Wednesday May 5, 2010
ONLY TWO MORE SLEEPS!
YEEHAA! We’re in countdown mode now – ticking off the last couple of days before our group meets at the airport (Friday morning) with hearts-a-flutter, bags all packed, and passports clutched in hot little hands!
Some “MIDLIFE MADNESS” – that’s what we’ve got planned. It’ll start in Singapore … then continue in Amsterdam, Holland, where our shiny new ship, the AMADEUS ELEGANT, will be waiting to take us on a showcase cruise along Europe’s great rivers.
We’ll be gliding through Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary … past wide-open spaces, quaint villages, proud castles, impressive cathedrals … right into the throbbing hearts of some truly dazzling cities. We’ll be going ashore every day … packing in as much sightseeing as possible … with heaps of time in-between to kick back, relax and have fun.
As we’ve said all along, we’re gonna have a BALL!
CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS?
It’s hard to know where to start – because they’ll just keep coming, day after day, night after night, highlight after highlight. But here’s what our itinerary includes …
- magical, old, scarred, soothing Amsterdam (Holland) with its canals, bikes and ever-present windmills
- Cologne (Germany) with its 14th-century lacy-spired Cathedral, a World Heritage Site
- 2000-year-old Koblenz, on the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers
- the terraced vineyards, narrow streets and wine taverns of Ruedesheim
- Miltenberg, with its half-gables terraced houses … and charming Wertheim with its 12th-century castle and Pointed Tower
- the famous Residenz (baroque palace) of Wuerzburg, with its frescoes and great marble staircase
- medieval Bamberg, with its orchestra and local specialty: ‘smoke beer’
- the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, filled with Gothic churches, watchtowers and gateways
- picturesque Regensburg, most ancient city on the Danube, with its 12th-century Old Stone Bridge and Porta Pretoria
- enchanting Passau with its coloured houses, arcades and Europe’s largest pipe organ
- stunning Melk (Austria) in the Wachau Valley, home to a 900-year-old abbey … and Duernstein, with its magnificent Stiftkirche and castle
- Vienna, one-time centre of the Hapsburgs and classical music (Strauss, Beethoven, Mozart), with its awe-inspiring Opera House and cathedral
- lovingly restored Bratislava (Slovakia), with its centuries-old squares and enormous castle
- ‘Paris of the East’, Budapest (Hungary), straddling the Danube with its Chain Bridge
And, if that’s not enough, more than half of us will continue from there on a 6-day coach-tour via Linz and Salzburg, to the alpine village of Oberammergau – where we’ll witness the world-famous once-a-decade Passion Play.
Anyway, only two more sleeps before we’re off! And Robyn and I still have about five days worth of stuff to get done, including packing – HELP!
So it’s goodnight from her – and it’s goodnight from me!
Yours bloggedly – JOHN
P.S I’ll add some fresh entries once this adventure’s actually underway – and I’ll include some award-winning pix. So stay tuned …
Hope you are all having a wonderful time – just a quick note to say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to Lorraine Adams, thinking of you love jac and john xxx
Nearly in Amsterdam now! Hope Patricia Luskie has left some silk in the shops for others and is not already over her baggage allowance from the stopover in Singapore. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY best Mum ever, from slackest daughter ever. xxxx
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to my wonderful MUM 🙂 So sad I did not get to talk to you and I have soooooo much to tell you. I am home safely and had a fab time. All is good here and am enjoying devoted kids and hubby. Have a wonderful time and heaps of love from Rachel, Mark, Isaac, Joseph and Samuel
A GREAT BIG HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to Jan Williams – it wasnt the same here without you, but we will have high tea at the Langham Hotel when you get home!!! Sounds like it is freezing, cold there, go out and buy yourself some nice, warm socks!! Will be watching on this blog for some ‘happy’ photos of you and your new friends!! Hi to Jocelyn!! Love from us all – Children, Inlaws and Grandchildren XXX
To Patricia Luskie. We Hope you’re having a great start to your travels mum. Thinking of you on Mothers Day and hope yours is a special one. We’ll check out the blog to see how its all going. Make sure you do something embarrasing along the way !!
Love you lots – Jeff, Karen and the kids. See you in Melbourne soon xxx
Happy Mother’s Day to Hilary Hay. Love Jamie, Linda and Dan. We sent you a couple texts but not sure you got them. Hope the volcano in Iceland did not mess up your flight to Amsterdam?!
To Jan Williams: Hope you have a great time….although, the weather could be better I know…Take care and enjoy, love Diana xxx – from Switzerland
To Lorraine Adams: Mum, am so looking forward to hearing about Anne Franks house etc.. and seeing all your photos. Enjoy!
Love you lots, Tracy & Rick xxx
To Lorraine Adams, happy mothers day. Hope you are enjoying yourself and taking heaps of pic for us!! Keep in touch Love Lori Wayne Min, Jas Char mish xxxxx ps char got his written drivers licence!!! and its raining!!!
To Joy & Murray Jenkins, see you both in photo & no doubt having a great time. Weather is good back here and everyone fine. Be in touch later. Jude & Shorty xx
To Patricia Luskie
Heyy Nana its Sarah, Just wanted to let you know i had an amazing time at my school ball, and everything was good with the car starting, i have lots of photos to send and show you when youu get back, and i am looking foward to seeing all of yours aswell. i also bought my dress for deans ball which is getting custom made and its amazing even better than my one for my ball. Cant wait to hear from youu.
Lots of Love Sarah 🙂