Continuing our European Cruise.

Our last port of all had been Nuremberg, where we had set sail from at 5pm on Monday 4 June.

The following day, Tuesday 5 June, our cruise boat 'Monarch Queen' sailed under clear blue skies, passing fields of ripening hay, delightful rural scenes, and tiny villages, under endless low level bridges and through at least 5 locks.

Alas, it was during breakfast that we exited the Main / Danube Canal and entered the Danube River. An announcement wasn't made, so I missed recording this milestone. A morning of wonderful sailing brought us to the pretty port of Regensburg mid afternoon.

A lock on the outskirts had a long queue of boats waiting to pass through, so we walked through the town of Stadtamhof and across the 12th C Stone Bridge of 16 arches into the Old Town. Sadly the bridge was under reconstruction so its beauty not fully seen. It was the only bridge across the river here, for 800 years.

A lovely town of spires and towers.

The remains of a Roman army encampment and wall, have been incorporated in a new city building.

Passau
We are now in lower Bavaria in this beautiful old town of 3 rivers - Danube, Inn and Ilz.  Wonderful baroque architecture, especially in St Stephen's Cathedral.

Views from the river as we approached.

Nearly all the towns we visited, had a record of flood levels through the ages. Quite mind boggling levels.

Veste Oberhaus - 13th C fortress

St Stephen's Cathedral.

Aschach - an unexpected couple hours were spent here as we waited for the return of those on the Salzburg excursion.

The traditonal wooden barge used to transport salt down the Danube.

Melk and its dominating 11th C baroque, Benedictine abbey.

Unfortunatley photos were not allowed to be taken inside this magnificent building. Originally belonging to the Badenbergs, it was donated in 1809 to the Benedictine Monks, who transformed it into this strongly fortified abbey. Its marble halls, 16,000 volume library, church and rose gardens leave one in total awe.

Town of Melk from the abbey.

Courtyards leading to the entrance.

Vienna

The highlight for me, as I had previously visited, was being able to watch the morning practice routines of the Spanish Horses. The photos are not as clear as I would have liked.

Budapest - capital of Hungary, and with a history that dates back to the Romans in the 12th C.

Wikipedia cites it as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I can totally agree with this statement, especially on a blue sky day. From the parliament building on the Pest side of the Danube, to the Castle district on the Buda side, there is just so much for the eye to take in and appreciate, without even beginning to wander the streets and alleys. Sadly their recent history has been tumultuous and even now, one senses that the power struggles are not yet over.

Liberty Statue - built for those who sacrificed their lives for independance, freedom and the prosperity of Hungary.

Our 'orientation' bus tour was a tad damp, but by lunchtime the sun was out and we were able to happily explore by foot.

View from the Castle district of Buda across the Danube to the Parliament building. 

Statue of St Stephen

Vaci Street - the main tourist and shopping street of Budapest.

The Central Market Hall. Sadly it was closed as our arrival was on a Sunday.

A city of sculptures - some funny but many, thought provoking and very sad.

"The Shoes on the Danube Bank is memorial that was built to honor the people who were killed in Budapest by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen during World War II. It represents the shoes of the victims that were shot into the Danube."

It has been difficult to sift through my pics of these historic and beautiful towns visited and to decide what to include, without writing a marathon of a blog. Be sure that as an Australian visiting these cities, I was constantly overwhelmed and amazed by the age, architecture and lifstyle of everywhere we moored. I fully appreciate how fortunate I am to visit.

I would love to read your comment.