Danube-Black Sea Cruise, 2004

Romania, Bulgaria (България), Serbia (Србија) and Hungary (Magyarország)

In October 2004, my Mom and Dad and I took a Vantage river cruise (http://www.vantagetravel.com/) on the Danube River and the Black Sea. I was their guest. We visited Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary. The following is a visual account of our trip. I used a Nikon N80 film camera with a 28-105mm-D lens and Kodacolor 400 film, and my daughter's Nikon Coolpix 2100 digital camera for these photos. Or you may just want to view the photographs in the thumbnail directory (no maps or descriptions).

Photographs © copyrighted by Don Chesnut, 2004; all rights reserved

6 October

We drove to the Cincinnati airport in northern Kentucky and took a United flight to Chicago. Then we flew Lufthansa to Frankfurt, Germany.

7 October

We arrived in Frankfurt and took another Lufthansa flight to Bucharest, Romania. Here, we went through customs and immigration. We were met by the Vantage tour people and driven to the Marriott Grand Hotel in Bucharest by evening.

Bucharest (Bucureşti)

• We stayed at the J W Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel (their website: http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/BUHRO)

8 October

Bucharest (Bucureşti), half-day tour

• Bulevardul Unirii
• Piata Unirii and fountain
• another view of fountain
• another piata or plaza, I don't remember which, view of intersection here
• Arcul de Triumf
• another view of the arch, modeled after the one in Paris (but smaller)
• Romanian Atheneum (Ateneul Român) (concert hall)
• Muzeul Naţional de Artă  (part of Royal Palace, Palatul Regal)
• another view of the National Art Museum
• don't remember which buildings these are, library?
• Romanian Orthodox Church
1. bell tower?
2. Dad and door of tower, close-up of door hinge
3. inside the church, a wedding was being held in another part
4. a closer view of icons in the church
5. building behind the church
• Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) (2^nd largest building in the World)
1. back side of Parliament
2. front side
3. front side and large plaza; we toured the building, but didn't take pictures
• Officers’ Club (for lunch)
• lunch at the club and special dessert

from Bucharest to the Danube

• house and yard in the countryside
• blue passenger train
• church

Olteniţa and our boat

• the dock at Olteniţa
• our boat, The River Navigator (more about the boat at Vantage's website)
• busy riverbank

Romanian Folklore Entertainment, Ansamblul “Baladele Deltei”

• pretty Romanian dancers
• dancers
• dancers with different costumes
• singer
• more dancers

9 October

We arrive at Cernavodă and drive by bus to Constanţa to see Roman ruins and the Black Sea.

• church near Cernavodă, and close-up of woodwork at church
• we arrive at Constanţa
• roadside stand
• Cazino at Constanţa on the Black Sea
• Muzeul de Istorie Naţională şi Arheologie
1. inside the museum
2. Glykon (2^nd century AD)
3. marble statue
4. Stone tablet showing Romulus, Remus and the She-Wolf (mythical founders of Rome)
5. amphorae
6. Latin tablet, but I can't make out the shorthand
• 3^rd-century Roman mosaic at site of ancient, hill-side warehouse
; next to museum
1. mosaic
2. mosaic
3. overall view
4. mosaic and amphorae
5. close-up of mosaic
6. close-up
• at the Terasa Taraneasca for lunch and entertainment
1. lunch in the courtyard
2. ensemble with accordion, hammer dulcimer, violin, bass and pan pipes
3. ensemble with pan pipes
4. our table
• Modern Beach (Plaja Modern), Black Sea
1. same beach
2. seashell concentration on beach, almost entirely bivalves

10 October

We arrived and docked at Ruse (Pyce), Bulgaria (България) and boarded buses headed for Arbanassi and Veliko Turnovo, to the south.

• on the bus from Ruse to Arbanassi and Veliko Turnovo

Arbanassi (Aрбанаси)

• view from hilltop, hazy
• another view
• view of village
• view through haze
• Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel’s Church, Bulgarian Orthodox; no pictures allowed inside
1. close-up of painting on church front
2. church courtyard
3. side of church
4. singers who sang to us in the church
5. small road to church
6. hand-painted icons for sale near church
7. more icons for sale
8. walk down road from church
• Konstantsaliev’s house
, we toured the house
1. room near entrance, with tea service?
2. room for dinner?
3. another room with fireplace
4. room with weaving and ironing equipment
5. the back of the house
6. lace for sale near the house
• alleyway
• hotel restaurant
• Bulgarian student cultural contact for our table

Veliko Turnovo (Велико Търново)

• Tsarevets Fortress
1. distant view of fortress
2. fortress and gates
3. fortified walls
4. gates and roadway
5. view through gate
• lower levels of town
• St. Nikolai Church
• street and houses
• market street, lots of tourist shops
• alleyway near small plaza
• Dad at same place
• another nearby alley
• view of town from lower level
1. view of town
2. another view
3. view of town
4. another view
5. mid-level
• monastery under cliff on road back to Ruse

11 October

The Danube, Ruse to Iron Gates; cruising upriver all day.

• busy port at confluence
• view of Danube from upper deck, Bulgaria and Romanian banks
• Mom and Dad
• castle or fort at Vidin??
• village
• Tea Time aboard the boat
• lower lock near Iron Gates, waiting for our turn
1. lock opening for exiting boats
2. entering the lock
3. water-level rising in the lock
4. almost level with upper part of river

12 October

We arrived at Beograd (Београд), Serbia (Србија) and took a bus tour of the village, Kovacica, about 40 km north of Beograd.

• dock at Beograd/Belgrade
• drive to Kovacica
1. pole with house behind it
2. farmhouse and farmland
3. village

We toured several art exhibits, houses and a church at Kovacica.

• Kovacica art museum
1. musicians tuning up
2. musicians playing for us
3. very large painting and examples of lacework; detail of painting
4. more paintings and embroidery
5. one of the artisan shops near the museum
• Mom at grape arbor, tour of house
• same house
• Martin Jonas house
1. courtyard
2. another view of courtyard
3. inside the Jonas house
4. bedroom with Jonas paintings
5. friendly lady in Jonas house
6. sidewalk next to Jonas house
• church in Kovacica
1. steeple
2. pipe organ, we had an organ concert here
3. altar, paintings made to look like 3-D ornamentation on walls
• street in Kovacica
• houses on way back to Beograd

Beograd (Београд)

• bombed building, military building
• another bombed building
• church, which one?
• building, what is it? [tree jumped in front of it]
• what building is this?
• busy street
• plaza and statue, what is it?
• Kalemegdan Citadel
1. another view from same place, northwestern end of wall
2. two sets of walls
3. upper-level walls
4. same walls, more distant view
5. walls and monument
6. walls and rock outcrop
7. structures at eastern end of wall

We head for Hungary (Magyarország)

• back at my room in the boat
• interior of my room
• dinner on the boat, great company
• Mom and Dad at dinner table

13 October

We arrived at Bezdan and go through customs. At Mohács, we depart the boat and board buses to Kalocsa, Hungary (Magyarország).

• houses along road from Mohács to Kalocsa (photos from moving bus)
• houses with fruit trees
• farm buildings
• paprika fields, red sacks are full of paprika peppers
• houses with paprika hanging
• more paprika hanging

Kalocsa

• Cathedral (18^th century) at Kalocsa, in the rain; that's my umbrella at the top
1. statue of Franz Liszt (Liszt Ferenc) near cathedral entrance
2. pipe organ in the cathedral, we had an organ concert here too
3. pipe organ
4. close-up of pipe organ
5. Dad ready for a photo
6. the altar
7. altar
• horse show and country culture
1. greeter in costume
2. one of the long farm buildings
3. team of oxen
4. closer view of oxen and cart
5. pair of riders with whips
6. reclining horse
7. same horse reclining
8. same horse sitting
9. fast team of horses and farm wagon
10. fast team of horses and small cart, man in back to balance cart during turns
11. man standing on team of five horses
12. making flat bread, here we had drinks, flat bread with sour cream, etc., all while a bank played traditional instruments
• dinner near Kalocsa dock, we had a series of Hungarian dishes including goulash; local artisans painted murals and made lace and embroidery
• mural painter
• two ladies sewing

We got back on the boat at Kalocsa that night and departed for Budapest.

14 October

We arrive at Budapest and take the following pictures of the Buda side from the boat.

• Budapest Liberty Bridge (Szabadság Bridge) and Gellért Hill from the boat, Mom and Dad
• the bridge and hill
• the bridge and hill from the upper deck
• Gellért Hotel and Baths
• Technical University

Then we toured the city by bus.

Buda

• Gellért Hotel and Baths
• Gellért Hill
1. structure at base of Gellért Hill
2. view from Gellért Hill, looking northward at Danube River; Buda is to the left and Pest to the right
3. view of Royal Palace from Gellért Hill
4. view of Pest from Gellért Hill
• Castle Hill
1. Castle Hill from Víziváros
2. Parliament from Castle Hill
3. Ministry of War (former) with WWII bullet holes
4. Parade Square (Disz tér) and Honvéd Monument
5. Honvéd Monument
6. Tarnok Street
7. further down Tarnok Street
8. red building with statue on Tarnok Street
9. Mátyás Church (13^th-15^th and 19^th century) bell tower with scaffolding
10. main part of church
11. another view of bell tower
12. church and István statue
13. triptych in church
14. view toward altar
15. ornately painted interior
16. another painted chamber
17. stained glass in church
18. altar and stained glass
19. altar
20. Fishermen’s Bastion (Halászbástya) and Statue of St. István (Stephen)
21. Statue of St. István (Stephen)
22. view from Bastion
23. view of Bastion through arch
24. view of Parliament from the Bastion
25. view of Margit Island from the Bastion
26. Holy Trinity Plague Monument (1713)
27. another view of monument
28. layout of Castle Hill
29. dishtowel with map of Hungary
30. turret at Royal Palace
31. Royal Palace

• Hungarian State Opera House (Magyar Állami Operaház)
• building with ornately-painted walls
• Museum of Fine Art (Szépmüvészeti Múzeum)

• Heroes’ Square (Hösök tere) and Millennium Monument

• Millennium Monument
• Millennium Monument with bronzes of famous Hungarians
• Palace of Art (Mücsarnok)
• bronze statue at Heroes' Square
• Museum of Fine Art (Szépmüvészeti Múzeum)
• students climbing statues on Millennium Monument
• students climbing
• instersection along Andrássy Ut
• building in Pest, which one?
• Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok)
1. the Market Hall
2. another view of the Hall
3. fruit and vegetable vendor inside the market hall
4. more fruit
5. paprika shop
6. fruit vendor
• Váci Street
• view of Royal Palace from Pest
• back for lunch on the boat

Mom, Dad and I ate at Gundel's Restaurant on this evening. Gundel's is near Heroes' Square. For more information, see this external link for Gundel Restaurant

15 October

We took the bus tour to Hollókő, about 60 km northeast of Budapest.

• Széchenyi Baths in Pest, on the way to Hollókő.
• Hollókő map
• wooden Hollókő map
• buildings on main road at Hollókő
• Dad taking pictures
• greeters with apricot liqueur
• walking down cobbled road
• building with picket fence
• hillside garden
• courtyard of house
• church down cobbled street (17^th century)
• Natalija, our group leader
• group of houses along the side
• the church at intersection
• picturesque house
• houses with flags
• same house
• houses at intersection
• street up hill
• more picket fences
• castle ruins (13-14^th century)
• street view
• inside one of the houses
• wooden wine press
• old lady selling handmade dolls
• walking up cobbled street
• restaurant? with lots of flowers
• ladies in costume
• spinning wool
• popping popcorn
• explaining the costume
• back view
• ladies singing
• lunch in local home; lady on right was the homeowner; we had very good traditional fare
• our lunch group
• homeowner's chicken pen
• homeowner's backyard with grape arbor
• Hollókő lace that I brought back for the women in my family (lace makes a good souvenir because it packs small)

Back on the boat we had our Farewell Dinner.

• our server and great dinner companions
• another view
• another server
• bringing in the Baked Alaskan

After dinner we had Hungarian Folklore Entertainment with Gyula Horváth and Gipsy Fantasy Band

• the musicians
• folk dancers
• singer with beautiful voice
• dancers and another singer
• another dance number
• Hugh dancing with lady singer
• violinist playing for singer
• lady singer again
• dancers and singer

After the entertainment, I took a walk along the Pest side of the Danube River. I used my daughter's small digital camera and didn't have a tripod to take the low-light photos;,hence, they are fuzzy.

• Chain Bridge (Lánchid)
• Parliament Building (Országház)
• another view of the Parliament
• yet another view
• Ethnographic Museum? (Néprajzi Múzeum)
• St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István Bazilika)

16 October

It rained all day. We toured the Parliament Building (Országház) in the morning.

• Parliament Building (Országház)
• ornate stairway
• folk and historical statues on columns
• more statues on columns
• one of the chambers of Parliment, very dark
• another view of the chamber

After lunch, I walked from the boat, docked near Liberty Bridge, to the City Park (Városliget), via Andrássy Ut. It rained all the way. I used my daughter's small digital camera for this walk (I could keep it dry in my pocket).

• Liberty Bridge (Szabadság Bridge), note Turul bird sculptures at the top
• statue columns on building along the way; which building??
• State Opera House (Magyar Állami Operaház); on the way back, I tried to take pictures inside, but the guard wouldn't let me.
• arches on building, which building??
• flower vendor along Andrássy Ut
• sidewalk along Andrássy Ut
• the House of Terror (Terror Háza) museum (largely about WWII concentration camps and 1956 revolt, etc.)
• corner view of House of Terror
• intersection and sculpture along the walk
• small park along the way
• view down Andrássy Ut from Heroes' Square
• Heroes' Square
• Gundel's Restaurant, we ate here one night
• another view of Gundel's
• Budapest Zoo (Állatkert) (since 1866)
• City Park (Városliget)
1. lake at City Park (Városliget)
2. Secession Pavillion at City Park
3. roadway to Vajdahunyad Castle at City Park
4. entrance to the castle
5. bridge and entrance to castle
6. Romanesque church on castle grounds
7. Baroque building on castle grounds
8. Széchenyi Baths at City Park; turnaround point of my walk
• Museum of Fine Art (Szépmüvészeti Múzeum)
• House of Terror with demonstrators?
• another view of the same
• St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István Bazilika)
• Great Synagogue (Zsinagóga)
• Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum), closed for renovation
• small church/chapel near the Great Market Hall?, which church is it.

17 October

We got up early, the tour bus took us to the airport and we made our succession of flights (three flights) to home. We went west, following the sun, so we made it back all in one long day.