Somewhere along the way in my life, a river cruise has been on my "bucket list". At first it was nothing really specific, but I knew I didn't like ocean cruises all that much because they always involved water, sand, sun, humidity, bathing suits, and tons of people who always seemed to know how to navigate in those kinds of settings. A combination to make a true crush which could easily color a "Cruise" to be not so attractive to me. And I knew that... because I had been on one. Enough for me.
I began thinking "local", like a cruise down the Mississippi River. But none of that daydreaming got any purchase.
I'm on every demographic list in the country--for stuff I MIGHT be interested in. But mostly stuff I am NOT interested in. However, every time I got a colorful brochure from Viking Cruises I usually leafed through it wishing that I might be part of that kind of life because it looked so exciting...then I tossed the brochure.
I did that around the first of this year and happened to tell Brittany about it during a conversation just after I had taken the garbage out. She said she'd always wanted to go on a river cruise, too, and asked me which one I had been looking at. "The one that would complete the circle of cities I started to visit over thirty years ago. Always wanted to say I had been to Vienna, Prague, and Budapest which would have been quite a coup back then when two of them were behind the Iron Curtain." Then Britty said, "Go get the brochure out of the garbage and make the arrangements so you can go!"
Right. It's thousands of dollars, which I had--but it's not practical. But it wasn't long after I got off the phone that day when I decided to dig through the garbage and retrieve that enticing invitation before it went out to the curb for trash pickup.
Right. It's thousands of dollars, which I had--but it's not practical. But it wasn't long after I got off the phone that day when I decided to dig through the garbage and retrieve that enticing invitation before it went out to the curb for trash pickup.
First step was to ask Louis if he would consider a river cruise instead of an ocean cruise because he has pressed me for years to go back to the Caribbean with him. I was surprised he said he'd love to do something like that. He had never been to Vienna, though he had been in the Slovakian/Serbian countryside for Army maneuvers after the Wall came down.
It was one quick step from that to the phone where we made the reservations. Three days later the money was transferred out of my bank account and we were officially going to be cruising the Danube River, with an extra three day pre-excursion in Prague. I started sharing the good news.
Then, Louis' work started NOT cooperating...with unsettling decisions about his position, though they told him to keep his plans for the cruise. I quit telling people we were actually going to go on a real vacation. Some of the excitement I'd had kind of paled.
Months passed. Lots more hurdles to cross. My vacation was scheduled for Wednesday, May 15th through the end of the month. BUT.... our three days in Prague began on Mother's Day which necessitated our departure day to be on the 13th. Simple. Just bid a line for May that had days off BEFORE my vacation started. So, I bid for EVERY line of flying that butted up against my first vacation day because the rule is that if a trip touches any part of the vacation--it disappears from your line.
April 18th when the bids were awarded, I realized again how very insignificant my seniority is. Not only was I NOT awarded a schedule from the choices I made, but United awarded me with a schedule which had NO days off before my vacation. Plus, there was a three-day trip the week before which had me coming back to Denver at 6 P.M. on the day we were supposed to fly to JFK at 11:30 A.M. YIKES!
Decided I would call in sick for the three-day trip that overlapped our departure date. That was doable. But the three day trip for the 14th, 15th and 16th was going to be more difficult to get rid of. Can't call in sick before vacation days without severe penalty and a letter of charge since they assume you are extending your own vacation. (What! Would I do that!?!?!?! ) Put my trip on the RDO board--please, somebody take this trip! Put in requests for day-at-a -time vacation; WOP--without pay; GWOP--gone without pay, and every other avenue possible for a "legal" trade. I wasn't very optimistic that anything would net me those three days I needed to be off work. But...a few days later, the trip was missing out of my line. Someone DID pick it up! Hallelujah! Life is good after all!
Started making plans to be gone from Primary, Ward Council, etc. etc. etc. Decided just how I was going to organize my work around the house so that I left, not only a clean house, but a HOUSE-CLEANED house. Figured out what to do with my plants. (Still wasn't sure if I was going to come home to dead house plants. Had the presence of mind NOT to plant the flower boxes as someone would have to look after them while I was gone, too.) Who should I ask to put the garbage can away in the garage after the Monday pick-up we would miss? Needed to request a vacation stop for the mail from the Post Office. Oh.... I thought of it all. AND I decided to buy a couple of pairs of slacks for the trip on top of it all.
Did it happen that way? Not at all!
Flew that last six days of April. Had a couple of days off, one of which I worked at the temple. Left the morning of the 5th for a two-day trip and got home late Saturday night. Early Ward Council on Sunday, three hours of Church, Louis' son Jordan came for dinner on his way to Fort Carson, and I was off again for DIA after a little nap because I didn't feel very well and my throat was scratchy. By then the wind was ferocious and the rain had started, so I begged Louis to take me to DIA (never have to beg too hard, he loves doing that).
By the time Louis picked me up on Tuesday night, almost three hours later than when our plane was supposed to arrive, I was so sick I just fell into bed when we got home. And basically stayed there until it was time to go to DIA for our trip on Saturday. No house-cleaning, let alone a HOUSE-CLEANED house. Barely got my laundry done so I could pack some clean clothes.
Did I wish I could stay home and not have to go anywhere, let alone on a cross-country plane ride to JFK , a four hour sit there, and then a nine hour flight in Economy to Prague? You'd better believe it. That is what I wished. I was dreading the trip.
On one of the few forays out of bed prior to our trip, however, I went to the doctor--just in case I had an ear infection, a sinus infection, anything that I could take some medicine for. Nope. Nothing. They even took a strep culture. I had nothing but a VIRAL infection. Though the doctor did give me a prescription for some Amoxicillin just in case I did get a bacterial infection while I was gone. Never have I wished there WAS something wrong with me!
On one of the few forays out of bed prior to our trip, however, I went to the doctor--just in case I had an ear infection, a sinus infection, anything that I could take some medicine for. Nope. Nothing. They even took a strep culture. I had nothing but a VIRAL infection. Though the doctor did give me a prescription for some Amoxicillin just in case I did get a bacterial infection while I was gone. Never have I wished there WAS something wrong with me!
I was so hopped up on over-the-counter medicine, the whole trip was pretty much a blur. Although we flew on Delta, I do remember thinking that I was so glad I no longer fly internationally. Those trips I remember as long, long, long. But at least on those working trips I was up and not crammed into a tiny space for hours.
Louis thought he had picked seats in their "economy plus" section, using the same seating criteria as United has. Sorry.... we were one row behind the economy section on both flights. And the one flight to JFK the seats didn't recline because it was the row before the EXIT row. AARGH!
Arrival at Prague: I guess I had no idea what the European Union meant in regards to visitors. It literally was easier to go through customs in Prague than it is to get into Canada from the United States! Looked at our passports and waved us through--no forms, didn't have to pick up our baggage first and take it with us or anything. (The EU also means not having to show your passport passing from country to country. No borders. No border agents. No border control. Wow! This is WAAAAAY different than this part of the world in the 80's.)
A Viking rep was waiting for us and about ten other people who were also on our flight doing the extra three-day tour there. A sleek European bus skimmed us to the hotel in Old Prague in about 25 minutes. The countryside was beautiful and green with fields of what I thought were daffodils, but later found out was rape seed or cannola which the EU subsidizes farmers to grow for their energy source.
As we entered Prague, I strained to see anything that called to mind the city we saw 32 years ago when it was under Soviet control. Nothing really. The buildings are no longer dark and dirty. They've been cleaned and are the soft creams and bright colors so often associated with Slovakia. And the people are energetic, bustling, and purposeful. Another stark change from the drab clothes and dreary faces I remember seeing before.
We checked into the hotel, top-rating for sure, went to our room....and I went straight to bed. It was 1 P.M. The great adventure had to wait until morning to begin because I was still so sick.
Then, when I awoke the next morning for our first city tour....everything went UP from there!
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