A Lovely Day 3 on our River Cruise

We woke docked in the beautiful Wachau Valley in Austria. This is a big wine-growing area and also the home of Melk and its lovely abbey. That was our first stop in the morning and we took a bus to the abbey, but then walked back through the lovely town of Melk to reach where our ship was docked. Here are some photos from Melk! The abbey was absolutely amazing with its gardens and baroque church. It’s actually a functioning abbey with brothers and a school.

Once we were back on board, we cruised to the nearby city of Durnstein! So many beautiful sites along the way on the Danube River.

We arrived at the small town of Durnstein which was surrounded by vineyards. We hiked into town and did some exploring before heading back to the ship for a celebration since we would be docking in Vienna in the morning and some people would be headed home. Hubby and I were staying for another two days so we could explore Vienna.

Day 2 of Our Danube River Cruise

After a very restful night, we woke to a beautiful sunrise.
Caridad Danube River

Not long after that, we found ourselves in a lock! We actually went through two of them as we made our trip upstream. This is speeded up quite a bit. It took at least half-an-hour to make it to the level necessary for us to continue our trip up the Danube.

Soon our ship was on the way to our next location: Bratislava, Slovakia!

Bratislava is a beautiful city and the capital of Slovakia. So many pristine buildings and quaint squares. We walked around for a few hours to see the church and many of the older buildings in town. We truly enjoyed this amazing city!

After a delightful lunch on the sky deck of the ship, we were off again to see the many sights along the Danube. So many towns, churches, and castles along the way. We even went by one town where I counted at least six churches. The name of the town: Göd. Not kidding you! As night fell, we found ourselves in another lock so we could continue our overnight cruise to our next location!

Day 1 on the River Leaving Budapest

After a beautiful day and morning in Budapest, it was time to board our ship and head out for an overnight cruise to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It was so exciting to head down to the dock and board! We were greeted by a crew member who checked us in and directed us to our cabin, a lovely room with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that opened for us to be able to take in the river breeze and the sights. Here are some photos of our ship: the Avalon Artistry II.


Once we were settled, it was time to head up onto the sky deck and watch as we pulled out of Budapest. There were so many sights to see along the Danube as we started our cruise!

Once we were cruising, we had a safety lesson, a lovely champagne cocktail to toast to the cruise, an introduction to the crew, and then it was time to cruise for a little bit before our dinner! The meals on the ship were amazing and the staff was so pleasant. Our Cruise Director Helmut was exceptional! As night fell, hubby and I went up to the sky deck to watch nightfall and also to see another ship passing us in the night. Hubby was worried the captain might get lost, so he pointed out the way to him! LOL!

After all the excitement, it was time to head back to our cabin and get some rest! I have to confess I was a little freaked out about knowing that my bed was on a boat floating on a river. I had visions of something Titanic-like happening. LOL! Of course, very different since you can always see the shore from the boat which was very reassuring to me.

Here’s a little video of our departure from Budapest and two ships passing in the night on the Danube.

Happily Sharing My Danube River Cruise

For my retirement from a legal career in 2019, my husband gifted me a Danube River Cruise and we have finally been able to go. Because of the two-year COVID delay, the cruise also became a trip to celebrate hubby’s retirement and a big anniversary! We had a lovely time and today I’m sharing our first port-of-call: Budapest, Hungary.

We arrived a day early to avoid any issues with airplane delays and I am glad we did. We had delays out of Newark and barely made a connecting flight but our luggage didn’t make It. Luckily that all got straightened out by very late that night.

Budapest was actually two towns — Buda and Pest — on either side of the Danube River that were united in the latter 1800s. When we arrived in Budapest, we started our walk along the Danube. Budapest is a lovely city that is wonderful for exploring since it’s a great walking city thanks to the walkways all along the river. There is artwork at various spots along the river as well as views of Budapest’s many bridges and Pest across the way! A convenient train line also runs along the river.

Our first stop was a memorial to World War II victims who had been shot along the banks of the river. The “Shoes along the Danube” is a stirring reminder of the human element in war.

Our next stop was the Parliament Building and surrounding structures and statues. Truly beautiful.

Close to Parliament was a memorial to the 1956 Hungarian uprising against Communism. Thick metal slabs were dented and punctured by gunfire. For me it was a reminder of the brutality of life under Communism and Marxism for so many in the past and today.
1956 Hungarian Memorial

All around the memorial and Parliament buildings were beautiful gardens and other structures. We kept on walking since it was an absolutely glorious day. In fact, we had beautiful sunny weather the entire time we were on the cruise! We were very lucky. We were able to stroll around the city until late that night.

The next morning we strolled to the city’s Great Market Hall where we picked up some pate and paprika! There were some amazing stalls for purchasing meats, fruits, and vegetables as well as food stalls to pick up something to eat. On the second floor, you could pick up souvenirs as well as locally made clothing, leather, and embroidered items.

On our stroll back to the hotel before heading to the ship, we passed a lovely little church.

I would definitely recommend a visit to Budapest as there is a great deal more to see and do. We will definitely try to get back there again!

Hope you enjoyed today’s Travel Tuesday!

A fun trip to the World’s Fair

We were living close to the location for the World’s Fair when it came to New York and I remember going a couple of times to see all the exhibits and do the rides. Today’s Throwback Thursday is a photo of my sister and me that was taken on one of those visits. We also went up to Montreal when the World’s Fair was there a few years later.

Enticing Teaser from The Family She Never Met

Today’s Teaser Tuesday is a sexy excerpt from The Family She Never Met which is a blend of romance and a family saga. Thank you to everyone who has read the book and taken the time to leave a review. It’s one of the best ways you can help out your favorite authors!

In this teaser, Jessica and Luis have been spending a lot of time together and after a boat ride to Luis’s stunning Indian Creek home, they are relaxing in his pool when the attraction that has been growing between them finally flares into more.

Excerpt

The sun beat down, warming her against the chill of the breeze as they moved along the calmer waters of the bay until Luis pulled eastward once again and toward a southward facing point on an island off Miami Beach. He powered down substantially and navigated beside a dock where he cut the engines and hopped onto it to secure the boat.

She unbuckled and got to her feet, slightly shaky from the thrill of the ride and the roll and rock of the deck, thanks to the wake from a passing boat. Luis leaned down, offered a helping hand, and boosted her up onto the dock.

“No sea legs,” she said, still feeling the movement beneath her feet, but then she caught sight of the home in front of her.

A wide stone walkway surrounded by lush, manicured lawns led up to a patio with a pool and an outdoor sitting area off to the side. Beyond that, a large, two-story, contemporary home boasted windows along every wall and balconies to enjoy the million-dollar views of Biscayne Bay and the carefully tended gardens all around.

“Wow, this is beautiful,” she said, appreciating the thoughtful lines and layout of the structure and landscaping.

“Gracias. I’m quite happy with it,” he said, but she sensed some hesitation there and wondered at the reason for it.

“We can take a dip to wash off the salt before lunch,” he said and grabbed the picnic basket from the powerboat.

He took hold of her hand and drew her toward a covered patio, and at her questioning look, he tapped the end of her nose. “You’re getting burned.”

She covered her face with her hands and heat greeted her despite the suntan lotion she’d put on earlier. “I do feel baked,” she admitted.

“Dip. Dry off. Lunch before we head back,” he said and laid the picnic basket on a table on the covered patio.

“So demanding,” she teased but was eager to get the salt off her skin. She quickly pulled off her T-shirt and board shorts and rushed to the edge of the pool. She dipped in a toe, testing the waters, which turned out to be a waste as he cannonballed into the pool and sent a shock of chill water up to drench her.

“Thanks,” she said with a roll of her eyes, brushing back wet strands of hair from her face.

He grinned devilishly and slicked back his hair, the movement displaying his toned arms and chest.

To avoid the too-irresistible sight of him, she dove into the water.

Cool slipped all across her body before she rose up to the surface. Luis was just a few feet away, drops of water glistening on his tanned skin. He was still grinning happily, drawing her like a moth to a flame.

She laid a hand on his shoulder, using his greater height and strength to keep her afloat.

He placed a hand at her waist to steady her, but in those seconds, the moment changed. Became charged with the tension that had sprung up between them and she couldn’t resist.

When he applied gentle pressure to draw her close, she went, bringing her body full against him. Skin against skin as he shifted them until he was sitting on the bottom steps of the pool and she was lying along him.

“Luis,” she began, but stopped abruptly, not sure of what to say. Only sure of what she wanted to do.

She shifted upward to kiss the hollow just beneath his ear and the edge of his jaw. She followed the straight line of it to the dimple by his lips, deep now thanks to the smile on his face. Moved to that smile, so happy and relaxed. Welcoming, she thought as she covered his smile with hers.

“This is crazy,” she said, but didn’t stop kissing him.

“Sí, es loco,” he said, but didn’t pull away. Didn’t stop touching her, running his hands to her sides. Shifting one to the small of her back while he moved the other up to caress her.

“Dios, mi amor. This is so hard,” he said, his voice rough. His body tense beneath her. “I’m not sure I can hold back.”

“Do you want me?” she asked, although she had no doubt about it.

“I do, but not just for now, mi amor. I want so much more.”

Order

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3tPQ7Xx
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3bonSZN
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-family-she-never-met/id1568775092
BN Nook: http://bit.ly/BarnesandNobleFamily
BN Paperback: http://bit.ly/BarnesandNovelPaperback
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-family-she-never-met
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/FamilySheNeverMet

This is how I pictured Luis at his luxurious home in Miami!
caridad romance novel