June 6, 2011

I am not sure why I looked forward to seeing this place, but I did and it didn’t disappoint.  Maybe it is because it embodies what we think of when we hear about the black forest and the Grimm Brother Fairy Tales. Walt Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty’s castle after it – it was the castle where Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flew into to rescue the children. There is no other castle like this.  Ironically, Ludwig II built a castle that inspired Disney who then built Disneyland and Disneyworld that helps drives the tourists to see the castle in Germany.

This is in fact not a real castle.  It was built to look like a medieval castle in a tribute to Wagner.  The name itself means new swan castle references the swan knight, one of Wagner’s characters. Each room depicts scenes in Wagner’s operas Although it looks medieval, It was built in the late 1800’s at a time when castles no longer provided a strategic advantage. Continue reading →

June 5, 2011

I guess you could call this Germany’s version of Route 66. Much smaller of course.  It runs north to south from the hilly vineyards to the foot of the Alps.  Medieval village after medieval village filled with castles, towers, courtyards, beer gardens, restaurants and shopping. The Romantic Road became popular in the 50’s and is a popular tourist destination.

I might have really enjoyed this if I hadn’t seen so many Medieval villages on my river cruise already. Things were beginning to look the same – another gothic church – another baroque church, another palace.  It was nice but not that exciting. Continue reading →

June 4, 2011

Although I enjoyed the river cruise, I wanted to experience what it was like to travel without someone picking you up and dropping you off.  I wanted to figure out public transporation and more importantly, not to be on a schedule.  I wanted to explore instead of having someone showing it to me.

I took the train from Nuremberg to Munich and checked into my hotel.   After arriving I decided to do a little exploring. A little exploring turning into hours of walking. Every time I turned a corner there was something fun tucked away. Munich rocks, I had no idea at what a great city this is.  I love Munich! Continue reading →

June 3rd, 2011

Last day on my cruise!

Nuremberg has been around for almost 1,000 years.  Unfortunately that isn’t what it is known for.  It is home to the Nuremberg trials, a series of trials post WWII conducted to bring justice to those who architected the Nazi Regime.  Unfortunately, there were only 10 of them captured and only 9 sentenced (1 committed suicide)

Nuremberg was heavily damaged during the war.  We were shown pictures and told that 80 percent had to be rebuilt.  We were shown pictures and I thought there was a lot more than 20 percent standing but what do I know?  It makes you wonder just how old the structures that you are looking at really are? Continue reading →

June 2nd, 2011

At lunch we were provided local entertainment.  This guy could do it all – he played the clarinet, saxophone, tube and a bunch of other instruments. He as a real character.  I passed on the CD’s he was selling.

In the afternoon, I took the optional tour of the Weltenburg Abbey, set on a river bend in a gorge.  It was founded in the 7th century and one of Germany’s oldest monasteries. Even better, the Monks started a famous brewery in 1050.  Monks making beer – finally a monastery where they got it right.

The monastery brewery produces ten different brews. I even got a Holy beer tasting.  As I mentioned, today is father’s day as well as Ascension day in Germany so the outside courtyard was filled with fathers being very religious, singing songs and drinking a lot of beers. It was fun to watch.

I would have liked to have seen more of the monastery and the brewery.  All we

Back on the ship, everyone was getting ready for the farewell dinner.  I am not sure why we were having the farewell dinner that night when we had another full day ahead of us along with dinner.  People still dress for these events and of course I didn’t.  I wasn’t going to bring a jacket to wear it once.

Continue reading →

June 2, 2011

Regensburg was awesome.  It is a well preserved medieval city. In addition to hosting a gothic church and scenic streets, it is also the birth place of Johnny Depp’s hat from the Alice in Wonderland movie.  That alone was worth the stop but even sansthe hat, it was definitely a cool place.

Unfortunately, I was ready to shop. The cruise director told us all the cool things we could by there – and as tempting as a yodeling bear was, I  no long have nieces and nephews young enough to carry out my revenge on my siblings and my great niece is too young to appreciate the yodeling.  After all, she is still getting used to the x-box.

Continue reading →

City of Three Rivers

June 1st, 2011

Arrived at Passau where we took a tour of the town called Dreiflüssestadt (City on Three Rivers), located where the Danube, Ilz and Inn Rivers converge.  There was a 17th-century Cathedral (St. Stephan’s Cathedral)l, where I attended an organ concert from the World’s largest cathedral organ.

The organ currently has 17,774 pipes and 233 registers and was really something to see not to mention hear.

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May 31st, 2011

We arrived in Melk just after lunch, home of a Benedictine monastery that was founded in 1089.  The monastery that exists today was built in the 18th century.  It is an active monastery and school and receives a lot of its funding through tourism.

Continue reading →

May 31, 2011

With the great weather, the ship planned our lunch on the upper deck – a taste of Austria. I am not sure what all of it was, but I pretty much tried everything sausage, cheeses, potato salad, schnitzel, pretzels and strudel. It was all good and went down well with the local beer.  Ironically, my favorite item was potato salad and I somehow managed not to get a picture of it. I guess I will have to go back and get it again someday!

May 31st, 2011

The boat sailed through the night.  I have been on river cruises before and remember having a hard time sleeping if the boat was sailing.  Especially through locks.  I haven’t had this issue on Viking.  We passed through a dozen locks the past couple of nights and I haven’t heard a thing.

It was nice to get up, have a leisurely breakfast without any morning tours. i spent the morning viewing life along the Danube.  There are plenty of small villages and in each village, there was a recently constructed maypole which continues to be a tradition in these parts. Occasionally, there was an abandoned castle.  What a great way to spend the morning.

Continue reading →