Danube River. Day 3.

      Engine noise overnight sounds like a hotel air conditioner with some minor water swishing sounds. Calming. Soothing. Something we're used to from living on our boat. We seen complaints about the sound level on Facebook but no issues for us down in our cabin in steerage with the other poor people. Some folks have balconies or verandas and elevators to change decks. Not us. Stairs for us for the 4 decks. And small windows just above eye level. Cabins at our level are small but comfortable. Not much time is spent lounging there. Mostly sleeping. Large deck space is up top for lounging/sightseeing with a little less space for that on deck 3. At some point we will be kept off the 4th deck as everything is lowered, including the bridge (helm station), to get under some low bridges. Clearance will be 10cm after rails, shade covers, radars and other poles are lowered. 

     We went on deck before breakfast while it was still cool and breezy, had breakfast and then went back on deck. We went by the city of Bratislava about 0930. It is the 3rd of 4 capital cities that are on the Danube. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. Budapest is the capital of Hungary and this evening we will get to Vienna, the capital of Austria. Belgrade of Serbia is the other capital on the river but that was well downriver from out start in Hungary. 

     Young kids waving to us at Bratislava.

     The Castle. (Another one)

     Just so you know where you are. 

This is a restaurant called the UFO. It wasn't originally called that but the locals called it that so the owner changed the name. I wonder why? 

 Very beautiful. We will have to get used to that.

     We got a tour of the bridge and chatted with the helmsman. The captain came by later to talk to groups in the later schedule. Navigation is mostly a glass cockpit. No paper charts out. Several large GPS and one small one. The small one was in the format similar to paper charts, a substitute. Suposedly. I'm old school. The helm is just a small lever and the throttles are also very small. There are two engines and two bow thrusters. The bow thrusters are jet pumps as if they were large PWCs. A highly technical bridge with no manual backups visible. Since the ship was built in 2022 it is like most modern ships, very automated. 

All screen gauges and dials. Electronic. 

The helm (steering) is the lever in the helmsman's hand. 

     As the day warmed up we started removing clothing layers until we got down to shorts and tee shirt. Sightseeing on the river was interupted by lunch. I went light, skipping the entree. A salad and a soup. Oh, BTW, I didn't skip dessert. Wonder why?

Our next amazing castle. We could see the tourists walking about and climbing the battlements. 

     Our next river event was going through our 1st lock. Very long and narrow with about a 7 to 8 meter water level rise. It was a double lock with a separate lock besides us. We had plenty of room but the double wide barge in the adjacent lock barely squoze through. I have great videos but this format is best with still photos. 

We have to rise above that slime line. And we're already part way up.

Entering the lock. 

Approaching the lock.

     Most passengers had no experience with locks and had questions but no one to ask. I had plenty of lock experience with our boat but nothing this dramatic. Still didn't stop me from answering questions. After the lock we had to go under several very low bridges. So low that the crew lowered the sunshades aft and the whole bridge housing had to be lowered into the deck. The clearance was so limited a crewmember had to come up to us up forward to remind us to duck. Or sit down. While sitting I could have reached up and ripped down electrical wiring from under the bridges. In the future there will be bridges where we will not be allowed on deck. 

    These rails will have to come down for some future bridges. 

    The ship's bridge lowered into the deck to clear under the highway bridges.

     We tied up at Vienna (Wien in German) almost 2 hours before scheduled because our lock passage was quick. After dinner we went ashore and walked about 1.6 miles to the outer part of Vienna's inner ring. We went to an amusement park and went on the ferris wheel. About 65 meters in the air. Great view but Carol was not all that excited about it. Height and motion bothered her slightly. Some of the other rides looked pretty scary and we passed. The ferris wheel ride cost 14 Euro each so about $31 all together.

      The ferris wheel cars and great views.

     Some folks went to the opera. We went to bed. Early bus tour departure tomorrow. And more walking. Visiting the cities are wonderful but for me, so far, the river, the cruising and the views are the best. 

     Of course it's only the first full day underway.