Eastern European River Cruise

In June 2008 we flew to Bucharest, Romania to cruise the Danube River for a week on a small boat. We stopped in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary to tour several small towns and learn first-hand how common citizens are coping with their change from Communism. The trip was a real eye-opener!

For Dave, the highlight of our trip was a visit to Novi Sad,
Serbia and a tour of Petrovardin Fortress where his Grandpa Tiefenbach served in the military.

Dave's father Rudy was baptized in this beautiful church
in Novi Sad in 1906. It was built in the late 1800's so was
almost new when Dad was baptized there.

Pat loved this basket of hand painted chicken eggs we saw in a shop in Bucharest. The price was very reasonable, but we were afraid to try packing such a fragile item in our luggage, so we just took this picture to remember the eggs.

Serbian folk dancers boarded the riverboat and entertained us with ethnic music and dances. Their costumes were so colorful!

We also enjoyed a Bulgarian dance show and a traditional Hungarian dinner with Gypsies providing musical entertainment.

 

     

Gypsies in Eastern Europe still travel by donkey or
horse cart, and we noticed them plodding along in
the cities as well as the country.