only country in the world with more bicycles than people. And they will hit you.

We are starting our river cruise here and will visit five countries. From Amsterdam to Budapest we will sail. We looked a bit about Amsterdam today. There was a very interesting walking tour. About 30% of the information dispensed by the guide dealt with sex shops, prostitution and marijauna. We would have preferred more about history and culture of the city. But the skimpy clad women in the red light district were quite alluring. Our tour of the canals via boat was more to our liking. The building architecture was interesting and many buidings dated from the 17th century. There are over a thousand bridges spanning Amsterdam's canals.

We got back to the ship and I took a hot shower to wash off the travel grime and Claudette unpacked. We met our friends from California at dinner.

We sail at 23:00.

Little Jewel by the River

About an hour and a half from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, on the banks of the Raritan River in the rolling hills of New Jersey, sits the Hunterdon Museum of Art. Looking out through the windows set in two foot thick stone walls the river rushes by, turning the water wheel of the red mill across the way. This tiny Victorian town of 2600 residents has a terrific art museum.
Every year or so we have the opportunity to visit.

Current exhibits include Darren McManus’s work. The brilliant colored amorphous images were painted on uniquely shaped wood panels. Viewed through 3D glasses incredible effects are achieved. Also now showing is the work of Sky Paper :Traces of Places, whose images are all black and white in stark contrast to colorful works of McManus. She works with handmade kozo paper and black Sumi ink. Initially she

was a painter, but when her studio was burned she switched to drawing with ink and brush. I found many of her images brooding, haunting, and somewhat disturbing. Her work is in many national collections including the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim. Joining the two solo exhibitions is a display by some thirty artists, experts in the ancient medium of encaustic painting. Pigments are added to melted beeswax before applying to a

surface. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, prints, and sculptural works. Simply fantastic!

I'm not one of the greatest fans of contemporary art, but exhibits at the Hunterdon always challenge the imagination. The presentations are always first rate.  There is something about the contrast between stonewalls and contemporary art that adds to the ambiance.





 Anytime we're in the area we will visit the Hunterdon Art Museum and make a donation.

Tater Bugs and Collies.

Back when I was a wee  little boy I would spend time with my grandmother, but I called “Ma”. She would not allow herself to be called “Grandma”.  She thought she was too young for that term of endearment. So...she was always “Ma” to me. On summer evenings we’d sit on the porch of their farm house and she’d tell me stories of the olden days as the stars would come out and the whip-poor-wills would call. The Grand Ole Opry wasn’t on the battery powered radio, and television was somebody’s dream. She would always start the story the same way.

She would say,“Tony-boy, this happened way before you were born.”

On this particular evening she added, “...and it’s about a relative. I don’t think I ever told you about Uncle Gene Bannister, did I?”  

“No ma’am,” I answered as I snuggled up beside her.  It was cooling off in the darkness.  I loved this old woman still in her apron and her braids wrapped around her head. She held my small hand in her calloused one and tugged me closer to her.

“He was Pa’s aunt Polly’s husband, and he played a tater bug!”

“Pa showed me a tater bug out in the garden,” I said.

She laughed a bit and said, “This was a different kind of tater bug.  It was a musical instrument. Sort of like a small guitar with eight strings. Makes a kinda tinkling sound.”

“But why’d they call it a bug?”

“Because hit had a rounded back with stripes just like that bug Pa showed you in the garden.

Anyway,  Uncle Gene would walk through the woods to see us playin’ that tater bug, and we could hear that music long before he got here. Uncle Gene and Aunt Polly lived about three mile through those woods,” she pointed out in front of us at what looked like a trail through the tall pines.

“What happened to Uncle Gene, Ma?” I wanted to know.

“It’s a kinda sad story. But I reckon I’ll tell you anyway. I forgot to tell you about Uncle Gene’s dog, Lady.  He loved that dog almost as much as he did Aunt Polly.  They went everywhere together. Uncle Gene and Aunt Polly didn’t have any children.  That dog was the closest thing that they had to a child. You wouldn’t believe how they cared for that dog. Let it in the house, mind you! You’ll never find a dog in my house! Why, when they’d eat, Aunt Polly would fix a plate for Lady. Meat and vegetables or whatever they were havin’. I’ll bet that dog got fried chicken on Sunday.  Aunt Polly made the best fried chicken.  Uncle Gene and Lady were like two peas in a pod.  Never saw one without the other. Except at church, of course. Even Methodists won’t let dogs in church.  But she’d be waiting outside when the service was over.”

“But what about the sad part of the story?” I wanted to know.

“Okay, okay! One day when Uncle Gene and Lady were coming to see us they didn’t make it,” she began.

“They didn’t make it?”

“We didn’t know what had happened at first. The mailman, Luther Godfrey, saw me at the clothesline when he brought the mail and asked me If I’d seen Gene Bannister. I said I hadn’t. He said Aunt Polly was worried about him and that he had said he was headed here on

Tuesday. It was Friday when Luther asked me about him.  After Luther left I got a hold of Pa, he was plowing up in the new ground. I rung the dinner bell too. That was before telephones like they got in the city. When the neighbors heard that bell they come a-runnin’ ‘cause they knew something was wrong. We all started to look for him. Didn’t take long to find him. He had fallen down graveyard dead.  He was pretty old, you know. And them old buzzards was circling around. But Lady was with ‘im and every time one of them buzzards would get close she’d snap her teeth at ‘em and scare ‘em away.  Good dog, that Lady. It’s a funny thing,” she paused, “but about a month after we buried Uncle Gene, Lady died too. And the next year, Aunt Polly.”

“That was a sad story, Ma,”  I said.

“You know, Tony-boy, sometimes when I sit out here in the evening, I can still hear that tater bug,”  she said with that far away look in her eye.

And...I think I heard that tater bug too.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------