An endurance test - Vienna to Augsburg

It was still cold and snowy when we departed the boat in Vienna to train to our next destination, Augsburg. So we were not thrilled to be advised trains were running late and out of timetable order due to the onset of winter. Regardless, we set out in the hope we'd get at least half way. In fact, about an hour after our train should have departed we caught an entirely different service. Standing room only as it now had several trains worth of bodies on board. The tannoy and the ticket inspector were offering conflicting advice but we stayed on board until Salzberg figuring if we couldn't get a connection we would at least have another interesting city to visit!

We DID think it was a good thing we made sandwiches from the breakfast buffet as there was no way we could have got through the press of people to reach the dining car.

Got off the train at Salzburg and saw a train was about to board to Munich - ran to the platform just as the indicator clicked over to cancelled. Actually, all trains were cancelled but there were buses running to Munich and from there we hoped we could pick up a local train. Really no worse than Shitty Fail but it was a lot colder than a wait on Sydney Central station! 

Views from and of the autobahn

Despite DBs best efforts we arrived in Augsburg only about 3 1/2 hours late. 

Easy bus ride to our hotel in a historical landmark (WHY is it always the 4th floor when there is no lift?) and a laundromat and supermarket within a block.

Wien and Wein.

 Another overnight sail saw us arriving into Vienna in time for breakfast - although we were worried for a moment or two if they would be able to FIND the place. The  morning did clear and it was brisk.

Coach into town for the obligatory trip around the ring road and walking tour. 

During our visit to St Stephens a choral mass was occurring and I enjoyed the music for some time. Sadly it was the horses day off (making 2/2 visits to Vienna where I didn't get to see them).

It was BITTERLY cold (actual -10, felt like -14) so we decided to go back to the boat for lunch and then head out again to the markets in the afternoon after we had thawed out. 

We were glad we were not the person who was left behind when the evening coach left early (although why she didn't just get the train to the port and walk the 250m to the boat instead of panic stations I don't know!).

One final thought on Wien and Wein -  a new Christmas goal, I am not normally crafty but I could be to make one of these!

Lovely Linz

We sailed overnight to Linz and awoke to a beautiful view of the snow covered city. As we hadn't  visited before we were looking forward to seeing the sights and visiting a fewmarkets although much to Matt's disapointment it was the wrong day of the week for the farmer's market or the flea market. Christmas markets it was then! 

There have been several optional tours but all seem to have been disrupted by the unseasonal heavy snow so we're glad we didn't choose to go on them. Another important medieval trading centre, what remains of the old city is quite small. It is however still an important town and centre for arts and music as well as manufacturing.

 

The church markets were lovely with many artists selling their own products even though it being Sunday not everything was open.

A visit to a beer house with new friends post lunch then back on board for dinner.

We had to pop a selection of wine in "the fridge" for later - but the chill down time was fairly swift

Passau, city on the Danube. And the Inn. And the Ilz

Another city with sites going back to the pre-Roman era, Passau was next on our agenda. No buses today as the boat had moved to a mooring close to the Altstadt. 

The snow was even heavier.

Again, we started the day with a walking tour, this time up to St Stephen's Cathederal (St Stephan, the first martyr and I even knew that without being prompted. The advantages of WIDE reading habits - I knew this from The Dark is Rising, also a snowy book) which was mid renovation but still had some amazing, gaudy, over the top baroque bits on display as well as a charming nativity scene.

 

 

I was intrigued when the guide showed us some of the flood markings over the centuries, and advised how speedy their clean up was after the 12.85 m 2013 event where over 52,000 people were evacuated and the state and federal governments funded over 8 BILLION euros in clean up costs to the city, businesses, and individuals.

After the tour we were off to the markets

We only returned when we got too cold to hold onto another gluhwein! The snow is up to my knees in the below picture.

Apparently this is not normal weather so even the locals are excited by seeing so much snow.

Regensburg

First up, I have to admit that I'm finding it hard to keep track of the bergs and the burgs - and that's not even counting the icebergs!

A BURG is a mountain and a BERG is a castle. But every town has a castle and mostly they're on the top of a big hill.  Anyway, I digress. We were supposed to be in Regensburg but the boat couldn't get there so we were in Passau. After a champagne breakfast a coach took us back for a day trip to Regensburg and the tour company provided cash towards our lunch expences.

from the bus

from the old stone bridge and towards the town

We joined the guided walk which took around an hour and the rest of the day was ours. Wandering round the well preserved medieval buildings (through lack of funds to tear them down pre more recent interest in the preservation of heritage) the snow it snowed and it was snowy. And after not too long out in it, wet and mushy and cold.

The gothic cathedral, under wraps.

Oh look! Matt is eating a sausage! Got to admit it beats a Bunning's Saturday Special by a LONG way.

The markets were fun to see - mostly very touristy but we're tourists. We tried the local delicacies and while we had wanted to visit the Schloss Thurn und Taxis the time constraints of coach trips meant we stuck to the medievil centre of town. 

                     

The merchants of the middle ages liked to show off how important they were by displaying enormous errections with no substance. 

This tower has nothing in it  - except a staircase to the top.

Nurenberg

Leaving snowy Berlin we continued our trip heading back south to equally snowy Nuremberg and managed to make our way to our hotel in time for a shockingly early dinner. We were a little bit away from the main old town but quite accessible by public transport.

The morning view from our window

A leisurely walk to the castle (of course) where we admired a great view over the surrounding area. After exploring the castle we adjourned to the Hexenhause, an ancient auberge where Matt switched from currywurst to Nurnbergers (much nicer I thought).

The afternoon was spent wandering through the town admiring old buildings and managed a visit to a brewery and distillery before the Christkindlemarkt - or those bits of it that had opened early! Very potent eggnog and gluhwein added a few more glasses to our collection of Christmas Market Mugs.

Darkness falls early so I was convinced to have another early dinner before returning to the hotel. 

A really pleasant and relaxing day.

A late night phone call advised us of a change of plan; our boat wasn't able to make it through to Regensburg due to high water so we would be picked up by coach and transported to Passau. 

We had time the next morning for a final wander before the train and coach leg, watching the scenery from a nice warm vehicle before settling in for a few days of luxury!