Theo and the River Cruise

 

Most of us hear the word cruise and think--yeah!!! That sounds like fun. Theo, the gangster cat, thinks--why would I like a cruise? His question comes out like a low-sounding growl meow. 

The truth is we hated leaving the Schonbrunn Zoo and Vienna. But a leisurely cruise down a portion of the Danube River where we do nothing but relax and watch the sometimes gorgeous and sometimes baffling scenery can't be all bad. Can it? 

The Danube River is Europe's second longest river, which flows through Germany, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and Serbia. We'll be traveling on only a small portion of the river (in Germany) for the next few days and making stops along the way. 

We're not quite sure what we're going to see, but we're prepared for anything. Theo is, of course, skeptical that we'll spy anything of interest. I disagree. He counters that this cruise is a giant opportunity to take a long and well deserved nap. 

"But . . . you're going to miss out on some really great stuff," I tell him. "How about if we wake you up if we roll by anything spectacular?"

He doesn't agree and he doesn't disagree. Why are so many of our compromises with Theo based on an uneasy truce?

Imagine Dan and I in deck chairs on the top deck. We have a perfect view of the river and the river bank. Theo is nestled on the deck between us, on top of a cozy blanket. He settles in and his eyes immediately snap shut. Is he really sleeping or only cat napping?

We pass our first noteworthy, not so noteworthy site:

What is it? It looks like a dilapidated house so it must be a ruin. No, don't wake Theo for this.

Ah, this is more like it. The kind of village where you want to walk around--the picture perfect antiquish town--cobblestone streets, old churches--a glimpse into the way life used to be. I turn to shake Theo awake, but Dan stops me with a quick shake of the head.

Regular people houses. So this is what a contemporary Danube River house looks like. I like the red roofs. Should we wake Theo? Dan votes no.

 

It takes us awhile to figure this one out. We see the large protruding rock but what is that underneath? Some kind of statue? It must be. 

And finally some greenery. We know the land near a river is often fertile and perfect for planting vineyards. Wine and more wine. We think this is what we see. Still, Theo is no wine drinker. We leave him napping.

We see more of the same---picturesque houses, beautiful scenery and a lovely terraced vineyard that is eye-popping. Theo is fast asleep.

Parts of the river is, well, just river stuff. 

And then, we get the view that we can write home about. Surely, Theo will relish this one. He has to see this one, I think. Dan looks skeptical.

"Let the kid sleep."

"But this one will make his day," I insist.

"Will it?"

You tell me. Should we have woken Theo up for this view?

Theo Horses Around in Vienna

 It's been years since I've visited Vienna. Like a little kid in a candy store, I can't wait to look around and see what I can find. Theo, my gangster cat, is a bit less enthusiastic. Because Vienna is a hustling, bustling place, chocked full of ancient buildings and, perhaps, too many people, he seems intimidated.

I promise him--we'll find something you like. Trust me.

Eagerly I snap photos as we head toward the main part of the city. We pass our first church affectionately called the Mexican Church:

We pass the graffiti building (or at least that's what I call it):

We cross a bridge over a Danube River tributary:

In Vienna proper now, we're on foot, within the Ringstrasse, an elegant 2.5 mile boulevard which encircles the old town. In 1857 this boulevard replaced Vienna's ancient city walls. We cross beneath an old but magnificent arch. Now I'm beginning to feel Vienna's heart:

All of that leads us to our first glimpse of St. Stephan's Church, which took hundreds of years to build from 1137 when they first broke ground to 1578 when it was finally completed. This mixture of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture stands on the ruins of two earlier churches. Over the years it has been the scene of numerous weddings including Joseph Haydn and Mozart. 

I am in awe. If I believed in time travel, standing inside St. Stephan's Church, on ground that's existed for so many centuries, would be the first step in finding a way to travel through time. 

Explaining that idea to Theo, however, is a waste of time. He'll watch something on the History Channel (especially if there are animals in the show) . . . but outside the church he finally looks interested. 

Horses. A white wheeled horse drawn carriage to be precise that is attached to four gorgeous white horses. For tourists who like to imagine that they're back in Mozart's time when people still rode horses and took carriage rides--not for fun but to get somewhere. 

Theo looks up at me expectantly. The driver, who was there one minute ago, is gone for some of that excellent Vienna coffee, so this is our chance, I think. 

"Behave yourself," I caution automatically although how much danger can Theo actually be in when the horses are tied to their carriage. 

Theo approaches cautiously and keeps his distance, at first. But then he can't resist the lure of his fellow animal. His nose twitches. He's sniffing from afar (which will never be good enough).

I know Theo. Sure enough, before I can step in between him and the lovely white horse he's fixated on, Theo is there, standing near the horse's leg, sniffing away. The horse glances down as much as he can, despite the blinders that surround his face.

Who's that? he's probably wondering. Or has he figured everything out already because he can smell Theo. 

Suddenly, I imagine everything going to hell. What if the horse decides he doesn't want some American cat sniffing him, and now even cozying up to him? What if he lifts one of his legs and uses that gigantic hoof to try and kick Theo away? I half imagine Theo flying through the air, like in some cartoon and ending up where--on top of St. Stephan's. 

I reign in my imagination and dread. The encounter is a peaceful one. 

For me, it's a lesson in how the world can be perceived so differently by one person to the next, one person to a cat. Theo sees the horse. I see St. Stephan's, in all its historical magnificence.