Day 9 (6) Touring Vienna

After another excellent breakfast on board (omelet from the buffet), we once again hopped on the bus for a ride into the city. The walking tour began near the opera house, and we walked towards the Hofburg palace, where nearby the Lipizzaner stallions had a practice ring.

Hofburg Palace

We then walked along the main street towards St. Stephen's Cathedral, enjoying the architecture while listening to the guide discuss Vienna's history. We reached the cathedral and the group was adjourned for the day.

Walking in Vienna downtown

One of the lions

We decided to head for a ChristKindl market, so off to Schönbrunn Palace we went, where a large market was set up in their forecourt. A subway stop was nearby the cathedral, as well as the palace, so no long walks or cab ride required!

Some stone lions out front of the palace that were enjoying the sun distracted us for a bit, but then it was on to the market!

While some of us enjoyed the shopping, others of us once again tested the glühwein (to stay warm, of course!)

Looking towards the ChristKindl market at Schönbrunn

Some selections at Schönbrunn

Back to the boat to unpack our treasures, then late afternoon we headed to the main market in front of City Hall (Rathaus).

Entrance to the market with Burgtheater in background

The market with Rathaus in the back

Did I mention that it was crowded?

This time we grabbed hot soup in a bread bowl. The late afternoon temps had dropped into the 20's now (°F)--we decided to return rather than await the evening lighting since we'd been outside most of the day. We arrived back at the boat just after sunset, just in time for dinner.

The view from our stateroom after dark

During dinner, we left Vienna and cruised downstream, heading towards Budapest.

Day 7 (4) -- Passau

After dark in Regensburg (night 3), the cruise pulled away from the dock and headed for Passau. River levels were fine and we arrived in Passau in early morning around 8:30 a.m., tying up to another boat with "prime" docking space (which Viking advertises in their brochures).  It wasn't as close as they bragged, but it wasn't too bad. It was a little over a 1/2 mile walk from the boat to the cathedral.

Aerial map of Passau (courtesy of Google Maps)

But it was still winter (not like the above).

Coming into dock at Passau--we will tie up to the boat in the photo, and walk across
the top deck and down again to get to land. Note the cathedral in the background (round domes).

Off we went on a walking tour of the city, ducking in one building to admire the ceiling, then more walking to arrive at Cafe Simon for their gingerbread demonstration.

Building ceiling

outside Cafe Simon looking towards the local Catholic Church

We headed over to St. Stefan's Cathedral. This one is different from many others in Europes in that the interior is done not in Gothic, but in a later Baroque style, as it was not begun until the 1600's. Said to hold the world's largest cathedral organ, they do not play it after November 1st, so we were not able to hear it.

A view of St. Stefan's interior

Tourists taking their photos, too.

The cherub's leg dropping from the ceiling painting is actually three-dimensional.

 There were three KrisKindl markets in Passau. We visited them all. Then it was back to the boat as it departed that evening for our next destination.