We arrive in Vienna, thanks to some clever vikings.

 Ev is forever in tune with what he hears going on with the ship's engines. Yes, they are quiet but subtle changes happen that only his ear can hear. This morning I woke up right before dawn to the sound of our door clicking shut so I knew something was up. Fumbling for the curtains that are three inches from my bed, I could see we were in a big lock.

We made our way to the bow terrace where we could get coffee and watch as the ship as rose to the next level. The lock was big enough for 6 of these big boats but this morning we were the only ones out and about. Ev and I were the only ones out and about, too, besides the crew who never seem to rest.

By the time I took the picture above, it had filled by more than half. This was quite an elevation change.

I was distracted by this little guy. When we lived in Mexico we had a similar bee who lived in a keyhole near our outside table. Every day I'd share my meals with him. He had a varied diet from scrambled eggs to green beans to nachos. My friend this morning broke his fast with a sip of orange juice.

Then, raspberry.

Then the pushy little thing got in my yogurt cup.

I'd love to know where he lives and hope I haven't set him up to be swatted by another guest.

After the locks, we saw bridges ahead. Ev was speculating about the types of draw bridges they might be, because it was obvious we were not going to fit under them.

Lo!

The house on the top deck where the pilots work retracts INTO THE DECK! The cute men in blue fold down the awnings on easy hinges built for this purpose. If needed, men in blue will fold all the chairs and set them up again as soon as we pass the last low bridge. It is a super clever design and my pictures don't show how thoughtfully these boats are created.

The little house going down just enough to get under the bridge.

Man in blue warning me to stay one step down so the bridge doesn't conk me.

And finally, swans. On the Danube, on the outskirts of Vienna. Ev and I had seen two at dawn, but didn't really believe our eyes. Once we docked, Joy could see two more at the bow so I started calling them and making a feeding motion with my hand (a trick Elyse learned to do with seagulls when she was little).

Here they came, paddling as fast as they could. Ir was the cutest thing ever.

Robert dashed in and got some rice crackers for them.

And by some stroke of early morning luck, I took this picture.