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CHECKING IN WITH CHUCK
MILAN HIGHLIGHT: DA VINCI'S LAST SUPPER
We understood that visiting Milan meant we had to see da Vinci's Last Supper. Securing tickets for this requires some timing and patience. Tickets are released approximately 4 weeks before your intended visit date. They can be purchased directly from the Cenacolo Vinciano museum, but getting in the queue is essential. Tickets are released at noon in Italy, which is 3AM in California where we live, so I had to wake up in the middle of the night to make the purchase. You can bu
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NILE RIVER CRUISE
We spent five days on the Nile with a group of 16 friends celebrating a milestone birthday. The ship we took was on one of the Nour El Nil beautiful boats. You choose to take these boats because they are just that much more authentic. Our room and bed were comfortable, but the bathroom took a bit of getting used to because the space is multipurpose as it is your shower, toilet and sink all in a tight space, but the water was hot and that is really all we needed. The crew was
BRATISLAVA: DANUBE RIVER CRUISE
After leaving Vienna, we made a brief stop in Bratislava, Slovakia. Formerly communist and now a city where they produce more than a million cars a year for many of the big auto companies, has low unemployment and a solid economy. My takeaway from our brief visit to Bratislava is that it reminded me a bit of Prague, which is not that surprising, given that they were once one country. While it is a charming small city that may aspire to be like Prague, it doesn't quite measu
DANUBE RIVER CRUISE: MELK TO SPITZ
River cruises are wonderful because the ship departs during the night and reaches the next destination by morning. On this particular evening, we were magically transported from Grein to Melk. Upon arrival, we hiked up to the Melk Benedictine Abbey, often referred to as the “Vatican of the North”. The most impressive feature of the abbey was its library, which housed thousands of volumes and manuscripts across 12 grand Baroque and Rococo rooms, with books stretching from floo
DANUBE RIVER CRUISE: LINZ, MONDSEE & SALZBURG
The following day, we reached Linz, known for the Linzer torte, which we didn't try as we didn't stay there. Instead, we embarked on a scenic 2-hour bus ride to Salzburg, a city renowned for being the birthplace of the illustrious composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The journey itself was quite picturesque, offering us glimpses of the beautiful Austrian countryside, with rolling hills, lush green fields, and charming villages dotting the landscape. As we approached Salzburg, th
DANUBE RIVER CRUISE: PASSAU
The ship sailed gracefully along the winding waters of the Danube toward Passau, our final Bavarian stop before we would journey onward to Austria. This charming city, known as the "City of Three Rivers," boasts a rich history that dates back to its founding in the year 1219. Nestled at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers, Passau is steeped in cultural heritage and stunning architecture. During our exploration of this picturesque city, we visited the magnificent
DANUBE RIVER CRUISE: AMAWATERWAYS
This is our second river cruise, and it's also our second with AMAWATERWAYS. Our initial trip with them was on the Rhine in September 2022, traveling from Basel to Amsterdam. Now, we're spending a week on their newest and largest ship, the AMAMagna, cruising down the Danube from Vilshofen, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary, with stops in Austria and Slovakia. The AMAMagna is significantly wider than the previous ship, and we booked one of their “junior suites,” which was just
DANUBE RIVER CRUISE: VILSHOFEN, BAVARIA
On the first day, we took a brief hike up a hill to visit the Benedictine Abbey Schweiklberg Monastery. Burning calories is a bit more challenging when you're on a boat and focused on the next meal.
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