Passau - A City of Three Rivers

Passau was to be our last German city before crossing into Austria.  It was also the first we were able to explore by walking from our docked ship, giving us a little more time for poking around instead of riding buses.

Passau is known as the City of Three Rivers, where the Danube is joined by the Inn river from the south and the Ilz from the north.  Our mooring site there was on the tip of the peninsula between the Danube and the Inn, with the mouth of the Ilz just across the river.  It is said this is where the Danube became known as the "Blue" Danube, because of the color of its water where it joins the "green" Inn and the "black" Ilz.  Riding along at water level, none of it looked particularly colorful - just varying shades of brown.

As we explored the Old Town, or Altstadt, the importance of the rivers became clear.  Just walking across the gangway to dry land gave us a glimpse of some of the local fishermen, including this one placing his catch into a fish trap. 

Continuing into town, my eye was caught by a street sign affixed above head height to a building announcing we were in Brewery Alley.  I then noticed above it a white stone marker which my wife translated to me as being a high water marker.  Living at the confluence of three rivers means having to head for higher ground occasionally!

Of course, our stated purpose in visiting Germany & Austria was to see Christmas Markets.  In Passau, the markets tended to be smaller and scattered throughout the old downtown area. 

Very low key compared to the more metropolitan venues found in Munich and Nurnberg. 






Nice place to slowly wander about while enjoying another warming beverage.





Having a little more free time meant we were also able to seek out an actual restaurant, rather than enjoying more market food.  In Passau, our choice was a well-recommended place named the Bayerischer Lowe.  Some delicious, upscale Bavarian cuisine gave us a welcome break from our regular diet of wurst and sweets.



 An advantage of meandering without a guide, is you get lost and find things you weren't looking for.  This was just the case when we stumbled upon a small shop on an extremely steep and icy street as we were headed back to the ship.  The shop was named "Dies und Das" or "This and That", and it lived up to its name by having an eclectic collection of wares which defied easy categorization.  The proprietor was glad to have someone make the effort to come into his out of the way place, and my Lovely Bride obligingly made more purchases there than anywhere else on the trip.

Next, back to the ship to prepare for our first daylight cruising on the Danube.

My Review of Teva Riva eVent Shoes - Men's

Originally submitted at REI

Featuring awesome eVent® waterproof protection, excellent support and fit, Teva Riva shoes take you from town to trailhead and beyond without missing a step.

Teva Riva eVent Shoes - Men's

Great Winter Shoes

By Dave from Naruna from Texas Hill Country on 2/4/2011

 

5out of 5

Sizing: Feels full size too small

Pros: Comfortable, Breathes Well, Waterproof, Lightweight

Best Uses: Cold Weather, Casual Wear, Travel

Describe Yourself: Comfort Driven

I bought these shoes for a trip to Germany just before Christmas. I didn't want a full on boot, but needed something lightweight, waterproof and with good traction. Record snowfalls and many forced changes in plans had us doing much more walking than expected, but these shoes were superb. Never any trouble with traction in snow and ice, and always dry. Be sure to try these on before buying, as I had to move up from my usual size 12 to a 13, but they were super comfortable.

(legalese)

Regensberg

When we first discussed the idea of taking a trip through Germany and Austria for the purpose of visiting as many Christmas markets as possible, I couldn't help but wonder if I might not become tired of non-stop shopping opportunities. As we meandered from town to town, even though the markets displayed many similarities, we came to understand each had its own personality and "feel".  Regensberg presented us with a quiet and laid back market scene.  Like many of the towns we visited, there were actually several markets scattered in a variety of platz or squares, so we never knew what we would find just down the street or around the corner.

Temperatures remained in the -6C to -2C range for the entire time we were on our cruise, and we spent the trip layered and bundled in our efforts to stay warm.  That time we spent at home looking for the right combination of base layers, sweaters, vests, and jackets paid off when the snow and sleet followed us through every town and marketplace.  At first we worried we might appear strange in our bulky, insulated attire.  As we learned how to put ourselves together in the most effective way, we decided it was more important to be comfortable than fashionable.

As dusk arrived and we started back across the bridge which had taken us into old town Regensberg, we discovered yet another market nestled against the river.  Sadly, we didn't have time to explore, an experience we had time and again during our trip.  An in-depth exploration would have to wait for our next visit to Germany, an event Mike and I were already starting to discuss. 








Nurnberg

One of the buildings where post-war trials of Nazis were held.

One of the places we had looked forward to visiting while on our trip was the city of Nurnberg.  Having one of the oldest and largest Christmas markets in Germany, and being awash in historical tidbits, this city was capable of keeping both my Lovely Bride and I entertained. Our travel plans continued to change unpredictably, so our time there was less than we wanted.  Riding buses from our remote moorings allowed us to see much more of the snow-covered countryside while minimizing shopping and touring time in the cities.  

Nazi Documentation Center. 
Patterned after Roman Coliseum.

Arriving in Nurnberg, we were given a tour of some of the historic areas.  The Zeppelinfeld - where the massive annual Nazi rallies were held as Hitler rose to power in post-Great War Germany and now a venue for concerts and races.  The Nazi Documentation Center was begun to serve as a great indoor hall designed to look like the coliseum in Rome, but trebled in size.  It was never finished, and is now a museum documenting all the Nazis did before and during the war, in addition to housing the Nurnberger Symphony.  As we drew closer to the historic center of the original walled city, we passed by the large complex of courthouses and prisons where judgment was passed on many of those on the losing side.

Nurnberg Christkindl Markt

Die Frauenkirche und ChristKindl Markt

After these sobering reminders of the not too distant past, we fortunately found ourselves in a much more festive setting.  We were dropped off near the Nurnberg Christkindlmarkt, and quickly set to exploring the large downtown square.  The long rows of stalls were covered with snow, with more coming down in occasional flurries, so staying warm was a priority.  The combination of local Nurnberger bratwursts and hot gluhwein did a great job of warming chilly tourists inside and out.  I kept wondering what all this hearty fare was doing to my waistline, but wasn't concerned enough to consider abstaining.

Die Nurnberg Christkindl

One thing the Nurnberg Christkindlmarkt is known for is the selection every two years of a new Christkindl, or Christ Child.  This young lady opens the market each year and spends most of her time visiting market stalls and spreading good cheer to all.  She goes throughout the market, offering blessings, as well as photo ops.  She is a goodwill ambassador, even after her tenure is completed.

The Gluhwein Glow!!

Too soon, it was time to rendezvous with our guide for the return to the MS River Concerto.  After settling into our seats on the bus, we were told of the next change in our plans...because the snow was continuing to fall and the river level was still rising, we were going to move downriver to the city of Passau.  A rather tense two hour ride back to the ship through even heavier snow, followed by another walk along the snow and ice covered path, made us all glad we would be moving early the next morning. 



Christmas Marketing

Up early (becoming a common event), we checked out of the hotel, and were soon on the road to Rothenberg an der Tauber. Rothenberg is a extremely well preserved medieval walled city, and the weather cooperated for once with a beautiful sunny day and temperatures not too far below freezing. The Christmas market was quaint and low-key with many wonderful stands with wurst & gluhwein, but the focus for many of our group was a maze-like shop which was the headquarters of Kathe Wolfahrt. This crafty venue offered all manner of Christmas paraphernalia, as well as cuckoo clocks and other Bavarian souvenirs. Those of us who become claustrophobic in small, craft-filled spaces quickly left this shop for the open air market and the promise of more gluhwein to settle our nerves!
As with so many of the markets, eating was a simple matter of pointing at what you wanted and the vendors were only too happy to provide. An unending supply of wurst with crusty rolls and the local mustard, either spicy or sweet, made for a quick and easy meal. Local biers served to wash down these tasty treats, and warm gluhwein - red or white - allowed shoppers to warm up inside and out. Sweets were available at many of the stands, and in Rothenberg we found some crunchy waffles with cinnamon and powdered sugar.


 Like many medieval villages, Rothenberg has a number of towers, and a few members of our group decided to climb one located in the downtown area. Over 230 steps took them to the top of the tower, with the last 10 being up a very narrow ladder. After catching their breath, the process was repeated on the way down. By the time Jose & Bill got back on terra firma, their enthusiasm had definitely waned and they were glad to enjoy the offerings of the market.

Back on the bus, we found we had progressed to Alternate Plan “C”. Instead of moving to Nurnberg and spending the night there, the boat had moved to the town of Deggendorf, and we were to meet it there. If the water level dropped enough, the ship would move on up the river to Nurnberg and we could start our official cruise from there. Traveling down the autobahn towards Deggendorf, the snow continued and driving conditions worsened. Arriving, we realized that we were not at the end of our journey. With so many ships stopped on the Danube because of the high water, dockage was scarce, and our ship was tied up at a landing with no dock which was 500 meters across an icy field from where the buses stopped. A few had the foresight to put a flashlight where it could be reached and we started off, slipping and sliding across the field to our boat. When we drew closer, we found the reason we were asked to walk to the ship…the first bus arriving with passengers from the Nurnberg airport had tried to drive to the ship and had sunk to the axles after breaking through the icy crust covering the muddy field. Noses were numb by the time we arrived and, thankfully, we were greeted by the staff with hot towels and hot cider.

Fairy Tale Bavaria

Enjoying the Winter Wonderland

Today was time for one of our excursions outside of Munich. We boarded a small Mercedes bus and headed further south into the Alps through the continuing snowfall.


When we came close to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the bus turned off the main road and headed down winding, two lane roads to the town of Fussen, and on to the fairytale castle built by King Ludwig II known as Neuschwanstein. This was the pattern from which the Disney castles were taken, and the parts of it which were finished, look every bit as dream-like as the modern day copies.

View from Neuschwanstein

Schloss Neuschwanstein is built atop a mountain, nestled amongst still higher peaks, and the first quandary is how to reach the top. Fortunately, there are horse drawn carriages whose drivers are happy to cart visitors to the top for a fee. Even at the end of the carriage ride, there is more climbing to be done before the schloss is reached. Inside, there are hundreds of steps to be clambered up to visit the few finished rooms before then walking down all those steps to exit on the ground floor. A great experience, but one which wore us out completely. We even got the carriage to take us back down to the bus so we could catch our breath.

Passion Play Theater

Our next stop was the small village of Oberammergau, where the world’s premier Passion Play is presented every 10 years in thanks for being saved from the Black Plague. This was the year the play was given, and the inhabitants were obviously relaxing in the knowledge they didn’t have another performance until 2020.

St Nicholas, KristKindl & Christmas Angel

Snow kept coming down more heavily, and we had a couple hours to visit the local Christkindl Markt. After the hectic market scene in Munich, this small town atmosphere was a greatly appreciated change. Wood burning in fire-kettles, gluhwein, schokolade and lots of locals warmly greeting their neighbors made us feel a part of the celebration. St Nicholas wandered the alleys of the market in company with the Christmas Angel and ChristKindl, stopping to talk with all die kinder who were in never-ending motion. Local dogs were underfoot constantly as they chased their masters and each other through the crowd. These earthy touches made this country boy feel very much at home.

Too soon, it was back on the bus and on the road to Munich. Snow plows were working to keep the roads clear, but it was a much slower trip in the early darkness.

Underway

Thursday and Friday passed in a weary blur, finding us ultimately in the southern Bavarian city of Munich. Delays began in Houston before we boarded our first plane, and carried over and extended with our second flight out of Amsterdam.  Many hours later than planned, we arrived, grabbed some dinner and fell into bed.

Saturday morning awakened in a grey blanket of snow mixed with occasional rain. We took a bus tour of Munich, gaining a general feel for the city, and began to make our individual plans for how we would spend our time there. A walking tour of the old town led us to our first Christmas Market, and then we were on our own. 

My first purchase was a hat to keep the freezing rain and snow off my head. A jaunty pin with feathers was added so I would blend in with the natives and nobody would ever suspect I was an American tourist. Yeah, right! A brief attempt was made to enter the infamous Hofbrauhaus restaurant and bier garten, but it was already packed at lunchtime due to a televised game by the local soccer club, FC Bayern. Apparently, the local fans overwhelm the hall whenever their team is playing and others are relegated to whatever space might be left over.

Just around the corner was a much quieter place I had seen on the internet and had heard many good things about, the Haxnbauer. This restaurant specializes in Bavarian foods, especially roasted meats. The premiere selection is schweinhaxen, or pork knuckles, slow roasted on a rotisserie until the outside is crispy and the meat inside is tender and succulent. Large mugs of beer were perfect for washing down the roast pig and its sauerkraut and potato accompaniments. Shopping in the Marienplatz Christmas Market helped to work off some of the damage done by the wonderful lunch. I’m not sure what was purchased at this market, aside from Gluhwein to help keep us warm, inside and out.

As night approached, we boarded the Munich U-bahn, or subway, to head back to our hotel. As we waited on the platform, a number of youths dressed in the colors of FC Bayern appeared on the platform and began having a very loud and enthusiastic pep rally for the home team, which had apparently won the days encounter. When we boarded our train, the soccer rowdies and noise followed. The car was rocking from their wild celebrations and most of the other riders silently glared their disapproval at the young men. Susan had eine kleine Oma sit across from her, and Oma carried on a mostly one-sided conversation where the main themes were “fussbol” und “cuckoos”! As usual, Susan nodded her head and muttered an occasional “Ja,” and Oma never seemed to suspect she wasn’t totally fluent in the deutsche. Six stops later, we were grateful to be able to exit into the quiet of the snow filled evening, and then make our way back to our hotel.

We realized that all plans were tentative when our fearless leader and guide, Jutta, informed us that our ship was not in Nurnberg where it should have been. Because of three weeks of heavy early snows, the river level had risen enough to make several bridges on the upper reaches of the Danube impassable by the River Concerto. Plan “B” was to take a bus to Nurnberg, settle into a hotel and await the arrival of the ship, if the water levels dropped enough. Only time will tell.