Saturday, January 31, 2009

Begin Eastern Europe Pre-trip in Prague, Czech Republic

Our Grand Circle Travel group tour began on October 15 and ended October 31, 2006. The following images were taken first in Prague (Praha), then followed the Danube River into Hungary, Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro, Bulgaria and Romania.

Chuck and Marilyn:



Tom and Nancy:



Our group's Tour Director, Rick from Bulgaria, welcomes guests at the Don Giovanni Hotel:



City tour on first day:



History lesson the next day by the Professor:



City Tour of Prague by Professor and Old Town Square:



City Tour of Prague New Town and WenceslasSquare/
King Wenceslas statute and changing of the guards at the old
Royal Palace:



St Vitus Cathedral :



The sights and sounds of Charles Bridge (named after the
Emperor Charles IV in the 19th Century although the bridge
that connects the Lesser Town with Old Town, was completed
in 1400 and is one of the many bridges in Prague):



Nancy Sommers in front of the National Museum and later concert:


Prague Old Town Hall and Clock, originally installed in 1410
and rebuilt in 1490:


St Charles Bridge:


Evening pictures of Prague Castle:




Church in Buda- Matyas Church since 1255:




















Budapest city guide tour video:


Tom and Nancy in Budapest Downtown Square:


Terezin Ghetto and concentration camp:















Side trip to Szentendre:





Budapest Musical Evening at 19th century Podmanicky Palace:








Budapest Central Market:

























Vukovar, Croatia (damaged in Serbian-Croatia War in early 1990's:






















Vukovar to Osijek School (Hungarian Village outside Osijek):

















Novi Stad:


St. George Church - Belgrade - 49 Bells:



































Holy Trinity square and church in Osijek:















River Lock Operations:



Hungarian side of the picture:



Bulgaria side of the picture:




More on Bulgaria:



Scenes from the boat:


Ship's Captain's Review of the River Excursion:




Bulgaria Countryside:







Pleven (unscheduled itinerary and visit since river was low
and tour group traveled by overland bus):



Rosef, Bulgaria:


On the Danube River once more:


Daube Canal -last 41 miles to the Black Sea:





Train Ride from Black Sea (Costanza) to Bucharest:

Bucharest:




Bucharest Parliament Building with 1000 rooms, 350 of which
were actually being used by the Romanian Government:



















Bucharest Museum:






Park across the street from the Parliament Building: