Mitteleuropa

by Mary Jo

Years ago, I read an article about riverboat cruises in Europe, and the idea immediately appealed to me.   As a friend says, rivers were the interstates of the past, and so much of European civilization developed along the waterways.  How better to explore than in a boat holding maybe 150 friendly, intelligent passengers and serving lots of really good food?

Like a plot element, the idea of a riverboat cruise simmered in my lizard brain for years, and in 2006, I thought it was time to do a cruise in Southern France.  Except that all the French cruises were booked for the time slot we had, and we ended up cruising the Douro River in Northern Portugal. It was great.

This year, I decided it was time to book that French cruise.  Urp. Once again, Southern France along the Rhone was sold out.  Which is how we ended up cruising the Danube.  Again, it was great—the Mayhem Consultant and I are easily amused, and any interesting new place will be fun.  

Prague

We started with a three day pre-cruise extension in Prague, which isn’t on the Danube, but really, how could we go to Eastern Europe and not see Prague?  The city has been an intellectual and creative center for centuries, and under the blighting hand of five decades of Soviet rule, it was spared rapacious developers tearing down beautiful old buildings.

Prague lived up to its reputation, and the old city is truly spectacular, including the famous and incredibly complex astronomical clock, which dates to 1410 (!!!) and which performs its traffic stopping dance every hour on the hour. 

A high point of Prague was our tour of the Lobkowicz Palace, part of the Prague castle complex on a hill overlooking the city.  The Lobkowicz family had been Eastern European aristocrats for centuries, and they were collectors and patrons of the arts.  Then the family was forced to flee twice—first when the Nazis came, then in 1948 when the Russians came.

And here the story becomes even more interesting. After the fall of Communism in 1989, former owners could go to the courts to reclaim the family properties, and that’s exactly what William Lobkowicz did.  Born in Boston and educated at Harvard, he reclaimed the family estates and sold off several to raise the money to restore  the others. 

The Viking cruise line had a video about the palace tour, and I started salivating when they showed the family art treasures.  Original Breughels and Canalettos.  Hand written manuscripts by Beethoven, with his own scratch outs and annotations!

The tour included a lovely lunch in a gorgeous high ceilinged chamber, amazing views over the city, and a half hour chamber music concert featuring works by composers associated with Prague.  People like Mozart and Beethoven and Dvorak. 

Music

That was the first of several concerts of classic music on our journey, and reflects how much music is a part of eastern European culture.  Another concert was by the organ in cathedral of Passau, in Germany.  It’s the largest cathedral organ in Europe with almost 18K pipes, and when it played the double bass notes, the reverberations were so powerful that I half expected the plaster cherubs to be shaken off the walls. <G>   (Note: half an hour seems about right for a classical music concert for an audience of tourists.)

On a riverboat cruise, you tend to stop at a city a day and get guided walking tours of the old city in the morning, with free time or optional tours in the afternoon.  So we got an overview of great cities of Eastern Europe.  Regensburg in Bavaria has a stone bridge (called, logically enough,
the Stone Bridge, Steinerne Brücke) which was built in the 12th century and for centuries was the only really reliable crossing of the Danube for a very long stretch.

I loved medieval Passau, also in Bavaria, with its cathedral and twisting streets.  The tour their illustrated something else about Eastern Europe: the presence of war.  As the guide said matter of factly, there were no war industries in the city so the only thing the Allies bombed in WWII was the railroad station.  Hence, the medieval city survived.  (The other omnipresent topic in Bavaria was beer, which was referred to often and enthusiastically.)

Vienna

I have to say I wasn’t too taken by Vienna, though that surely is because we were shown lots of oppressive imperial grandeur from the heyday of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  Nor was I very impressed by the famous Sacher tortes, though the tea room at the Sacher hotel was very lovely, and full of tourists like us who were there for the iconic experience.  (And the chocolate. <G>)

I like Budapest a great deal more—it was attractive and idiosyncratic and invited further exploration.  In the afternoon, we went to a horse show at the farm of the two Lazar brothers, who are world champion carriage drivers, and which underlined Hungary heritage of riding and horsemanship.  (Some of the riding tricks, like this one, must be like what Regency spectators saw at Astley's Amphitheater back in the day.)

I’m a born tourist and could say lots more, but what struck me most about the trip was the different feel of the region from Western Europe, which I know a great deal better.  Central Europe is sometimes called Mitteleuropa—Middle Europe, a term that is political and cultural as well as geographic. 

The history felt very close as city guides described the Roman origins of their cities, the bombing damage of World War II, and empty Jewish quarters. Even more present was the history in the Czech Republic and Hungary, countries which were under Communist domination until 1989.  Guides talked about how statues of Lenin and Stalin used to be in particular squares, how a particular square was popular for demonstrations "because there was more room for Russian tanks," and pointed out the stark, boxy Soviet buildings that were all about cheap practicality rather than aesthetics. 

This part of the world has often been fought over—Hungary is largely a level plain, perfect for raiding horsemen or oncoming tanks.  Maybe that accounts for the underlying fatalism of the culture: great music, world weary intellectuals, and brilliant scientists fleeing to the west.  In the long history of the Central Europe, Communism was a blip that is already receding into the past. 

Not that I should be drawing many conclusions based on a mere ten days in Mitteleuropa!  But it’s a fascinating part of the world, and I’m glad we had a chance to see some of it.  

Have you ever been to Central Europe?  What did you think of it?  And if you haven’t visited, would you like to?  What dreams and fantasies come to mind when you think of the romantic Danube and Viennese coffee houses? 

Mary Jo, adding a picture of a band of Prague musicians playing horns unlike any I've ever seen.  But they sure were enjoying themselves!

 

Comments

[Lucy]

I would love to spend some time in Prague, because that's one of the places my characters visit. Thank goodness for the internet, with all those photos people post, not to mention Google Streetview!

Actually I'd like to visit all the places my characters go, but goodness, what a travel budget it would take. :-)

[Maggie Robinson]

My husband has been trying to talk me into such a trip for ages, and you've been far more persuasive with this blog!

I've been to Vienna (my mother was born there), and, like you, am not crazy to go back. I've already seen the Schoenbrunn Palace, the Prater, the Lipizzaner Stallions and eaten way too much pastry, etc. I'm afraid Vienna will always be tinged with sadness for me because of my family's experiences there in the war--altho my mother did meet my American G.I. father in the Vienna Woods. She spoke no English and he only spoke some French, but somehow here I am.

This November we're going on a cruise around Spain on the Queen Victoria, which will be brand-new territory--I don't speak the language but I do drink Sangria. ;)

[Shannon]

The only place in eastern Europe that I've been to is Budapest for a conference. It's odd what I really remember is Budapest is really two cities on the Danube--Buda on one side and Pest on the other. There's a wonderful bridge joining the two.

I know I saw a palace and attended a concert, but what I really remember is a water park for families. There were rides, fountains for playing in, and waterfuls of water for dashing through.

The other thing that captured my imagination was the train station with 12 or 14 tracks under this one overarching glass roof. It had once been gilded but time and smoke had coated the carvings. While standing there for a short train ride to some sight, I imagined sad partings and joyous reunions.

[Anne Gracie]

Mary Jo I have always wanted to go to Prague. I loved your blog and it's only whetted my appetite and got my itchy feet itching more -- to mix my metaphors.

[nancy]

Though we took a barge trip from Heidleberg to Koln, I have never actually been on one of the river cruises. They are all the rage among memmbers of my Sunday School class who have done the Rhine, and the Danube cruises.
The trip up the Rhine to Koln was fun adn intersting. One does get a different view of scenery from the river. I could see why the poets or yore thought their was a Loreilei there luring men to destruction on the rocks.
If I ever get to travel abroad again, the only place I want to go oos to England. I could make a 100 trips there and still want more. They have canal trips there that are interesting, I have heard.

[Nicola Cornick]

Oh, Mary Jo, how lovely. Thank you for sharing your trip! I suppose I have an advantage over a lot of people, being nearer to continental Europe than many, so I have been to Prague and also to Vienna and on a cruise on the Rhine. I loved Prague - it was late November when we went and extremely cold, but the Christmas markets were in full swing and they were enchanting. Prague also has a special place in my heart because of my interest in Elizabeth of Bohemia, the Winter Queen.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Lucy--I'd also love to visit all the places my characters have been, but then I'd have no time for writing! Prague definitely belongs on your bucket list.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Maggie--

You'd LOVE a riverboat cruise, and there are plenty of itineraries that don't include Vienna. THough how your parents met and married is a romantic tale in its own right!

I'd say the ability to enjoy sangria and tapas is all you need to have a marvelous time in Spain. *G*

[Mary Jo Putney]

Shannon--

Those old European train stations are really evocative, aren't they? Much more so than any airport I've ever been in.

Of course you're right that Buda and Pest (Pesht) are two different cities, with Buda the old aristocratic area, and Pest the lively and much larger modern city. I missed the water park, but it was raining when we were there, so that might count for something. *G*

[Mary Jo Putney]

Anne, you've not been to Prague??!!! I thought you'd been everywhere, like so many of your intrepid Aussie counterparts. *G* Definitely you need to put Prague your list--you'll love it.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Nancy--

Your barge trip on the Rhine would qualify as a riverboat cruise, I think, but it's hard to argue with returning to Britain overa and over and over. *G* My mother and sister did one of the English canalboat cruises and had a great time. I'd love to try that someday.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Nicola--

I suspect the Christmas markets are what keep the riverboats cruising through the winter, and the idea is delightful, assuming one is wearing enough layers. *G* I loved how everywhere we went, we heard about the famous rulers of the area, like the Empress Maria Theresa, the only female sovereign of the Austro-Hungarian empire (who ruled for 40 years), and the Empress Elizabeth of Bavarian, fondly known as Sisi wherever we went. It's a different European world.

[Louisa Cornell]

What a lovely post, Mary Jo! Almost my entire opera career was spent singing in small opera houses in the very places you visited! Prague and Budapest are two of my favorite cities in the world. The Old Worlde sight, sound and feel of those cities are incredible. And I was fortunate enough to see a great deal of the countryside from train windows as we were a traveling opera troupe. The Christmas markets are amazing and the music concerts (whether performing or attending) are such a large part of life in large cities and even in small villages. I enjoyed Vienna in spite of the fact I was arrested there for participating in a Free Tibet rally. After that the manager of the opera company refused to let us go anywhere without a handler! LOL

I do long to go back. It has been over 25 years and I know much has changed, but it sounds as if much of what I loved about Central Europe is the same. Thank God.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Louisa--

I was hoping you comment since you're one of the few people I know who has lived, worked, and performed in that part of the world. (Actually, the only one!) If you visit again, I think you'll see a lot of changes in some ways, but I suspect that the soul of Mitteleuropa remains the same.

[Molly R. Moody]

I've never been to Europe and it's doubtful I'll ever make it there, but I can enjoy reading about it in blogs like this one. I love classical music and could have spent all day sitting it that cathedral listening to music provided there was a break at mid day for lunch.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Molly, you would love all the music in that part of the world! On night on the riverboat, a local performing group came on board--a baritone and two female singers. (A soprano and a contralto, maybe?) And an accompanist. And they performed little bits of opera, acting it out and singing exquisitely so even non-opera lovers could enjoy it all. Very unlike anything I've see, but just delightful.

[Karin]

I have been to Mitteleuropa, before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Like Maggie, my mother was born in Vienna, but left as a teenager on the Kindertransport to England. I loved Vienna- the German spoken there has a musical lilt to it. I grew up among Viennese immigrants and felt very much at home. I went to see Die Fledermaus operetta and it was a blast, especially for a Strauss and Lehar lover. I loved the palaces, the baroque architecture, the Prater amusement park with the big ferris wheel, the museums, the great coffee and pastries. From there I took a boat down the Danube to Budapest, where I had family friends, so I stayed in their apartment on the hilly side of town. I enjoyed Budapest too. I remember visiting an island that's in the river between Buda and Pest, which was a popular night spot, lots of open park area and outdoor cafes and other amusements. The Budapest subway was beautiful and cost the equivalent of 2 cents U.S. back then. From there I took a train to Belgrade, but I found it to be very gray and gloomy and left immediately for the Adriatic Coast. Shannon is right about the train stations, they were awesome. Prague is still on my bucket list.

[Mary Jo Putney]

What a wonderful journey, Karin. Knowing the language and having been raised with Viennese immigrants would make it very special. I think the island between Buda and Pest might be called something like Margaret Island? It was pointed out to us. By all means, you must now go to Prague!

[Andrea Penrose]

Sounds like such a fabulous trip, Mary Jo! I love the idea of traveling along the old "highway" and seeing the cities and countryside from a new perspective. The pace feels just right. And stopping each day to explore is just perfect. I'd love to cruise Mitteleuropa, as I've only been to Vienna. Prague and Budapest would be wonderful to experience!

[Ella Quinn]

Sorry to be late. I've been a little busy recently. I love Regensburg and Passau. Due mostly to DH's job when we lived in Europe, we never got to the former east. It's on my bucket list.

I'm so glad you had a wonderful time. Boat travel in France is very popular with Europeans as well, and, as you've probably discovered by now, they make their plans a year in advance.

[Jo Banks]

Ah,Mary Jo you have whetted my appetite !!I was just watching an advert for river cruises before I got on this machine !They sponsor one of our evening t.v. channels.I have often thought they look fun.I would never want to go on a large cruise liner - all those people in a floating metal box just doesn't appeal ! I admit to being a little anti social but a river cruise does sound good and all those romantic destinations - the Danube or the Rhine.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Ella--

If Europeans are booking those French cruises a year in advance, it explains a lot! Not that I have any regrets about going to Portugal and Eastern Europe instead, but I would like to make it to the Rhone one of these days, *G*

[Mary Jo Putney]

Jo--Though I've been on those big cruise boats (and crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary was WAY cool), smaller boats are a lot more fun for sure. Plus, I found the other guests to be an educated and interesting lot. THe demographic is mature, but so am I, so it was all good. *G*

[Karin]

Oh, you did an Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary, I am green with jealousy! I would love to do a river cruise also, maybe the castles on the Rhine.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Karin--

We did the Atlantic crossing a year ago, and it was a WONDERFULLY relaxing way to recover from a book! We want to do the westbound trip someday.

I'm sure you'd love a Rhine riverboat cruise. THe scenery is spectacular, and there is so much history. We might well do the Rhine someday. (I like cruises--so convenient to travel in your floating hotel. *G*)