1. Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008
Stories
as told by our local guides on our “Magnificent Europe” River Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, July 2008.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

2. “Be Tolerant and Pay your Taxes” in Amsterdam
Prostitutes openly display their wares in the Red Light District of Amsterdam and marijuana is available in a number of the city’s “Coffee” Shops. Neither is legally sanctioned, but as our guide explained, the two important guidelines of life in Amsterdam are (1) be tolerant and (2) pay your taxes (even if your income was earnt illegally).
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

3. The Three Wise Men in Cologne Cathedral
Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, conquered Milan in 1164 with the assistance of the Archbishop of Cologne, who was offered his pick of the spoils of war. All he claimed were the relics of the Magi, taken from Constantinople to Milan in The Three Kings have since attracted a constant stream of pilgrims (and tourist dollars) to Cologne and proved a wise choice by the Archbishop. Construction of the present Cologne Cathedral was begun in 1248 to house these important relics. The cathedral took 632 years to complete and is now the largest Gothic church in northern Europe.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

4. The Toilet at Marksburg Castle
The wooden toilet attached to the stone walls of Marksburg Castle over hangs the herb garden. The lock was on the outside of the door, facing the dining room. Usually, when a knight visited the toilet, he would leave the door open so that he could join in the conversation in the dining room. When not in use, the sturdy door was locked (from the dining room side) so that spies or intruders could not enter the castle by climbing up through the toilet.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

5. Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008
The Floods at Wertheim
The ground floors of buildings had to be built of stone (expensive) to withstand flood and fire. Upper floors were made of wooden frames and a clay/straw mix compound (cheaper) and often were wider than the ground floor. The very rich (called “stone rich”) had houses constructed entirely of stone.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

6. Mayor Tilly of Rothenburg
During the 30 years war, the Swedish Army besieged Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg’s Mayor Tilly, in an endeavour to get the Swedes “on-side”, offered the Swedish commander a hearty meal, including a 5 litre tankard of ale. The Swedish General jocularly suggested that if Mayor Tilly could drink the huge tankard in one go, he would spare the city. With a massive effort, Tilly did just that. The Swede kept his word and spared Rothenburg. Although he kept his troops out of the city and did not sack it, Rothenburg was still required to feed the Swedish army camped on their doorstep.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

7. Hitler’s Congress Building in Nuremberg
Hitler started to build his “Congress Hall” next to the Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg in Its design was modelled on Rome’s Colosseum, but it was to be one and a half times the size of the Colosseum, holding people in a roofed building. It was never completed, the war interrupting its construction.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

8. The Emperor’s Retreat at Nuremberg Castle
This was to be the last bastion of the Holy Roman Emperor, should the city of Nuremberg be taken by enemy forces. The entrance is a door halfway up the tower, reached only by ladder. The ladder would be drawn inside once the emperor was safely ensconsed.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

9. The Stone Bridge at Regensburg
Folk could not believe that men alone could build such a bridge over the Danube 1000 years ago. They believed the devil had assisted in its construction. Legend had it that the devil’s price for assisting in its construction was the first three souls to cross the bridge. As shown by an etching in the stone side of the bridge, a hen, a cock and a dog were the first three to cross the bridge. The devil was so angry at being tricked (he should have specified “human souls”), that he heaved up the centre of the bridge with his back (hence the arch) and jumped into the river in a boiling rage (hence the turbulence which still exists today next to the bridge).
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

10. The Bishop builds a church near Salzburg
The Bishop was instructed by God to build a fine church with his own bare hands (not used to manual labour). He dutifully tried to comply, labouring diligently, but achieving less each day as he grew fatigued. The devil offered to help, his price being the first soul to enter the completed church. The Bishop continually refused the devil’s aid, but on nodding off to sleep on the nth day, the devil took this as acceptance of his offer and he completed the church overnight. The Bishop was terrified when he awoke and realised what had happened. He wouldn’t enter the church and kept parishioners out. A wolf entered the church and the devil again cursed that he hadn’t specified “human soul”.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

11. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was born in Salzburg in “Theophilus” means “beloved of God”, as does the more trendy “Amadeus”. Young Mozart decided not to use the full name given in his baptismal record, but to call himself “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart”.
Shades of Richard Starky calling himself “Ringo Starr”
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

12. Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008
Schonbrunn Palace
Schonbrunn Palace, the Summer Palace of the Hapsburg Imperial Family on the outskirts of Vienna, was modelled on France’s Palace of Versailles, but is bigger and built 30 years later. Its treasures, including wall tapestries, paintings, etc. were removed and stored deep underground in salt mines during World War II.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

13. Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008
Bratislava
After the demise of the communist era in the late 1980s / early 1990s, mafia-like gangs were rife in the newly independent Slovakia. Our guide explained that then the police were “lazy and corrupt”, but now it was safe to walk the streets of Bratislava as things have been cleaned up and now the police were just “lazy”!
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

14. Art in the streets of Bratislava
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

15. Name changes in Bratislava
Bratislava was once called Pressburg (German) and Pozsony (Hungarian). Now the capital of Slovakia, it was once the capital of Hungary, when Budapest was over-run by the Turks.
One bridge has had at least 5 name changes: the Franz Joseph Bridge in Imperial times, another name when Czechoslovakia was formed after WWI, the Hitler Bridge during WWII, the Bridge of “the Victorious Red Army” during the Russian occupation, and another name today.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

16. Bullet Holes in Budapest
This building in the Castle area of Buda once housed the Ministry of Defence and bears the scars of World War I, World War II and the 1956 Hungarian uprising against the Russians.
We saw other buildings in Budapest also pock-marked with bullet/shrapnel damage.
Unlike Vienna which was rebuilt with U.S. Marshall Plan money, Budapest suffered over 40 years of communist rule and there is some way to go to return it to its former glory.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

17. Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008
Sisi
Elisabeth, Princess of Bavaria (1837 – 1898) was the Empress consort of Austria and Queen consort of Hungary due to her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph. She not only became known for her beauty, but also for her fashion sense, diet and exercise regimens, and passion for riding sports. She paid extreme attention to her appearance and would spend most of her time preserving her beauty. Her diet and exercise regimens were strictly enforced to maintain her 43 cm waistline and reduced her to near emaciation at times (symptoms of what is now recognised as anorexia). She spoke German, French, English and learnt Hungarian, the latter endearing her to the people of Hungary. She was the 19th century equivalent to the 20th century’s Princess Di.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

18. Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008
Sisi
Go to for further details.
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008

19. Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008
The End
For now….
Mal & Bev's "Magnificent Europe" Tour July 2008