The Glorious Danube - More Croatia

Continuing our epic Danube River voyage – the Imperial Capitals of Europe – on the River Duchess of Uniworld from Romania to Austria...

Surprising Croatia, Part 2

Having been sorted into groups for lunch, we were each dropped at different houses around the village and welcomed by the resident matriarch.

And it was no ordinary lunch, either. Each house turned out to be a local B&B, with the family providing a typical Croatian meal for all concerned. Calling them B&B’s is probably something of an over-statement as each household was merely a typical Croatian family with an extra room or two to take in paying guests from time to time.

Our hostess was Jasna Lovencic, a wonderfully welcoming lady with limited English but unlimited hospitality. As we sat down around one, long table in her lounge-kitchen, we were served a splendid tomato-pasta soup that positively reeked of being fresh from the garden and then a truly huge main course.

This latter deserves its own highlight – fresh baked chicken (from a cooker the size of the average mini-fridge – a real triumph of local logistics!), was accompanied by a rice dish, fresh pickles (amazingly crisp and tasty, and without the hint of vinegar), a typical paprika pepper dish marinaded in oil and garlic, a lettuce-type salad and fresh bread.

The whole meal was accompanied by home-made elderflower water (a really startling discovery) and Jasna’s own recipe slivovitz – still with that powerful fieriness but also an intensely warming and life-affirming tang. To say we were well fed would be the understatement of the month.

After lunch, the secret of our flavourful repast was revealed when we stepped out the back door – into a vegetable garden of prodigious size and resources (above). Fruit trees mingled with root plants, with row upon row of onions, potatoes, Swiss chard, spinach, beans, peas, chives, melon, red and white peppers, and radishes, plus a vast field of sunflowers (for the oil).

It was immediately clear – if it hadn’t been already from numerous similar views throughout every town and village – that Croatians rely heavily on their own produce at meal-time, hence every one is an absolute masterpiece of fresh delight. The peppers alone were worth travelling a LONG way to sample and every other group told similar stories of fresh, flavourful dishes.

With Jasna unable to explain much of her vegetable garden in English as she toured my wife around this cornucopia of produce, they were eventually able to communicate in German, although it took the internet to reveal Swiss chard from the local language!

And it was only after genuine hugs and a warm embrace that we were able to take our leave of Jasna and Karanak, back to our ship for a final wander around Vukovar, and another surprising onboard moment.

As it was our anniversary, a quiet word to Hotel Manager Jaroslav earlier in the day produced a quite magnificent cake with dessert at dinner that night, yet another tribute to the prowess of the pastry chef aboard (who would go on to treat guests to the secrets of Baklava and Strudel at special cooking demonstrations in the Blue Danube lounge).

To complete a memorable day, a four-piece Croatian folk group – two guitars, mandolin/bazouki and double base – treated us to a concert of traditional music and songs, all delivered with both great gusto and musical virtuosity, notably the bazouki player, who treated his instrument as would Menuhin a violin.

Yet another day of discovery along the Danube – and another fabulous reason to give it a try.

This ‘Imperial Capitals of Europe’ voyage can be booked at www.uniworldrivercruises.co.uk, with Titan Travel (in the UK only) at www.titantravel.co.uk or, for more on river-cruising in general, seek out the luxury cruise-agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

The Glorious Danube - Croatia

Continuing our epic Danube River voyage – the Imperial Capitals of Europe – on the River Duchess of Uniworld from Romania to Austria...

Surprising Croatia - Part 1

Having had a full day's exposure to the Serbian part of the former Yugoslavia, it was time to cross the border into the neighbouring country of Croatia, another of the 'new' states that came into being with the collapse of the former communist regime led by Marshall Tito.

Our arrival point was Vukovar (above) - a stunning and sobering town just across the river from Serbia, where fully 90% of the buildings were destroyed in the civil war of 1991-95. The evidence of that brutal and heart-rending conflict was literally everywhere, both in the bullet and shrapnel damage of the surviving buildings and the fact that most of the town was virtually brand new, all rebuilt since the local residents returned in 1998.

While the 'who did what to whom and why' remains a tough and controversial question, the feeling of being in a 'victim' environment was much more stark and notable than in Belgrade, with the bullet and shell-riddled buildings serving as mute testimony to their ill use at the hands of Serbian invaders.

With that background in mind, the sunny morning and flower-bedecked town seemed to make light of the tragic past and concentrate purely on a hopeful future, ready to forgive if not to forget.

We were greeted by our guide for the day, Marco, at the dock (a recurring theme on this trip), and were able to walk through the town to our coaches for our delve into Croatian culture. And it was to be a thorough experience.

The drive out of town, and out into the more rural areas, was greeted by more war-ravaged buildings, mixed in with the strikingly new construction seemingly everywhere, great testimony to the human spirit's ability to survive and move on.

Our first stop was the village of Laslovo, where the local Elementary School was waiting to receive us. Yes, that’s right – a visit to a local school, where the children from age 6 all learn English and are keen to practice the language on all their visitors.

The welcome reception took the form of a series of songs, speeches and even a Punch-and-Judy type show, all performed by the children themselves, from the youngest to the oldest (about 14/15). And then it was time to take a tour of the school itself, courtesy of a gaggle of young, ultra-keen and hyper-active kids, who clearly have done this before and absolutely delight in the opportunity to showcase themselves and their culture.

After an all-too-brief hour’s visit in the company of these heart-warming children and their teachers (we spoke to one teacher who was only five when the war broke out and was saved by his mother, who ran through a cornfield to escape the invading army while other family members and friends were not so fortunate), we re-boarded our coaches to learn more about this relatively young country from guide Marco – a non-stop repository of Croatian history, politics and culture (another feature of Uniworld’s ground tours, as every guide was superbly equipped to impart their knowledge and understanding).

Next stop was the city of Osijek, the biggest in this part of the country and a charming mix of modern Europe and medieval fortress, with a superb monastery tucked away in its heart. The original fortress was replaced by the impressive Watergate moated fort in 1710, a massively walled emplacement designed to withstand cannon shells and built under the supervision of Prince Eugene of Savoy.

Here, we were treated to a sample of the Balkan firewater slivovitz (never to be taken lightly!) and a full tour of the medieval town with its truly beautiful main square, complete with cafes and bars. At once both photogenic and tragic (still bearing some of the scars of the civil war), it proved yet another surprise on our grand tour of eastern Europe.

After Osijek, we moved on to the village of Karanak, where we were sorted into groups of 12-14 for lunch. But that is also a story that needs a lot of telling, so I’ll add that in Part 2…

This ‘Imperial Capitals of Europe’ voyage can be booked at www.uniworldrivercruises.co.uk, with Titan Travel (in the UK only) at www.titantravel.co.uk or, for more on river-cruising in general, seek out the luxury cruise-agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

The Glorious Danube - Part 3

Continuing our epic river-cruise along the Danube on the River Duchess of Uniworld, from Romania to Austria...

On Board A Riverboat

Those more familiar with ocean-going cruise-ships than classic European riverboats will surely want to know how they differ – and what the appeal is of a much smaller vessel.

Holding just 132 passengers when full (and only 82 on our cruise), the River Duchess basically consists of just three decks and minimal onboard facilities. There is just ONE lounge, ONE restaurant, ONE bar and ONE shop.

There is NO casino, NO show-lounge, NO swimming pool and NO alternative restaurant (or six). It is a quiet, refined and totally old fashioned atmosphere, leisurely, relaxed and dependent primarily on the crew for smooth service and the passengers for genuine camaraderie.

The three decks consist of two decks of cabins, plus one deck that provides the restaurant, front desk and the bar/lounge. There is then a top/observation deck, largely open to the elements, and replete with sun loungers, tables and chairs, plus a covered area with a sliding glass roof.

The ‘shop’ is basically a corner boutique kiosk, while the ’fitness centre’ offers four main pieces of equipment and a few free weights. There is a small laundry and a library/reading room, but there IS a masseuse aboard for massage and yoga classes.

Those looking for non-stop entertainment and revelry should look elsewhere. Here, instead of a Cruise Director there is a Cruise Manager who organizes the inclusive shore excursions, port talks and river narrative at points of interest. Instead of a theatre group, there are talks from visiting lecturers and folk troupes.

The only other frills are provided by the resident pianist/musician, and that’s the sum total of the entertainment.

What there IS, though, is great food, the kind of white-glove service usually found only in Europe’s top hotels, and a general sense of bonhomie and well-travelled conviviality. Many people on board are return Uniworld guests with a good knowledge of the area already, savvy people who fit the mood like a well-worn glove.

In short, it is cruising for the more laid-back and cerebral voyager, where the object is to see and learn rather than dash hither and thither in search of instant gratification.

Yes, the age range is 50-plus (60-plus in many cases), but this is also journeying in high style, with a great sense of ‘travelling’ rather than ‘cruising.’ Uniworld also pride themselves on the whole ‘boutique’ experience and, so far, they are 100% on the mark.

In addition, there is a strong element of cruise-touring, leaving the boat behind and venturing off on coach tours that explore the immediate hinterland of the voyage. As we soon discovered….

This ‘Imperial Capitals of Europe’ can be booked at www.uniworldrivercruises.co.uk, with Titan Travel (in the UK only) at www.titantravel.co.uk or, for more on river-cruising in general, seek out the cruise-agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

PS: I am going to continue without photos for now as the Blogger format won't seem to upload any photos without trying 5 or 6 times!

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.