With the month of May more than half over, I’ve returned from Europe where I went on an 8-day Viking River Cruise on the Danube all across Austria with Pete, Becky, and Susan—from Budapest, Hungary, to Regensburg, Germany—on the Viking Atla.
I have recovered from a bug that I probably picked up en route from Honolulu—several different airports to get to our destination and happily resuming a routine.
A wonderful couple, Helen and Marty, took care of our house and dog JJ while we were away. Mahalo nui for that!
Viking offers a variety of activities on land at the ports of call along the way. For example, in Vienna we attended a concert of Strauss and Mozart music. At Krems we visited Gottweig Abbey and the apricot groves; purchased ample apricot products for gifting, too.
While Pete and Becky went bicycling in Passau, Susan and I got on the “hop-on-hop-off” bus. Mostly we stayed on the bus for continuous siteseeing. We did manage to go shopping for a few souvenirs.
I thought that Vienna was so very civilized. Bicycles were a common sight.
Viking takes care of everything, from the time the traveler signs up with the EBD—early booking discount, to walking you by phone call through the travel options, to following up after you return home. They check with you during the journey to find out if you are satisfied with the service staff on board.
The food was excellent. Somehow they knew exactly how I liked my food prepared. Meals were from a buffet or printed menu.
Every evening before dinner, the onboard program director gave a little talk about what to expect the following day. If we preferred, we could watch the briefing on the TV in our stateroom. The after-dinner piano entertainment sometimes competed with parlor games.
My recommendation to those who ask about our vacation is, “Go!” You can’t go wrong with a Viking River Cruise. There’s scenery, proximity to medical care, no kids, 4- to 5-star cuisine, a variety of land excursions, and a chance to meet new friends.
But as always, it’s great to come home. Wherever you are, be well.
~Rebekah
Rebekah’s Studio 
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