VIKING'S 'GRAND EUROPEAN TOUR'

Amsterdam (Credit: Viking)

Sometimes the brochure sounds too good to be true. But in this case, I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Viking River Cruises is promoting their 15-day "Grand European Tour" and "grand" is the right word: "From Holland's windmills to Germany's fairytale castles, from the engineering marvel of the Main-Danube Canal to the picturesque vineyards of Austria's Wachau Valley, this epic voyage presents the highlights of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. . . .Savor a decadent Sachertorte in a Viennese café and panoramic views of imperial Budapest—and along the way, discover the legend of the Lorelei, the ancient art of glassblowing, the music of Mozart and more. Guests who choose this voyage soon see why it is our most popular itinerary."

In case you don't know what a "Sachertorte" is, Wikipedia to the rescue. It is "a specific type of a chocolate cake, or torte, invented by chance by Jewish Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. The Original Sachertorte is made only in Vienna and Salzburg, and it is shipped from both locations. The only place where the Original Sachertorte is available outside of Austria is in the Sacher shop of Bolzano (Bozen), Italy." Here at Cruising Squared, we look it up so you don't have to.

There's also this icing on the cake: "If you go in November, you can leave the holiday cooking to us and enjoy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. And late November and early December departures will feature Europe's famous Christmas Markets." Plus it's on sale. All the details are here. -- Gerry