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| A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life. WAVE Journey is your one stop online resource for women oriented businesses and services around the world. WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource. Sunriver Women's Club Cruise Down the Enchanting Danube! ~ article by Betsy Scherr Recently I returned from one of the most memorable and enjoyable cruises I have ever taken! A group from The Sunriver Women's Club (Sunriver, Oregon) and I spent seven incredible days on a cruise down the Danube, along with three extra days in Prague. This was also a fundraising event for the club. I am happy to report we raised $4,100 total for the Sunriver Women's Club Philanthropy Fund. A very successful venture for all involved! There is so much to tell... it is hard to know where to begin! I had never been to this part of the world before. We visited five different countries during our trip. We began in Prague, a vibrant, beautiful city in the Czech Republic. It truly is the Paris of the East. The Prague Castle, Old Town Square and Charles Bridge were historical and impressive sites to behold. After leaving Prague, we traveled by bus to Passau, Germany where our cruise began. It ended seven glorious days later in Budapest, Hungary. The day we sailed through the Wachau Valley in Austria, with its medieval castles and wineries caressing the hills along the river banks was especially memorable. We sat upstairs on the top deck, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun as we slowly cruised down the river. One of our stops was in Melk, a quaint little town famous for its Abbey. Originally a palace, this beautiful building, now a monastery for Benedictine monks, is absolutely breathtaking. I was impressed with its library: 80,000 volumes of priceless medieval manuscripts. After touring the abbey, I wandered through the town, then walked back to the ship and hopped on a bicycle. There were six on our ship for passengers to use and enjoy. I road along a bicycle path next to the Danube. It was a special and delightful way to spend the afternoon. We also visited Vienna. We could not do much shopping while in this city as May 1st is a holiday for most of Europe and stores were closed. I did get to visit the famous Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, winter home to the Hapsburg Dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for six centuries. They also had a summer home, Schonbrunn Palace, which rivals Versailles in its magnificence and beauty. Many in our group spent the day visiting this palace. The highlight of the evening was a concert, followed by a bus tour so we could all view the buildings and palaces, which were sparkling and aglow in lights! We ended our cruise in Budapest, another ancient city with its own cultural and historical significance. Some of us came home with the famous paprika this region of the world is known for! What I will remember most about this wonderful journey is the music. It was beautiful and it was everywhere. The melodies and sounds were both captivating and mesmerizing. We heard and listened to many different groups throughout our time together: an orchestra in Prague with Mozart and Beethoven, an organ recital in Austria, plus a Slovakian duo from Bratislava, part of the Philharmonic Orchestra, entertained us with whimsical wind instruments one afternoon onboard ship. And last, we all enjoyed a memorable evening concert in Vienna that included ballet and opera. I even heard music when I ventured out one night in Prague. Violinists serenaded us at dinner with classical music from composers we all know and love. One curious note: I am not quite sure who came up with the term "Blue Danube", but there was no blue in the Danube I saw! The river was quite pretty, but definitely not blue! I truly love river cruises. If you enjoy a quieter, calming, more relaxed vacation, this is a better choice over the larger cruise ships. As you sail down a beautiful river you take in all the splendor and scenery that surrounds you. We all laughed about wanting to get up and sing songs from "The Sound of Music". It had that type of affect on everyone! There are no Broadway shows, no casinos, no formal nights on a river cruise. It is a more intimate setting, only 130 passengers, so most people get to know each other by the end of the week. You also get acquainted with the on-board staff. Continued Next Page. |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations & Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
| Budapest, Hungary Photo by WAVEJourney |
