Regensburg, Germany
Light fog shrouded the river, softening the colors of the autumn leaves on the hills lining the Danube. In the early hours of the morning, the River Cloud docked at the small Bavarian town of Vilshofen. One group of passengers left by bus to attend Sunday morning mass in the medieval city of Regensburg, at the towering Gothic cathedral. The cathedral is famous for its carved stone portal, stained glass windows, and the heavenly voices of the Domspatzen Choir, the Regensburg boys’ choir known as “The Singing Sparrows,” the oldest boys’ choir in the world.
Some of our group stayed nearer the boat, visiting a local street festival in nearby Vilshofen. Another group remained on board for a leisurely Sunday breakfast followed by a lecture on “The European Union” by David Barnes. Late that morning we traveled by bus through the pastoral German countryside to Regensburg, while listening to another lecture by David Barnes on “The Holy Roman Empire.” In Regensburg we joined the “early bird group” for a Bavarian lunch buffet at the Castle Café Thurn und Taxis, featuring several traditional foods including Weisswurst (white sausage) and beer from the Thurn und Taxis brewery.
Following lunch, we went on a guided tour of the impressive Thurn und Taxis Palace, a former Benedictine monastery that later became the residence of the Thurn und Taxis family, whose wealth derived from their monopoly on the postal service and imperial communications of the Habsburg Empire in Central Europe. We all marveled at the sumptuously decorated rooms encrusted with gold and silver leaf, their walls hung with tapestries and the finery reflected in massive mirrors.
During the remainder of the afternoon, many of us wandered through the narrow cobblestone streets of Regensburg. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that today was a special festival day in the city, with food and craft stalls set up in several of the squares and many shops open for business. Some of us ended up at the Steinerne Brucke, the beautiful 12th-century stone bridge spanning the Danube. There, we stopped for sausages and beer at the historic Wurstkuche, reputed to be the oldest sausage restaurant in the world (the spicy little pork links are still made on the premises).
Our last day aboard the River Cloud ended with the Captain’s champagne-and-cocktail hour in the lounge, followed by a gala Farewell Dinner cooked by chef Ringo Karsch and his staff. After dining on so much fine food on the River Cloud for a week, we all understood the joke told by one of the crew: “We welcome you on board as guests—and say goodbye to you as ballast.”
Light fog shrouded the river, softening the colors of the autumn leaves on the hills lining the Danube. In the early hours of the morning, the River Cloud docked at the small Bavarian town of Vilshofen. One group of passengers left by bus to attend Sunday morning mass in the medieval city of Regensburg, at the towering Gothic cathedral. The cathedral is famous for its carved stone portal, stained glass windows, and the heavenly voices of the Domspatzen Choir, the Regensburg boys’ choir known as “The Singing Sparrows,” the oldest boys’ choir in the world.
Some of our group stayed nearer the boat, visiting a local street festival in nearby Vilshofen. Another group remained on board for a leisurely Sunday breakfast followed by a lecture on “The European Union” by David Barnes. Late that morning we traveled by bus through the pastoral German countryside to Regensburg, while listening to another lecture by David Barnes on “The Holy Roman Empire.” In Regensburg we joined the “early bird group” for a Bavarian lunch buffet at the Castle Café Thurn und Taxis, featuring several traditional foods including Weisswurst (white sausage) and beer from the Thurn und Taxis brewery.
Following lunch, we went on a guided tour of the impressive Thurn und Taxis Palace, a former Benedictine monastery that later became the residence of the Thurn und Taxis family, whose wealth derived from their monopoly on the postal service and imperial communications of the Habsburg Empire in Central Europe. We all marveled at the sumptuously decorated rooms encrusted with gold and silver leaf, their walls hung with tapestries and the finery reflected in massive mirrors.
During the remainder of the afternoon, many of us wandered through the narrow cobblestone streets of Regensburg. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that today was a special festival day in the city, with food and craft stalls set up in several of the squares and many shops open for business. Some of us ended up at the Steinerne Brucke, the beautiful 12th-century stone bridge spanning the Danube. There, we stopped for sausages and beer at the historic Wurstkuche, reputed to be the oldest sausage restaurant in the world (the spicy little pork links are still made on the premises).
Our last day aboard the River Cloud ended with the Captain’s champagne-and-cocktail hour in the lounge, followed by a gala Farewell Dinner cooked by chef Ringo Karsch and his staff. After dining on so much fine food on the River Cloud for a week, we all understood the joke told by one of the crew: “We welcome you on board as guests—and say goodbye to you as ballast.”
