As we pass under numerous bridges, the wheelhouse and sundeck awnings are lowered.
The captain sticks his head out of the lowered wheelhouse to steer as we go under the bridge.
All morning we cruised through the Wachau Valley. We recognized a couple of the villages that we had bicycled through a few days earlier while in Vienna.
It was a beautiful day to sit on the sun deck of the river boat and watch the gently rolling hills, almost completely striped with vineyards, pass by.
The villages have a medieval look to them along the picturesque banks of the Danube. We see monasteries, castles ruins and churches as we sail by.
The mild climate, influenced by the river valley, sunny slopes for vineyards, and the special geology mean that excellent wines are produced here.
This was the village where we had lunch on our Bike Tour. We hiked to the castle ruins on the hilltop. It is where Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned in 1193 during his Third Crusade.
In the afternoon we have a guided tour of the 900-year old Melk Abbey. Strategically situated on a steep cliff, Melk Abbey's earliest function was as a Roman border post.
Later it served as a 10th century Babenburg fortress. It became a benedictine monastery in 1089 and earned a distinguished reputation for medieval scholarship.
The abbey was ravaged by fires in 1297 and again in 1683. The stately Baroque edifice that stands today, with its twin towers and 208-foot-high dome dates from its reconstruction in 1736.
The Abbey is presently used as a school with 750 students of ages up to 18 years. There still is an active parish of 7 monks.
High above the grand entry are the Latin words "Glory only in the cross" and a huge copy of the Melk Cross--the original is in the treasury.
The Baroque interior with marble halls and frescoed ceilings.
A sample of the type of relics in the display room.
A coffin with a drop door on the bottom so the coffin could be reused.
This Melk treasure chest holds 14 locks...only one key to open. The lock on the front panel is entirely a dud, the real entry for the key is obscured on the top of the chest.
The library includes more than 70,000 books and 2,000 manuscripts from the 9th through the 15th centuries.
The spiral staircase from the library down to the church.
The Baroque interior of the Abbey's church with its golden high altar. The inscription on the high altar: "NON CORONABITUR NISI LEGITIME CERTAVERIT" - without a legitimate battle there is no victory.
In the middle is the "victory" crown.
The gardens of the Abbey.
Plenty of flowers in the back....
That evening we sailed away....tomorrow we would be in Germany.
To continue reading, scroll toward the top of this page and click in the right-hand column the entry entitled: "Passau, Germany".
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