Regensberg

Wednesday
We are docked in Regensburg and our tour is to Weltonberg and the Danube Gorge.  Flood waters had covered the bus parking lot the day before .  Today we got to see them scooping the mud  out of it.  It was a short walk along the Danube to the Abbey.  The Danube is narrow here and the big boats can't  get down it.  The land on either side is now enviormentally protected because of the flooding.  There are a few people still living there and the government buys them out at 80% after a flood but they just use the money to rebuild.  It is a beautiful,  tranquil place.  I can't blame them for wanting to stay. Some of the houses have been torn down and nature has reclaimed the land in a very short time. Flowers remain to show someone lived here.  We saw a huge snail with a pretty shell and spared it's life.  Now that's kind of me because I kill everyone I find at home.
There are seven monks at the abbey and of course they do the all work to run the abbey and some have outside jobs.  Before we entered the abbey church we each were given a beer that was brewed at the abbey.

They have been brewing there since 1050. It  was a dark beer and very tasty. We also got a gigantic German style pretzel  which was great with beer at 10:00 in the morning.  We consumed pretzels and beer and the mosquitos consumed us.
We went for a walk above the Abbey while we waited for our trip our of the church.  The was a chapel but you couldn't get inside.  It was a pretty walk but hazardous with all the mosquitoes.
The Abbey church has a horse on it's altar.   Saint George, the dragon slayer is riding it. There is a dragon on one side of the horse and a princess whose name I can't remember on the other; they represent good and evil.  The dome above the altar was interesting because it looks like a domed roof but it is flat.  It is very convincing.  It would have been interesting to go up and see it up close.

  Our local guide, Enrie was excellent as all the guides have been.  Enrie is a lady, and a long distance runner and looked to be in her 60's.  She was knowledgeable and very humorous. Just slightly irreverent in the church.


Each tour we have a guide on the bus who talks about the area and prepares us for the day.  Then when we get to the sight we get a guide who specializes in that town, church, etc.  It is a good system and seems to work flawlessly.  They have all had good English.  There are 35 Tiwanese people on the cruise.  They have their own tour guides and buses.
Then we had lunch at the oldest sausage place in the town of Regensberg.  Avalon gave every one 15 Euros and a chit for this sausage lunch in compensation for all the changes.  We didn't mind being 30 € ahead or a free lunch but it didn't make up for the time missed.
Anyway that's all water down the river (ha ha).
The sausage house had a large main restaurant that was full so we were directed to the little house.  It must have been the original restaurant. Believe it or not you enter through the kitchen and go into a small dinning room. We sat at a long table for 8.  Kay and Jeff from our cruise (our cruise friends from Sydney ) and we didn't know the others.  Our meal consisted of 5 skinny sausages, sauerkraut, bread and beer.  It was all really good, especially the beer.  I did something I swore I'd never do and took a picture of our meal.  Maybe Roy will post it here.

After lunch we had a guided tour of the old town.  We saw remains of a Roman wall, and had a walk through the old town.  We saw the exterior of St. Peter's cathedral and after the tour went inside on our own.  Impressive and extremely ornate .
The river is still high and there are flood markers are on a lot of buildings indicating the year and water height of each flood.  A little time for a walk on our own and back to the bus.  We did see a knife shop.  They had ever so many knives at good prices but Roy had his knife.