Market Tour

Saturday, 19 August, 2017 – weather: Rained all day

Today we are to do a market tour, one of 4 options, with Budi the Chef. After breakfast, we make our way through the gloomy skies to the bus and a knowledgeable local guide. We learn that the market is quite narrow but is around 2 km long.

Seafood – note that those Tiger prawns are 75 euro per kilo

The guys making a purchase in the background with Chef Budi in the foreground

Olives – look at the colours in the right front

The market seems to end on a busy street but there is another major shop across that street.

The guys crossing the busy road to the cheese shop

Cheese samples, one of those was among the best cheese I have ever had

The group splits up with Julie going to the flea market behind and Budi and two others return back to the boat. Rain has been threatening all morning and it starts coming down seriously. The market is not covered although most of the shops are but to walk down the aisle way means to get somewhat wet. I do that with Bill and Mary. We are to go to a coffee shop Mary had spotted earlier and we end up inside one which was an improvement over being outside in it.

I order something different – premium red wine and hot chocolate

The thing about the hot chocolate is that it was laced with Rum. I think the waitress must have poured in at least 3 shots of rum, it was quite an amazing burst of flavour and surprise. It knocked me around a bit.

As we sit inside the café, we can see the rain pouring off of the awning on the next shop. It is really coming down. We have to catch the bus so we make a dash for it, sort of.

Fortunately, the bus was there early and we were able to get out of the rain – it did not let up all day. We go back to the boat and have a small lunch. Then some of us have a decent nap. In fact, so long that we miss a Vienna Dance Course on board.

There were 4 unique groups on tours today. Including ours, there trips to Bratislava, Schonbrun Palace and the Spanish Riding School show. Everybody got back by the 5:00 cutoff which is when the boat starts its motors to make its last journey of our tour – to Budapest.

We then get a lengthy presentation in the lounge from Werney about the history of the company and his involvement right from the start. Then plans are explained for our departure on Monday. Very detailed and accurate plans but the main theme is that the boat is to turn around on that day and start the next cruise in the opposite way back to Amsterdam. Thus we need to make ourselves scarce in terms of getting out of the room early and suit cases ready very early. I guess it was to be expected, Scenic is a commercial organisation.

Then it is time for the Yummy and Tasty Farewell Gala Dinner.

A special presentation for one couple’s anniversary of some kind

Then they bring all of the Hotel staff, all 58 of them, in their uniforms to line up around the big buffet area.

The Front Desk staff and our Butler, Antonio

Our favourites from the waiting staff – note the size difference between Maya and Manin

Catering Manager, Head Chef and his assistants

They all break into a song “leaving on a Jet plane” only its “on a Spaceship” which is the name Scenic gives to its craft

Let me stop right now and say that the staff were absolutely brilliant. Sure they get paid more if they get good ratings from the guests, but they are genuinely friendly and good at service. They had Mr. Patrick picked from Day 1 the wines I liked. It is a pity that the 8 Sailing staff could not participate as they were very important too. The “Little Guy” was a genius.