lynandmargtravels: Day 16 Melk -Linz

Arriving in Linz some passengers disembarked to do day tours, while we opted to have a rest day on the ship as we cruised to Passau...the scenery as always is wonderful and today was very warm in the thirties...(sorry just had to put that when we hear that you are all so cold!!) the farmers are all busy with harvesting and hay making, it is interesting watching them working every slope they can, no wastage every little but of land grows something..going through the locks and watching how hard the crew work on those ropes is something, tonight there were four ships in the last lock plus we had to wait quite awhile before we could use the lock, the four ships, two were cruise, two were iron ore ones, a busy river...Docking in Passau, it was off the ship and into the usual guided tour, steep narrow paths and the majesty of St Stephans Cathedral, also the height of last years flood really interests us...the people who own the shops/buildings in some areas are not allowed to use the bottom floor now..Passau is a frontier town between Germany & Austria and is known as the town of three rivers. The junction of the Danube, the Inn and the smaller river Itz, also very prominent is the Oberhausen fortress,,the city has a 2000 year old history....sailing all night tonight and tomorrow arrive at Regensburg