Ozbrecht 2017 - Europe's Rhine & Danube Rivers
Melk & Krems, Austria
Day 14 - July 6
Melk Abbey, a Benedictine monastery
Melk Abbey aerial. The village of Melk in the foreground, the Danube in the background [Internet picture]
Melk Abbey courtyard
In the courtyard
One of the many libraries of Melk Abbey. They are now made available to the local students [Internet picture]
Beautiful ceiling frescoes [Internet picture]
Spiral staircase [Internet picture]
The back house of Melk Abbey. Not sure what its purpose was; today it is a gift and coffee shop
A wide panorama of Melk Abbey
A view of the village of Melk from the abbey
Strolling through Melk
And a look up at Melk Abbey from the village
It’s midday, and Modi will now depart Melk and float its way through the Wachau Valley of the Danube to Krems, Austria, about 25 miles away. Viking offered the option to rent bicycles and cycle the 25 miles to Krems. Andy’s up for it!
Me too!
Ready to roll!!
The bike ride took us through grain fields, vineyards, apricot orchards, and many small Austrian villages
Apricots
Austrian village. The bikeway was clearly marked along the way
We didn’t ride along the banks of the Danube, but it was never far from us
A small church
Vineyards.
Meet Benny! We sat with Benny and Janet, Canadians from the Niagara Falls area, every night. They became our very good friends. Benny rode with Andy and me - we left everyone in the dust! Well, almost everyone…
A little over halfway through the ride, we got thirsty. “Next stop, pull over.” Just as we stopped, the skies opened up and gave us a downpour. Perfect timing to find shelter!
Vineyards
The Danube and Wachau Valley. The skies are clearing
Another Austrian village. Be careful on the slippery-wet cobblestones!
Andy and Benny
More vineyards. The Danube behind them
Kathy and Sheila, our welcoming party
Krems, 25 miles later. Made it!
A thoroughly memorable ride
Hard to see, but this is the bike ride route through the Wachau Valley
A portion of the route. Krems, and the end of the ride, are on the right
And so, while Andy and I ride the valley, Kathy and Sheila cruise it on the Modi
Near Krems, a church on the banks of the Danube
Dawn Vago, our Program Director. This smile never left her face. I’m not sure if I’ve ever met a more positive, upbeat person. I wondered if she kept her smile on her days off…
Our dinner theme was called A Taste of Austria. Pretzels, cheese, a little wine
A Taste of Austria - the main course, including veal and sauerkraut
A Taste of Austria - dessert. Delicious!
And to top it off: A Taste of Austria - a little Austrian music. Alexander, on the right, was one of our servers. What a great fellow!
Day 14 - July 6
Melk & Krems, Austria
Our morning stop is Melk, Austria and Melk Abbey.
Melk Abbey is a Benedictine monastery. Originally a palace, King Leopold II gave the palace to the monks in the 11th century; the monks converted it to an abbey. Sitting on an outcrop above the town of Melk, this golden-colored abbey gives incredible views of the town and the Danube below. Here begins the Wachau Valley, one of the most beautiful river valleys in the world. The interior is full of baroque architecture, including many magnificent frescoes. The library is one of the world’s largest containing medieval manuscripts. Benedictine monks still roam the abbey – we didn’t see any.
We had a short amount of free time after the abbey, and walked down the hill and through the town of Melk on the way to the Modi.
In the afternoon, Andy, our friend Benny and I rented bicycles along with about 20 other travelers, and rode the cycling trail from Melk to the town of Krems, 25 miles away. The trail took us through villages, vineyards and orchards. About 18 miles into the ride, we are thirsty. About two villages later, we find a small hotel with an outdoor, covered seating area. Just as we stop, the skies open up and a rainstorm appears. Perfect! We have a beer, watch the downpour, and are on our way just as our glasses are empty and the skies close back up. The bike ride was another highlight – a true step back in time!
While we cycled, Kathy and Sheila stayed on the boat, which traveled the amazing Wachau Valley to Krems, where we met up. Just as beautiful for them as for us cyclists!
It was a special dinner this night – A Taste of Austria. The chef is a master at creating dinners that fit the regions we are visiting. Tonight, pretzels, cheeses, wine, veal and sauerkraut. The evening concluded with a concert given by local Austrian musicians.