Prague or Bust

This journey has been a struggle from the outset to say the least. Parts of Europe have been shutting down all around us and unfortunately, we seem to have been caught in the eye of the storm. Water levels have been low on the Danube which has prevented us from disembarking at several key stops. Austria has been shut down which prevented us from visiting Vienna, which was to be a highlight, so naturally our tickets to the world-famous Lipizzaner horse show were cancelled as well. An alternative docking destination was supposed to be Bratslavia, the capital of Slovakia, but you guessed it. Christmas markets have been shutting down faster than one can keep track of, and we just learned that Prague too has decided to pull the plug on their markets. All the extra excursions we booked in advance have been cancelled and the weather has been anything but perfect with lots of rain, cool weather and the sun has been MIA with the one exception of Passau and our cruising of the Wachau Valley. Nevertheless, our tour organizers have bent over backwards to do their utmost to make the experience as positive as possible. There have been many lengthy coach trips which have enabled us to still experience some iconic churches and points of interest. One of the more interesting side trips was a visit to watch a performance of world-famous Hungarian Horsemen at a stud farm near Lajosmizse, south of Budapest. Budapest itself is truly a remarkable city. So many iconic buildings and sights including the spectacular Parliament buildings. We were treated to a river cruise of the waterfront and a return visit is certainly warranted when the weather would be more hospitable. As I write this, we are on a 7 ½ hour train journey to Prague from Budapest. Who knows what that will have in store for us as we already know the Christmas markets will be closed but we are still looking forward to it, as the weather is supposed to improve and by all accounts Prague is truly a beautiful place to visit. This is not our first rodeo and I know we already have some other trips in the pipeline, but I do feel badly for those experiencing the "once in a lifetime" trip to Europe. Frohe Weihnachten!!

Peaceful Passau

The fog had settled in and the overnight dew had solidified to ice but fortunately by the time 10:00 rolled around and the clouds had lifted, the picturesque town of Passau revealed itself with all the attributes one would expect from a typical German town on the shores of the Danube. Situated on a peninsula with three rivers converging (Danube, Inn and Liz) this town is home to St Stephen’s Cathedral and the world’s largest pipe organ outside of North America. Our morning walkabout ended in a café with hot chocolate, cappuccino, croissants and carrot cake. Shirley managed to convince the owner of the dachshund museum across the street to open for her exclusively as they were closed due to COVID. She rewarded his efforts with purchases of more articles of sausage dog paraphernalia. It was a beautiful day and the suggestion by our guide that a hike up the opposite hillside of the river might be in order to get a panoramic view of Passau. That was all the encouragement I needed to get in some exercise along with the enticement of lunch on a terrace overlooking the river. The Bierhaus was sponsored by a local brewery and the staff were genuinely happy to see us after we managed to complete the 30 minute hike. Stunning views with the church bells ringing out on the hour and the carillon playing made for a perfect backdrop to our delicious Bavarian lunch of Bratwurst, Currywurst and sauerkraut. We will fondly reflect on this outing as one of those occasions we will remember for a lifetime. Back down the hill and a leisurely stroll accompanied by ducks and swans around the peninsula concludes one of the most memorable of days to date.Frohe Weihnachten!!