We docked this morning under the gaze of the magnificent Melk Abbey. As well as being a UNESCO World Heritage site it houses a community of Benedictine monks who have been living there for over 900 years.

Walking down stairs to the Abbey were some poppies in flower, a lovely colour contrast to the stone.

The stunning facade embraced a courtyard, where we entered via the imperial chambers.

No interior photography was allowed, so I’ve included some post card shots. The library was most impressive, especially the fresco.Whilst the dining room was bit extravagant it was nothing compared to the church, especially the cupola. With everything being guilded and ornate it wasn’t my idea of a church, rather a representation of what they thought paradise to be in their time.

The views out over the river and town were spectacular, everything being on such a big scale.

The garden was a bit more intimate, more like a park rather than a lot of flower beds. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to explore it, being scheduled for a scenic afternoon cruise through the Wachau Valley.

Although not as stunning as the Rhine Valley Castle cruise the Wachau Valley provided plenty of castles, churches and little towns scattered along its course. Being protected there no modern buildings to detract from then.

Durnstein next to the Danube, with its overlooking castle that imprisoned King Richard the Lionheart in 1192.

We are currently moored up against Krems City mooring. The church opposite provides a most scenic outlook from our balcony. Tomorrow…..VIENNA 🎼🎻🎹

Yes it was that time finally, a tour to Salzburg, where 2 global music stars go head to head…..The von Trapp family vs Mozart !

Passing through another lock, we are descending the Danube now, saw us entering Passau for an early morning docking. It’s a most attractive University City with brightly coloured buildings along the wharf, all overlooked by the fortress on the hill.

Our group of 19 were first off, meeeting Pascal our local guide and Stefan our driver. The 2 hour coach ride went through some of the most picturesque farm land I’ve ever seen, and the KTM museum…..a famous Austrian bike manufacturer.

In the distance were mountains, still with snow, but it didn’t take long to get to Salzburg, nestled in their foothills, once we had crossed the border from Germany to Austria.

Walking through Government buildings, including a popular registry office, we got to the Mirabell Gardens. These were used in a number of locations for the movie “The Sound of Music”, produced 61 years ago. First up was the Pegasus Statue…..

Then onto an arbour, and finally the Gardens main entrance

A great start to the tour, the Von Trapps had come out of the starting blocks fast ! Time to walk into the town and see how Mozart fares….

Mozarts residence was just across the street, with a long queue of teenagers waiting to visit. So he’s still popular..It’s another beautiful city, with plenty of churches, squares and of course the fortress overlooking it all.

Mozart birthplace was as popular as his residence. At the moment our two musical contestants are level pegging, until Mozart unleashes his secret weapon…….chocolate !

As there are no direct descendents the Mozart name is not copyrighted……hence you can get anything with his name emblazoned on it. Umbrellas, miniature violins, T shirts and of course chocolates, made with nougat and pistachios; it’s rather nice and has possibly given him the edge in our running.

For lunch we visit St Peter’s restaurant , which first served a Pope in 803. Making it one of the oldest restaurants in the world. We are served a typical Austrian lunch of chicken and polenta, beef broth soup and a pavlovaesque desert. Plenty of beer and wine for those who want…….but what’s this I hear ?

The Von Trapps are back looking slightly older, still in fine voice though, and knocking out hit after hit, like Marie, Lonely Goat Herd, Doe Ray Me and a great rendition of Goodbye.

We exit the restaurant an hour later, humming all our favourites. I think the Von Trapps just win our contest, the sheer number of people miming the film and taking pictures shows just how popular the film still is. Walking back to our bus the weather looks threatening, and indeed it rains on the way back….but it doesn’t affect us…..we are running through a field somewhere with our arms outstretched…….a memorable day indeed.

During the night we moved from Passau to Vilshofen. It’s a popular spot, with much juggling as the ships brest up.

Rather than back track to Regensberg we caught the shuttle to Passau, aiming for a relaxing day before a full day to Salzburg.

The town has some great pedestrian ways with attractive shops either side, dominated by the Church, and castle across the water.

I had found another wool store for Hazel, some sock wool this time. We found a back pack for it all as well, but it might be a bit big for Qantas !

– NEWS FLASH – NEWS FLASH – NEWS FLASH – NEWS FLASH –

After a leisurely light lunch we wandered into Vilshofen, a delightful town bookended by clock towers.

Oh dear, we’ve found another wool store. Apparently it has some well priced Cashmere……..I need a new light weight sweater apparently 👍

On departing Vidar our coach tour to Nuremberg passed numerous Nazi Party landmarks, including the Documentation Centre, Rally Grounds and SS barracks. It was a chilling reminder of past gone by, and why 90% of the city had been flattened by allied bombing.

Nuremberg Castle was a solid chunk of building built onto rock, overlooking the town. Our Scottish guide provided an excellent commentary, explaining how towers had been added and defences changed with the advent of new weapons.

A beautiful Briar Rose was in flower when we started walking downhill into town.

The usual half timbered houses were present near the Castle, but as we walked into the town center it was evident just how much rebuilding had taken place

Our guide showed us where lunch was to be held, and where to meet for the coach at the beautiful fountain, which it was.

After our Bavarian style lunch…..beer, sausages and sauerkraut ! we boarded our coach to Viking Lif. Making us welcome on board all was familiar except the faces…..however The Maitre’d remembered ALL our names, 184 of them, by the end of dinner ! I think we are in good hands for the rest of the trip.

Our house sitters in Tasmania are doing a wonderful job back home, thanks Guys, I think Cooper and Rosie are enjoying their Windsor Walkies. We too are blessed to have met some great people and are greatly enjoying their company. We will start cruising again at 3am……so well done Viking, a seamless transfer.

Just a quick blog tonight re our half day in Bamburg. We are changing ship tomorrow so have had to repack our cases. They will be transferred to Viking Lif in Passau tomorrow whilst we visit Nuremberg…….simples, yes ? A lot of work for both crews !

Our short walking trip concentrated on the highlights….

There are a number of old breweries in town, known for their Rauchbier, or Smoke Beer. Apparently it’s an acquired taste, there seemed to be numerous half glasses left behind by tourists trying it. I passed, opting for an iced chai with H, yes it’s sunny and warm again. Beside the brewery there’s usually a bakery, providing the wild yeast that used to ferment the beer.

The Cathedral and its square dominates the city, while the older wooden galleries still survive.

We wandered back into town, admiring some of the half timbered buildings and their artwork.

As we had a couple of hours free time, the ship was re positioning again we had a look for camera or wool shops. This time H struck gold.…a lovely shop selling locally produced yarn. Patterns were a bit more challenging when written in German ! so one will be sourced from the iPad archive.

As we walked back to the bus with some fellow travellers the streets had really filled up with people socialising on the streets having a beer or coffee, whilst watching a stream of tourists pass.

I finally found some classic vehicles, something lacking so far…

In the 1970’s this was what you rode in !

Whilst an Opel Olympia CarAvan looked in perfect condition.

We finished the day off toasting the Captain and Crew of Viking Vidar. They have done a wonderful job of looking after us.

It’s my birthday, so come and join me on a walk through one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. We’ve been dropped off early in the morning to meet Andre, our professional guide from Portugal, along with a fellow German trainee guide, plus 10 other guests. The sun is bright, so we’ve got our shades on 😁, water (no orange whips Mum 😁), so let’s get onto the coach and head up into the hills.

We are dropped off at the Kappele Sanctuary, a stunningly beautiful 1700s church & pilgrimage site set high on the hillside.

We had 5 minutes inside before a mass started, so got to see the stunning interior and hear the organ play before exiting. Then we started the pilgrimage walk, in reverse, heading down to the river on a series of steps and terraces set amongst the trees.

Each terrace contained statues and areas to pray.

This was a delightful area and Andre provided a great commentary as we descended. We paused at St Burkard, another beautiful church, there are over 60 in Wurzburg ! A great town for sinners, as they can choose a different priest for confession each Sunday over a year.

OK we’re now ready to hike again, heading up to Marienberg Fortress set on top of a hill surrounded by steep vineyards.

Pausing along the way I got a shot taken of our group, quickly nicknamed the Viking Hiking Gruppen

The fortress is huge, dominated by the buttresses, and Maschikuli tower, with surrounding portals.

After walking around the fortress we descend back towards the town through Landesgartenschau Park. There a number of cottages scattered around, with free occupancy so long as the garden and your portion of grounds are kept up to a high standard. There is a 8 year waiting list….

We finish our hike by the Old Main Bridge , staring back in awe at the hillside and where we’ve been. Well done, you’ve done 15K’s, time to coach back to the ship, have a quick lunch and there’s a walking tour of the Wurzburg Residence and some free time in the old town.

Looking like a small Versailles , and built from 1720-1740 it is known for its painted vault roof, unsupported the fresco measures 18 x 30m and depicts the then known 4 continents.

The level of detail is amazing, this dog really stood out in 3D

Once up the stairs the White Hall features spectacular plaster work. How it stays up I don’t know, let alone survive WWII

After the magnificence of the Imperial Hall came the mirror cabinet….a whole covered in painted mirrors, guilding and beautiful furniture.

Rejoining our guide after a little free time for photos we wandered to town, again admiring the architecture.

Time to head back to the coaches, and have a rest ! Later on we are informed that due to a shallow stretch of water near Nuremberg we will have to switch ships, to an identical one the other side. A pity as we were just getting to know and interact with the staff. Later that night there was a big party to celebrate…..me, I was ZZZzzzzzz. It’s been a great day hasn’t it ?

This is going to be a very quick blog ! I’ve had a great birthday today, starting off with a hike through the Wurzburg Hills and Marienberg Fortress, then a guided tour around the Wurzburg Residence, and finishing with a tour through the town. The result of which I’m too tired to write a blog ! So a picture of the “ Viking Hiking Gruppen” with our tour guide Andre will have to do for now. I’ll have more time tomorrow morning to do a proper one.

We have also just learnt that we are going to have to change ships in a couple of days time. The water levels around Nuremberg are low already, so we will change ships with an identical Viking Ship coming up from Bucharest. We get full details tomorrow.

With a leisurely start to the day we made our way to the Aquavit Terrace, an outside dining area at the front of the ship, for brekkie. The locks are coming thick and fast now, so we had a ringside seat to the procedure.

It was a great experience, H really enjoyed not having to be a lock labourer. A glass blower had been organised for the mornings entertainment . From East Germany he regaled us with stories about his career, originally making scientific glass apparatus, and now more art pieces. A little glass sparrow is coming back to Tasmania with us, hope he gets through quarantine ok !

After a couple of hours cruising we passed Miltenberg, with a lot of people enjoying Mothering Sunday, have a GREAT DAY MUM, ❤️❤️But there was no room in the Inn, so we cruised on a bit more before mooring next to a fleet of buses who took us back into town.

Entering town past the church a number of houses had shell motifs and chalk marks around the front door. It’s on a major pilgrimage to Spain, with these houses providing lodging.

With houses dating back to the 1300’s ! the Main Street was a mixture of cute half timbered houses with a Brothers Grim twist. Being a center for witch hunting, most old houses have glyphs carved into them to ward off the evil spirits…..but on this sunny Sunday most people were concentrating on getting ice cream !

It was a truly delightful town, everything you expect to see in an old, fairytale town. In other good news these pictures were taken with my Hasselblad. I remembered about an update feature on my previous one, tried it on the new one and it sorta works. The eye sensor needs replacing but I can work around it for now. We finished the day off at the Aquavit Terrace again, this time having dinner with new friends from Seattle. Another great day to remember, and with my ?? birthday tomorrow, I have a special walk organised. H gets a lie in !

Yesterday had plenty to see and do, starting off with a visit to Konlenz, at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine. Built on the footprint of a battleship projecting into the river, a striking statue of the Prussian Emperor Franz Joseph the ? dominated our landing area.

Our guide was excellent, a retired tank commander, with a dry sense of humour. Our stroll into town was sprinkled with a history lesson of various tribes, armies and barons who populated the area. The town had squares and shops, not open yet 👍, with narrow streets winding between. Compared to Cologne we found it much more appealing. So many big cities are alike with their big brand shops, loud music and dirty streets. Oh dear I’m sounding like a grumpy old man….well it is my birthday tomorrow 🤫

We really enjoyed Koblenz, but it was time for one of the trips main highlights, the Middle Rhine Valley.

The plains rapidly gave way to steep sided valley with vineyards scattered on the slopes. The river channel narrowed, with the water flowing strongly. Navigation wouldn’t be easily.

The barges are huge, there’s a lot of traffic on this part of the Rhine. I’m amazed how close we get to some, at one point we had 5 vessels doing a Waltz around each other.

The Castles were coming thick and fast now, our program director was giving a narrative as we sailed past. Most of the “Robber” Barons who built them were of dubious virtue.

At one stage the river twists and turns so much there are traffic lights to control the one way direction.

After an afternoon of Castles under a blue sky the Mouse Tower appeared on its island, signifying the end of this particular section. It was an amazing cruise and well worth travelling half way around the world ! We seem to have been on Vidar for ages, but still have over 2 weeks to go ! We are getting to know a few familiar faces, and have greatly enjoyed their company and tales.

The only negative thing to happen is a fault in my Hasselblad camera, the eye sensor is faulty, making switching from the back panel and its controls to the electronic viewfinder difficult. I’ve tried every trick to remedy it, but it looks like a service in Sweden is due in the future. So the Leica CL is pressed into full service !

Later that evening we left the Rhine and are now on the much smaller Main. Passing thru Frankfurt saw a stream of planes flying off around the world. For us it was locks, the first of many to come. Sadly the top deck is now closed for 4 days…..just too many low bridges !

Today has been a spectacular day ! Perfect weather for a visit to Koblenz, then up the Middle Rhine Valley with its picture perfect castles and vineyards. As it’s been a long day and tomorrow’s walking tour is in the late afternoon I’ll do a blog about it tomorrow. In the meantime here’s a taster…..

The icing on the cake was a lock as we entered the Main, a tributary of the Rhine…