SUMMING UP
SUMMING UP
We have been back almost two weeks now. We were met by Blue at the Ottawa airport. Norma drove her car home and Akira and Blue drove me home. When I didn't hear from Norma confirming her safe arrival home, I called to learn that she was coping with a flood. A pipe had somehow developed a hole and water was pouring into her dining room. Luckily, she had the help of a neighbour and they managed to turn off the water, call a plumber, and sop up some of the mess. Just the thing she needed after being up for over 20 hours of travelling. To follow up, her insurance has been busy sending workers to tear down the ceiling, walls, and floors in preparation for drying everything out and to ready her home for construction. She may have to move out but that is covered as well as replacement of rugs and dining room furniture. With any luck, in a month this will be well behind her.
It has taken me this long to finally get back into a routine. My garden was a mess due to the rain and cold weather Ottawa experienced while we were away. No beans grew and my tomatoes are almost leafless. I spent several days pulling weeds and Akira came and rototilled so that I could replant beans and a couple of sad looking tomato plants that were left over at the garden centre. Here's hoping. Now I have to work at working off the seven pounds I gained while away.
I finally have a chance to reflect on our trip. Our first cruise was fantastic and we had so much fun. The ship was gorgeous and I will certainly want to cruise on her again. Meeting up again with Sandra and Bill was the icing on the cake - I am not sure if we have ever laughed so much. It is very seldom in life that one meets people that even though you don't see them for a couple of years and only correspond infrequently, that you can pick up from where you left off and enjoy their company just as much as when you last parted. From our very first breakfast at the Landmark, we were back in form. We will never hear the word, Fabulous, again without remembering the various hand gestures that go with it. We also learned more about each other's lives and grew even closer. Can't wait until we can meet them again on another cruise. Norma referred to us as the Fab Five Minus One. Tom, we missed you. We had a reputation on the ship as the group everyone wanted to join because we were having so much fun. We very much enjoyed all the shore excursions Regent offered. The only shame was that the weather was cool and often wet so we couldn't enjoy our balcony and were prevented from getting to all the ports of call scheduled.
The river cruise was very different and I am not sure I would want to go on another. We enjoyed seeing all various countries we cruised through and being on the river. Tauck's emphasis on 'we are all part of the Tauck family' did not work for us. We found that we had little in common with many of the people on board that we were 'forced' to sit with on occasion. We found river cruising was very much a couple event. It seemed as though the staff didn't know how to cope with two women travelling together. On board for the first time, we were told we couldn't order a drink even though everyone else was enjoying one. When we did get one after I insisted, they were so weak that we didn't bother to drink them. At night at supper, we sat at a table for six, thinking that the waiters would seat others with us but were told to move. Once we were seated with a couple who had just about finished their dinner. After a while, we either sat by ourselves or with a couple we met on our shore excursions. Saying that, we did enjoy the company of some of the couples we met. I also wonder at the 'everyone is treated equally' philosophy especially when we often felt that we were not treated equally despite paying far more for our cabin that most on the boat in some instances, five times as much.
For the most part, the guides and shore excursions were informative and enjoyable. I remember some of the tidbits I learned from our guides:
Be careful crossing the street - drivers here look at stop signs and stop lights as only a suggestion!
St. Peter and God were discussing repairing the fence around the Pearly Gates. The first estimate was for $5000, the second for $15,000, the third was from a Romanian for $25,000. When questioned why so high, the Romanian replied, "$10,000 for you, $10,000 for me, and $5000 for the first man who gave the estimate. The guide used this joke as a introduction to the corruption which mars the Romanian government.
Unemployment is 5%. That is like sticking your head into a hot oven and then into a freezer, and saying the temperature is 72 degrees F.
Without exception, European countries that had been under Communist rule, hated the Communists. We found the people we met to be hard working - often holding three jobs - to make ends meet. Thoughts of retirement are like a dream because their governments have managed to deplete the funds set aside for old age security and pensions.
One thing I think Tauck could do to improve the experience is to be a bit more flexible when weather conditions warrant it. Nobody we talked with enjoyed the "garden restaurant with the loud oompah band" in the plus 100 F degree heat. The inedible meal took over 2 hours to be served while we suffered and the experience meant we couldn't enjoy the rest of the day's activities as much. Also, when it started raining in Bratislava, did we have to continue the walking tour? - could we not have gone to the restaurant earlier? The other restaurant meal most objected to was in Budapest. There was much to see in this city and once again, we were stuck for 2.5 hours where we were served a heavy meal of meat and potato. Not the food you would choose on a hot day for lunch. Most of the meals were sent back uneaten. What a waste of food.
Tauck did arrange some unique experiences for us - ones that I do not think other riverboat companies provide. Seeing the Royal Compound in Belgrade and the Crown Prince and his wife followed by dinner was quite special as was the tour of the People's Parliament and dinner in Bucharest. I found the dinner at the 'palace' in Vienna to be disappointing. The venue reminded me of the bank I used to work at.
We found that all the arrangements made for us by Tauck with regard to transfers to and from the airports, special local treats given to us at different ports of call, were very efficient and thoughtful. They took into account our 'old lady bladders' and included many washroom stops - even providing change when there was a charge. Other than money for shopping, this trip truly was all inclusive - even the tips for drivers and guides.
We were pleased with our decisions to skip some of the longer excursions to stay and enjoy the amenities on the boat. The best decision we made was not to venture into Amsterdam - all those who went complained of the heat especially at lunch on the canal boat. I should point out that we were discouraged from making this decision by the cruise director as the boat would be passing though industrial areas. Not so - and he later admitted that we had made a good decision. It means more work for the crew if many decide not to leave the boat as lunch has to be provided for those that stay behind.
We were very impressed with our room steward, Mohammad, who kept our towels refreshed, water and other necessities replenished every day. If he saw Norma coming down the hall holding a coffee in the early morning, he would rush to open the door for her. The Indonesian cooks and bartender - notably Budi of the marvellous smile - were always cheerful and willing to be of service. They made certain that we were kept in hot sauce and even provided some of their home-made chilli sauce for one of our bland meals off the ship. We found the waiters from Eastern Europe not as accommodating. We always had to insist on maple syrup at breakfast. Norma thinks it was because they were more chauvinistic. We did learn that one sour-faced waitress who had to check on everything before bringing us what we ordered, quit. Good thing because I would have fired her! In contrast, on the Regent, Explorer, the waiters remembered the maple syrup and orange juice with triple ginger without our even asking. Now that is service!
The weather ranged from extremely hot to just hot with clear skies most of the time. This was much better than the Tauck passengers faced coming from Bucharest to Amsterdam. We heard that they had nothing but driving rain, cold and foggy conditions. Often they couldn't see the river shores and thus missed out on the scenery. We were also lucky with the amounts of water in the river. We were able to sail under all the bridges. The only exception was not being able to cruise all the way to Constanta via the Danube delta. This was a blessing in a way as it meant a shorter bus trip to Bucharest as we were docked half way between the two cities.
We decided to take shore excursions that took us to the countryside on our Regent cruise which was a good idea as the river cruise specialized in tours of the cities we were docked at. I must admit that I got a little tired of touring cities - ABC - Another Bloody Church/Castle - while I never get tired of seeing the countryside and nature. The memory of the vast fields of sunflowers will stay with me. Beautiful.
One my return, I have been asked many times what I would consider a highlight of the trip. There were too many to choose just one or even two. I have reread my postings and even then cannot choose.
To sum up, I am happy that we took this trip and chose this itinerary. We reconnected with friends, saw and learned much, and enjoyed being spoiled. Travelling is in our blood and while we are enjoying being home, we are looking forward to our next adventure in Africa and, in future, reconnecting with Sandra, Bill, and maybe Tom.
We have been back almost two weeks now. We were met by Blue at the Ottawa airport. Norma drove her car home and Akira and Blue drove me home. When I didn't hear from Norma confirming her safe arrival home, I called to learn that she was coping with a flood. A pipe had somehow developed a hole and water was pouring into her dining room. Luckily, she had the help of a neighbour and they managed to turn off the water, call a plumber, and sop up some of the mess. Just the thing she needed after being up for over 20 hours of travelling. To follow up, her insurance has been busy sending workers to tear down the ceiling, walls, and floors in preparation for drying everything out and to ready her home for construction. She may have to move out but that is covered as well as replacement of rugs and dining room furniture. With any luck, in a month this will be well behind her.
It has taken me this long to finally get back into a routine. My garden was a mess due to the rain and cold weather Ottawa experienced while we were away. No beans grew and my tomatoes are almost leafless. I spent several days pulling weeds and Akira came and rototilled so that I could replant beans and a couple of sad looking tomato plants that were left over at the garden centre. Here's hoping. Now I have to work at working off the seven pounds I gained while away.
I finally have a chance to reflect on our trip. Our first cruise was fantastic and we had so much fun. The ship was gorgeous and I will certainly want to cruise on her again. Meeting up again with Sandra and Bill was the icing on the cake - I am not sure if we have ever laughed so much. It is very seldom in life that one meets people that even though you don't see them for a couple of years and only correspond infrequently, that you can pick up from where you left off and enjoy their company just as much as when you last parted. From our very first breakfast at the Landmark, we were back in form. We will never hear the word, Fabulous, again without remembering the various hand gestures that go with it. We also learned more about each other's lives and grew even closer. Can't wait until we can meet them again on another cruise. Norma referred to us as the Fab Five Minus One. Tom, we missed you. We had a reputation on the ship as the group everyone wanted to join because we were having so much fun. We very much enjoyed all the shore excursions Regent offered. The only shame was that the weather was cool and often wet so we couldn't enjoy our balcony and were prevented from getting to all the ports of call scheduled.
The river cruise was very different and I am not sure I would want to go on another. We enjoyed seeing all various countries we cruised through and being on the river. Tauck's emphasis on 'we are all part of the Tauck family' did not work for us. We found that we had little in common with many of the people on board that we were 'forced' to sit with on occasion. We found river cruising was very much a couple event. It seemed as though the staff didn't know how to cope with two women travelling together. On board for the first time, we were told we couldn't order a drink even though everyone else was enjoying one. When we did get one after I insisted, they were so weak that we didn't bother to drink them. At night at supper, we sat at a table for six, thinking that the waiters would seat others with us but were told to move. Once we were seated with a couple who had just about finished their dinner. After a while, we either sat by ourselves or with a couple we met on our shore excursions. Saying that, we did enjoy the company of some of the couples we met. I also wonder at the 'everyone is treated equally' philosophy especially when we often felt that we were not treated equally despite paying far more for our cabin that most on the boat in some instances, five times as much.
For the most part, the guides and shore excursions were informative and enjoyable. I remember some of the tidbits I learned from our guides:
Be careful crossing the street - drivers here look at stop signs and stop lights as only a suggestion!
St. Peter and God were discussing repairing the fence around the Pearly Gates. The first estimate was for $5000, the second for $15,000, the third was from a Romanian for $25,000. When questioned why so high, the Romanian replied, "$10,000 for you, $10,000 for me, and $5000 for the first man who gave the estimate. The guide used this joke as a introduction to the corruption which mars the Romanian government.
Unemployment is 5%. That is like sticking your head into a hot oven and then into a freezer, and saying the temperature is 72 degrees F.
Without exception, European countries that had been under Communist rule, hated the Communists. We found the people we met to be hard working - often holding three jobs - to make ends meet. Thoughts of retirement are like a dream because their governments have managed to deplete the funds set aside for old age security and pensions.
One thing I think Tauck could do to improve the experience is to be a bit more flexible when weather conditions warrant it. Nobody we talked with enjoyed the "garden restaurant with the loud oompah band" in the plus 100 F degree heat. The inedible meal took over 2 hours to be served while we suffered and the experience meant we couldn't enjoy the rest of the day's activities as much. Also, when it started raining in Bratislava, did we have to continue the walking tour? - could we not have gone to the restaurant earlier? The other restaurant meal most objected to was in Budapest. There was much to see in this city and once again, we were stuck for 2.5 hours where we were served a heavy meal of meat and potato. Not the food you would choose on a hot day for lunch. Most of the meals were sent back uneaten. What a waste of food.
Tauck did arrange some unique experiences for us - ones that I do not think other riverboat companies provide. Seeing the Royal Compound in Belgrade and the Crown Prince and his wife followed by dinner was quite special as was the tour of the People's Parliament and dinner in Bucharest. I found the dinner at the 'palace' in Vienna to be disappointing. The venue reminded me of the bank I used to work at.
We found that all the arrangements made for us by Tauck with regard to transfers to and from the airports, special local treats given to us at different ports of call, were very efficient and thoughtful. They took into account our 'old lady bladders' and included many washroom stops - even providing change when there was a charge. Other than money for shopping, this trip truly was all inclusive - even the tips for drivers and guides.
We were pleased with our decisions to skip some of the longer excursions to stay and enjoy the amenities on the boat. The best decision we made was not to venture into Amsterdam - all those who went complained of the heat especially at lunch on the canal boat. I should point out that we were discouraged from making this decision by the cruise director as the boat would be passing though industrial areas. Not so - and he later admitted that we had made a good decision. It means more work for the crew if many decide not to leave the boat as lunch has to be provided for those that stay behind.
We were very impressed with our room steward, Mohammad, who kept our towels refreshed, water and other necessities replenished every day. If he saw Norma coming down the hall holding a coffee in the early morning, he would rush to open the door for her. The Indonesian cooks and bartender - notably Budi of the marvellous smile - were always cheerful and willing to be of service. They made certain that we were kept in hot sauce and even provided some of their home-made chilli sauce for one of our bland meals off the ship. We found the waiters from Eastern Europe not as accommodating. We always had to insist on maple syrup at breakfast. Norma thinks it was because they were more chauvinistic. We did learn that one sour-faced waitress who had to check on everything before bringing us what we ordered, quit. Good thing because I would have fired her! In contrast, on the Regent, Explorer, the waiters remembered the maple syrup and orange juice with triple ginger without our even asking. Now that is service!
The weather ranged from extremely hot to just hot with clear skies most of the time. This was much better than the Tauck passengers faced coming from Bucharest to Amsterdam. We heard that they had nothing but driving rain, cold and foggy conditions. Often they couldn't see the river shores and thus missed out on the scenery. We were also lucky with the amounts of water in the river. We were able to sail under all the bridges. The only exception was not being able to cruise all the way to Constanta via the Danube delta. This was a blessing in a way as it meant a shorter bus trip to Bucharest as we were docked half way between the two cities.
We decided to take shore excursions that took us to the countryside on our Regent cruise which was a good idea as the river cruise specialized in tours of the cities we were docked at. I must admit that I got a little tired of touring cities - ABC - Another Bloody Church/Castle - while I never get tired of seeing the countryside and nature. The memory of the vast fields of sunflowers will stay with me. Beautiful.
One my return, I have been asked many times what I would consider a highlight of the trip. There were too many to choose just one or even two. I have reread my postings and even then cannot choose.
To sum up, I am happy that we took this trip and chose this itinerary. We reconnected with friends, saw and learned much, and enjoyed being spoiled. Travelling is in our blood and while we are enjoying being home, we are looking forward to our next adventure in Africa and, in future, reconnecting with Sandra, Bill, and maybe Tom.
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