Our adventure began Friday evening with dinner at Chianti’s with dear friends and houseguests, Gene and Edie Soderberg. After a leisurely breakfast Saturday morning, Eric Muetterties arrived to graciously drive Garry and me to SFO.
Budapest Airport
The 11 hour flight to Frankfurt proved quite relaxing; Lufthansa’s comfortable economy seating made sleeping and relaxing fairly easy, and the hot dinner at the beginning of the flight and the full breakfast at the end helped us adjust quickly to the time change. Following a one and a half hour flight to Budapest airport, we boarded a bus with several other couples for the 20 minute drive to our cruise ship, the Viking Legend.
Boarding the Viking Legend in Budapest
The travel brochures accurately pictured this comfortable river cruiser. The 180 passengers trickled in from as far as Hawaii and as near as Great Britain, and soon we were unpacking our suitcases in our staterooms. Garry and I found our cabin on the second deck very comfortable with ample storage. Two comfortable chairs sitting beside the French balconey would provide the perfect place to enjoy our quiet times, leisurely reading and blogging while cruising along the Danube.
Stairway to Second Deck
We listened to instructions and welcomes, and then we moved from the lounge to the dining room for a wonderful three course dinner. Our table companions were delightful! Ursula and Erwin, German natives residing in Florida, were well-traveled and recommended cruising to us with several wonderful stories. Pat and Roger and Lynn and Bill, good Brits all, made their introductions with classic British humor and made us feel instantly ‘at home.’
Before retiring to our cabin, Garry and I toured the observation deck, met a few more fellow passengers, acquainted ourselves with the cozy library, and then slipped beneath the comfortable duvets to enjoy some welcome sleep anticipate the next day’s tour of Budapest.
Garry & Sandy's Great Adventures 