Epic Alpine Adventure
Images: Melk Abbey, Melk Austria; House and vineyard along Danube; Austria; View from Durnstein Castle ruins, Durnstein, Austria;
Ich bin angekommen (I have arrived)
This adventure starts with a flight to Vienna and a train - one change - to Melk. Thanks to RS travel planners for the route details and hotel suggestions. At the Hotel Stadt Melk, my friendly hotel keeper talked me through several options for the evening and let me practice my German. I set out on a Thursday evening walk, choosing one of the four paths recommended by Tourist Information.
The afternoon light bathed the cobblestone streets, and I soaked up the European charm, taking the back stairs to the Abbey and grabbing a few shots. (From top: the lion of Melk, flowers, front of the abbey, and tunnel through the abbey wall.) Then, back down by the river, I found a pedestrian friendly plaza along the main road, watched the Danube flow by, and snapped a few pictures of the abbey.
It was now a little after 7, early for dinner for European standards, but I'd been up for 30+ hours. I stepped into the outdoor terrace on the Hotel Restaurant zur Post. I ordered way too much food, (row 3) and my brain forgot how to eat a whole fish, but this was yummy. My first awesome meal on the trip, and my first Gruner Vetliner (see more below)!
A Different Kind of Cool
Austrian temperatures were somewhat cooler toward the end of August, though much warmer than normal. European nights are cooler than North Carolina, so sleeping is still tolerable as long as you're willing to sleep with the window open. And with a view like this, why not?
Well...
I woke up early in the morning, still black as night. I was thinking about closing the window when a black blur flew by. I heard it swooping around. I forced myself to be still, certain the bat would triangulate on my pounding heart. Thankfully, he navigated out of the window, propelling me to get up and shut the window. Cool air or not!
A Day on the Danube
I chose this part of Austria for my pre-tour days because it is one of my favorite wine-growing regions. The Wachau Valley is home to a number of varieties of grapes. My favorite is gruner vetliner, and my local wine shop stocks a small producer, Martin Mittlebach (Tegernsee-
hof ). Unfortunately, his tasting room wasn't open, but my hotelier recommended a few heuriger - taverns where local wine makers serve their wine.
This Friday trip starts on a boat cruising down the Danube (above). I knew enough German to pick up some pieces of the story told over the boat loudspeakers, and the English was a little less colorful. Imagine the river as the medieval superhighway for commerce. Castles (top right) along the river kept an eye on the goods passing by, and liked to levy a tax for the privilege of passing by. Invariably, small skirmishes broke out, sometimes escalating. Today, though, it's a picturesque setting for kayaking, family outing, or a boat cruise on a nice day. (Second row)
I disembarked in Durnstein. It was quiet, filled with flowers and charm, (bottom row, right) but not quite Disney-level. (I consider this a compliment.) The locals said Saturday was busier. I made my way to the other end of town and the path to the castle ruins.
At the bottom of the hill, I joined some travelers from the West Coast of North America. The views got more magnificent as we climbed, and the pause for pictures did our lungs some favors.
I also happened upon a group of Austrians - an extended family out for an excursion. After I took their picture, they insisted on taking mine (row 2, bottom right). I practiced some more German, relearning the word for vacation. Urlaub.
Durnstein's claim to fame is that Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned here for about three months (row 3, row 4 left). The story is retold from the point of view of several key players on the way up the hill. Reading between the lines, it seemed that Richard's own brother assisted his capture, using it for political gain at home. Maybe our politics aren't the worst ever.
At the bottom of the hill, I visited a few heuriger. My stops included a standup barrel table at a tiny hole in the wall, with apricot preserves among its handgemacht goods. At a small restaurant along the main street, I shared a table with some Austrian cyclists. They assured me that I did nothing wrong when ordering mineral water, though the waiter seemed annoyed. They helped me not feel like an awkward American!
For the return to Melk, a little adventure. This transit was difficult to research in advance. My hotel, though, had the bus schedule, and I felt OK trying it. That was until the stop at the east end of town was closed for construction. This info was posted on a sign that I didn't translate until a bus passed and didn't stop. (Thanks Google Translate.)
After a scramble to find the other stop, at the west end of town, it was another hour before the next bus. Silver lining: enough time for another glass of wine!
Melk Abbey
I made a quick tour through the Abbey prior to my excursion to Durnstein. It's pretty impressive what you can finance by selling a book. In this case, it was the Gutenburg bible. No pictures were allowed inside, but if I could capture the smell of the old book room, I would have.
Front of abbey; reflection garden, stone inscription: the more I see, the less I understand; Abbey terrace, and a view from the garden.
