Wheeling through Austria's Wachau Valley

Telling people you've just returned from a Viking River Cruise will earn mixed reactions.

A few people smirk and ask how old I really am (yes, I know from the PBS Masterpiece Theatre underwriting promos that I'm a little under their target demographic). Some want to know what makes it a Viking cruise (no, I didn't don a winged helmet and pray to Norse gods, but that would be pretty amazing). But most seem interested to hear about the Danube River trip and what I enjoyed the most. 

Spending some relaxing time with my mom on the cruise was tops, as well as taking advantage of all the ship's perks: unlimited espresso drinks and sparkling water whenever, fully-catered meals for nearly all of the eight-day trip, and a lovely "Aquavit Terrace" lounge to sip drinks and in our case, refine our Scrabble skills, while the ship cruised upriver from Budapest, Hungary to Passau, Germany. 

And the CHEESE. At every breakfast, there were at least 3-5 different hard and soft cheeses to try. I tried to practice restraint, but soon a soft goat-like cheese with a black pepper rind became my breakfast BFF. I layered it with smoked salmon and soft scrambled eggs on the heartiest, healthiest-looking bread - unbelievable! You can also believe I gained four pounds on the cruise. It was allllllllllll cheese. 

Another top moment was taking an optional tour of Austria's Wachau Valley by bike, on the fifth day of the tour. Considered the most scenic part of the Danube River, the 18-mile Valley is an UNESCO World Heritage Site lined with Grüner Veltliner and Riesling vineyards and apricot farms. After disembarking at Krems, a small town at the eastern end of the Valley, I met my guide and her father (a local police officer) for a group ride with about 10 other travelers. We received a brief introduction to our electric bikes, which could be either pedaled without the e-assist, or you could use the "eco" mode for a nice boost. 

I didn't activate the electric feature for the first couple miles of the 7-kilometer (so fancy-sounding to refer to kms but it was only 4+ miles) ride to Dürnstein, a small village known for its medieval castle and blue-painted abbey (below). I decided to try out the e-assist and somehow activated the turbo mode, which promptly sped my bike ahead, bypassing the woman I'd paced behind for most of the trip. I suppose it could be great for hills, but this was a flat and easy ride, so I went back to pedaling on my own. Gotta burn off some of that cheese!

I've had limited experience touring a new place by bike, having cycled around Vancouver, Canada's Stanley Park several years ago and once against my wishes in Philadelphia (it was hot and hilly). When conditions are perfect - no major traffic, weather is mild, and the pace is slow but steady - it's a wonderful way to see a place. I passed women watering their gardens, people visiting a cemetery, and verdant, sweeping vistas of meadows and hills. While pedaling, I made a note to ask Scott if we can do some bike touring in a future trip. 

We stopped briefly in Dürnstein and I bought my mom a scarf from an Austrian brand, and sampled some local apricot, or "marille," liqueur, which turned into a purchase from a Wieser shop. A nice thing about shopping while biking is that you're limited to what you can carry back.

I loved the fresh air, the exercise, seeing the small, clean villages decorated with flowers and signs advertising their local wares, and getting the heck off of that cruise ship and our usual buses and away from large crowds.

Overall, would I recommend a Viking River Cruise? Yes, if you're looking for an introductory-level approach to travel with all your meals taken care of, you can mingle comfortably with strangers, and you can tolerate group travel (on the bus, off the bus, be back by 2pm sharp!). I liked that with some meals allowed on the ship's Aquavit Terrace, small groups of 2-4 can "break away" from the dining hall and enjoy some quiet time. 

Plus all the cheese you can eat!