SV Ostinato: Hungarian Hospitality

Wahalla

Saal - New crew has arrived. Bill Harris, our neighbor from Shell Point, has signed back on bringing goodies from home and a willingness to crawl out of bed at the crack of dawn with a smile. The rains have started and its feeling a lot like fall already. We pass Regensburg and soon after hit our first big landmark, Walhalla; a monument to famous German's installed by King Ludwig I. Unfortunately, there is no place to tie up so the best we can do is do a cruise by.

Passau – We arrived to find Amusant and Calypso tied up to a dock directly on the Donau. No cleats....just tie your lines around a tree. The dock master's wife stood guard outside our boat until King headed to the office to pay. Amusant loaned Bill a bicycle so the 3 of us rode into Passau to explore for the day. We were able to reach the cathedral for the 1200 organ recital. Organ recitals are not a favorite of mine and I did not leave the concert a convert but it was a great opportunity to see, as King says "yet, another church".....We still had time to search out some coffee ice cream and find Bill a pair of blue jeans since King had told him it was warm so he could just bring shorts.

Bill using "Little Bill" power washer to clean off the decks

We departed MYC Passau at 0715 in a pouring rain and crammed into the schleuse with not one but 2 Viking River Cruise ships. Amusant tied up to port and Ostinato on the starboard side of the schleuse. Thankfully, no one appeared to be in Viking’s 1st class cabins at the stern or they may have been alarmed at the mast that was threatening their sliding glass doors! As we exited the other side of the schleuse, the current looked like boiling soup. The Viking ship ahead of us slid sideways around the corner making us pleased with the decision to delay passing him. By 0930 the rain had slowed to a drizzle but the clouds sat defiantly atop each hilltop like little hats. We crossed into Austria at 1030. A new country, a new courtesy flag, a bottle of champagne to put in the fridge for later tonight!

Five schleuses our first day in Austria. Traveling with four “sport boats” today. We have caught up with the little French yacht “Calypso” who left the day before us. Calypso has 6-8 twenty somethings aboard at any one time. The crew depart and arrive on bikes…or vans… or trains. We have met them off and on since Nuremberg. They are also headed for Turkey, making a documentary about music along the way. As we powered into our first schleuse, we kept hearing the schleuse master talking on the radio. No one had a clue what he was saying. We waited and waited for the doors to close. Nothing. Finally, he dangled a life jacket out his window and the “Mother Ship” passed the news along that everyone on deck had to have their life jackets on before the schleuse would close. I have to think the activity that he prompted on all four boats was worth a grin from the schleuse master.

The Chapel in Melk Monastery was over the top

Austria has been an interesting change for cruising yachts. Many towns along the Danau have created small docks to accommodate sport boats. This is a first. Our first night was spent at one, rafted alongside the “Mother Ship”. We moored in a marina in Emmerdorf across the river from Melk the following night. The €24 taxi ride to the monastery left everyone gasping but considering there were 5 of us crammed into the little taxi it wasn’t so bad. Only €18 return. Not sure how that worked.

Aug 20 – Vienna – 48.15N 15.18 E - The Mother Ship was fueling up as we arrived at the Weir Marina in Vienna. Space was tight but David and Wendy had already negotiated a berth where the “wide girl” would fit. The marina was as accommodating as their space would allow but the surge from passing ships was enough to make me sea sick! Luckily, we were in Vienna so there was plenty to explore off the boat, palaces, Lipizzaner horses, gardens, and a fabulous collection of Gustav Klimt paintings at the Upper Belvedere. While our time at the marina was limited, it was made extra special thanks to our boat neighbor, Hans, who surprised us with Vienna pastries for breakfast. Hans is looking for a small sailboat for his cruise around the world. We are hoping that it will include a stop in to see us in Florida. Our last night, just after we had returned to Ostinato in a blinding rain storm, I looked through the forward ports to see a bright white light heading directly for us. I rushed out to investigate further and found Calypso with a big blue tarp wrapped over her top and all hands on deck as they head into the marina, desperately searching for safe haven for the night. Finding nothing that would fit them at the end of the marina, back they came and snuggled up close to Ostinato. Not a good idea with the amount of surge we had been experiencing so King and Bill led them down to the western marina entrance. They were even able to find a spot under the bridge to provide some relief from their leaking hatches.

A favorite was the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna

We had to purchase our Slovakia flag in Vienna

Aug 24 - Bratislava, Slovakia - We left the "Mother Ship" in Vienna this morning awaiting a package that seems to have gone astray. We have been together for so long that we all missed David’s free flowing commentary on channel 68. It was a very fast ride between Vienna and Bratislava. Top speed was 11.7K with an average of 11K. Only one schleuse today and we timed it perfectly, entering just after 4 Viking Cruise ships exited. So even after leaving after 1030, we were tied up in Bratislava by 1400. The owner of the DoDo Marina/restaurant does not speak English but her grandson spent a year in Idaho as an exchange student. Grandma runs the show. It’s actually a family affair; Grandma manages the marina and restaurant, daughter cooks and provides taxi service and the grandson waits tables and provides interpreter services. They keep a book of the boats that have visited. We were able to find Angel Louise who stopped by in 2012 and Dora Mac who preceded us earlier this summer. We are only the 2nd American boat to pass through this year.

The Harbour Master at DoDo Marina sends
us off with homemade sweet rolls

The Dock Master's daughter provided taxi service into town so we were able to spend a few hours investigating Bratislava. Thankfully, there were lots of wine tasting opportunities on the street so we saved so euros, learning quickly that we were not fans of elderberry wine. Since we had a private taxi, our last stop was the grocery where we could restocked the wine cellar. I have to admit, the whites are barely drinkable and the reds could make you a non drinker.

Aug 26 - The weather is rainy and cold again today, low 50s to mid 60s. Bill has asked Claire to pack his Duberry boots and some long socks. He has also declared he will no longer take packing recommendations from Kingsley. Somewhere between Bratislava and Komarno, T-Mobile decided that we had crossed over to Hungary. This was a bit surprising to us since we had planned another night in Slovakia. We finally figured out that Hungary was on our starboard and Slovakia on port as we traveled down river. Which brings me to another issue, what country is this? Slovakia or Slovenia? I am so confused.

August 27 Budapest – It was a quiet passage from Komarno to Budapest; only one schleuse and very little barge traffic. The river continues to be wide but the channel is narrow in a few places….typically, when you are passing a barge, so there is no relaxing. The Danau gets very narrow on this passage so ships are steered into a canal. Since we don't have English language pilot books we decided not to risk it and followed the route of the big ships.

Pookie

King performed the hairpin turn off the Danau and headed into the canal past the marina with the swimming pool and washing/dryer to our new home in Budapest. Peter, who we met earlier at a schleuse on the Main-Danube Canal, had graciously made arrangements for Ostinato and Amusant to tie up where he currently has his boat. This is not a marina, just a few boats tied up along the shore but we have power, water, wifi and security and the Metro is only a ¼ mile walk. George, who had agreed to let us tie up to his home, with only knowing 2 big American boats were on the way, was waiting to catch our lines and help us get settled in. Within minutes, we were invited for a glass of wine, which we immediately accepted. George, his beautiful wife Linda and their adorable pug, Pookie, not only entertained us but also took care of getting me to a dentist when I had a potential problem that I thought should be checked out before heading into Romania. We were very well cared for. Each day we roamed all over the tourist attractions….and the grocery stores, and each night a special activity occurred. We got together with Peter and caught up on his trip after he and Tomas left us on the Main-Donau Canal. The following night was a cookout with George and Linda’s friends and father from Tasmania; this was followed by an evening dinner cruise aboard Amusant to take in Budapest lights at night. Fireworks lit up the sky as we passed by the castle. Our final night, Linda and George took us to Szentendre, a small town artist village on the Danou that we had not previously seen because ships are routed around it by canal due to its shallow waters. A festival was going on….for us?....but of course!! They led us to a small café owned by an American from Seattle. While the owner wasn’t around we enjoyed a little jazz. Even Pookie liked it....or was that the cheese tray. It was a perfect last night.

Budapest kept us busy during the day also. All the major tourist sites were covered. Our favorite? While the Opera was stunning, the Thermal Baths were tops! We hopped from tub to tub for over 2 hours, first steaming, then freezing. The sauna, however, was another thing….80 to 100°C. King opened the door and the hot air took his breath away. We settled on one a little less life threatening….a mere 40°- 60° C. We returned to Ostinato feeling like jelly so it was not a hard sell when it was suggested we stay another day.

The entrance to the Thermal Baths in Budapest

The rain started about 2100, complete with thunder and lightning. Another day in Budapest was looking like a real possibility. At 600 it was still raining but we decided to crawl out of bed anyway….just in case it cleared. Sure enough, by 730 the skies began to lighten and the rain stopped. King was quickly bringing in power cords and hoses that had been connected to our host and within minutes we were waving goodbye to George, Linda and Pookie.

The rain held till we passed under the Chain Bridge (the first permanent bridge to connect Buda and Pest) and for the rest of the day heavy clouds hung low over the water. It was a soup kinda day.

September 1 - Our last night in Hungary was a stop in Baja. The marina did not take credit cards. That meant our work to spend all our Forints was for not. Another trip to the cash machine. King lured me off the boat with a proposal of dinner in town. Not a hard sell. Everyone returned and fell into bed. Even the availability of the Internet couldn't keep us awake.

September 2 - Up and off the dock by 0700. The goal was to check out of Hungary, into Serbia and reach the town of Apatin. Check-out was a breeze. We were waved to shore by an official that was watching us with his binoculars...as I was watching him through mine, motioning for us to tie at a ship that had a row of flags. One could only guess this must be the place. Checking into Serbia was another story. 3 1/2 hours after we tied up we were finally sent on our way. Picture lots of waiting on the steps watching stray dogs do what stray dogs do when one is in heat.

We continued down river in soft but persistent rain. The landscape is not one that encourages me to stay outside, so much of the time I hole up with my latest John le Carre’ spy novel and start a stew. Already stew weather. What the heck happened to summer? Although we have checked into Serbia, the river moves in and out of Croatia. Sometimes Croatia is on starboard, sometimes on port, sometimes on both sides. The borders must have been designed by the same guys that did Florida’s Legislature boundaries. As advised by the barge captain when we checked-in at Bezdan, King took the Serbian flag down and ran without any up during the 5k that Croatia was on both sides.

There is little industry along the river and we pass under only two bridges today. Barge traffic is minimal; two going north and one passed us heading south. The current is also a bit calmer today. Without fanfare ….in other words, not ALL parties were informed…. King changed the Ray Marine to show kilometers vs. knots. I was a bit alarmed during one of my hourly loops about the boat when I noted that we were going 18 KNOTS! Bill quickly informed me that we were not in kilometers and gently pealed me off the back of the steering station.

The marina fuel dock was broken so the guys had to hand carry it in at Apatin...in the rain.

As we passed Dalj, we began to see the remnants of war that still litter the landscape; abandoned homes and buildings, some riddled with bullet holes. My knowledge of the conflict here is limited and I miss the ability to have information at my finger tips. How dependent we have become on the Internet. Knowing we would need to anchor tonight, we began searching for a spot early. The entrance appeared too narrow for our first choice but only 5k further down river we found plenty of room for both Ostinato and Amusant to anchor for the night. Only 107 k today but Novi Sad, our next stop, is only a few hours away tomorrow.

Sept 4 Novi Sad - Turned off the Danau at 1100 and motored slowly behind Amusant up the

George moved boats around to make room for us to dock in Navi Sad.

channel. Hundreds of small boats sit quietly at their dock. People along the way motion for us to continue on. We finally reach one that motions us in and quickly begins to move boats around so we can fit. Amusant on dock and Ostinato tied along side. We have arrived at the “yacht club”. The marina is owned by George (another one), an attorney in Navi Sad. He shared that they have had 20 yachts stop this summer on their way south; Sweden, Netherlands, Germany and Dora Mac, from the States. Three U.S boats in one summer must be some kind of record.

The girls were swooning
over the acordian player

Camilliocromo Beat Band

What was to be a quick trip into down-town Novi Sad turned into a day long affair. They were having a music festival! The headliner group, The Harlem Gospel Choir. Our favorite, however, was a jazz group Camilliocromo Beat Band from Florence, Italy. I have never seen a sexy accordion player but this guy had the girls swooning. The entire band was great. We are made to feel very welcome during out time in Serbia. There is however, the occasional taxi driver or office worker that reminds you that not everyone in this part of the world is a fan of the U.S.

Bridges are few and far between across the Danou now. Those that exist, appear new. Traffic is almost non existent.

September 5 - Belgrade - The rains continue. We hear from George and Linda, our hosts in Budapest. They inform us they are at flood stage and the waters will continue to increase our way for a few more days. We are beginning to have the need to dodge floatsom, including some very large tree limbs. Ostinato tied up at Vodenica Restaurant on the Sava River. There was plenty of room for both Amusant and Ostinato. No cleats, our lines were simply wrapped around the railings and under picnic tables. Our power cord was a major hazard as it was draped across the floor of the porch which was typically filled with diners.....who we climbed past as we exited from the boat. No one seemed to mind.

Our timing for Belgrade was as perfect as Navi Sad. Just in time for multiple festivals going on

The men are in charge of making the fish soup

throughout the town. The Fish Festival had the most impact as it became apparent very quickly that we were tied up square in the middle of the annual event.....complete with bands. Fish Soup and Mussels were the specialty. Each being served from huge cauldrons. In another part of town we stumbled across a classic car show with a jazz band. We zipped past the cars in hopes that it was the same band we had heard in Navi Sad. No such luck but the music was still worth some time taking a seat on a park bench. We spent the remainder of the day wandering around looking at a mishmash of architectural styles ranging between art nouveau to Russian drab.

You just never know what your going to see on the water

This following doesn't fit well anywhere but I feel like it needs to be added. The rivers have been exceedingly clean during this trip, even with the considerable flooding we have experienced. However, I'm sad to report that has changed since we cleared into Serbia. It is not unusual to see garbage strewn down hillsides into the river. The litter strewn along Belgrade's water front was disturbing. With the flooding, all of this will be moving downstream towards the Black Sea.

September 8 - Bill leaves us this morning and heads off to meet Claire in Frankfort for her son, Tommy's wedding. King and I will also depart Belgrade early as we continue our journey south towards Romania. We are unlikely to have an internet connection good enough to support the blog for the next couple of weeks so we will see you in the Black Sea.