A Special Kind of Boat

I've posted earlier about the uniqueness of our boat but a picture (or video) is worth a thousand words. This trip would have not been possible with a "normal" boat because there were many bridges and locks which had very close tolerances. Several times we passed through places with only a foot or two clearance above the pilot house.

The answer to this problem is here:  

Even with these extreme measures, sometimes there's not a lot of room to spare. Standing up (or not stooping down) could be a real headache.

Exiting a set of locks can be challenging.

As much as I enjoyed the cities along the rivers, being ON the river was just as much fun. As they say, getting there can be half the fun. 

The Danube Waterway and Bicycles

Being a "biker" myself, the long paths, along the entire length of the Danube River made me long for a ride here myself. I was VERY impressed with their commitment to "basic transportation"; I think the bicycle is one of the worlds greatest inventions. Here's just one view of the "bike path" running along the river near a small town.

On this trip, I saw (literally) thousands of bikes, and hundreds of "families" riding together on the weekends along this long path. It was not unusual to see small kids, and even the family pet, being towed behind the bike on a little trailer, as they moved along the Danube River.

These "ramps" (just for bikes) were common along all the towns on the river. Although I saw a few families with the traditional bike panniers carrying a tent, stove, air mattress etc, most of them stayed at convenient "bed and breakfast" homes along the river.

The more I watched them, the more I envied them. In my mind, this would be the "ultimate" bike trip. I could envision riding a thousand miles along this river.

Moving on Down the River

There are some great towns along this waterway and the history of many of them span centuries. As most of Europe, boundaries have changed many times due to wars. In the early days, many rulers built elaborate castles to protect themselves from their enemies. An entire book could be written about each of them, if one choose to do so.  

Many of the towns in Germany were bombed into shambles during the second world war. Although not a large nation, Adolph Hitler came very close to ruling the world. He killed millions of innocent people in his own country. Fortunately, those days are in our past. I choose not to dwell on them and move forward.

Modern Germany has many good qualities. One of the best is their “mass transportation system”. I found most Germans to be well educated, very environmentally conscious, and very resourceful. Germans think in very “social” terms. They like music and cultural activities.

I think many of their lives can be both complex, or very simple. Myself, I like the simpler things in life. Although I saw several industrial sites along the river, I never noticed pollution spewing from them like here in America. Despite using electric to power their “mass transit” systems. I never once saw a coal powered power plant! (I’m sure they existed somewhere).

I did however, see many windmills and many solar powered homes.  Germany uses nuclear power, but with the recent accident in Japan, most of these have been shut down.

Melk

Leaving West Virginia, we were in the midst of a hot spell with temperatures in the mid nineties. As we prepared to navigate the Danube, the weather began to turn much cooler. So much so, we needed to bundle up for warmth. I was amused at the selection of fleece jackets available in the ships store the next morning. It was a welcome change. 

The highlight of the city of Melk is the enormous Abbey overlooking the river. (not the above picture) Although very few monks live here now, it’s an active school for about 900 students. It’s also the depository for thousands of very old books. Some of them are hand written and priceless. 

Last Days in Austria

Looking back on the trip now, I think Vienna was one of the best cities we visited. The general population speaks several languages, of which English is one of the majors, so it’s easy to communicate with the local people.

On one of our excursions through the busy city, we found ourselves in an “authentic” Austrian café. I love the wood in these places and the craftsmanship of their work. Some of these establishments haven’t changed the décor in decades, and it‘s like walking backward into time. They’re unique….

People in this part of Austria love their animals. Especially their dogs, and it’s quite common for the bar keeper to keep a small clean bowl for drinking water, just for the dogs in the café. The dogs are a true members of the family, and are served just like their owners.

When we asked for a menu, the waiter gave us a puzzled look….”just sausages, pastries, and beer”…no menu. They’re good….

Bring us two with dark wheat beer please…Danke.

A few moments later they arrived in a porcelain dish along with some sweet mustard and some bread, and with some beer. All of it was delicious, the beer was fantastic. Beer over here is totally different from the states. The dark wheat beer is especially good. It comes with a head that is tall and strong enough to float a quarter on. (maybe I’m exaggerating a bit)

The next morning we checked out of the Motel and took a cab to the dock where we boarded our ship, the “River Melody".

We had most of the afternoon to explore the walking and biking paths beside the Danube River. We walked several miles along the river just taking in the sights and enjoying the exercise while watching the activity on the river.

A Different Life

Austria, like most of Europe has a long history. While some churches in America may be quite large, but it’s rare to see one like this church, which was just outside our Hotel room.

Life is also very different here because of the price of gasoline. Most of Europe is paying $7 to $9 dollars per gallon. This discourages traffic and encourages everyone to use public transportation. Public transportation here is VERY good! There’s no need to spend all your money on automobiles.

It didn't take us long to figure out this very common transportation mode. Although many bikes in this part of Europe are the standard bikes we know in America, we saw hundreds of these new "electric" bikes. I've ridden one of these recently, and they're a pleasure to move around a town. Peddling is almost effortless and they will move along at about 20 MPH for about 40 miles before needing a re-charge.

I truly hope to see more of this in America. It's a very good idea.

These sold for about 2000 Euro's....not cheap, but very functional and flexible. It's the perfect commuter bike. I'd like to have one someday.

The Rivers of Germany

Our river trip from Vienna to Amsterdam has covered nearly a thousand nautical miles on the Danube and Rhine Rivers, which are connected by a man made canal. Some parts of it are very narrow. So narrow, that passing another boat can be a real challenge.

Tourism is a major industry in this section of Europe. River cruising here demands a special type of boat; the most important feature being a collapsible “pilot house” and “viewing deck“. Some of the bridges in the Danube River are so low that a normal ship could never pass underneath without this “special” feature.

We traversed over a hundred locks. Some of the locks and bridges only had (literally) inches to spare. One amusing passage (at least for the passengers) required the Captain to peek up from a “trap door” in the roof of the collapsed bridge. Only his eyes were visible as we “squeaked” underneath a very low bridge.

We arrived in Vienna a few days before the rest of our group. Mostly to hear some of the Classical masterpieces. Many were created here by some of the worlds greatest composers.

Although we only spent a few days in Austria, I found Vienna to be an especially pleasant place because of the music. We attended a concert with an exceptional orchestra and a small string quartet and we were fortunate to stay at a hotel right in the midst of town.

The interesting thing (and a wonderful addition to the orchestra) was an extra drum player. He interacted with the maestro in a humorous way that was very amusing.

We were introduced to “real” coffee and pastries while here. Good coffee is served with a glass of water. A sip of coffee; a sip of water…that’s how it’s done here. Another Viennese specialty is  “Apple strudel”.  HHHmmmmm