Frances Broaddus-Crutchfield, a passenger on our inaugural Jewels of Persia departure in 2014, has penned a tribute to her fascinating experience.
ODE TO THE INAUGURAL TRAIN
by
Frances Broaddus-Crutchfield
To the Golden Eagle Danube Express,
We offer our praise for your great success!
Reporters, photographers, even a band
Welcomed us throughout the land.
From the beautiful city of Budapest,
With its Royal Waiting Room,
To Dracula’s haunts in Romania,
And Bulgaria’s Thracian tomb.
Turkey’s Blue Mosque, Topkapi,
And shops at the Grand Bazaar,
A magnificent balloon ride,
Talks and music in the train’s Bar.
Finally crossing the border
From Turkey into Iran,
And touring the sites of the cities:
Yazd, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tehran.
From the caves of Cappadocia,
To the Church of the Holy Cross,
To the ancient ruins of Persia,
Kissed lovingly by the sun’s gloss.
Goodbye to Hafez the Poet,
And the lovely white cats of Van.
Goodbye to kings so long interred,
And the camel and the Salt Man.
As old as the most ancient ruins,
As young as the newest laid track,
This pathway forged is forever,
And many will want to come back.
We hope we’ve created tradition
Of exchanges that never will cease,
A road to better relations.
Maybe trains are the way to world peace.