Bonuses

[This is a day with replacement photos, as I hadn't yet had the chance to post about Esztergom or email my folks. The few photos here are from Wikipedia.]

Another beautiful day dawned, and people were in high spirits as we would be moving this afternoon. Originally there were plans to visit one of two towns in Hungary, as a bonus excursion-- Esztergom or Szentendre. But given our late afternoon lock appointment, Captain was unwilling to do anything that might jeopardize our planned 1p departure, so the artist village of Szentendre, the further away city, was taken off the list. Folks could stay on the boat, visit Komárno, or bus to Esztergom. I don't think anyone who went to Esztergom was disappointed.

First, I must say that the ride was wonderful. One up-side of the lock trouble was being able to see more of the countryside, and Hungary is just exquisite. I really want to go back and spend more time. I am so sad to have lost all those photos.

And Esztergom was a revelation. One of the oldest cities in Hungary, it is the birthplace of the first Hungarian king, the foundation of the Hungarian state, and once was the capital. Today it's rather quiet, but is still the primary archdiocese, with the Basilica being the largest church in Hungary. (Some also think it's the most beautiful church in the country.) Next door is an art museum and the ruins of the Royal Palace, but it's also an amazing old fortified castle. After the Basilica, I wandered for a bit, getting as lost as I dared among the picturesque winding streets, the colorful buildings, the small churches and museums and restaurants, before I knew I had to backtrack and head back up the hill to the parking lot. It's never good for the tour manager to be late, and given all the troubles we'd had recently, I was not up for that.

The Basilica and castle, from the river. Fuzzy because it's a very low resolution photo from Wikipedia. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

The Basilica. It was pretty. The stonework on the outside, the views of the river, the interior,.... You'll just have to believe me. But the dome is very high, about 250 ft, and the largest bell weighs 5 tons.

 And yes, an organ too, of course. It's still under construction, but it has the largest pipes in Hungary and will be the largest organ in Hungary, third largest organ in Europe, when completed. Apparently, it also has a few parts from the organ once played by Franz Liszt!

Amazingly, a number of participants commented to me this day how much they loved it, the schedule and the pace. While they know that they can always opt out of an excursion, I get it-- when away, they want to do everything and maximize their trip. But this day, with a short bus ride (about an hour), a short excursion of about 90 minutes where they had some free time to wander, and then an afternoon of leisure where they could do some behind-the-scenes tours (the wonderful crew of the ship had arranged a demonstration of napkin and towel folding as well as galley tours with the chef) or do their own thing, they had some 'enforced relaxation' and enjoyed it. 

Another fascinating thing-- we stayed docked in Komárno even though there was a rumor the day prior that the lock was opening. Some ships left. But our captain wanted to be sure, and make sure that people had a place to go if not. And kudos to him! Those ships that left couldn't get another dock slip. The lock did not open. They were anchored in the middle of the river for about 30 hours. And, they only got through the lock one or two slots ahead of us. No, I liked this captain and his passenger focus.

Then, after a wonderful buffet dinner of Balkan specialties (tasty! although the buffet-style did make for a more challenging hosted dinner), the hotel manager moved the musicians from the lounge up to the sun deck and brought out the wine for a little lock party in celebration! And we actually went through the lock during the party. It was fun to watch Captain maneuver the ship into place. And it was a very big lock, so I'm not surprised that it took so long to get it back in order. (It fit four big river cruise ships at one time, or two barges.) We were dancing with the people on the ship next to us, under the full moon. The hotel manager and I realized that we were long-lost sisters. There were some incredible conversations. And so, despite the challenges and problems that sometimes occur, this is why I think this volunteer job is worth it.