Danube River


Bohemian Forest Treasures 6/22/15

Passau is small–50,000 people, and our ship is double parked on a little peninsula surrounded by steep wooded hillsides. I’ve been yearning to see the forest from the inside, so I took advantage of a trail, just over a bridge, to a castle on the hill. Steve took advantage of the opportunity to groan over being “forced” to climb it with me. It was of course, terrific. At least one pretty little vine of ivy graced almost every tree, and the fortress walls were covered with it. After a couple flights of steps the view grabbed even Steve–the old city […]


The Devil is in the Danube 6/20/15

Hoax alert:  the Blue Danube is murky green.  Never trust a song writer. Regensburg’s old bridge—or Devil’s Bridge is another sketchy Danube tale.  The bridge’s 12th century builder hurried construction by promising the Devil ownership of the first three souls to cross the finished bridge.  On dedication day the builder preserved the souls of the highest officials of the church and city by sending three farm animals across first.  Furious, the Devil tried to demolish the bridge but only made arches where his back pushed up from the river. The festival scheduled in Regensburg worried our cruise director that “happy” […]