The Glorious Danube - Hungary Pt 3

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

Budapest - Day 2

One full day in Budapest had been enough for us to fall in love with this ancient city, a city of impressive buildings, monumental architecture, modern tendencies and superbly efficient public transport. We hoped a second day would provide even more depth to our new affaire d'amour.

The system of buses, trolleys, trams and underground system (the oldest in continental Europe) was a joy to watch in action but, with the River Duchess moored in the heart of the city, it was just as easy to navigate on foot, so we did. Across the Chain Bridge and along the river-front to the iconic Parliament Building (above) this 1896 edifice is one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings and is fascinating to behold from any number of perspectives.

The Gothic revival style is crowned by a huge central dome and surrounded by a myriad of supporting spires and turrets, and it sits in imposing Lajos Kossuth Square like the most regal of crown jewels while also boasting the memorial to 1956 uprising martyr Imre Nagy.

From here, we wandered along the streets in the general direction of St Stephen's Basilica, enjoying some window shopping and sudden, sharp views down streets full of impressive 19th century facades. The Basilica itself (above) also dates back to the 19th century, although it took 54 years to build and was finally completed only in 1905 by the third in a series of architects.

It also boasts the amazing relic of St Stephen's Hand, supposedly the mummified right hand of the first king of Hungary, Stephen the First (or St Istvan, 975-1038), which is on view in a special gold casket. For an extra 500 florint per person (less than 2 euros) we were able to take the lift to the observation level around the dome for a spectacular view over Pest and up towards Buda (below).

As it was getting towards lunch, we decided to retrace our steps a little and find a nice cafe to enjoy a proper local taste before heading back to the ship and decided to give the pedestriansed street of Zrinyi Utica a try.

Otkert Budapest was more trendy bar (and nightclub) than typical local hostelry but it had an ideal outside terrace and promising menu, so it served our purposes well. The traditional gulyas (goulash soup) was absolutely excellent - as was the beer and Maximilian Tokaji, the local brandy!

We needed to be back aboard by 2pm for the next part of our Hungarian odyssey - a trip to the famous Csikos horse show on Szentendre Island just a few kilometers up-river.

Here, the Bodor Major horse farm offers an impressive arena for the show, which is part demonstration of the thousand-year-old riding techniques and methods of the Csikos horse-herders and warriors and part riding contest, with the traditionally-garbed 'cowboys' competing in mounted archery, racing and scarf-tearing - using the traditional ringed whip.

The finale was provided by one rider standing astride a team of five fast-galloping stallions, our view of this feat of daring not in the least impaired by the welcome local brandy and warm pastries we were offered on arrival!

To complete another memorable day, our transport back to the Duchess was provided by a series of horse-drawn buggies, which took us around the entire estate - including the impressive stables, where an 8-day-old colt was the star attraction - before dropping us off back at the Danube.

Back on board, the usual fruit-juice-and-cold-towels reception awaited our return and there was just time to freshen up again before another impeccable dinner was on the horizon, prefaced by the now-familiar port talk from Cruise Manager Christine, which promised another day of epic exploration and discovery.

Next up - Slovakia!

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.

 

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Star Clippers Bonanza Week

Tall ship sailing specialist Star Clippers is offering a week-long series of upgrades, free flights and onboard spending credit for bookings taken in the week beginning June 25 in a 'Star Clippers Bonanza Week.'

The offers will be valid for bookings for sailings on board all three Star Clippers’ tall ships across cruises throughout 2012, as listed below. Each offer is valid for one day only, for the departures listed below, with details as follows:

• Monday, June 25: €600 per couple on board spending credit (or €300 per person for singles).
• Tuesday, June 26: Free ex-UK flights up to the value of £300 per person.
• Wednesday, June 27: Single supplements waived and special offers for solo travellers, for example on Star Clipper’s October 20 Athens-Malta sailing, down to £870 per person for sole occupancy of a single cabin, saving £435.
• Thursday, June 28: Free cabin upgrades (as high as Category 3 to Category 2 on each ship) and a further special offer on Star Clipper’s October 20 Athens-Malta sailing at £870 per person, plus a cabin upgrade from Category 6 to Category 5.
• Friday, June 29: Luxury luggage worth £300 per person.
  The offers apply to any of the following sailings.

Royal Clipper: Oct 27, Rome to Lisbon; Dec 15, Barbados.

Star Clipper: Jul 7, Oct 6 and 13 Athens round-trip; Aug 1, Venice to Athens;  Aug 11, Athens to Istanbul; Oct 20, Athens to Malta; Oct 25, Malta to Malaga; Nov 3, Malaga to Las Palmas; Nov and Dec, all departures from St Maarten.

Star Flyer: Jul 31, Stockholm to Warnemünde; Aug 12, Warnemünde to Oslo; Aug 18, Oslo to Hamburg; Aug 25, Hamburg to Southampton; Sept 1, Southampton to Lisbon; Sept 9, Lisbon to Malaga; Sept 15 and October 6 and 13, round-trip Malaga; Oct 20, Malaga to Las Palmas; Nov and Dec, all departures in Costa Rica.

Bookings must be made and deposits taken on the day of each applicable offer. The offer is subject to availability. Offers apply to new bookings only.

To book, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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 - Hungary Pt 2

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

Budapest - Day 1

Having had an intriguing first taste of Hungary, we were up bright and early next day for the sail into Budapest at 7am (above). And it was easily clear to see why they used this city as the backdrop to the opening sequence in the new Mission: Impossible film - it is simply spectacular, in an exotic, east European kind of way.

The banks are lined with classic building, both historic and modern, and one side - the Buda bank of the river, as opposed to the northern Pest side - acts as a natural amphitheatre, providing an amazing panoramic overlook of the whole vista. The stunning views are absolutely everywhere - the Chain Bridge, St Stephen's Basilica, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, the Freedom Monument and the sensational neo-Gothic Parliament building.

After another excellent buffet breakfast - featuring one of our faves in Eggs Benedict and a Hungarian sausage-and-peppers dish, proving that the chef is able to source some of the best local produce - we were eager to get out and see more, and our morning coach tour provided a fabulous overview.

Budapest is often dubbed 'The Paris of the East' and it is easy to see why, with broad avenues, classic 19th century architecture (where it has survived the ravages of WWII and the communist regime) and epic monuments, from Heroes Square and Valdahunyad Castle in City Park to the picturesque Dohany Square Synagogue (built from 1854-89 and the largest in Europe) and the vast overlook of Matthias Church.

Our tour took us through all this and more, with stops to fully explore Heroes Square (dedicated in 1900 to all those who gave their lives for the country's independence) and the Castle District, complete with the cathedral-like Matthias Church, dating back to the 14th century, and the immense terrace of the Fisherman's Bastion (below), which looks for all the world like Minas Tirith in Lord of the Rings(!), both of which have been heavily rebuilt since the War.

Then it was back to River Duchess for the now-familiar buffet lunch. Today's specialities included Porkolt, or a traditional beef goulash, and a heavenly carrot and ginger soup, as well as the Sandwich of the Day (a Croque Monsieur) and Somlai Galuska for dessert (a Hungarian raspberry roll), plus the usual appetising array of European cheeses and a glass of Gruner Veltiner to make everything go down smoothly!.

That afternoon we were free to explore under our steam, and explore we did. First stop was the Great Market Hall (below) built in 1896 and now a wonderful mix of local produce and tourist bric-a-brac, from the fine local lace and pottery to typical beer steins and 'magic boxes.'

The fresh produce in this vast 3-level Victorian labyrinth was worth going in for on its own, with a mouth-watering array of peppers, spices, sausages and salamis, pastries, cheeses, fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, plus stalls selling fresh-cooked meals and other local delicacies.

Next up was a chance to wander along the city's main shopping precinct, Vaci Street, full of regular tourist traps, boutiques, antique shops and modern designer fare, as well as being the heart of medieval Budapest and full of fascinating facades and other period architecture.

Several squares, statues, fountains and the 18th century Church of St Michael add to the charm of the area, and we finished our afternoon tour in style with coffee and pastries at Cafe Gerbeaud, founded in 1858 and still a top coffee house to this day (albeit a touch expensive at 25 euros for two drinks and a chocolate crepe-and-ice-cream thingy!).

Happy that we'd seen a good portion of the city it was time to head back for dinner, and then the big optional tour of our city visit, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble. To say this was a major surprise would be a major understatement. We were treated to front row seats for a 90-minute performance of amazing music and dance, all in Hungarian folk costumed style, with the male dancers in particular providing a stunning and well-drilled line-up of leaping, twirling and boot-slapping splendour.

We left goggle-eyed, but still had time for a night tour of the city, including the splendid Basilica, Heroes Square (below) and fabulous overlook of The Citadel, with both parts of the city spread out in glittering panorama either side of the glorious Danube.

We had thought this would be one of the highlights of the whole cruise, but we were wrong. It was WAY better than that.

Next - Day 2 in the Paris of the East.

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.

Fred Olsen Chase Northern Lights Again In 2013

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has added a new Norwegian itinerary in 2013, giving guests more opportunities to seek the amazing experience of seeing the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena.

The exciting 14-night voyage is aboard Boudicca and departs from Portsmouth on March 13, 2013, following the success of a similar voyage earlier this year.

The new itinerary, ideally suited to a cruise line with a strong Norwegian heritage, calls first at Ålesund, the pretty Norwegian town famous for its Art Nouveau-style buildings and national Art Nouveau Centre. Alesund is also close to Runde Island, home to one of the largest colonies of puffins in the world (above).

Next is Tromsø, far up into the Arctic Circle, where Boudicca will stay for two nights, giving guests the maximum chance of seeing the Northern Lights. From here, guests can choose to take Fred. Olsen’s ‘Chase for the Lights’ tour. This year's first-ever ‘Norway Winter’ cruise was lucky enough to see this amazing natural light show from Tromsø several times. 

Boudicca then calls at Alta (Finnmark, Norway), the most northerly port on this cruise. From Alta, guests can travel to Hammerfest, thought to be the most northerly town in the world. On the return voyage, the ship visits Kristiansund, with its picturesque old town and quaint wooden buildings, complete with a unique ‘Klippfish’ – or ‘dried cod’ – Museum, before sailing back to Portsmouth. 

Prices for this special cruise start from £1,599 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, Grade ‘I’. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. 

For bookings, visit this link to our sponsors The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading cruise-agent specialists.

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.

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P&O and Cunard Get Sporty This Summer!

P&O Cruises and Cunard will be showing live coverage of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship and London 2012 Olympic Games on board all ships within their fleets this summer.

Passengers will be able to watch these popular sporting events from the comfort of their ship, ensuring that enthusiasts don’t miss out on any of the action by taking a cruise holiday this summer.

All 31 Euro 2012 matches being held in Poland and Ukraine between June 8 and July 1 will be live in the public rooms on board.

The Olympics, being held in London between July 27 and August 12, will also be given extensive coverage on board, with programming including rowing, athletics, diving, gymnastics, cycling, swimming and basketball being shown, in addition to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

For booking details, follow this link to the Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's cruise-agent specialists.

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.

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Swan Hellenic's Grand Med Voyage

Join Swan Hellenic’s MV Minerva for a 29-day 'Grand Mediterranean and Adriatic' cruise from just £3,382 per person in August (based on two people sharing an inside cabin) – that’s little more than £100 per person per day.

This epic voyage explores the genuine highlights of the Mediterranean in the height of summer whilst visiting more than 20 different ports of call, including La Coruna, Valletta and Kotor, all with the benefit an ex-UK departure and the benefit of packing and unpacking only once!

The cruise sets sail from Portsmouth on August 1 and calls at St Peter Port (Guernsey), La Coruna (Spain), Oporto (Portugal), Cadiz (Spain), Malaga (Spain), Cartagena (Spain), Palma (Majorca), Cagliari (Italy), Trapani (Italy), Valletta (Malta, overnight), Dubrovnik (Croatia, overnight), Korcula (Croatia), Split (Croatia), Trieste (Italy), Venice (Italy), Pula (Croatia), Kotor (Croatia, overnight), Sarande (Albania), Itea (Greece) and Piraeus (Greece, overnight).

The price includes a tailor-made programme of shore excursions, talks by eminent guest speakers, meals and entertainment on board, all gratuities and all relevant cruise taxes.
 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading cruise-agent specialists.

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.

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The Glorious Danube - Hungary

(With apologies for the slow upload of this episode!)

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

Hungary, Part 1

We are now (sadly) past the half-way point of our cruise, having glided through Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia, the very heart of the Balkans, and it is time to move from east to central Europe.

Hungary was our next stop, and we had three contrasting days in store. Our first port of call in Magyar territory was Mohacs (above), a seemingly typical riverside town boasting its own medieval history and traditions – notably the weird and wonderful Buso Festival each March, which celebrates the end of the Lent season in suitably wild, costumed fashion (if you can imagine hordes of sheepskin-festooned, masked and alcohol-fueled men rushing about wielding sticks in comical fashion!).

Our enthusiastic guide for a morning stroll through the town gave us the full Buso story while we visited the high street, main church and town hall in leisurely succession before returning to the Duchess under our own guidance (via a shop or two!).

After another excellent buffet lunch (breakfast and lunch are always served buffet-style, with several specialities each day), including a tempting array of Hungarian dishes, it was time to board our next chariot (in the form of yet another comfortable coach) and head off into the hinterland, destination Villanyi.

After the relatively rural, near-subsistence levels we saw in much of Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia, there was a definite difference in the air of wealth and prosperity in the Hungarian landscape, with the likes of Burger King and British stores Tesco, Spar and even Marks & Spencer all to be seen – signs of a healthy middle class indeed!

Our first stopping point was the village of Villanyi in the heart of Hungary’s famous wine region, seeded with German grapes more than 300 years ago and still thriving today. It is also the very opposite of the big, mass-produced wineries you see in much of Germany, France, California and even Australia – individual family-owned holdings carved out of the hillside and handed down from generation to generation.

The Borozo winery (above) was a classic example, a business that had been in the family for almost 300 years and was still, largely, a husband-and-wife concern. Their own wine cellar – one of several dozen arranged in neat rows along the hillside – was not so much an underground facility as the middle tier of a three-layer series of tunnels bored directly into the side of the hill, with the actual vineyards on top.

We entered via a narrow frontage that looked more like a row of garages but quickly discovered this unprepossessing exterior led into a cellar-cool brick-lined tunnel that took us down and under the hill. Full of barrels and thousands of bottles already laid down, our hosts had lined up three wines and various snacks all set out for tasting – a rosé and two reds, including a surprisingly vibrant and tasty Cabernet.

We sampled the flavourful trio as our Hungarian host relayed a series of tasting notes via our guide/interpreter. The tour finished by going up a level into their little café/wine bar, with the inevitable opportunity to buy some of their produce. But, at just €11 for an excellent Cab, we certainly weren’t short-changed.

Back on the coach, the gloomy weather finally relented as we reached the outskirts of Pecs, Hungary’s fourth-largest city and another major surprise. Here was a wonderful mix of new and old, a typical medieval settlement boasting part of the original city walls and an amazing array of 17^th, 18^th and 19^th century churches, mansions and other buildings, all boasting an eye-catching baroque and neo-Gothic style.

Our tour guide offered a non-stop stream of commentary of Pecs’ long history and introduced us to two highly-regarded museums, including one for the famous local porcelain that now commands a serious price in the big-name stores of Europe.

Not wishing to miss our own exploration of this surprising city, we opted to miss the museums in favour of more time to wander – and what a wander it proved to be.

As well as more – and ever ingenious – fountains than you could shake a Hungarian stick at, the central square (above) was a real wow moment as we rounded a corner to discover this huge open space lined on three sides by more of the classic period architecture and dominated on the upper side by a church-turned-mosque-turned-reconverted-church, testimony to the great push and shove of the Ottoman age, when the powerful Turkish empire covered half of Europe before being fought to a standstill by the Habsburgs and then gradually evicted.

Knowing nothing about Pecs in advance (and precious little about the Ottoman empire either, to be honest), it proved a fascinating couple of hours as we meandered along the mazy streets and admired this overwhelming collection of period architecture (along with a delicious gelato!).

The new face of the city could be seen in a modern indoor shopping centre, along with brands like H&M, C&A and Marks and Spencer, and it was clear Hungary itself is integrating itself into the contemporary European scene much faster than its eastern neighbours.

All too soon, it was time to re-board our coach to return to the ship at Fajsz, with the prospect of Budepest the next day, but our first impressions of Hungary are pretty positive...

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.