Contributed Photo/Courtesy Brando Quinn: Budapest Parliament at night. This was one of the many sights on the Seven Rivers trip,
Contributed Travel Column By Brando Quinn/Brando’s Fun N’Sun Travel & Cruise
The following is a description of a European sailing trip taken by Brando and Janet Quinn of Brando’s Fun N’ Sun Travel & Cruise & Trophies N’ Tees, 513 W. Main St., Safford, AZ 85546, an Independent Affiliate of Avoya Travel.
Seven Rivers of Europe Journey – Sailing 2,871 miles on the seven epic rivers of Europe: Seine, Moselle, Main, Danube, Scheldt, and Maas, traveling through 84 locks with 53 ports of call in 14 countries on three cruise ships.
This was, “the trip of a lifetime”. Janet and I decided to take advantage of sailing the seven rivers in one epic journey so that we only had to fly to Europe once from Phoenix to Paris France and back to Phoenix from Bucharest Romania. We chose American Airlines a One World Alliance Partner operated by British Airways as our carrier and had a very pleasant flight from Phoenix to Dallas, Texas, and then onto Paris, France where we would board our first AmaWaterways River Cruise ship: the AmaLyra.
After arriving in Paris, AmaWaterways had a driver waiting for us at the exit hall of the airport and soon we checked into our Pre-Cruise Hotel the Paris Maison Astor Hotel, a quaint boutique Hotel in the heart of Paris. Our check-in was seamless and the room was comfortable. Soon we were touring throughout Paris for four days before boarding our first ship. We took the Hop on Hop off Bus Tour of Paris with stops at the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Montmartre district, and more. Took in a show at the Moulin Rouge, and of course ate wonderful French Cuisine at a variety of restaurants.
On Aug. 24, 2023, we boarded the AmaLyra on the Seine River. After her launch, AmaLyra quickly earned a “Best New River Cruise Ship” distinction in comfort and style. The ship has French balconies, exquisite cuisine served by the Main Restaurant, comfortable staterooms appointed with Entertainment-On-Demand, unlimited Wi-Fi, movies, music, and English-language TV stations, and indulgences such as a sauna, whirlpool, and massage and hair salon. The sundeck has a walking track, fitness room, and a fleet of complimentary bikes.
Our week along the Seine River took us from Paris to Les Andelys where King Richard the Lionheart’s stronghold can be found. Le Havre where we visited the ancient port of Honfleur with picturesque old houses and maritime flair. Caudebec-en-Caux near Rouen and the Seine River’s northernmost tip which was once the center of the European hat industry, and the location of the Normandy Invasion battles of D-Day in 1944 where we visited the American Cemetery honoring the WWII Veterans.
I served in both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marines and had worn some of my medals in honor of veterans and the cemetery. They were performing a “Place the Wreath” memorial ceremony and asked if I would take part and place the wreath on the designated memorial with two other veterans. I was honored to take part in such a historic and somber event and felt tremendous relief that my Great Uncle, Lavon Moody who had left the Gila Valley in 1944 and died serving in WWII was truly at a peaceful rest. Our last stop along the Seine River was at the Medieval Rouen historic city and the cathedral of Notre Dame where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake!
Our journey would then take us by Motorcoach to Amsterdam where we would board our next ship, the AmaCerto. Along the route, we would stop at some of the sights from the infamous Battle of the Somme in WWI and travel through the tunnels of the Musee Somme 1916 historical museum and the infamous Lochnagar Crater created by 19 mines placed beneath the German front line, the largest man-made crater in WWI. After a brief canal ride to sight-see in the canals of Amsterdam, the best way to see this city, we then visited the Castle de Haar one of the largest castles in the Netherlands with beautiful gardens and extravagant historical stories, and then onto the Utrecht City Tour, complete with a visit to the unique self-playing musical instrument museum. And of course, no tour to Amsterdam would be complete without seeing the Anne Frank House which highlights the hidden rooms where Anne Frank hid from the Nazis during WWII.
Over the next four weeks aboard the AmaCerto, we would sail along the calming and scenic rivers of Holland and Belgium on the Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt rivers where we would visit the historical fishing village of Veere and taste local delicacies such as Zeeuwe oysters and the Floodwater Museum in Zieriksee which focused on the devastating floods of 1953. A tour of Ghent where the famous altarpiece “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” is in the St Bavo Cathedral. And the famous “Madonna and Child” was created by Michaelangelo in the Church of Our Lady which was returned after the Nazis stole the piece during WWII. In Brussels Belgium, we of course had to take the Belgian Chocolate Tasting Tour where a master chocolatier showed us how to make masterfully created delectable chocolates. Then onto Antwerp and a few more historic Cathedral tours housing works of art by Rubens followed by a Flavors of Belgium tour complete with three different Belgian Beers and of course Belgian Waffles.
Our course would then take us to Holland’s oldest city Dordrecht, with countless monuments, museums, ancient warehouses, and busy merchant streets where we would soon discover 19 astonishingly well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage-designated windmills dating back to the 1500s. We ended the day with a visit to Haarlem and the St. Bavo Church, and a visit to the Hague and Mauritshuis, home to the best of Dutch paintings, and the most famous girl in the world “Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.”
The trip then took us to Cologne Germany where we would visit the magnificent Holy City Cathedral and the Heumarkt, amongst other notable sites. Our ship then ventured along the Rhine River’s famous Gorge where we would see from our cruise ship over 30 castles or castle ruins dotting the landscape. Our ship would then dock in Rudesheim Germany famous for Reisling Wines, taverns, and Siegfried’s Musical Cabinet Museum. We took the famous gondola ride which boasted views of the Rhine Valley from high atop a mountain that houses the Germania Monument (which pays tribute to the Unification of Germany and was created between 1871 and 1883), and then took the gondola ride back to Rudesheim where we would taste some of their specialty wines of the region.
Our ship would then wind its way along the river to Mainz and Lahnstein Germany, Cochem Germany, Bernkastel Germany, Wasserbillig Luxembourg, Trier Bernkastel along the Moselle River, Germany, and then back to Ludwigshafen on the Rhein, Germany. We saw more cathedrals and castles, the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, the Gutenberg Museum, Chagall Windows Cathedral, half-timbered houses, Reichsburg Castle, and Bernkastel-Kues picturesque village.
In Trier, Germany’s oldest city we took pictures of the remains of the famous Porta Nigra one of the oldest standing Roman Settlements, and in Ludwigshafen, we would venture to the Schwetzingen Gardens and Palace. Our trip then took us to Strasbourg France where we would visit beautiful canals and the UNESCO World Heritage sites strewn throughout the region. The Gem of Alsace tour took us through Riquewihr village, most famously known as the town background used for the Walt Disney film “Beauty and the Beast” where Belle would dance merrily through its streets.
Continuing to Basel Switzerland we would then venture to Lucerne Switzerland to visit the famous “Lion’s Monument” which Mark Twain coined as, “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.” We would then backtrack on the river to Strasbourg France visiting the Koenigsbourg Castle, stopping in Worms Germany to take the Secrets of Speyer Tour, and visiting the Mannheim Baroque Palace complete with a grand courtyard and an impressive façade spanning over 1300 feet sprawling over 14 acres of land. Our last stop aboard the AmaCerto would take us to Kitzengen-Volkach Germany where we would visit the picturesque village of Wurzburg nestled amidst vineyard-covered hills and another UNESCO World Heritage Site the Residence of the former Prince Bishops.
Our last ship the AmaVerde would then take us from Vilshofen Germany along the Main and Danube Rivers to our final destination in Giurgiu, Romania. In Vilshofen we were invited to a Town Festival Oktoberfest Celebration and were treated to local music, dance, and of course beer! Onto Bamberg’s famous bridges located at the end of the Main River and the start of the Main-Danube Canal built like Rome on seven hills. The hike up to Veste Oberhaus, Passau’s Castle Hill enthroned 1,253 feet above the Danube River offered us magnificent views across the old town of Passau where would see the confluence of “Three Rivers” winding along cobblestoned villages.
Linz Austria the capital city of Upper Austria gave us the gateway opportunity to visit Salzburg and Cesky Krumlov a nearby Czech Republic UNESCO World Heritage Town. Then onto Weissenkirchen Austria where we would visit the famous Melk Abbey and Durnstein the “Pearl of the Wachau” valley where the blue façade of the village’s church tower and ruins of the hilltop castle where Richard the Lionheart was once imprisoned can be found. Onto Vienna, a truly elegant and romantic city where the grandeur of monumental buildings and architecture along the Graben Kohlmarkt can be found and a Horse-drawn carriage ride through cobblestone streets can be taken. After a tour through St Stephen’s Cathedral, we transferred back to the ship to enjoy a delightful Austrian lunch.
As the ship sailed through Austria, we would find Bratislava Slovakia on the horizon where we would find the famous Coronation Cathedral, Michael’s Gate, and the highlights of the Old Town Main Square. In Budapest Hungary, we enjoyed the castle district, the fairy-tale like Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church before returning to the Pest Side where we would visit the infamous “Shoes Memorial” where the shoes of Jews murdered by the Nazis of WWII are forever enshrined on the banks of the Danube River. In Mohacs Hungary the region known as “Southern Transdanubia” we traveled by motor coach to Pecs to visit the Christian Necropolis another UNESCO World Heritage site, St Peter’s Basilica with its underground burial chambers, and to visit a Mosque and Synagogue.
The Danube River would then take us to Vukovar, Croatia, and Novi Sad Serbia, where we would enjoy the “Athens of Serbia” walking tour where 26 nations coexist, and 6 languages have been spoken equally for centuries. High atop the city, a Petrovaradin Fortress mightily stands, and we would tour at nighttime through its historical underground tunnels.
Reaching Belgrade Serbia, the “white city” capital of Serbia, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, we would visit the Nikola Tesla Museum and view some of his most famous inventions and magnificent machines. The Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park offered us incredible river views along with the largest Serbian Orthodox church in the world boasting large onion domes and an impressive crypt. The Golubac Fortress and Iron Gates of Serbia were reached on Oct. 6, 2023. This magnificent fortress was built in the 14th century and the castle sits nestled on a cliff with its iconic 10 towers built with the sole purpose of guarding the Danube. In Vidin Bulgaria, we visited many historic and cultural landmarks such as the Baba Vida Fortress, the Epigraphy Museum, and St. Nikolaus Church before enjoying a Banitsa Pastry and Yogurt Tasting tour.
The final two days of our tour would take us through Nikopol Bulgaria and Turnu Magurele Romania, where we enjoyed a walk through Veliko Tarnovo one of Bulgaria’s ancient capitals, and the picturesque village of Arbanassi where we admired the frescoes inside the Nativity Church and enjoyed the performance of the Saint Archangels Church choir. Our final stop was Dracula’s “Bran” castle where the infamous Dracula “Vlad the Impaler” may have impaled more than 40,000 victims, a fitting final stop just before Halloween!
Our driver took us across the Carpathian Mountain range which was filled with Autumn colors, and the following morning we flew from Bucharest Romania to London, and back to Phoenix directly aboard American Airlines. Our drive back to Safford was welcomed and although we were both tired, we are glad we had the chance to take such an extraordinary journey and once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
If you are interested in learning more about sailing the Rivers of Europe, Cruise travel, or vacation travel, stop by and see Brando Quinn ECC, Makaila Curtis ATA, or Alayna Curtis ATA at Brando’s Fun N’ Sun Travel & Cruise an Independent Affiliate of Avoya Travel, 513 W. Main St. (inside Trophies N Tees), Safford, AZ, 85546, brando.quinn@avoyatravel.com (928) 322-3271 www.AvoyaTravel.com/IA/BrandoQuinn.
