Blogs from Passau, Bavaria, Germany, Europe - page 2

Our last day in Prague came so quickly but we were ready to pack up and go to Prague via motor coach which is really just a bus. Tom and I felt it only appropriate that this bus was built by Mercedes. The comfortable padded seats were already in the laid back position and each had a seat belt. We were told the trip would be approximately 3 1/2 hours from Prague to Passau so we settled in for the ride. Our host was Guillome who sat in the front of the bus and spoke softly into the microphone describing the scenery as the bus sped from the Czech Republic towards Germany. I closed my eyes to rest but instead was riveted by his telling of the history and culture of this area. He told us ... read more

Yesterday we spent most of the day touring Vienna. Because we had all been there in 1992 and seen A LOT of the city, we only took the included day tour then peeled off and spent the rest of our time wandering around looking at the sites. It has not changed much in the last 20+ years. Yes, it was still beautiful, but it was nothing new.. there was a lot of traffic in the city and we enjoyed a lot more learning about Sisi but that was the only new thing we learned. Then we took the subway back to the river and joined our boat. Nancy and John had a night excursion. Susan and I stayed on the ship. Few people were at dinner, most went into the dinner that Nancy and John were ... read more

I'm so behind on my blogs. Going somewhere new every day is exhausting, and it's all we can do to get all the pictures into the computer before falling into bed. Today is our final day in Europe; going home tomorrow, but I am only posting pics from our third cruising day. Plus, if you have ever been on a cruise before, you know that the meals are elaborate affairs, with multiple courses, and so take up a lot of time too. I think we have both gained at least 10 pounds. Sheesh! Passau is situated at the meeting of three rivers: the Inn, the Danube, and the Ilz, and is at the very edge of Germany where it borders Austria. The history here is mind boggling. They know that in the year 739 an English ... read more

Donderdag 25/5/16 – Passau – 830km Staan op Mh plaats aan de Donau. Vakbij de Donauradweg waar we heel wat bepakte fietsers bezig zagen. Deed ons terugdenken aan nooit gerealizeerde plannen. Onderweg vooral geprofiteerd van de gratis Duitse autobahnen. Wel nogal wat trajecten met Stau, wegens renovatie- of verbredings werken. Nochtans lege werven vandaag want Feiertag in Z-Duitsland. Voordeel geen trucks op de baan. Wel overvolle parkings. Wat ons wel opviel waren de opeenvolgende mega zonnepaneelvelden langs de Autobahn. Een eenzame windturbine stond er maar werkloos bij. Nogal wat beter dan onze ecologisch verloederde bermen en onze lelijke gesubsdieerde zonnepaneeldaken nu door een nieuwe minister gepromoot als de beste investering voor de sparende Vlaming. Hopelijk kennen ze hier geen Turteltaks om dit allemaal te bekostigen. Bij ons zou zoiets toch niet gerealiseerd ge... read more

While NZ has been freezing, Germany has been roasting. It is extremely hot again at 38 degrees and the taxi driver told us it had been the hottest July in 200 years. We have spent the day totally sweaty and uncomfortable and anything I’ve experienced with Asian heat, this would equal it. We decided that our day would be to visit the market, go for a river boat trip, listen to an organ recital at the Dom and visit Scharding. The taxi to the market was a great idea as we didn’t have any walking to do in the heat. It is also cheap shared with 4 people and sure beats waiting for a bus. The market was not as big as we expected and was mostly produce of breads, meats, cheeses and fruit and vege. ... read more