A Day in Freising

After departing the boat at Passau, we took the train to Freising, a small university town just 30 minutes from the Munich airport. An old medieval market town, the Catholic Church was established in the 8th century. We were able to drop our bags at the hotel and explore the town.

It was Saturday, and the market square was full of vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses and meat, and hand made crafts. Because we arrived just after noon, the vendors along the Marienplatz were closing up and clearing the square. It seems that this town of  47,000 closes for business on Saturday afternoon. We were able to grab a bite to eat at the Hofbrauhaus, established in 1160.

For dinner, we walked up the hill to the Weihenstephan Brewery. Established in 1040, it is the oldest operating Brewery in the world. Now part of the local university, the Brewery still brews and distributes beer. Students help while learning the Brewing arts. Many of the students go on to enter the profession, either in Brewing or producing products and innovations for the industry. The Brewery operates a restaurant outside the production brewery adjacent to the university. We sat in the beer garden and watched the sun set in the valley below.

The oldest mention of breweries in the area dates back to 825. At one time there were 18 breweries, with only 3000 in habitants. Part of the early trade in the area was in locally grown Hallertau hops. This is a very good beer town.

Tomorrow is a quick taxi ride to the airport and a fond farewell to Germany, Austria, and the Danube. Photos are posted on Flickr, https://flickr.com/photos/22583315@N08/sets/72157682901999470

Rossatz to Pochlarn

We started are last day at Rossatz, taking the ferry to the north bank of the Danube and the city of Durnstein. This was the only day that we rode our bikes upstream, instead of down. We could not see or feel any difference in elevation gain or headwind. The quaint medieval town is on the hill, requiring us to walk our bikes through cobblestone streets filled with tourist and shops to cater to them. Durnstein is home to Kuenringer castle, famous for holding Richard the Lionhearted for ransom in 1192 as he returned from the Third Crusades.

We continued on through the Wachau wine region, surrounded by vineyards and picturesque villages until we came to Spitz and the Klosterhof winery. The vineyard buildings were first used in 996 AD as a monastery. In the early 1800s, it came into family hands. We were treated to a tour and wine tasting by the current owners. The Wachau region is primarily known for its white wines. The principle grape is the Gruner Veltliner grape that is picked in three distinct times to produce three different wines. There are over 30 families owning vineyards in the Spitz region producing grapes for the local wines. The yineyards are planted on terraces that go up the hills.

After the wine tasting it was across the Danube again on a ferry. This one was larger than the previous ferrys. It is attached to a cable across the river and uses the current to power it from bank to bank. Once again on the south bank, we rode toward Melk. We stopped to eat our packed lunch on the bank, before cruising to town. Mari did some more Christmas shopping, while I sampled the local beer.

A short 9 km along the bike path brought us to the dock at Pochlarn. We waited for a local day cruise ship to board its passengers and depart. They were waiting for stragglers and held our boat up, but all was good as our boat was able to dock and take on the merry bikers one last time.

After a round of champagne and a delicious dinner it was time to say our goodbyes and have one more sleep aboard the MS Normandie.

The ship cruised all night upstream to return us to Passau on Saturday morning. We left the ship, spreading out in all directions, taking our memories of 7 days on the Danube. Photos are up on Flickr,https://flickr.com/photos/22583315@N08/sets/72157681918355672

We made some great new friends during the week

A Day in Vienna

Thursday was a day off from cycling and a day to tour Vienna. The weather cooperated, leaving the cool overcast skies for sunny blue skies. We walked about a kilometer from the ship to the tram stop for the D line that took us in to the heart of Vienna. Our first stop of the day was the museum district and the Hofburg Imperial Palace, home to the past emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Built over the last 800 years, the multiple buildings take over three city blocks. We paid to tour the rooms of Emperor Frank Joseph and his wife , Emperess Elizabeth, known as Sisi. The Hofburg is known as the Winter Palace. The Shonbrunn Palace, just outside of Vienna, is known as the Summer Palace.

We started in the rooms housing the royal china, silver settings, and table settings, including candelabras. There are several rooms with thousands of pieces used over the years. Some were simple silver plates, some simple porcelain, and others very ornately gilded table settings used to convey the power and wealth of the royal family. One fact to think about: State dinners could consist of 13 or more courses, but were to be completed in 45 minutes. The emperor was served each course first, and when he put down his fork, everyone had to stop eating that course. Sounds like several rounds of speed eating.

The royal apartments documented the daily life of the last emperor of Austria with many of the furnishings from the 1800s. There were many exhibits to highlight the life's of Frank Joseph and Sisi.

After the tour, we visited one of Vienna's many coffee cafes. Demel's is a short walk from the Hofburg Palace and was given the right to say that they are providers to the royal family. They are known for the many types of cakes available every day. After some indecision, I had the chocolate cake with orange liqueur and Mari had the carrot cake.

After cake, the real shopping started. Vienna is a capital city, with all the major brands featured in stores lining the shopping district. Christmas presents were purchased, no fair sharing on this blog. Lunch was in the biergarten at Stadt park. As it was a sunny day, the park was filled with locals out to enjoy the weather.

We finished the day in Vienna at the 1516 Brewery. This is a new Brewery named for the date the Germany beer purity law went into effect. Mari had Weisse and I had the Witt with cilantro an zoho, an Asian citrus fruit. They serve good beer and amazing looking food. If I had known that they served BBQ ribs, I would have waited for lunch.

We returned to the ship to shower and have dinner, before departing for a concert of Mozart and Strauss performed by local musicians at a charming hall in old town Vienna. Waltzes from Johann Strauss are part of the rich history of Vienna and were well presented.

One day is much too short to see Vienna, but we enjoyed the time we had. Photos are on Flickr, https://flickr.com/photos/22583315@N08/sets/72157681829130714

Tulln to Vienna

The weather on our fourth day of biking the Danube was overcast and cold. We enjoyed the e-bikes so much, we secured them for the rest of our trip. The village of Tulln is very picturesque with quiet city square. There are extensive gardens and a statue depicting Attila the Hun's marriage to a local maiden, helping the locals avoid war.

We wore long sleeves and wind breakers as we rode the south bank towards Greifenstein. The bike path along the river turns inland at Greifenstein, following narrow lanes off residential homes. By the time the path returned to the river, we were half way done with our ride for the day.

Next up was Klosterneuburg, a larger city with yet another Abbey on the hill above town. Klosterneuburg looks like a commuter community for Vienna. From there it was a short ride to the docks at Nussdorf, our port for the next two days. Our boat had not arrived yet, so we ate our pack lunch at a beer garden along the Danube. Soon, our ship comrades began to appear. As soon as the MS Normandie arrived , we were lined up to board.

By 1:30pm we were boarding a tour bus, headed to Vienna city center. The bus was very modern, with every convenience including a built in coffee machine. The trip was too short to require refreshments. We left the bus for a guided walking tour. Vienna is a busy capital city and a Mecca for tourist. While looking at magnificent architecture, we had to watch out not to step out in front of traffic. It was a short tour, but did serve to point out what we should see tomorrow when we explore the city on our own.

Back to the boat for dinner and planning what to do on our non-bike day in the beautiful city of Vienna. Photos are up on Flickr https://flickr.com/photos/22583315@N08/sets/72157681858311143

Grein to Melk

We woke to bright sunny skies at Grein. After a hardy breakfast, we meet with Jan, our cruise director, to pick up our e-bikes for this leg of the ride. E-bikes are standard pedal bikes equipped with a motor and battery for added horsepower. As we were starting the longest leg of our trip, we opted for the added assist. The bikes were heavier but the power kicks in from the first pedal turn. We both liked the added power very much.

We took one of the small Danube ferries to the south bank and began our 50 km day. We started on the bike path along the river bank, but soon the path became a road along the river, with green hard woods and steep rock face on the other side. After about 20 km, we came to Ybbs, a small city with a historic St Lorenz parish church, built around 1500.

The path continued through an industrial area along the river before returning to the river bike path. With our new e-bikes, we were able to make great time to Pochlarn, about another 20 km. Here we detoured to the quiet cobblestone streets an paused at a cafe for a beer (Murauren) and shared a slice of sachertorte, a cake brought to fame in Vienna. The cake is chocolate with an apricote jam filling, covered in chocolate ganache. With our e-bikes, we were able to make more stops during our ride with confidence that we would still make the boat in time.

The last 14 km of the day was along a raised bike path right along the Danube. We powered through the kilometers and beat the boat to Melk, our destination for the afternoon. When the boat arrived, we changed our clothes and took a bus up the hill to the Abbey of Melk. The Abbey dominates the town from the hilltop. Built 1702-1738, the Benedictine Abbey was built on the site of previous abbeys. This Abbey was built to impress. There are over 1000 windows in the Abbey, but only 29 monks in residence today. I think they need help with the upkeep.

After returning to the ship, we had a fine supper with new friends. The ship departed Melk and pulled in to Tulln for the night. The photos from Grein to Melk are on Flickr https://flickr.com/photos/22583315@N08/sets/72157682493617411

Linz to Grein

First a little information on our boat and bikes. We are on a EuroBike bike and boat tour from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria. We are on the MS Normandie, built in 1989, it has 55 cabins and can hold 100 passengers. The boat is 91.2 meters in length and 10.5 meters wide, drawing 1.6 meters of water, with a top speed of 20 kph. The passengers on this trip are split 60/40, with 60% German speakers and 40% English speakers. It appears that Mari is the youngest on the ship for this cruise. This ship is one of the shorter river cruisers on the Danube. We see many other boats every day that dwarf our ship. The rooms are spacious for a cruise ship, with two single beds, a desk, a closet, and a private bathroom. We are on the top, or second floor. The ship has a bar, restaurant, and a sun deck.

The food onboard is very good. Breakfast is all you can eat buffet, while dinner is served at your assigned table. The 5 course dinner is fine dining with main dishes such as leg of duck, mushroom risotto, salmon in a mustard sauce, pork chops, etc... The portions are not huge, but are satisfying. The servers are practiced and professional.

The crew are mainly fron Czech Republic and Slovenia, while the sailing crew is from Africa. They all do double or triple duty to make the trip happen.

The bikes Mari an I are using are 7 speed cruisers that allow you to sit upright. They are well maintained and are perfect for the light riding done on the trip. Mari and I will try out e-bikes tomorrow on our longest leg yet.

This morning at 3am, our boat sailed from Linz to Mauthausen, arriving at 6am. After a good hearty breakfast, with started the third leg of our bike tour. We biked about 2km along the north bike path before crossing the bridge to the south. Once on the south bank, we headed east along the Danube bike path. After about 6 km of riding through new suburbs we turned south toward the village of St Pantaleons. We could see the Bavarian Alps in the distance. The bike path continues inland along a broad flat valley of farm land. We were in the direct sun, but a steady breeze kept us cool, while making us battle for each km. There were several small private churches and shrines along the way. We also saw many deer stands for hunters on the edge of the fields. The trees were more of the hard wood varieties than the day before.

After several km, the path returns to the south bank of the Danube. From here on, the bike path started to be more crowded than we had seen yesterday. We could see the tower of the Abbey church in Wallsee on the south side of the Danube right below the massive locks and hydroelectric station that crosses the river. After skirting Wallsee, we pedaled another 4km to the Parlament Cafe, sitting on a hilltop along our path. We stopped to sample the local pear cider. It was cold and sweet on a warm sunny day. After looking at the menu, we abandoned our packed lunch for chicken tenders and a mixed grill. The portions were huge. We could have both shared one meal.

Back on the road, we remained in flat river bottom farm land until reaching Ardagger Markt. There we returned to the river bank until crossing the Danube by bridge at Tiefenbach. Then we had a short 4 km to our port for the night, Grein.

After a 44 km ride battling the wind, we were glad to see our floating home. But we did leave after a shower and clean cloths to walk up the hill to tour the Greinburg Palace, still home to the princes of the Saxe Coburg Gotha.  Yes this the family of Prince Albert, prince consort to Queen Victoria of Great Britain. And yes, the current prince is 40 years old and single. The palace has been extensively refurbished, with modern heating and plumbing, while restoring rooms to their original purpose. The 500 year old palace dominates the valley from a high hilltop above town, with impressive views of the Danube.

After another great dinner, comparing notes with our boat mates, we retired to rest up for tomorrow's 50 km ride to Melk. We will try the e-bikes in hopes of easing our journey. All photos are up on Flickr, https://flickr.com/photos/22583315@N08/sets/72157681732751383

Passau to Linz

We departed Passau on Saturday night sailing down the Danube to Englehartszell. We went through a lock on the Danube just north of the abbey at Englehartszell, docking directly across from the abbey. This is the only Abbey in Germany were Trappist monks brew Belgian beers. They also offer their own cheeses and flavored liquors. We arrived too late to visit the Abbey.

We woke to overcast skies and a cooler day than than yesterday. We had a very good breakfast and packed our own lunchs from food provided by the ship. We packed our panniers, found our bikes, and headed north, back toward Passau, to the first ferry of the day. The ferrys of the Danube are small wooden boats that can carry 12 to 14 bikes and riders. They go from the south bank to the north banks, waiting only to pickup passengers. Once on the north side of the Danube, our ride began.

The bike path along the Danube is wide, paved, and well marked. There is very little elevation change, just a gradual loss of elevation matching the river. Forest of fir trees descend from steep hills on both shores. Houses and farm lands sit between the bike path and the woods. Aside from the occasional local car or truck, we rode with others enjoying a biking holiday. The bikes were spread out enough that at times it seemed we were alone on the path. We managed to miss the occasional showers that kept the day cool.

After about 16 km, we rounded the first of the major bends in the Danube at Schlogen. There are resorts on both sides of the river. We took the second ferry of the day to the south bank. At the dock was a holiday resort for campers with rooms and a cafe. We took a break to eat our bananas and headed out on the south side bike path. The Danube bends back on itself, between rock hills, to flow north for 2-3 km before turning to the east again. Here was the last ferry of the day, taking us back to the north bank at Inzell.

The next 10 km was through a canopy forest filled with birds singing. Were we could see the river, there were numerous swans, some with cygnets following behind. We rode through Obermuhl, were the river swings to the south, and on to Untermuhl. We arrived about 12:20, before our ship. We enjoyed our packed lunch on a bench and sat on the deck of the local restaurant enjoying a beer as the Normandie pulled into the dock.

We had time to rest and shower before the ship left Untermuhl headed to Linz. We went through two locks, each dropping the ship over 40 feet to the river below. Both have hydroelectric generators to provide power to the local communities. The ship arrived in Linz at 6:00pm, just as we were finishing a fantastic dinner. We had time for a tram tour of Linz before heading back to the ship for a well earned nights rest.

Photos of the day on Flickr, https://flickr.com/photos/22583315@N08/sets/72157684549979826