Passau, Germany

Sat. June 24, 2023- Passau, Germany

       We were up by 6 A.M. It was 64 degrees (F) and cool out. We breakfasted, in the first floor dining room, and readied for the day. We were scheduled for a 9 A.M walking tour of Passau. The town sits at the confluence of the Inn, Linz and Danube Rivers. Virtually every major power in Europe had traipsed through the area at one time or another.  The mysterious Celts had been supplanted here  by the Roman garrisons. Later waves of Ottoman Turks, Tatars and other raiders had washed over the area looking for plunder. Finally, the Hapsburgs in the 11^th century laid claim to the regions and it was stabilized, until the world wars of the twentieth century.

        Rudy, our guide, met us on the pier and introduced himself. He started with a description of the Danube floods that periodically see the river rise over fifty feet above its banks and swamp the lower regions of the surrounding valleys. He showed us a high water mark along the river front wall, with an accompanying date. Then, he showed us another one and another and another one. “Aabbastanza” (enough please) we said to ourselves. Enough with the floods.

        The medieval structures of Passau, had mostly been destroyed  by a great fire in the 1660’s.Their replacements had all been constructed in the ornate Rococo style. Many of the buildings reminded us of Venice. Even the colors were Neapolitan. I would guess the Italian Renaissance at the time was influencing architectural styles all across Europe. Across the river, and atop a very high bank, we could see an imposing castle that had been built in the 800’s.It was now a four star hotel.

        Rudy’s narrative style had not improved much, so we fled from the tour, hoping to escape into the crowds around us. The City Hall (rathaus) square was chock ablock with weekend shoppers. Mary investigated several gift stores along the way. I sat at a convenient bus stop and watched the peopled array flow by. Fascinated as always by the parade. Sitting and watching people was not a chore for me. An impeded walking ability had consigned me to frequent  stops along all of the walking tours, using whatever bench, seat of fence I could utilize. The brief respites charged up the batteries a little bit every time.  It was enabling me to get through these tours quite ably.

      Just down from the square, in a dark cobble stoned alley, we came across another oddity. Here, amidst the medieval streets of Passau, sits an Irish Pub. I thought maybe we could get a quick consult with Mr. Jameson, but the place was closed until later in the day. The alleyways flowed westward and downhill, towards the Danube. All manner of shops were open for the locals to run their errands.

      And then, we came upon a very upscale pedestrian Mall. Clothing shops, cafes, and other browsable spots, were flooded with locals, enjoying a warm and sunny Saturday. We espied Fiona’s, a small café with shaded tables, that sits along the mall. We decided to visit. We sat down gratefully and ordered some very good cappuccino and enjoyed some even better apple strudel, with warm vanilla sauce. It was wunderbar. (23 euros) We sat for a time, enjoying the flow of folks passing by with their kinder and freunds. It is one of our favorite things to do in places like this. Afterwards, we drifted down towards the Danube and walked along the river banks, curious at all of the river traffic and the many citizens cycling, walking and enjoying the morning. It really is a delightful little town.

     Abandoning Rudy, we had missed a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It reputedly has the largest pipe organs in the world. It plays the carillons periodically, to the delight of the entire town. The church had been ruined in the 1660’s fire and rebuilt in the ornate rococo style. We didn’t mind. We were now beginning to understand the mantra of well-travelled friends. (AFC, AFC) “Another friggin’ church, another friggin’ castle.” Passau’s St. Stephens would have to go unappreciated. Besides, we had visited St. Stephen’s Cathedrals in Munich, Vienna and a few other places. This guy must have been someone of great stature back in the day.

      The afternoon approached. We made our way back to the Tir, and then sunned and read our books topside, enjoying a gorgeous day on the Danube. A welcome vodka martini capped off the afternoon, before we cleaned up and readied for dinner. It was “German Night” in the dining room, memorializing our last night in Deutschland. We were greeted by staff, dressed in lederhosen and Dirndls, offering us a small glass of beer and a shot of schnapps. We accepted both with pleasure. We sat with the Broyles and the Pinazza’s again, now old friends. We were linked by that mysterious bonding process that I have come to label “fellowship of the road.” The offerings that night were heavy with sausages, bratwurst, cabbage and other German specialties.

       The German Cabernet drew our attention, despite the menu., and the preceding schnapps and beer. A cheese course, followed by a local fish and then more of that delicious apple strudel made for a very good meal. Not addled enough, we managed a glass of wine in the second floor lounge with our friends. It had been a good day on the Austrian border. We still had a few days left on the tour, but the “Museum glaze’ was starting to descend on me as “the tour glaze.” It was nearing time to head on home.

                                              -30-

                                       (939 words)

                                   Joseph Xavier Martin