Viking’s Passage to Eastern Europe – Day 4

The Broken Dreams of Vidin

Saturday, July 9, 2016
It’s the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. The temperature hovers near 32°C, and I can literally hear the sound of cheese pizza sizzling on the pavement. No, really: there are two slices of cheese pizza that someone has left on a concrete block next to a bench overlooking Vidin, Bulgaria’s main shopping street.
A shopping street that, I might add, is utterly deserted. Hostel-deserted. A few old men sit drinking beers at a café that looks as worn-out as they do. They stop talking as I walk past. Their heads follow me and then, once I’m safely out of earshot, they resume their conversation. Old habits die hard.

Good Morning, Starshine: the sunrise over the Danube near Vidin, Bulgaria this morning. Photo © 2016 Aaron Saunders

Sailing the Danube near Vidin this morning. Photo © 2016 Aaron Saunders

Today, Viking River Cruises’ Viking Embla arrived in Vidin as we entered our fourth day on this Passage to Eastern Europe river cruise. Up again just after six, I was greeted by another gorgeous sunrise. I enjoyed an early-morning stroll around the Sun Deck, and then headed down to the Restaurant at seven for the start of breakfast.
Breakfast has to be one of my favorite meals aboard a Viking River Cruises ship. The line makes its own yogurt onboard, which is the best I’ve had on a

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