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12/11/2014 Thursday

From Vantage:
Prague / Regensburg, Germany / Embark ship
Following breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to Regensburg. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant en route. After embarking your Deluxe river cruise ship, have your first delicious dinner on board. Cultural Connection: You're in for a real treat — a wonderful children's choir performance featuring holiday favorites.



Link to Regensburg wiki I’m looking forward to walking over a bridge that was built 900 years ago and was trod by the Crusaders.


20141211 to Passau ..Link To Photos.. ..Link To Photos..

Up 0730, pack everything, suitcases into the hallway at 0830 and down to breakfast in the Dvorak room. Another nice breakfast.

Then back to the room to do computer things waiting for 1000 when the coaches were to come. We actually went down a little earlier and stood around uselessly. An Avalon coach to take their customers to the airport was in the way of our three coaches and caused all sorts of confusion. When it was finally sorted out, we found the capacity of the three coaches was less than the volume of suitcases, so some of it was loaded into the coaches. Finally, we got underway about 1030.

We drove an hour or so to the huge beer hall at Pilsner Irquell in Plzen. The food, beef & gravy and potatoes after a salad and before a pancake with apple and whipped cream dessert. Of course, the gift shop was made available to us. Of course, we had to buy a few things.

Then onward for an hour or so to a pit stop just inside Germany. Onward again THROUGH Regensburg to Passau to the ship. Why we went through Regensburg I have no idea – there look to be shorter routes to Passau from Prague.

So tomorrow we will retrace our steps back to Regensburg to do that town.

After checking in on the ship, we heard the standard lectures ad nauseum. Finally we were dismissed to dinner.

We picked our usual table for six and were joined by Roxanne and Melissa, two of the survivors we have aboard from the Arizona firefight where 19 of 20 were overcome by the flames and died. We also have some 9/11 survivors with us this trip. Roxanne from Marana is a cute young thing with a year-old baby. Melissa has teenagers and and eight-year-old and runs a skin-care place in Tucson.

We chatted about all sorts of things and expressed sympathy; because we saw a big clump of them together at other tables, we encouraged them to tell the others we'd like to see them as well. Good gals.

We were about to go to bed after dinner but decided we'd have an Asbach in the lounge. Lo and behold, a 10-person male choir appeared and sang beautifully, including a couple of English carols. The leader has just been announced as the choir leader at the cathedral in Regensburg. We applauded loud and long, and were rewarded with an encore.

After all that, we returned to the room to find our four little suitcases. So as not to have to do it in the morning, we flogged ourselves into doing it tonight and to do a little hand washing that just wasn't worth sending to the laundry.

Now we're finished with all that and it's 2314. Good night!!



12/12/2013
Regensburg
Depart 8:00pm

From Vantage:
On your walking tour in Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, admire ancient Roman stones at Porta-Praetoria Arch and cross the medieval Stone Bridge. Your guided visit of intriguing Thurn und Taxis Castle includes time to shop for unique gifts at the Christmas Market tucked inside the castle courtyard. Cultural Connection: Gather on board ship this evening for the Captain's Welcome Party and Dinner.



Actually, we were on the ship in Passau. So:

20141212 Passau (for Regensburg) ..Link To Photos.. ..Link To Photos..

We were up at a reasonable hour and ready for the bus to depart to Regensburg, where we should have been if the lock hadn't failed.

So a 1.5 hour bus trip to Regensburg. We stopped at the river side and walked uphill into the old town from there under guide “Clement”. We walked toward the old town over the stone bridge built 800 years ago, now under refurbishment. Interesting to walk where Crusaders walked.

Then Clement walked us all over the old town pointed out historical places while telling legends and myths about the town. I know much more about King Ludwig the first than I ever wanted to know.

We were told about mideaveal medicen and diagnosies, diet and sanitary habits of the times. Food habits and the influence of the church on health were discussed (if you're sick, you must have offended God).

We were left in front of the cathedral, which is an interesting mess. Over the 200 years of its construction, it had many master builders – each with a mind of his own. The place is not symmetric. It was built east wall first, with altar, then south wall, north wall and finally west wall. There was no money to finish it, so the two massive spires (308 feet) were finished in concrete to look like sandstone. It's currently being cleaned and will be continuously cleaned forever, since it seems to attracted dirt.

Dolores & I went into a bakery and had hot chocolate. I had a little sandwich, she had a pastry. Then we came back out to wait for the next round of torture. Clouds came in and made it seem cold. Clement appeared and led us to the buses (not in the same location) which transported us to the Castle St Emeram, the manor house (Schloss) of the Thurn & Taxis family, still quite prominent.

The family held the postal service monopoly of all of Germany in the early 1800's but the service was nationalized; in payment the government gave them lands and a monastery in Regensburg. The current Prince Albert of the family is the youngest billionaire in Europe. He races cars and has won trophies.

But the family over the years added to the monastery to build this palace. It's absolutely stunning. The opulence and the concept of their life style is not compatible with ours. The building now totally encloses a courtyard. After the tour, we went into that courtyard, which is a Christmas Market at this time of year. Lots of nice handcrafts that we hesitate to buy because they'll break on the way home. And lots of wursts und Gluewein.

The sun set and the wind picked up. We sat around a woodstove to stay warm until the buses returned. We were happy to get onboard and get warm during the 1.5 hour return trip to the ship.

We had a good dinner. Then Glenn & Lou noted they'd been given another bottle of champagne (Glenn's birthday two days ago) so we went to their cabin and talked and finished the bottle. Great chat, wonderful evening.