Hello everyone!

Forgive my absence but as I told you last time, I was away in Germany, Austria and Hungary for 8 wonderful, adventure filled days which were absolutely amazing and simply unforgettable thanks to my hosts Viking River Cruises.

I must be completely honest with you, I was pretty sad to return home (i did NOT want to come back) and just wish I had stayed longer but duty called and here I am again!

Words are simply not enough to even begin to explain or describe everything that we experienced during the week.

Now I am recovering from our marathon walks in the different cities and also jet lag but looking back at all the special moments brings a smile to my face.

Everyday we posted different and original captures on Instagram with #hellovikingriver. If you followed it, you were able to see a glimpse of our different destinations, our meals, coffee, landscape and the professional staff onboard Viking Atla which made the trip even more fun and they took great care of us!

If you didn’t, let me share the following instagrams with you once again and I will start sharing my experience through a series of blog posts and lots of high quality photos which I hope you will enjoy 🙂

Departing from YUL airport

Nuremberg, Germany

Our special tour guide, a mini Albrecht Dürer took us to some of the most important sightseeing spots in the city 🙂

When in Germany…you drink 🙂

Hotel Drei Raben in Nuremberg, Germany

Hearty frühstück or breakfast as fuel for the day!

Super cool and comfy room No 12

When in Bavaria, grilled Bratwurstchen with sauerkraut are a must!

Touring Nuremberg with #MeandMyDuerer 🙂

Erlangen, Germany

Where Viking Cruises Longship, Viking Atla is docked

Regensburg, Germany

Tasting local draft beer at Regensburger WeisserBräuhaus

And a nice dinner afterwards

Passau, Germany

Colorful buildings and intricate details

Cruising on the Danube at sunset

Wachau Valley, Austria

The Wachau Valley is renowned for its wine production and also very pretty small villages along the way

Vienna, Austria

The view upon arrival in Austria’s capital

The Parliament is stunning, how can you not like it?

How cool is this bar/open air swimming pool on the Danube Canal? Happy hour has a new meaning 🙂

Wandering the streets and squares while admiring the architecture and stopping over for a cold drink on a hot day is a real pleasure.

Budapest, Hungary

View of St-Stephen Square from the steps of the Basilica

The Opera House is an architectural masterpiece

Would you believe this is an entrance to a building? It blows you away and begs to be captured.

Ever heard of the New York Café? It is called one the most beautiful café in the world and I now can confirm this as a fact.

It is sublime, the interior is jaw-dropping and the food is delicious too! A feast for the senses indeed!

If coffee was not enough, there is a great place you can go to if you are very thirsty for some ice-cold drinks and cocktails at the Hard Rock Café in Budapest.  That piña colada won me over 🙂

The icing on the cake, the best part of river cruising is seeing the cities illuminated at night and the view of the Hungarian Parliament was just mind-blowing.

I could not believe my eyes as it is absolutely gorgeous! Majestic if you ask me. That is a moment that will be engraved in my memory 🙂

Imagine waking up to this view and enjoy it even more from the dining room of the longship. That is Chain Bridge and Buda on the other side. There’s lots to see and do!

Airbnb rental apartment 

We decided to extend our stay in the Hungarian capital, thus the person traveling with me found this great apartment near Andrássy Avenue and is very close to many attractions. Love at first sight? Yes, yes indeed.

Lots of storage spaces, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen and this great living room. It couldn’t get any better 😉

Budapest Eye

To see the city from high above, a ride on the giant merry-go-round is highly suggested. It allows you to appreciate Budapest from different angles and definitely worth it.

Mini Bar Budapest

We were on the lookout for some great food after a marathon walk and found Mini Bar Budapest! What a pleasant surprise.

They have an extensive list of drinks, which we loved but best of all? We found that they had veggie burgers and they were so good that we ordered a second time!

To quest our thirst on that hot day, we ordered frozen margaritas and it was delicious, the perfect complement!

As you know I am a big coffee fan and Budapest has a great coffee scene. We loved ordering flat whites, cappuccinos and espressos.

A much-needed caffeine kick that went straight into the bloodstream. Doesn’t it look great too? 🙂

Which photo (s) did you like best?

Let me know. 

This is just a preview of what’s coming ahead.

I’ll take you on a photographic tour of one of the best surprises of the trip, which is the German city of Nuremberg. You do not want to miss my series, so please come back and check it out!

Until next time,

Tashi Delek, all the best

Karla 🙂