Frankfurt, Germany

The next day saw us furthering our train trip through Germany, this time heading for Frankfurt.

We arrived fairly early and after finding our hotel (Europa Life), we headed off down the street to the River Main. Our hotel being located on a tram line on a major street and not far from the river, it was a good choice.

A beautiful day, we strolled along the footpath admiring the views, the flowering trees and the local geese. Lots of people out and about, also enjoying the sunny weather. We finished our river walk at the entrance to the old town (Altstadt). We enquired about times for river cruises and found that they weren’t running until later in the season. So we wandered into town to the main square (Romerberg) which wasn’t particularly large but surrounded by an array of what appeared to be old medieval buildings. We soon found out that all we could see had been rebuilt after the destruction of the historic old town during an air raid in 1944. A little bit of souvenir shopping (T-shirts for the grand-kids) and some photos.

Outside the square, we found some churches and museums. We popped into the Church of Old Nicholas (Alde Nikolaikirche) – a relatively small and reflective place and St. Bartholomew Frankfurt Cathredral – with its soaring pillars and high vaulted ceilings (though nowhere near as ornate as others we have seen).

Home again for some take-away from a small restaurant next door that sold Turkish, Persian and Arabic food.

Munich, Germany

Headed out to the fantastical Neuschwanstein Castle, built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria (often known as Mad King Ludwig) between 1868 to 1882. A two hour train journey from Munich to the town of Füssen and then a 10 minute bus ride to the village of Hohenschwangau. A long queue to purchase entrance tickets to the castle. Another local bus up the hill to a coach stop and then another 15 minutes steep walk to the castle gates. On the way, a slight detour takes you to Queen Mary’s Bridge (Marienbrucke Bridge) above Pollat Gorge, where grand views of the castle, with its distinctive turrets and towers can be had. Even after arrival at the gates, there is a rather longish wait with pre-purchased ticket in hand until your guided tour group is called out. The tour lasts about 35 minutes with no loitering or internal photographs allowed. Such a shame to be so hampered after such an ‘ordeal’ to get here. But, to be fair, the tour guides have to cater for up to 6000 visitors/day at the height of the tourist season. Blame it on Walt Disney who used the castle architecture as the foundation for his iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. However, the castle has also served as a backdrop for a number of other films, including ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’.

Despite the rush of the internal tour, the lavishly decorated halls and rooms and furnishings were fascinating. Ludwig had an obsessive fascination for Richard Wagner’s Opera’s and particularly for the legends of Lohengrin, the Swan Knight, the legends of the Holy Grail and the writings of the medieval epic poet, Wolfram von Eschenbach. Many of the large wall paintings and tapestries depict these themes.

After our tour we headed back down the hill with the thought of catching a horse carriage ride down to the village. After waiting for a while to mount what we thought were the last seats on one carriage, the horse driver attempted to crowd another extra two passengers on-board, at which stage we decided the cramped conditions would be too uncomfortable for Joy’s hip, and walked down the hill instead. It turned out to be a pleasant walk down the road and through the woods.

Our castle ticket also gave us a pass to Hohenschwangau Castle on a smaller hill on the other side of the village. This castle, originally called Schwanstein Castle, was where Ludwig grew up under the shadow of what was then the ruins of Vorderhohenschwangau Castle and Hinterhohenschwangau Castle, which were to became Neuschwanstein Castle. A similar sets of rules relate to touring Hohenschwangau Castle and the interior is similarly decorated as Neuschwanstein but depicting a range of medieval knights and their quests. The gardens and surrounds are varied and interesting.

After our castle tours, we bought some take-away lunch and strolled down to the Alpsee Lake on the edge of the village. While watching the dabbling ducks we revelled in the warm sunshine and the snow-capped peaks of the Alps in the background.

The Museum of the Bavarian Kings is near the edge of the lake but we felt we had indulged in enough history today. Arriving back in Füssen, we had time for a short stroll down the main street, looking unsuccessfully for a pair of sandals for Joy, before hurrying back to the station to catch our very crowded train home.

Munich, Germany

A busy day, looking around town, visiting the market and exploring the zoo. During our travels we noticed lots of young people dressed in traditional Dirndl and Lederhosen. After a while we realised that they were celebrating ‘Little Oktoberfest’, the spring equivalent of the famous beer festival.

On the central front tower of the Town Hall is the Rathaus-Glockenspiel – a clock made up of 43 bells and 32 life-size figures – chimes and re-enacts two 16th century stories (one of a marriage and jousting context and the other of couples dancing in the streets), every day at 11 am, 12 pm and 5 pm (the last in the summer only). The end of the show is heralded by the quiet chirping of a small golden rooster above the pageant. The crowds start gathering 15 minutes before each event, with everyone jostling for the best view and camera angles.

The Munich Town Hall (actually the New Town Hall) in Marienplatz is an amazing building, constructed in various sections over 40 years from 1867 to 1905. Inspirations for the designs came from the City Halls in Brussels and Vienna. Parts of the complex is open to visitors, including a lift to an upper balcony for a view across the city. The interior of the building is a maze of courtyards, tiled corridors, carved stairways, stained-glass windows and vaulted ceilings.

The Munich Cathedral (Munchner Dom) or The Church of Our Dear Lady (Frauenkirche) was built from 1468 to 1488. Its twin towers at 98 m tall are the tallest in town because city administration rules limit buildings in the middle of the city to 99 m height. The interior is so big that it was built to accomodate 20,000 standing people, which was remarkable for the time, as the city of Munich only had a population of 13,000.

Munich has lots of churches and we visited a couple during the day. The first was the Asam Church (Church of St Johann Nepomuk) – a Late Baroque building built 1733 to 1746 as a private chapel for the Asam brothers, Eqid Quirin – a sculptor and Cosmos Damian – a painter. The church is only 8 m wide and 22 m deep and sits in a main street between commercial buildings and terrace houses. It could be easily missed as just an elaborate shop front. The interior is incredibly ornate with its walls, columns and balconies covered in mosaics, frescos and statues. Its architecture was designed to have its communicants sitting in the lower, subdued coloured and darker levels (representative of the sufferings of earth), royalty sitting in the middle levels surrounded by the blues and whites of their rank and the brightly lit, ethereal ceiling paintings of heaven and eternity. Like many other European churches it was clearly still in use on a daily basis.

We also visited St Peters Church (also known as Alter Peter – Old Pete) which was bright and white and gold gilded throughout. The original church on the site was destroyed by fire in 1327 and the second church was severely damaged during WWII. With various rebuilding programs, the church is a mixture of Gothic, Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance styles.

The Viktualienmarkt (Victuals Market) in Munich is highlighted by a tall Maypole with figurettes of trades and crafts. Up to 140 colourful stalls selling flowers, meat, cheese, eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables, butter, honey, wine and many other food items. Also craft stalls, where we bought Katie a miniature bird house mobile and an outdoor bird wind chime for her garden.

Our afternoon was spent at the Munich Zoo (Tierpark Hellabrun). Set in 40 ha of lovely and extensive woodland alongside the Isar River. Many of the enclosures are unfenced with only a system of moats to contain the animals, which gives a sense of openness and naturalness. We were met at the gates by a pair of wonderfully carved ibex statues. With almost 770 species, many of rare and endangered animals and with programs of breeding, reintroduction and conservation, it is one of best zoos we have visited. Many families were enjoying the space, little ones being pulled in 4 wheeled trolleys on riding strider bikes or scooters. The space was very child friendly with numerous adventure playgrounds. The main cafe/restaurant was large and centrally located with a great variety of hot and cold foods. Environmentally friendly serving dishes were used throughout the zoo and a deposit system encouraged the return of the reusable coffee cups.

Among the highlights of our visit was seeing the Javan Rhinoceros with their plate-like hides trying to negotiate turns in and out the doors of their house, a Sloth relaxing on a rope ladder above our heads, a Takin with its playful calf, Polar Bears trying to extract fish from a block of ice and a pair of male Lions roaring at a passing plane. Of particular interest to Austin was the herd of Heck Cattle (reconstructed Aurochs).

Back to our digs and on to our local restaurant for dinner. We got chatting to an Australian couple, the husband of whom was a lecturer at Monash University and over for a visit to the Technical University of Munich to look at entrepreneurial projects in engineering. There appears to be lots of philanthropists in Germany, willing to fund ideas with potential future applications – something we sadly lack in Australia.

Munich, Germany

Most of today was taken up with travelling between Prague and Munich. Train most of the way with about an hour’s bus trip through the middle section where rail-track repairs were taking place. The day was sunny and the views of the countryside peaceful. As we neared Munich, we were fascinated to note all the fields being farmed for solar energy.

When we arrived at Munich, Joy turned on her MAPS.ME App. to find the way to our accommodation. The App took us on a zig-zag course through some of the side streets which were a little run down and contained some dubious characters, so we were glad to reach our Hotel. Looking for somewhere to eat, we found a small restaurant nearby with a nice relaxed outdoor seating facility. Enjoying our meals, it wasn’t until the following night that we realised it was a vegan establishment and what I had ordered as a chicken burger was actually a chicken flavoured tofu substitute.

Prague, Czech Republic

Caught the tram around to Queen Anne’s Summer Palace and the Royal Gardens (Kralovska zahrada) this morning. It seems that the locals like to advertise that the way to the castle precinct is up the hundreds of steep steps we came down yesterday, but this was certainly quicker and easier! This site is north of the Prague Castle precinct and the tram takes you right to its gates. The Palace is just a large house which now houses art exhibitions, although it was closed today. However, we spent a great hour or so wandering along the tree shaded paths, admiring the colourful flower-bed displays and small ponds and fountains of this 19th century English modified 18th century Baroque modified 16th century Italian renaissance garden. In 1534, Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg purchased vineyards on which the garden was to be built and originally a bridge over a trench connected it with the Castle. At the opposite end of the gardens from the Palace, we found a large building which was the former residence of the Czech President, but originally a greenhouse. The old orangery was replaced with a new structure towards the end of the 1990’s and in it we found a beautiful orchid display, encouraging tourists to visit Slovenia.

Arriving back at our apartment, we decided to head back up the funicular for a light lunch at the Rose Garden cafe on Petrin Hill. Very crowded and we had to wait for a turn to be seated but a nice spot from which to take in the panoramic view of the old city and surrounds.

Then down to the Vltava, over Charles Bridge and into the Old City. A seeming maze of cobbled streets going in all directions, we eventually found our way to the Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) to see the famed Astronomical Clock. Unfortunately the Clock was undergoing repairs and all we found was a mass of people and someone dressed as a gigantic polar bear, with whom you could pay to have your photo taken. The Square is also the site for the Prague Meridian – a brass strip with plaques either side in Latin and Czech. There was once a Marian Column that cast a shadow along the strip at high noon, from which the citizens could establish the correct time each day from 1652 to 1918. The Church of Our Lady before Týn, with its distinctive twin spires, has been the main church in this part of the city since the 14th century. Unfortunately it was not open for visitors.

The Square is flanked by impressive buildings of various styles and a large statue commemorating Jan Hus and his followers who were persecuted for their part in the Bohemian Reformation, a century before Martin Luther. St. Nicholas Church, off the Square, separated from the Catholic Church after WWI, becoming the Czechoslovac Hussite Church. As well as a typically ornate interior, it contains displays of the history of the Hussites. Hus was burnt at the stake for speaking out against Catholic Church practices, such as the selling of indulgences and church offices. His followers defeated five Papal Crusades launched against them between 1420 and1431, in what has been called the Hussite Wars. Both the Bohemia and Moravia remained dominantly Hussite until The Battle of White Mountain in 1620, when the Hussite army was defeated by Ferdinand II and the German Catholic League. For the next 300 years, the Czech lands were Catholicized under the Habsburg rulers. The statue was unveiled in 1915, 500 years after the martyrdom of Hus but as Czech was under Austrian rule at the time, celebrations were forbidden. Nevertheless, the citizens of Prague covered the statue in flowers. The statue has become a symbol against foreign oppression – during Communist rule, people would quietly sit at the feet of Hus as a silent protest. Today the statue is surrounded by a bed of yellow flowers.

After exploring St. Nicholas Church, we bought a ticket to visit various Jewish buildings and memorials scattered throughout the Old Town.The Jewish quarter made up 25% of Prague’s population prior WWII. However, the Jews of Prague have been much persecuted over the centuries: suffering violent opposition during the Crusades, half their number being murdered in mob riots in 1389, expulsion from the city during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa in 1745, the death of 70,000 people due to Nazi racial extermination programs and 50% of the population fleeing the city under Communist rule to find a new life in Israel.We started our tour at the Maisel Synagogue where we bought our tickets. This was set up as an introductory Museum to the Jewish Quarter and its history. This was followed with a walk through the 350 year old Old Jewish Cemetery with its 12,000 headstones and 100,000 burials – thought to be up to 10 bodies deep in parts. Even more sobering than the number of people buried here, is the fact that Hilter ordered that the cemetery be left untouched as a reminder of the extermination of the Jewish race he had instigated. One light moment was experienced when we spotted a Woodpecker flitting from stone to stone.

Two more synagogues came next. First the Klausen with its displays of objects of Jewish tradition including copies of the Torah and Talmud, ceremonial items for the synagogue and Jewish homes. The Pinkas Synagogue is dedicated to displaying the names of Jews were were deported from Bohemia and Moravia to concentration camps by the Nazis and never came back. The walls are covered in almost 80,000 names, which include their dates of birth and the last known date of existence.

We ended our self-guided tour at the Spanish Synagogue with its stunning gold gilded interior, blue-starred back-drop to the altar, Moorish architecture and wall and ceiling designs. A quiet contemplative space away from the horrors of war. After such a busy afternoon, we found a nice corner street cafe for a cuppa and rest before trudging back home. Back along the river to admire the car-shaped and swan-shaped paddle boats and back across the Legion Bridge with a slight detour down onto the island running under the bridge for a reflective pause. Home again after a very full day.

Prague, Czech Republic

Crossing the busy road from the door of our apartment we admired the flower beds in the gardens opposite. Realising the steepness of the ascent up Petřín Hill, which is 130 m above the the river, we decided to catch the funicular which was close-by and used our local public transport tickets. Alighting at the top of the rail, we walked through the rose garden and past Stefanik’s Observatory, which unfortunately was not open. Despite the impressive panoramic views from its terrace, we decided it was too early to stop for morning tea at the gardens cafe and so continued to make our way towards Petrin Tower, passing the Hunger Wall and St Lawrence Church.

We passed through a gateway in the Wall into an enclosed area containing Petřín Tower – designed to resemble a mini version of the Eiffel Tower, standing at 63.5 m tall. However, in contrast to the Eiffel Tower, this tower has an octagonal, rather than a square, cross-section. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower, it was built in 1891 within four months, for the World’s Jubilee Exhibition. The Tower receives about half a million visitors each year. The two observation platforms are reached up 299 stairs in sections of 13 per flight running around the inside of the Tower. A pair of staircases form a double-helix structure which allows visitors to travel up and down at the same time. We opted for the lift, which was easier on Joy’s hip, even though we had to stand in a queue for a little while. Reaching the observation deck we had magnificent views across Prague in all directions.

The imposing Hunger Wall was built as a fortification of the Lesser City and the Castle between 1360 and 1362 by Charles IV, the King and Emperor of Bohemia. Built of Marl and two metres thick, it was later reinforced by eight observation towers, which no longer exist. Its name was originally Zubata vez (Toothed Tower) but Legend tells that the name was changed to Hunger Wall in 1361 when Prague suffered famine and construction of the wall gave employment to the poor.

Leaving the Tower, we followed the Wall towards the Strahov Monastery which passed through an apple orchard, complete with blossoms and bees, where Austin struck up a short conversation with a French lady on holiday who spoke quite good English. We took the path around the edge of the gardens, which in sections were lined with tall lilac hedges, until we came out to a series of streets which led to the Castle. Along the way we found a small jewellery shop (Czech Garnet) and ducked in to examine some rings suitable as a 40th wedding celebration. After putting an order in, we later decided against it as we were not confident that after the suggested resizing, we would get back the same stone we had chosen.

Arrival at the Castle precinct, we paused for a well-earned cuppa before tackling the maze of building ahead of us. Our tickets showed that different parts of the castle precinct were open on different days of the week. First for us was St. Vitus Cathedral, with its soaring ceilings, multiple stained glass windows and statutory galore.

Now ducking the showers of rain, we moved on to the Old Royal Castle with its series of halls and state rooms and more great views over the city.

After the Castle, we entered a medieval village, complete with display rooms of various occupations, such as apothecaries, blacksmiths, silversmiths etc. tourist shops and finished off with a long attic room of suits of amour. Thankfully the rain had stopped for the long walk home, down endless flights of stairs and ramps until we found the street and caught a tram back to our door. An interesting but very full day.

Prague, Czech Republic

Farewelling Melk, we strolled up towards the railway station and found a park nearby to rest a while, as we had plenty of time before we started our journey to Prague. On the walk we passed a few interesting houses, including Mustervilla, a neo-Gothic design by Carl Ritter von Borkowski (1829-1905) as a model residence in 1893 for houses in the district. And there was Villa Anna, a large double villa with a neo-Romanesque facade built in 1887-88. 

After catching the train back to Vienna we connected with the train to Prague. Although it was a six and half hour trip, the train was very comfortable and relaxing.

On arrival at Prague Railway Station, we found the trams to our apartment. Being a bit confused at one stage, we asked some girls on the street for assistance. Luckily they spoke English and were able to explain how we could tell which direction a tram was heading. The imposing wooden door to our apartment was not what we were expecting and we only realised it was our destination after passing it by a couple of times and even fruitlessly asking the young asian cashier at the corner convenience store if she knew the way. Unfortunately she did not speak English and could not help. Although the building was over 110 years old, the apartment was well equiped, bright and airy with a modern decor (though dubious plumbing). The photographic wall art picture of the city of Hong Kong was surprising! Being located across the road from Petrin Hill and within a short walk to the river, proved to be a real advantage.

After settling in, we went for a stroll down to the river. The Vltva runs through the centre of Prague, dividing the Old City and New City from the Lesser City and Castle. It is a major attraction for tourists, hosting many river cruises and boating rides. Although the river is beautiful, particularly with the light of sunset, we were disappointed to see a lot of graffiti on the buildings and bridge supports along the banks. We walked along the river bank to Charles Bridge (Karlov Most), which was crowded with tourists taking photos, buying trinkets from street vendors and making their way across to the Old City and its many restaurants. We joined the throngs and eventually made it to the other side. After walking down a couple of small alleyways, crowded with small shops, we walked back along the river to the Legion Bridge (Legii Most), nearest our apartment.

Melk, Austria

The next day, we wandered down-town to explore what could be seen. Melk has a population of about 5,250, so is not a major centre. Small cafes and tourist shops are dotted along the main street in the centre of the village. Near to the Cafe where we had dinner last night we found the Town Hall – The Rathaus, after which the main square, Rathausplaz, is named. The Rathaus was built in 1575 and features an elaborate front door of wood and copper. In the centre of the Rathausplaz is the Kolomanbrunnen market fountain with a statue of St. Koloman. Coloman or Colmán of Stockerau was an Irish saint who was mistaken as a spy and hanged on 16 July 1012, while en route through Austria on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The village is dominated by the imposing Melk Abbey which overlooks it from its high rocky position.

On the river-side of town we found The Haus am Stein (‘house at the rock’). This is the oldest building of Melk, having been built during the 15th century. Its facade is covered by a protected ancient vine. Nearby on a wall of the Schiffsmeisterhaus (Ship’s-Master House) are markers denoting high water level marks over time when the Danube flooded. In 1501, it reached 15.8 metres above its usual level (way above the height of our photo).

Melk being quite a small village, we were surprised at the number of people on the streets and many dressed in traditional costume. We soon worked out that a music festival was under way. This event was just a fore-runner to a major music festival coming up to celebrate Mozart’s birthday and was a practice-run, so-to-speak. As we made our way around the streets and buildings, different musicians had set up a variety of ensembles, solo acts, organ recitals and even dance classes. Great fun and lots of stalls for finding things to eat. We just had to try the gelati sundae. Joy made friends with a black pug who was also doing the rounds of the square – maybe looking for gelati as well.

As part of the festival, an organ recital was held in the village church. Very dark and cool inside and only a handful of people, but the organ was rich and melodious.

Inside the Church was a newly leafing tree branch from which beautifully painted eggs were hung. This is a very old Central and Eastern European Easter tradition. While some of the most intricately painted eggs are produced in countries such as Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech and Slovakia, the simpler designs of Austria and Germany are just as appealing. The fresh eggs are blown and dried and different techniques used to apply the decoration. The most elaborate designs are created by applying various layers of wax designs to the uncoloured egg and progressively dying and melting the wax off, others use completely dyed eggs followed by a design scratched through to the original surface with a needle while these we saw, appear to be simply (but talented) hand brushed examples.

In the afternoon, we went for a walk across the bridge and through the lovely spring-green woods to the Danube river-side. Of course Joy found another pug – this time an old fawn male by the name of Boris, who wasn’t particularly interested in saying hello but was more keen on investigating the smells around about. All the area between the two rivers are woodland with various pathways winding through them with occasional piles of cut and curing logs. At the Danube we found a series of small piers, either made from disused boats or made in the style of boats – difficult to tell which. We sat on a bench on the river-side for a while to enjoy the scenery and tranquility and wave to the occasional cyclist racing by.

Back to town and we made the longish climb to the Benedictine Abbey, now a prestigious private school. This impressive series of buildings, some open to tourists, dominate the whole of the village. The Abbey can be seen from almost everywhere and during the Middle Ages, the towns-people felt its oppression, not least because the Abbot somewhat lorded it over the lowly villagers and the villagers resented the payments required to the Abbey (or so we were told). Although we could look inside some the main rooms of the Abbey, we would have liked to walk around the Abbey Gardens, but unfortunately they were not open that day. The Abbey also houses a number of museums and galleries, but only a few were open. A very long spiral stairway (Imperial Staircase) with a mirror at its base, and a painted ceiling in the Marble Hall were of particular interest but the crowds of visitors made stopping for photography a little difficult. However, the view from the balcony was stunning.

After a long and busy day, we headed back home for some take-away pizza, only to find that the manager of the pizzeria was the owner of Boris the pug we had met in the woods, earlier in the day.

Melk, Austria

We left Vienna by train this morning for the village of Melk, a beautiful little village on the Danube overlooked by the impressive Melk Abbey. Walking down the steep paths into the shopping area, we found our small but spotless Pension, popular with cyclists who ride the scenic paths on the banks of the Danube. After having a bite of lunch in a street cafe, we caught a boat cruise up the Danube to the town of Krems then returned by bus back to the village of Durstein in the Wachau Valley and further on, back to Melk. The river trip was most enjoyable with a clear sunny day and the spotting of ruins of castles and fortresses along route. Krems was just a typical small town and we didn’t find anything of particular interest apart from a disgruntled local complaining about local politics, and clearly believing that the grass was greener anywhere other than where he lived. We went in search of the bus to Durstein and after a fairly long walk, we found the bus we needed and soon afterward realised that the same bus stopped in town, where we had just been.

The beautiful little village of Durstein is overlooked by the ruins of Durstein Castle and fronted on the river by the beautiful blue and white tower of Durstein Abbey Church. Durstein Castle was used as a prison in 1192 for King Richard I (the Lionheart) of England by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, due to a dispute between the two leaders during the 3rd Crusade (Richard had cast Leopold’s Standard down from the walls of Acre and Leopold suspected Richard for the murder of his cousin in Jerusalem). Leopold was excommunicated by the Pope and Richard was handed over to Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, to continue his imprisonment at Trifels Castle in south-west Germany. It was getting late in the afternoon by the time we arrived in town and all the shops were closed. However, we were fortunate to be able to sit down on the balcony restaurant of the Relais and Chateaux Hotel overlooking the river for some tea and sacher torte – decadent but very nice. After our high tea, we hurried down to the Abbey to find it had actually just closed but the lovely lady on reception let us in to have a quick look around. Even better, when we found we didn’t have enough cash for the entrance fee, she let us in for nothing. A rapid race around the history of the Augustinian monks and into the church and tower for lovely views across the Danube.

A very ornate little church. One of the prettiest we have seen. Children’s craft work on the altar rail once again suggests that these beautiful churches in Austria are still actively used and loved by the local community. The elaborate interior, as is common to most European churches of any age, was stunning. The following information is taken from the website for the site. “The Abbey Church, which has also been the parish church since 1745, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary’s assumption into Heaven. Parts of the original gothic church were reused in the renovations of 1721–1724. Many artists and craftsmen participated in the architectural and interior decoration of the church. Santino Bussi, Antonio Beduzzi and Carl Haringer are among those named in the Provost’s notes. The sculptures were designed by Johann Schmidt, father of the famous Austrian baroque painter Martin Johann Schmidt (‘Kremser Schmidt’). ‘Kremser Schmidt’ himself also carried out work at the Abbey. The side chapels contain two of his paintings. One unique feature is the fully rotatable tabernacle of the high altar, in the form of a globe decorated with 44 scenes from the life of Jesus. The Abbey organ was built in 1724. It is a South German baroque organ with over 800 pipes, and it is still in its original condition.”

Another great feature of the church is the balcony overlooking the river. A serene and picturesque view. Not a bad place to be a monk, one would think. The Augustinians followed the Rule of Augustine, the essence of which is to value community life over seeking for oneself with the expectation that members share what they have, and only receive as much as they need. Communal work for the common good and care of the sick are of particular importance in the community.

Catching the bus again back to Melk, we passed numbers of tourists making the journey along the river road on bicycles – a nice thing to do if you have the time, we thought. Dinner in Melk at a sidewalk restaurant, under a clear crescent-moon and starry sky – idyllic.

Vienna, Austria

While Austin revisited the herbarium to finish what he had started the day before, Joy had her morning coffee at the Thalia Bookshop on Mariahilfer Strabe, where she face-timed Anna and Isla. One surprising thing in this book shop is encountering customers escorted by their four legged friends on leads, quietly shopping the aisles. From the cafe window, Joy also noticed that it was common to see dogs riding in carriers attached to the back of bicycles – the type we more commonly see toddlers traveling in. In the afternoon, and despite a sore knee and badly blistered toe, she decided to use the Vienna Pass once again to visit Schönbrunn Palace. Upon arrival, she caught the Schönbrunner Panarama Bahn (little tourist train) to the Gloriette for a refreshing iced tea and to enjoy the panoramic views from the balcony. Unfortunately, some garden beds were still under construction for the season, but there was still a splash of colour.

A Gloriette or Little Room is the name given to a small building in a garden elevated above the surroundings. The original version was built in 1775 as a “temple of renown” to be used as a dining room, festival hall and breakfast room for Franz Joseph I. It was destroyed during WWII but was rebuilt in 1947 and again in 1957. Today, it is a favourite venue for tourists visiting the Palace and provides wonderful views across the whole of the gardens and beyond.

In the late afternoon, we met in the city and wandered around looking at some the buildings of the Hofburg Palace. We found a few of the horses looking out of their stalls at the Spanish Stables but performances has ended for the day. We grabbed a bite to eat in a small cafe, near the venue for our evening orchestral concert and ballet performance, off Josefsplatz. More intimate and less fancy than the concert we attended last time we were here, but nevertheless charming and enjoyable.