We awoke to find the ship in Melk Austria. This town features an impressive Abbey with Benedictine monastery on a hill overlooking the river. The plan for today is a tour of the Abbey and the town of Melk, a cruise down the Wachau Valley and some time in "The Pearl of the Danube", Durnstein.
We began our day visiting the Melk Abbey. Viking hired busses to drive us to the top of the hill. They really know their demographic by removing obstacles for the passengers who are elderly, or who have physical challenges. Our guide, Sabina, met us in the courtyard and explained how every Abbey in Austria has an Imperial wing to accommodate the Hapsburgs when they traveled. The royal entourage would be about 300 and each Abbey was expected to house and feed everyone! The Hapsburgs would not pay, but rather, would donate a gold religious artifact to the Abbey.
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| The gate into Melk Abbey |
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| The courtyard with Imperial wing on the left |
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| View of Melk from the Abbey |
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| The Melk Abbey's twin bell towers |
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| Marilyn outside the Abbey |
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| Exterior corridor |
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| Fisheye view of Melk Abbey library ceiling |
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| Fisheye view of Melk Abbey ceiling |
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| Dwight & Marilyn in the Abbey courtyard |
Sabina took us through a series of rooms explaining the history of the Abbey and the Benedictine order. The order's motto is "listen, pray & read". The Abbey is 900 years old and was originally a fortress for the Babenberg family. They donated it to the order in the 13th century. The Austrians call it the Stift Melk since the German word for donate is stift. In the 1600's the Abbey was renovated to include a dome (cupola) and Baroque styling. The interior is breathtakingly beautiful. Their most prized possession is the 1000 year old Melk cross that is studded with jewels and has a splinter from the cross of Christ. No photos were allowed but I have some pictures of pictures that I will post when I get some good WiFi.
We walked down the hill and though the town of Melk. There was a small farmer's market and shops selling products made from Apricots which grow in the area. We sampled Apricot beverages, jams and Apricot Brandy. We stopped for a local beer and coffee in the main town square just so we could see the action. Many people cycle along the Danube so the square was a mixture of cyclists, tourists and townspeople. (Didnt get to see my friends Rod and Anne from Orangeville)
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| The path down from the Abbey |
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| I had hoped to meet my friends Rod and Anne here for a coffee but our itineraries didn't mesh. |
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| Melk Abbey peeks out above the town |
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| Melk's main square |
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| Marilyn enjoys a break with a cappucino |
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| The Melk Abbey viewed from the river |
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| Are they sunglasses or a park bench? |
Back on the ship for lunch we cast off to cruise downstream to Durnstein through the Wachau (pronounced Vaca) Valley. The valley is another UNESCO site that features castles, small villages and lots of vineyards on the steep hillsides. David, the program director, provided commentary. We sat on the sun deck, took pictures and sipped Kaiser spritzers which are made from a local white wine, sparking wine, elderberry syrup and mint leaves. Very refreshing!
The castles along the route have an interesting history. One castle housed a robber baron who placed a chain across the river and demanded ransom from every passing ship. If you didn't pay you were chained outside his castle to starve. At the castle in Durnstein, Richard the Lionheart, king of England, was held captive for insulting King Leopold. Richard was returning from a Crusade to the Holy Land. He was released after a ransom was paid.
In late afternoon we docked at Durnstein, a small town with a beautiful blue church overloooking the river. Another stroll through a quaint town ended with a walk past the vineyards that are ready to be harvested.
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| Durnstein from the river |
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| Marilyn professes her feelings for the Danube |
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| Marilyn photobombs Richard and Cheryl |
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| Durnstein street views |
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| Lovely garden in hotel |
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| Church viewed from path along the river |
Dinner was a taste of Austria with two local musicians playing an accordion and guitar. The menu featured pretzels, local cheeses & meats and a beer made in a local monastery to start. The main course featured pork knuckles, two types of dumplings, saurkraut and, of course, schnitzel. We even got to sing Ein Prosit to some Apricot Brandy. Scrumptuous!
The evening ended with David and Peter, the lounge pianist, providing a concert in the lounge. What a great day! Tomorrow we visit Vienna. I hope to find an Viennese coffee house to upload some pictures so you too can see the beauty of Austria.
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