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!!