A traveler’s photo gallery of highlights from her Eastern Europe to the Black Sea River CruiseTour
By Rosemary Hinkley, 5-time traveler, Freeport, Illinois
October 28, 2011
Our Eastern Europe to the Black Sea trip was our fourth Grand Circle European River Cruise. I thought I couldn’t like a trip as much as our last cruise along the Rhine and Mosel, but this one was a delight, too. Our Program Director, Mircea Poena, is a well-educated man who told us firsthand stories about life in Romania under the Soviets. He helped us appreciate the myriad Soviet apartment houses and the progress being made in the seven countries we visited. Learning about the Soviet occupation was sobering.
Now I understand why my friend—who has traveled on about 20 Grand Circle vacations—encouraged us to take this Eastern Europe trip, too. My husband, HK (Harlan, if one is being formal), invited me to “choose a trip” for my 70th birthday. Boy, did he give me a great birthday gift!
Here are some of my favorite photos from my Eastern Europe River Cruise:
The Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic.
A view of the Danube River from Budapest, Hungary.
Hungarian embroidery, a traditional handcraft, found near Budapest.
Bullet holes in a Croatian home from the “Homeland War” (1991-1995) against Serbia.
The Danube River’s “Big Bend,” in Belgrade, Serbia.
HK and I enjoy a day of sailing after our visit to Belgrade.
A view from our restaurant window (where we had lunch) of ruins, a modern home, and an ancient castle, in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
A street in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
Would you like to share a story or photos of your own? Email me at harriet@gct.com.
Experience the historical treasures of Eastern Europe for yourself on our Eastern Europe to the Black Sea River CruiseTour.