We woke up, still in Vienna, Austria...

... and found a few inches of snow on the ground and an ongoing snowstorm.

We took the train out to Schönbrunn.

The snowy troopers stop for a picture in front of the Memory Church, which is now covered with snow.

Jill and I stop to make snow angels and try a new multi-shot feature on my camera.

This is not our boat, but looks exactly like it - and it took our 'parking spot' after us.

Finally at sea, we are forced to muster, which on a smaller non-ocean vessel, we are able to do whilst playing cards.

Later that day, while everyone was enjoying a nice lunch, Ben and I kept going up on deck to watch the boat go through the first lock.

We descended 54 feet before the doors opened and let us out onto the lower part of the Danube.

The snow was still driving and the deck hands were not exactly winning their shoveling battle.

General sites as we cruised from Vienna to Bratislava, a trip of 40+ miles in around 3 hours.

A few ancient castles dotted the landscape.

Finally in Bratislava, Jill, Eulalia, Ben, and I went out the first night to see the town.

The Slovak Republic flag blows in the snowy wind.

Old opera house, turned casino...

Many buildings were decorated for the holidays in Bratislava, like the snazzy, Carlton Hotel.

The town square was bustling with tens and even dozens of people.

An ourdoor bar in the makeshift Christmas market was still open - and had revelers looking to stay warm.
(No one wanted to stop and have a drink outside with me.)

Finally, a sign that we're headed to something scenic.

Ah, Michael's Gate, one of the few original openings in the old town wall.

After a few drinks, Ben decides to test something he saw in a movie once with one of the many statues in Bratislava.
Luckily, nothing got stuck.