Today we boarded our cruise boat to take us to Amsterdam via the (not so blue) Danube, the Main and the Rhine rivers. After dinner the boat was moved from its first berth to one closer to the city. This allowed us to watch as it sailed past the various buildings on the river, all lit up and looking beautiful.
Applebys' travels
A record of the more notable of our travels to interesting places. For more photos of our most recent trip than you'll find here go to my photo album page.
Thursday, May 29, 2025
May 28 Budapest
Today we boarded our cruise boat to take us to Amsterdam via the (not so blue) Danube, the Main and the Rhine rivers. After dinner the boat was moved from its first berth to one closer to the city. This allowed us to watch as it sailed past the various buildings on the river, all lit up and looking beautiful.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
May 27 Budapest, Hungary
We arrived in Budapest at midday to a beautiful Summer’s day. Our hotel is not far from Széchenyi Thermal Bath Park, a huge green space containing a number of tourist attractions.
The first of these was Vajdahunyad Castle, built in 1896 and described as a fantasy pastiche and made up of buildings covering building styles from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.
Monday, May 26, 2025
May 26 Helsinki
Back in Helsinki to a beautiful, if not particularly warm, day. The city library is an expansive building that looks like a ship or a spacecraft, located just across the road from the parliament building, the City Music Centre and the Kiasma Museum of Modern Art.
The Helsinki Music Centre is another wonderful building where an International Violin competition is currently in progress. We were able to join a lecture on the Stradivari and other related violins with Peter Livonen, Concert Master of the Paris Opera Orchestra and previous winner of this Violin Competition, demonstrating the sound of a Stradivari, a Guadagnini and another 18th century French violin to the same design as the Stradivari.
Sunday, May 25, 2025
May 24 Parnu, Estonia
Another cold and overcast day with light rain in the afternoon. We decided to walk to the beach, which unsurpringly empty. But the walk was through beautiful parklands.
In the afternoon we walked into town where there was a Saturday Street Food festival in progress. Lots of yummy treats. Then it was the Parnu Museum with exhibits dating back 8000 years as well as a display of national costumes over time.