The gift that keeps on giving

It's pretty much a year to the day that I was in Vienna with a group with other Kiwi, Australian and American journos and travel agents, at the start of our Avalon Waterways Christening cruise down the Danube.

The last of my eight million stories from that media famil, about Vienna, is published in Hong Kong's Horizon Magazine's June issue (click here to read).

Catch up

This post is coming to you from a ridiculously scenic town in the Wacau Valley on the mighty Danube.

Last night was the christening ceremony of the new Avalon Illumination ship. But I'm getting ahead of myself; pics are of our last few days in Vienna. Apologies for the visual dump.

Oh Vienna

Apols for the radio silence - there have been numerous laps of this delightful city and detours into museums, galleries and even a cooking school. There was also a slightly dodgy horse-drawn carriage ride which, given my position on animals-as-entertainment, did not register highly on the Shazza approval meter. But, as one of the Aussie journos, obviously one of the world's greatest thinkers, likes to say, "Sometimes you just have to suck it up, Princess".

Last night we frocked up for a visit to the magnificent Wiener Staatsopher, the 19th Vienna Opera House, for a sumptuous production of La Cenerentola (Cinderella, to you and me). It was all levels of gorgeousness.

Random visuals are of the last few days; there are more on the camera but that is currently enroute to the brand spanking new Avalon ship. We will be joining it later this arvo for the christening ceremony and our first night afloat. The Sea Legs are on standby; wish me luck.

Hallelujah

After days of jiggery pokery with the courier company I finally received my media tix/vouchers for the maiden voyage of the Avalon Waterways Illumination Cruise from Vienna to Budapest. No love to the horrid courier driver who told me he "hates dogs shorter than his knee who bark all the time". Swings and roundabouts mate, because I  hate skinny white guys with bad acne who look like they dress in the dark.

I am, apparently, the last of the 12 journos (three Kiwis, three Americans and six Aussies) to receive their documentation so am very pleased it's finally here.

The morning was spent interviewing an amazing foodie who once ran a catering company with the late Clarissa Dickson Wright, from TV's Two Fat Ladies show. We laughed like drains and ate large chunks of the delectable lemon polenta cake she kindly brought over. It's just one of several stories I need to write on the painful 28 hour journey to Vienna on Thursday. #can'tsomeoneinventatardisalready?