Blogs from Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

The Gasthof Zum Hirschen was a wonderful hotel, we wished we could have stayed longer. Dinner last night and breakfast this morning were sensational. We also found a much longer road down to the canal which would have made the climb up yesterday bareable. Back on the canal for the morning stint and it's very quite, eerily so. No wind, hardly a ripple on the water and no barges, in fact no barges since Bamberg. We spoke to one person who said the water level is too low for the big barges. The big locks are not manned. You have to book ahead for locks to be operated for you. It really was like a ghost canal, but still very scenic. We had our morning break at a sleepy little town where we found a shop ... read more

Am letzten Samstag fuhren meine Mutter und ich zu einem Ausflug nach Regensburg. Dort spazierten wir durch die Stadt mit den Highlights Altes Rathaus, Steinerne Brücke, Porta Praetoria, Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, Dom und Schloss St. Emmeram. Dort nahmen wir an einer 90-minütigen Führung durch den Gebäudekomplex teil. Außerdem aßen wir im Weltenburger am Dom zu Mittag. Anschließend setzten wir die Fahrt bis zur Walhalla fort, die aber im März schon um 16:00 schließt. Es waren trotzdem sehr viele Leute auf der Treppe davor, die sich den Sonnenuntergang ansahen. Am Ende kehrten wir wieder in den Raum Nürnberg zurück.... read more

Today was migratory day on the Viking Vidal. Last night we met the ship in Passau, Germany but we weren’t supposed to be there until tomorrow because of the swap. For that reason, they moved the ship from Passau to Engelhartszell, Austria for the night. So, this morning we boarded the coach for the 2-hour bus ride back to Germany to visit the medieval town of Regensburg. Of course, after the tour it was a 2-hour ride back to Engelhartszell, Austria for the night. Tomorrow we will sail the ship back up the Danube to Passau, Germany where we will have a parking space available for the day and finish up our visit to Germany before continuing back down the Danube into Austria the next day. Very confusing, but we just go wherever they tell us, ... read more

Our morning is spent cruising up the Danube, watching the little towns go by. The scenery here is less spectacular than in Wachau Valley but still very attractive. There's an apparently infinite parade of small towns with white and yellow buildings, ochre roofs, at least one church with twin spires, and a ruined castle at the highest point above the town. We have met many couples so far on board, all terrific people. Besides ourselves and our friends, there are at least three other couples from greater Ottawa and several more from the GTO. Two couples from BC. US couples hail from Florida, Colorado, Arizona and Wisconsin. And then, of course, there are the Aussies. You can't swing a kangaroo without hitting an Aussie. They range from quiet demeanour to larger-than-life, but they are so much ... read more

Regensburg is located at a bend of the Danube River in Bavaria. Because of its Roman heritage their is a distinct Italian influence on the architecture. We were given a walking tour of the old city by a native of Regensburg and former college of Jack, Peter Emmert. Jack and Peter were colleagues at Siemens, so our tour was also their reunion after 17 years. Peter and Jack marched ahead of me, while I stayed out of the "shop talk" to take some photos. The cobbled streets and colorful buildings are reminiscent of an most old European cities. In the old city, modernization of structures has not interfered with their exterior charm. Regensburg has many ancient towers that served at one time as homes for the most wealthy residents, one dating back to 179 AD. The ... read more