After lunch we joined a tour to The Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Once again, I cried. I am struggling to put into words about this experience, so I won't. I have chosen not to put too many pictures up but will be delighted to talk about my experience and share pictures on my return if anyone would like to see them.
Today we continued along the Danube River in Austria. We joined a "tastes and traditions of Austrian farms" tour, which we both really enjoyed, particularly because my husband and I are both ex farmers. It was interesting to see and hear about how and what they farm in Austria. We visited Heisler who specialise in farming pumpkins for food consumption and decorations. We tasted the pumpkin seed oil, which is used in dressings, etc and it was delicious. We also tasted pumpkin gin. Needless to say, Suzanne walked out with many of their handmade goodies - including the gin! We also visited a hog farm. Here they smoke their meat and sell it from a farm shop - Shane loved it!
After cruising the Danube for a couple more hours, we arrived in Durnstein in the Wachu Valley. Durnstein is a well known wine growing area and is also known for Durnstein Castle where King Richard 1 (Richard the Lionheart) was held captive. The village is stunning and home to cobbled streets, gorgeous buildings and Durnstein Abbey.
In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger - "I'll be back!!" Vienna has stolen Suzanne's heart!
We started the day with a Treasures of Vienna's Ringstrasse tour. We didn't know much about Vienna before arriving but we were both surprised and impressed. We
Being there on a Sunday, meant less crowds and traffic which was great. It also meant no shops were open which Shane loved - but Suzanne not so much. Vienna surprised Suzanne with its beauty and architecture and she loved the vibrancy of being in the city centre. Being a Sunday, it was a joy to hear the church bells ring across the city.
In the afternoon we joined a tour to Schonbrunn Palace. Having never seen a Palace, this was a delightful experience. To think that Maria Theresa and the Habsburg rulers were roaming the halls there is astounding. Unfortunately no photos were allowed in the Palace but trust us when we say it was opulent beyond words.
We had no knowledge, nor expectations of Bratislava. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 500,000, the country's largest city. Bratislava is the political, cultural and economic centre of Slovakia.
We visited the medieval inner city which has narrow, winding streets, a hill-top castle next to the river Danube, and many historic churches and buildings - we loved it.
We are due n Budapest tomorrow, however due to low river levels we are stopping in Komarno and being transported by coach to Budapest for our days tours. I must say, that the way Avalon Waterways and their onboard team have handled this unexpected event has been extraordinary.
Wow, not at all what we were expecting.
Vienna still tops it for Suzanne.
October 2023
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