VIking

Cruising the Danube with Viking - Day 6

By Cruising With Honey - 20:50


Pretzels, beer and sausages galore


Welcome to Germany and the Italianate village of Passau where three rivers converge: the Inn, Ilz and the Danube.

I has a lot of writing to catch up on, but I didn’t want to miss the included shore excursion, a walking tour of this picturesque town.



Be warned though, Passau come with a little warning; the cobblestones will give your feet a good massage!

I wolfed down yet another delicious breakfast, laced up my walking shoes and headed out.

Alley ways and colourful cobbles


Our first stop was to the edge of the Danube where our tour guide gave a fascinating account of the history and pointed out one of the oldest breweries. Passau has this timeless feel; there weren’t many people around and, in some areas, you could have truly believed time has turned back a few centuries.




We walked around the town, past the town hall and through the meandering alleys. I just adore getting ‘lost’ in these alley ways, imagining what it would have been like hundreds of years ago, carrying my fresh vegetables from the markets, the streets buzzing with sounds of street vendors, animals, and musicians.


Down one of the alleyways, the cobblestones were painted in bright colourful colours. I almost felt like skipping, just like Dorothy as she ‘followed the yellow brick road’. These painted stones signalled the artists’ quarter – painters, sculptors and musicians. I stepped away from the group, wanting a moment to myself. This love of art and creativity was just one thing I adore about Europe. Peering in the open doorways and dark windows, I wondered what treasures I could discover.



Soon we were entering (another) cathedral (another) St Stephen’s. Inside, is the largest pipe organ in Europe. This beautiful instrument has 17,000 pipes and is a marvel. No filming allowed but do try to hear it for yourselves if you make it to Passau. The music gave me head-to-toe chills.


Cool waters



The cobblestones had done their job, and the deliciously cool water nearby was calling my name. Gingerly I stepped down to one of the rivers (no idea which one as there are three and I’d lost my bearings), sat on a rock and dipped my sore feet.


Being ‘grounded’ in the water, I was awash with tranquillity and a silent prayer of gratitude was offered. It had been a very busy week, my family were far away and this little pleasure restored my equilibrium.

Prost!



The dining room was closed, but there was a lot of activity going on behind the doors. We were told that there was going to be special dinner.

At precisely 7:30pm, the dining room doors swung open, and the normally elegant room was was transformed into a German beer house. It was so much fun! All the waiters were in traditional dress, and we feasted on sausages and sauerkraut and even pear schnapps. The energy was so high, and all the guests were in great cheer!

Tomorrow was going to be our last port day and last day aboard. I was feeling a little misty-eyed as I sat on the top deck, gazing at the unfamiliar Northern Hemisphere’s night sky.

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