River rhapsody — Storied Danube flows through time and space to offer excitement, adventure

Johann Strauss II wrote his famed "Blue Danube" waltz in 1867, and ever since people have been trying to come up with a reason behind the name. Even on bright days, the river barely conjures up a mild blueish-gray.

There are various theories: Maybe it was bluer in those days; maybe he was drunk. Most people, however, figure that "Green Danube" or "Brown Danube" simply doesn't have the same cachet.

But whatever Strauss thought about the color, he did get one thing right: The river has its own pulse and rhythm, even rhapsody. And nowhere do you get a sense of that any better than on a Danube River cruise.

River Cruises are popular these days, especially in Europe, where the dollar is struggling against the euro. Having accommodations and meals taken care of on the boat makes for an efficient and rather economical way to see this part of the world.

So, when my niece, Kate, wanted to celebrate her graduation from high school and pending entrance into college, and wanted to see, but had never been to, Europe, we figured this would be a great way to go. It was.

The Danube is the second-largest river in Europe (after the Volga) and the only one that flows west to east. Its 1,771-mile course takes it through or by some 10 countries, past storied landscapes, Old World capitals, medieval towns, fascinating architecture and diverse cultural heritage that connects Western and Eastern Europe.

Our particular 10-day itinerary on the Danube Odyssey, a ship of the Vantage Travel line, took us up-river starting in Budapest, Hungary; through Slovakia and Austria to Kelheim, Germany; then by switching to the Main-Danube Canal, on to Nuremberg, which gave us a wide cross-section of both history and geography.

Life along this majestic river goes far back into the reaches of time. Along the banks of the beautiful Wachau Valley, the so-called "Venus of Willendorf" was discovered and dated back to approximately 24,000 B.C. This limestone carving of a lush and lumpy female figure is one of the oldest sculptures of the human form that has been uncovered.

As we sailed by this stretch, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the most beautiful lengths of the Danube, we could almost imagine Stone Age people living there. The neatly tended vineyards and the tiny red-roofed villages made us think more readily of the Middle Ages, but there certainly was a timeless quality to the area.

We also learned that the Danube was once the border of the Roman Empire. There are still Roman ruins that can be seen in many places along its banks, including in Budapest and other cities.