A DAY IN MEDIEVAL REGENSBURG, GERMANY

This is a multi-part series about our Danube River Cruise.

Guten tag!  I've got no use for the snooze button today; in fact, I'm out of bed before the alarm goes off. I'm never this chipper at 6:30am, but when the day promises an adventure in a new locale, I spring out of bed like I'm on a trampoline. Yup, I did a double back flip off the side of the bed, and landed squarely on two feet right into my clothes! 

Although I'd love to have another day in Prague, I'm excited that we are headed to the medieval town of Regensburg in Germany's Bavarian region. Regensburg is a Unesco World Heritage site, and has the distinction of being the oldest town on the Danube River. In the early evening, we'll be boarding our ship to begin the river cruise portion of our journey. We've got a big day ahead, so I better fortify myself with an extra chocolate croissant at breakfast.

Mr. Goo Shoes and I double and triple check that we've left nothing in the hotel room. A nice perk of traveling with a tour group is that we don't need to schlep our own luggage. We simply leave it inside our room for pick-up, and take what we need for the day in a small carry-on bag.

It's going to be a 3 1/2 hour bus ride from Prague to Regensburg. I don't mind, just give me that countryside! The city fades away, and before long, the land's spreading out so far and wide.........but hold on........these aren't green acres, they're yellow! Endless fields of golden flowers decorate the landscape..........what are they? Canola fields, says the tour guide. Aahh, that's where my oil comes from. Good to know.

I'm worrying that the snap-snap-snap of my camera every few minutes may be annoying to my fellow passengers, but that problem is soon solved by a chatty group in the back of the bus. My shutter button is no match for their un-shuttered mouths, and I am grateful to them. I continue clicking away through the window.

The views outside the bus are entertaining, but when our guide says we are in for some unexpected traffic that will delay our arrival to Regensburg, I'm suddenly impatient with the scenery.  

Are we there yet??????? 

It's almost 1:00pm by the time we arrive.......an hour late. We were supposed to have a couple of hours for lunch and shopping, but the traffic delay has cut into our free time prior to the walking tour.  

In order to get to the Old Town of  Regensburg, it's a short walk across the Old Stone Bridge, a pedestrian traverse which was built between 1135 -1146. For 800-ish years, it was the only bridge across the Danube River. Apparently, the old stone bridge, she ain't what she used to be.........she's having a facelift and undergoing repairs. No matter........the scenery ahead is what counts.

I've done my research and know exactly where I want to eat lunch. Our friends opt for a cafe just over the bridge, but Mr. Goo Shoes and I head to Historische Wurstkuchl, aka, the Historic Sausage Kitchen. And by historic, we're talking about 500 years of making bratwurst. It's supposed to be the oldest working restaurant in the world.

In the interest of time, we order at the takeout window. Two sausage sandwiches with the sweet mustard they are equally famous for, and one with sauerkraut for me. We sit outside, on the banks of the Danube. Now this is my kind of dining!

As soon as we finish, I'd like another, but fortuitously, we save room for dessert. Just around the corner, we find Strudelei, a Bavarian-Austrian bakery serving homemade strudel. Mr. GS chooses apple; I opt for cheese, and we both say, "Yes, please" to the warm vanilla sauce. Oh, this is delish! Lunch has been a home run!

We meet up with our friends and stroll around for a bit before our walking tour starts. We are to gather at Regensburger, which contrary to my initial thought is not a fast food joint; 
it is the huge cathedral (aka Regensburg St. Peters) which we saw from the bridge as we walked into town. It's not hard to find our way there, as the spires can be seen from pretty much everywhere. 

To be truthful, Mr. GS and I have mixed feelings about being in Germany. It's hard not to think about Hitler's Germany, under which millions of Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. My thoughts turn serious, as I remember a blog post written by my Rabbi after a visit to Munich. She wrote about her conflicted feelings, ultimately reconciling them by accepting that this current generation should not be judged by past sins of previous generations; that the alternative of having all of Europe be a silent, sacred burial ground is not desirable. And, honestly, she asks, where in this world could one walk where there are not stories of suffering to be told? Yet, we must never, never forget.

With her thoughts in my head, we set off to explore this medieval city as it is today. I don't feel guilty enjoying Resgensburg. The pedestrian-free old town is a feast for the eyes; colorful and vibrant! There are picturesque narrow streets and bustling squares, filled with people enjoying the early arrival of summer weather at outdoor cafes. We are lucky to see this city in all its warm-weather glory. I wish we had time to sit at a cafe and just soak in the atmosphere.

Our guide mentions that is is quite affordable to live in Regensburg. I know that look in Mr GS' eyes........He's ready to sign on the dotted line when he hears how relatively inexpensive it is to rent a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment in the center of town. "We could rent for a year, and use it as a base to tour all of Europe."  He knows that saying this to me is like offering catnip to a cat, so I know he's serious, at least in the moment. For insurance purposes, though, I should probably record him, and play it back when he says, "I never said that."

Even I think an entire year is unrealistic........ maybe three months would be better. Regardless, I am tempted to jump in with both feet, and will google airbnd when we get home........just to have a little look-see. We're certainly not ready to do this anytime soon.  The fact that Regensburg is dead-center in Europe and is close to a train station ups the ante. But live in Germany? I know we have friends and family that would raise their collective eyebrows. I figure we'll tweeze those brows when we get to them.

As if she can read the bit of unease in our minds, our guide notes that there are about 1000 Jews living in Regensburg today.........yes, a tiny percentage of the overall population of 150,000-ish, but still. In fact, the city is trying to raise funds to build a synagogue. If we ever do rent here, I vow to support them.

It's mind-boggling to learn that Regensburg's history spans some 2000 years. Antiquities are visible around every corner, such as the narrow ancient towers looming over shorter buildings, which, interestingly, served no real purpose when they were built other than to announce the owner's status.  

I'm a little frustrated that we move through so quickly. Being on a tour means that you can't linger and take pictures. There's a lot of snapping on the go.......no time to stop for that perfect shot. I'm hoping to get lucky with a few. 

We end our walking tour in a peaceful, green square behind the Bischofshof Hotel. It would be great to quench our thirst with an ice cold brew in the beautiful Biergarten. Never mind that I'm not crazy about beer, but when in Germany..........

It's time to make our way back to the bus. Walking over the bridge, we note the beauty of the town we had our backs to on the way in.  Stadtamhof is pretty as a postcard, and it would be lovely to have time to wander around, but we are on a tight schedule. It's time to make our way to our floating hotel!

Stadtamhof, Germany

Stadtamhof, Germany

As we ride through the countryside for two hours, my German appetite is whet. I want to see more, but I have to be content with what I'm seeing through the bus window. As we ride through the charming town of Passau, it's tempting to get off the bus. Could we Uber to the ship?

Passau, Germany

Passau, Germany

I don't know it now, but the ship will come back to Passau later this evening where it will dock overnight.  When we're back in NJ and I re-read some of the materials we got on the cruise, I'lI realize we could have gotten off the ship and walked around Passau. Sadly, an opportunity missed. 

Passau, Germany

Our river boat, the MS Joy is in sight. The excitement of this being our home for the next week is building. Walking across the gangplank, we've all got huge smiles on our faces. We are greeted with cold towels, and glasses of champagne. So far, so good! After settling into our cabins, we meet our friends in the lounge and toast the week ahead.

Tomorrow we will be in Austria! 

To be continued......... 

This is a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise. 

Read 10 Things To Know About River Cruising here.  
Read Our First Day In Prague here.

Read Day 2 In Prague here.
Read Day 3 In Prague here. 

Read Picturesque Towns of Austria Part 1 : Engelhartszell here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 2: Salzburg here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 3: Durnstein here.
Read Scenery Of The Wachau Valley here. 
Read Vienna: Exploring The Old Town here.
 Read Bratislava: Slovakia's Charming Capital here.
Read Budapest: The Pearl of the Danube River here.

Resources:

Historische Wurstkuchl (Historic Sausage Kitchen)
Strudelei
Tauck River Cruises

Linking With: 
Best Of The Weekend 
Our World Tuesday 
Take Me Away