The boat is lovely and the food is spectacular. Everything is very opulent and every time we turn around someone is trying to feed us again or give us a glass of wine. I feel like a turkey being fed and marinated before Christmas.
We did a driving and walking tour around Budapest in Hungary and for those in my family, that is where Frank Szabo (Pop's friend) came from after the second war. Hungary was controlled by the Communists for a long time after the war and now enjoy the freedom of the west but not so much the affluence.
The next day we continued west toward Vienna and we saw some lovely scenery. At about 6.00 pm, we passed through a lock. It was very long and narrow but was wide enough for 2 of the river cruise boats to pull up side by side. You really didn't feel the ship rise just saw the walls disappear below you as we went up.
The other boat just coming in
The gates behind us swinging closed
The water almost up to the level and then the gate dropped down to let us pass
We must have gone through about 10 or more locks between Budapest and Pasau in Germany.On Wednesday we went into Vienna on a tour and visited the Baroque State Hall of the Austrian National Library. It was built between 1723 and 1726 and houses 200,000 books printed between 1501 and 1850.
We also saw some of the books printed on Papyrus as early as the 12th century.
After leaving Vienna minus my glasses as they fell out of my stuff while walking through the ancient city wearing my sunglasses, we travelled slowly down the Danube toward Germany in the distance in 3 days time. We didnt spend enough time in Vienna so that will have to be a next time also.
After many phone calls I have found that I cannot get another pair of glasses until we get home to Australia. Thank God I had had the left eye done or I would have been in trouble.
The owners son with a cask with his family crest and his name carved into it
Wednesday morning we went to a small boutique winery which is environmentally sound. The huge oak casks that house the ageing wine are in a cellar that was used as early as 1200 years ago.
The 1200 year old stone stairway leading up out of the wine cellar
It wasn't long before we were back on board and heading past the castle Dûrnstein where the king of Austria fought with King Richard (Richard the Lionheart) in the middle of the 1100's?
Robin Hood fans will remember the story about how the king of the day (Richard 1 ) was on crusades and put in prison for a couple of years. His brother who took his place put such high taxes on the country Robin Hood robbed from the rich and gave the money to the poor. In order to be released his ally's paid a ransom to Austria which built an entire city in Austria and set it up even until today.
We came through a few more locks and then came to the port of Linz where we boarded a bus for a 2 hour trip to Salzburg.
Salzburg is where the Von Trapp family came from and of course where the movie Sound of music was filmed.
The real Von Trapp Family
Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer from the movie
The magnificent chapel of Mirabell Palace
Singing in the magnificent Chapel of the Mirabell Palace
We went to a small chapel at the Palace and then were entertained by the granddaughter of the original Von Trapps, Baron George and Baroness Maria Von Trapp, Elizabeth Von Trapp.
Elizabeth is the daughter of the Werner Von Trapp
She sang a couple of the songs from the movie and some of her own and in the magnificent chapel it sounded wonderful.
We saw the steps where the children sang the Do Re Me song in the movie
The fountain which featured in the movie
As we left the large church of the Mirabell Palace there was a wedding just finishing up and the guide said that as the couple walked down this staircase the groom rubbed the head of the angel for luck as the angel appears to be tapping his head and saying what have you done....
Stuart is wondering the same thing but I told him its too late.
That evening we had a visit from the reigning King of the area King Franz Joseph and his wife Queen Sissy. (Dressed in Period costume) who gave us a running commentary on the way things were in the day and how they met and ran their country. A small sketchy but interestingly funny skit.
On Saturday, we arrived in Passau and after a walk round the ancient city where we saw the height of the Danube river when it flooded in June (up to 3 stories high) we were entertained by a performance in the local cathedral of the Pipe Organ with over 12,000 pipes.
And as we left Stuart wanted to go in this building but didnt think he qualified.
Mozart lived on the 3rd floor
The bell tower which also featured in the movie
Sorry Zac, I did try to get you a pair of lederhosen but 199 euros amount to about A$360 and really I thought you would have a problem with where the coat hanger had to hang.....
We visited the home that Mozart lived in in his composing days and saw a very dodgy Mozart beneath it...
This street entertainer appeared to be standing on nothing and we couldn't work out just what held him up off the ground - his left hand never left the keyboard so we suspect a steel bar curved for him to sit on a seat?????
The front door of a privately owned Palace
On of the many side streets in Passau
We had to be on a bus at 4.30am to get to our flight to Munich to fly to Copenhagen. Will be happy when the early mornings finish....
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