Day 10 - Passau (September 8)
I got up early and showered so I could get our blog and photos uploaded to the web while Tina and the girls went to breakfast. Since I had good connections to the web I also managed to get two more days of photos up to Picassa.
With the sun out and a promise of a warm day, the ship docked at the town of Passau which is located at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz. This is where Frederick Barbarossa, in 1189, gathered his legendary Crusaders and where sometime in the 1200’s legend has it that the great Bavarian Nibelungen poetry cycle was forged. The city thrived for the next four hundred years until in 1662 it all but burned to it’s foundations. Due to its location and having built its riches on the salt trade, Passau was quickly rebuilt to its former glorious splendor.
Since it was early, we decided to forego the walking tour and head off to explore on our own. We stepped off the ship around 9:30 AM and walked along the quay until we found a side street running up the hill into town. We emerged into a pedestrian only shopping area which serviced locals and tourists alike with department stores, hardware, fruit and bakery shops, butcher shops and other specialty stores for shoes, and other everyday items. Since it was early, delivery trucks jockeyed for positions to unload their gods without running over the people. Many of the restaurants were setting up their outdoor tables as the sun continued to warm the platz.
After several hours of shopping we headed for St Stephens Cathedral, the largest Baroque Cathedral north of the Alps. Construction of the cathedral started in 1221 and continued over a period of thirty or so years. It is built on the site of the original church dedicated to St Stephan in 720 AD. Partially destroyed in the fire of 1662, the Italian architect Carlo Lurago integrated the remains into a coherent masterpiece. We were unable to enter the cathedral since it was under renovation for restoration (and we didn’t have a ticket - heh, heh - who knew?) so wandered around the outside before heading back down to a different part of town on the way back to the ship.
By now it is lunch time and everyone was returning for our 1:00 PM departure. We spent the rest of the day relaxing as we continued down river to the town of Lenz where we will tie up for the night.
About Us
- Mike and Tina
- Freeland, Washington, United States
- Mike has been retired from Boeing since 2002. He enjoys pool, bicycling, travel and spending time with Tina. Over the years, Mike has been active with the Friends of Freeland, the M-Bar-C Ranch (owned by the Forgotten Childrens Fund), Freeland Vision 2025 (planning for local Community and Economic Development) and Bicycle Advocacy in Washington. Now living in Naples Florida, Mike and Tina volunteer at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and with multiple community committees in Marbella Lakes where they have a condo and are full time residents. Currently Mike is a director on the Marbella Lakes Condominium Association. Tina retired from corporate life and focused on community volunteerism. For the past five years, Tina was the administrative director for the M-Bar-C Ranch and bookkeeper for the Forgotten Childrens Fund. She has served as Secretary on the board of the South Whidbey Island Soroptimists and been active with the Friends of Freeland. Today, now living in Naples Florida, Tina volunteers at the Conservancy of SW Florida and the Naples Zoo. Tina enjoys travel, arts and crafts, hiking, bicycling and spending time with Mike, family and friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment