Something other than US politics

CNN International/BBC Keep us well informed!

While river cruising we are able to watch CNN and BBC.  We're very interested in today's vote (June 23) in Britain with respect to their stay/leave the European Union.  Analysis is all engaging and broadens our understanding. Holy Cow, the Brits voted to leave the EU! We cannot believe this....

We're watching our own House of Representatives behave (mis-behave?) while "discussing" gun control.

We see sports and so the football/soccer tournament is fascinating, especially the hair-do's!

How we get opinions about each country:

Each of our staff on board our ship is from a different region:  Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland and other nearby countries. As we pass thru the Balkans the cruise folks offer us speakers who share history and politics of the area.  We've heard from the Serbian speaker who explained the Ottoman surge, the fall of Austria-Hungary, the rise of Yugoslavia, the Balkan wars, and finally today's relative peace.

Today, June 23, we will hear the Croatian side.

This was before!






















For the history buffs (who will surely find reasons to correct the following) --
Yugoslavia was born at the end of WW2 as the merging of 6 nations.  

• Each nation/region had a president, with Tito rising as the first above equals.  We've heard the Orwell quote quite often:  "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."

• Then came the break-up.  Lots of claiming and reclaiming territories.  "this really belonged to us and we're taking it back."

• Ethnic relocation is a euphemism for genocide.

• Each of our staff on board our ship is very polite and circumspect in their comments and speak generously and forgivingly about others.  

Bottom line:  this area is about ethnic racism and territorial ownership.  These attitudes have prevailed for centuries.  These attitudes have acted out in genocides beyond the realm of even Messers Hitler and Stalin.  These attitudes continue to be present today.

My personal opinion:  it's like the weather in Washington.  If it's not raining just wait.  If it's raining you know it.  Apply this maxim to the violence and chaos. So today this is The Balkans,i.e.. former Yugoslavia

Boiling Belgrade

 You Ain't Felt Nothing if YOU Haven't Felt the Boil in Belgrade, Serbia

On June 22, 2016 we suffer the heat.  So hot.  So humid.  We are grateful -- so grateful -- for buses with a/c and a ship that is cool and welcoming.AND we were told that the heat will get worse over the summer. Get us OUT!!

Great presentation by historian this morning on the glories of Serbia and t's leadership of the Slav countries, before departing by coach to Belgrade city and attractions. He told us that they had 20% unemployment. We visited the famous Kalemegdan fortress that is now a serene park with a viewpoint unparalleled:  from this vantage point we could see the confluence of three rivers. 

 The view also showed us visually the strategic importance of Belgrade as "the crossroads of Europe." The city is still struggling and though they have great plans, they don't have a strong enough economy to pull it off. And no such thing as traffic control!

a bombed out building waiting for repairs

bullet holes all along the wall

traffic nightmare

Back on the bus to see the Church of St. Sava.  Magnificent in Byzantine style, tho church is still under construction after more than 100 years.  Funds to build the church come from Serbs all over the globe.  The church's exterior is complete -- marble facade, bell towers, a dome. 

 Inside the columns are wrapped in heavy plastic, the center of the floor is incomplete, and looking up into the dome we could see the equivalent of construction scaffolding.  "Should be finished in another 20-25 years," said the guide.

One more bus ride to Tito memorial.  This is a grand park with many pieces of sculpture, most given as gifts to Josef Tito Broz, president of 6 countries brought together as Yugoslavia at the end of WWII.  THe memorial building is well-maintained but other areas are in sore need of some love and attention.

One of many statues of Tito

And finally a bus return to the ship, that cool haven that offers a cold beer, a fresh salad, and a nap.

For dinner we went to the Royal Palace for a marvelous tour and to have a surprise greeting with Prince Alexander and Princess Katherine. They spoke with us for over 10 minutes explaining that they live in the Palace but that the Palace is owned by the Serbian Government.   

And their modest home.

For those curious about the Royals click here.

Later we learned that ours was the first tour group they had personally greeted.  One of our group, a retired physician, had treated a first cousin of the Prince (while in Greece.)  The two men had an extended chat.

The pool house.

Palace dining room.  The Royals live on
floors 2 and 3 (to which we were not invited.)

Basement -- including large theater with 6 seats
(one for each regional president, Slovenia, Croatia, etc.)
and one extra large and separate seat for Tito

The Chapel -- alternately in use as a store room

or a chapel, depending on the occupiers

and/or visitors.

We dined at another palace in the compound:  The White Palace.

Built for someone's son and family -- lost track

of the family tree at this point in the heat.

The two most gorgeous "royals" at the dinner.

The Iron Gates of the Danube

What you don't know won't hurt you unless you wake up and see it happening.....

So at 2:30 am and Beth was awakened with a bright light shinning in her face. Here we were at the Iron Gate Lock II moving toward the beginning of a series of locks. Beth immediately woke Becky so she could enjoy the experience..Holy Cow!! 

Once though the Lock,  we entered a large lake and continued on until day break when we hit Iron Gate Lock I - Djerdap 1 Lock.  (Passed thru lock 2 during previous night, about 2:30 am.  Yes, we saw it because the lights from the power plant shone brightly into our windows.)  

Passing thru Lock I we rose 100 feet to continue on into the Danube River toward Serbia. It took us about 2 hours to go through the Lock. We know we have moved into the winding winding part of the Danube....Romania on the right above the river and Serbia on the left.The Kazan Gorge is one of the more narrow sections of the River. The fiords were beautiful and the granite rocks were outstanding. 

Decebalus Statue -- largest stone carving in Europe (132 Ft)
Paid for by a fan of the ruler represented.
Not as old as you might think -- carved btwn 1994 and 2004
The curious can learn more here

Part of the Great Kazan Gorge

Fort BADA VIDA in Vidin

All Night Long, All Night Long.......

Again, to sleep with the large sliding glass doors wide open all night and to hear the river gently passing is so calming. We sleep so soundly and comfortably. 

Today June 20, 2014 we continue up river toward Vidin, Bulgaria where we will arrive mid day.

Oh to see the medieval Fort Baba Vida and to enjoy the riverside town of Vidin is splendid.

Later in the afternoon, the Tauck folks offered an additional adventure.  By bus (how else!) we traveled to an archaeological site named Lepenski Vir.  This place is really really old -- 9500BC -- and shows the layout of a village of sorts.  Word is that this is the first indication of man transitioning from caves (hunter/gather types) to semi-permanent locations because of advancements in growing food (agriculture types.)

Incredible facility housing the transplanted dig.  Found near
this spot but moved to avoid damage by the now and then
flooding of Danube.

Much of the remaining artifacts and sites are now under water

Most sculpture was fish-face.
The people depended on fish from the  Danube.
It's believed their sculpture reflected their appreciation
of fish.

Our Treasure, MS TREASURES

Finally we hit the High Seas....er the Danube River

Waking on the river is a special experience.  River boats float and move very comfortably; the river has a current and motion, but the ship glides without alerting us to its presence on a moving body of water.  We slept deeply and awoke refreshed. Becky provided us with our en suite breakfast;

  

We can hear water gently lapping on the sides of the ship.  We watch barges and birds as we move along the river and stop -- almost without noticing -- at Ruse (roo-say).  We crossed silently into Bulgaria (like the spies we are -- hehehe); the official border is the passage under the Bridge of Friendship, the only land passage between Romania and Bulgaria (okay, for the particular reader, the bridge is not 'land' but crossing it doesn't require navigating water.)

 

A lot of gathering and decision making and lining up....

    

Hop on the bus, Gus.  Again. Always.  

First we take a drive thru Ruse.  Charming town with a mixture of pre-revolution Stalin-design apartments and more modern buildings.



 

   



                                              

Now we head inland to see the Rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo, Bulgaria.  A UNESCO World Heritage Sight, these churches are carved out of a mountain.  They date to the 11th century, with paintings and frescos from the 14th century.  


After 100+ steps up a twisting path we arrive at the small crevice that leads to the interior.  The floor is very rough stone; the walls and ceilings all carry remnants of the artwork. The tour guide identified the spaces:  narthex, nave, altar.  It won't show in the pictures but the entrance would have been thru a hole in the side of the mountain that seemed completely inaccessible.  It reminded me of that scene in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade when Indy is working his way thru the trials and clues of the mystery as transcribed by his injured historian dad.  During one scene he's standing at the edge of a very high mountain cave with no way to cross to the other side.  That's what this church entrance looked like.


 Indiana Jones entrance

Ivanovo Entrance 

                                   

                                             

Thanks Angie for the photo