Donau Walzer: Passau 1

The bus dropped us off at the Viking Legend tour boat around 1:00 PM, our home for the next week. We were told that we were the first voyage for the boat this season, so our staterooms were ready for us and we could board immediately. The concierge, David offered to take my rucksack, and I told him to take my mom's. He kindly said that he would take both of our bags. Mom and I were curious to see how big our room was and were pleasantly surprised at its roominess and the full length sliding glass doors on our A level cabin. She was ready to go out and explore the town, but I had to nap first. What a bummer! It was very difficult, but I let her go out on her own and I laid down to try and rest. When I awoke later, I searched the boat for her, but she was nowhere to be found. No surprise, she was probably still out in Passau exploring. So, I grabbed my camera and a map and went out to see the sights of Passau.

The first thing I spied was a lovely iron door sconce in the coat of arms of Passau. How cool is this mermaid door handle? A Ferrari roared by and I caught it with my camera. A German couple at a café. Childrens' lederhosen and dirndels for sale at a souvenier shop. A view across the Danube with another tour boat and the Veste Oberhaus . A view up an alley offers a glimpse of St. Stephen's Cathedral. Spring flowers in a windowbox. Passau town hall or Rathaus. Flood markings on the tower of the Rathaus. A shot of the Veste Oberhaus where the date of 1499 can be clearly seen. A closeup of the figures on the side of the Rathaus. A view up an alley; note the religious bas-relief on the building. Two photos of the small bridge over the Danube in lower Passau. The view back up the Danube. A man stands and paddles his yellow kayak on the Danube river. An irresistable spitz puppy dog. Over the water is Austria. Another small church with much painted decoration. More of the Veste Oberhaus. A woman holds her minipinscher; isn't it the cutest??? The view across the Inn River of the Mariahilf Pilgrimage Church. A young family makes their way up the walk along the Inn. More of the Mariahilf Church. The Shaiblingsturm, a midieval tower, guards the Inn River. It was not at all uncommon for buildings to have paintings of religious or important people on them; this inset is of a king. This chihuahua/minpin mix was so tiny, I thought it was a rat! But isn't it the sweetest?

I looked at my watch and it had gotten very late! I rushed back the the boat and reconnected with my mom. She had walked all the way up to St. Stephen's and went inside! But we will do that tomorrow on the guided tour!