To take a break from driving, we decided to join a Viking cruise that would bring us up the Danube River, from Budapest, Hungary, to Passau, Germany.

On our way to Hungary, we stopped in Graz, Austria.

We showed up hungry and a little lost, and we noticed that there were food trucks in the town square. We stopped for food, and friendly locals could not have been kinder, helping us order food and find a place to sit.

Things always improve after good food and the kindness of strangers. We found our room, just steps away from where we’d eaten lunch! We parked our bags and began to explore the beautiful city of Graz.

Because we like climbing stairs so much, we followed a staircase up to Schlossberg park, high above the city.

We followed winding paths and found a flower garden, clock tower, and gazebo along the way.

Back down the hill and into town, it started to rain, so we stopped into a bakery to wait out the storm. The coffee and Linzer cookies were incredible! The lively town, friendly people and beautiful architecture made Graz a memorable stop for us!

We headed to Budapest, enjoyed a few days of sightseeing on our own (pics in my last posting), and then got settled on the Viking Vilhjalm river boat. The staff was friendly, and the captain was almost as handsome as the captain of our Great Loop boat, Nice Goin’!

We visited more of Budapest with group tours that explored Castle Hill and the Great Market Hall.

Especially touching was the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial, dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust.

More cruising in next post.