Passage to Eastern Europe: Scenic Cruising on the Danube II (8/21/2021)

Saturday, August 21, 2021 (continued)

Entering the Lower or Small Kazan Gorge, which
before the dam was a narrower gorge with boiling rapids
and whirlpools that were dangerous for navigation

Approaching the Chipul regelui dac Decebal/sculpture of
Decebalus (1994-2004, lead sculptor Florin Cotarcea)
of the last king of the Dacians who fell to the
armies of Roman Emperor Trajan in 106 CE (KSS)

It is almost disappointing to learn this was a
20C sculpture, but it is impressive at 55 m/180'
in height and 25 m/82' in width; the Latin
inscription means "King Decebalus - Made by
Drăgan," the latter being Romanian businessman
Iosif Constantin Drăgan who financed the venture

Iosif Constantin Drăgan had wanted the Serbians to create a similar sculpture of the Emperor Trajan on their shore of the Danube River, but was denied.

Former Mănăstirea Mraconia/Mraconia Monastery
(1993-1994, replicates the Church of Holy Archangels
Michael and Gabriel and the Holy Trinity of the
original monastery that is now underwater)

Looking back towards the Lower or Small Kazan Gorge,
we now head into the Upper or Great Kazan, which
previously was an even more dangerous gorge

On the Serbian side, the Restaurant Varnica seems
to be a reconstruction of a pre-dam navigation control
station, with a giant ball that signaled, by being raised or
lowered, whether the narrow gorge was clear for you to
travel or if you had to wait for oncoming traffic to pass

The Upper or Great Kazan Gorge; now the Danube River
cuts between the Carpathian Mountains of Romania
and the foothills of the Balkans in Serbia

Limestone cliffs

Small tour boats take tourists to enter small caves

Peștera Ponicova/Ponicova Cave is one that can be
entered by small tourist boats

Lunchtime! Usually soup was the starter, with main courses including a couple meat dishes, a main-course salad, and a pasta dish, plus a couple dessert options.

Today, for some reason, they brought some extras to the table,
farfalle pasta in marinara sauce, and salmon tacos

On the available everyday lunch menu were a crudité platter,
Niçoise salad, cheeseburger, veggie burger, hot dog,
fruit cup, and a light fluffy chocolate mousse

The roadway on the Serbian side cut through many tunnels,
with pre-tunnel shelter from falling rocks

Today's cookie is also labeled a Serbian Vanilice,
and this time it has a jam filling

We engaged in several deck shuffleboard games

A section of a sunken fort wall in Drencova, Romania (KSS)

Serbian Teatime on the Viking Ullur

Plus a Cooking Demonstration on
making Apple Strudel; we have been to
an apple strudel cooking demo on
Viking before, but we knew there
would be samples at the end!

Pastry chef, two guest volunteers, and the top chef

Roll out the dough as thinly as possible

Cut a neat triangle out of the dough

Next the rum - no, no, add it to the raisins!

Place all filling ingredients in a bowl and mix

Place the filling along one edge of the dough rectangle

Fold up the bottom and and corners of the dough

Roll up the filling in the dough,
more easily done by lifting the edge of the tablecloth

Voilà! A nice apple strudel roll

Baste melted butter over the roll,
prick lightly with a fork, then bake

Slice the baked apple strudel, sprinkle with
powdered sugar, and drizzle with a vanilla sauce

Enjoy your apple strudel!

Next: Golubac Fortress.