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Eastern Europe, that is. I returned from the cruise down the Danube last night. I don't have time for many details right now but have taken lots of photos (on my two cameras) that I will eventually upload, edit, and post.
Food on the cruise was great. The cruise itself was fun but the shore tours were way too short and superficial. A lot depending on our tour guides on shore. We had very good ones in Serbia and Bulgaria, (two of them ex pat Brits living in Bulgaria for the past 4-5 years). The cruise ended a day early in Bulgaria because the Danube was too low for our boat to continue. The Viking Primadora was, in fact, the last boat of the season to even get to Vidin. Instead we were bused 12 yours (with multiple stops) through northern Bulgaria and were put up in a lovely hotel in Rousse overnight, all meals enroute paid for by the cruise line.
We spent the most time in Bucharest, my sister, brother in law, and I staying on for an extra three days. We visited several museums (something I'm not as much into as my traveling companions), tried different restaurants, and did some shopping. We bought icons at the several gorgeous churches we encountered throughout the trip. I'll likely give most away as gifts.
The one big negative was the continuous, toxic cigarette smoking which is totally out of control throughout the region. We mostly experienced it in Bucharest of course, where we spent the most time. Romania was supposed to be regulating smoking as per the European Union rules but there was such an uproar from the populace that even the least stringent laws (keeping a non-smoking section in restaurants) are ignored. Which makes it pretty unbearable for non-smokers. I'll not return until their smoking laws are enforced. Aside from the reek one carries with them after leaving a smoke filled restaurant/bar (the place we ate the last night) the smoke made my cough worse. No wonder Bulgaria and Romania have such relatively short life expectancies compared to the west.
The Hilton Athenee Bucharest, where we stayed, is one of the best hotels in the city and there was very little smoking in the general areas and there were non-smoking rooms (I was in one), although one evening a couple of men were lighting up cigars in the lounge. First night, my sister and I went to the casino downstairs. At the entrance it said "no smoking" and I commented on it -the receptionist told us yes, you can smoke (thinking I'd want to-ugh).
The drive through Bulgaria was fascinating because we could see the contrast so vividly of decrepit, falling down unrepaired houses/barns right next to brand new, well-cared for beautiful houses. Almost everyone has little garden plots in their front or back yards for growing their own vegetables.
I tried to take photos of the different kinds of architecture (from very old, through baroque looking French influenced ones (in Bucharest), through the still-standing ugly blocklike housing of the Soviet era to modern buildings). I do think pictures can save me many words.
Food on the cruise was great. The cruise itself was fun but the shore tours were way too short and superficial. A lot depending on our tour guides on shore. We had very good ones in Serbia and Bulgaria, (two of them ex pat Brits living in Bulgaria for the past 4-5 years). The cruise ended a day early in Bulgaria because the Danube was too low for our boat to continue. The Viking Primadora was, in fact, the last boat of the season to even get to Vidin. Instead we were bused 12 yours (with multiple stops) through northern Bulgaria and were put up in a lovely hotel in Rousse overnight, all meals enroute paid for by the cruise line.
We spent the most time in Bucharest, my sister, brother in law, and I staying on for an extra three days. We visited several museums (something I'm not as much into as my traveling companions), tried different restaurants, and did some shopping. We bought icons at the several gorgeous churches we encountered throughout the trip. I'll likely give most away as gifts.
The one big negative was the continuous, toxic cigarette smoking which is totally out of control throughout the region. We mostly experienced it in Bucharest of course, where we spent the most time. Romania was supposed to be regulating smoking as per the European Union rules but there was such an uproar from the populace that even the least stringent laws (keeping a non-smoking section in restaurants) are ignored. Which makes it pretty unbearable for non-smokers. I'll not return until their smoking laws are enforced. Aside from the reek one carries with them after leaving a smoke filled restaurant/bar (the place we ate the last night) the smoke made my cough worse. No wonder Bulgaria and Romania have such relatively short life expectancies compared to the west.
The Hilton Athenee Bucharest, where we stayed, is one of the best hotels in the city and there was very little smoking in the general areas and there were non-smoking rooms (I was in one), although one evening a couple of men were lighting up cigars in the lounge. First night, my sister and I went to the casino downstairs. At the entrance it said "no smoking" and I commented on it -the receptionist told us yes, you can smoke (thinking I'd want to-ugh).
The drive through Bulgaria was fascinating because we could see the contrast so vividly of decrepit, falling down unrepaired houses/barns right next to brand new, well-cared for beautiful houses. Almost everyone has little garden plots in their front or back yards for growing their own vegetables.
I tried to take photos of the different kinds of architecture (from very old, through baroque looking French influenced ones (in Bucharest), through the still-standing ugly blocklike housing of the Soviet era to modern buildings). I do think pictures can save me many words.
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