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🇧🇬 Ruse: The Little Vienna (?) of Bulgaria
Good morning from Ruse, Bulgaria – about 75 kilometers south of Bucharest, Romania. Viking had the herd buses lined up and ready this morning. One was going to a monastery made out of rocks. Maybe…
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🇧🇬 Vidin, Bulgaria: Tracksuits, Roses, and an Underground Communist Toilet
Good morning from Vidin, in the extreme northwestern part of Bulgaria, on the border with Romania. What to say about Vidin? If someone were to design a travel brochure for Bulgaria, Vidin isn’t going to…
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🇷🇸 Golubac, Serbia: A Demanding Hike & Scenic Sailing. PLUS: A Poll
We’ve got white caps on the Danube today. Everyone is seasick. Kidding. Well, I overheard one lady say she was seasick. Not sure how. Being on a river boat is like sailing on glass. I…
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🇷🇸 Belgrade: Three Weddings and a lot of Gray
We are docked in Belgrade, Serbia today. And we can walk into town from the port – no herd bus. Huzzah! If nothing else, I’ve learned a lot more about Eastern European / Balkan geography…
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📸 🇭🇷 Photo Essay: Croatia
My Croatia photos are almost exclusively from our Danube River cruse visit to Osijek and Vukovar. I do have a few shots of Dubrovnik from a visit in 2022, but most of my photos from…
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🇭🇷 Osijek & Vukovar: Homemade Brandy and the Scars of War
Good morning, Croatia. Woke up to more fog, but prettier fog. Celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary today. I got Ken a very special anniversary gift this morning – Diet Coke for breakfast. We are docked…
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📸 🇭🇺 Photo Essay: Budapest & Hungary
We spent four days in Budapest in advance of our Danube River Cruise. And as much as the photographer in me wants to be using my Leica or my Nikon, you cannot beat the iPhone…
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🍷 🇭🇺 What to Drink in Hungary: A Guide to Hungarian Drinks
We spent four days in Budapest before our Danube River cruise, which gave me plenty of time to investigate Hungary’s drinks culture. And Hungary gave me plenty to investigate. So, what do Hungarians drink? Start with…
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✈️ Travel in Our Rearview Mirror: 2025
2025 was an ambitious travel year for us. We continue to enjoy the hell out of our retirement – trying to travel as much as we can. We have the time, and while both of…
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🇭🇺 Kalsoca, Hungary: Four Horsemen and a Babblefish
Woke up this morning to a breathtaking view of … fog! Back on the herd bus (goodie) after breakfast for the 45 minute ride to our first stop. Woman across the aisle from Ken has…
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🚢 Embarkation Day: Irish Goodbyes, Tokaji Wine, and a Stolen Passport
We were warned several times that we would be the youngest people on a river cruise. At first glance, can confirm this is true. Ken and I are both a little nervous about the potential…
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🇸🇰 Slovakia: Mission Accomplished
Budapest is only about an hour from the Slovakian border. So, I’m on a mission to visit Slovakia today. I’m a compulsive country collector. If I’m within an hour of a country I haven’t been…