Wine and Spirits Travel

I’m not sure which my friend Tracy and I were more excited about, being on a Viking River Cruise along the Danube, or going to our first Christmas Market*, but it was clear from the start of our day in Passau, Germany, that it was going to be a magical one. We were up by 7:00 and had breakfast in the main dining room, enjoying the selection of fruit, cheese, pastries, omelets and yogurt. It was then time for our walking tour of Passau. The Viking Embla had been decorated for the holidays, but it didn’t begin to compare with what we would see in Passau. Tours are included on Viking River Cruises and while we had buses available to us at all ports, Passau was a place we could walk. We were divided into groups so that we could experience the sites and hear our guide along the river and through the cobblestone hills. She told us about the town’s flood the previous year and how this town fared during the war. Then we were off to a gingerbread demonstration at Sim

Christmas in July? Yes! I was running a bit behind and I decided to just save my Viking River Christmas Market Cruise report until July. After all it’s a perfect time to start thinking about booking one of your own while the prices are low! I’ll be honest… I was actually looking for an Asian cruise to write about when I was presented with the opportunity to do a European Christmas Market cruise instead. I’m not one to lie on a beach for days, but I try to stay away from cold weather trips. It’s just too much packing of sweaters and boots and gloves. I changed my mind, though, when I saw the itinerary for the Viking Embla. I had never even been to that part of Europe and I had never been on a river cruise. Sailing along the Danube through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary became something a very quickly was excited about. My friend Tracy and I had traveled before, spending a glorious week in Sicily . This time we would be meeting up in Munich to share the week l