Sunday August 29th 2010 – Passion Play

Weather wise – we had a mixed day – lots of warm sun, but also lots of clouds. The temperature a cool 16 C. Most had a good sleep and were up and at breakfast to get an early start to the day. A number wandered around the town taking in all the sights, sounds and shopping of this delightful Bavarian town.
One of the options was a visit to the Oberammergau Museum with a wonderful collection of carvings depicting numerous biblical scenes, and a whole display on toy soldiers. There were also some amazing carvings in walnuts and a pomegranate. We also admired this very large red angel costume from a performance sometime in the past.


It is understood that some might have taken advantage of the pool and fitness facilities in the hotel.
After lunch we made our way to the Theatre for the first part of the Passion Play which runs from 2:30 to 5 PM. It was not as cool in the theatre as we expected, so most dressed were a bit overdressed for the temperature, and we took blankets and pillows available from the hotel, or the theatre.
After the first part we made our way back to the hotel for a delightful dinner. We had planned to have a short service, but with that many people in the restaurant at one time – even with efficient service, we were unable to fit in the time and still allow us lots of time to get to the theatre.
Then we were back to the Theatre for the start of the second part of the Play. The sky had clouded over by the time we arrived for the second half, so they had opened the retractable roof covering the front of the stage. It was much cooler, so we were grateful for the layers of clothing. There are no pictures allowed in the Theatre, but some of the comments from our guests include: Spectacular: Very moving: Interesting Interpretation: Fabulous singers: Wonderful Orchestra.
“Deep profound and excellently well done!”
Tomorrow morning we head home and look forward to greeting family and friends.
This is the last post for this adventure - keep watching for some new adventures in the future. Signing off Barbara and Harry.

Saturday August 28th, 2010 – Nuremberg-Oberammergau

We are back on line - here in Oberammergau - the WIFI on the ship was so unpredictable that we were unable to upload any of our blogs - but here - WIFI is fabulous! 4 days uploaded in one day!! Thanks for everyone following!

Once more we awoke to cloudy skies and a cool breeze. Our guide Fred Blum met us around 8 AM and after saying good bye to the crew of the Viking Danube, we were on our way by 8:30 to Munich. We drove on the Autobahn, but unlike the cars, we kept our speed to a reasonable kph. As we drove towards Munich we took note of the fields of Hops and the lovely green meadows. Just before we arrived in Munich we took a short side trip to the Nymphenburg Palace which was built as the summer residence of the Bavarian kings and dukes. Fred played a game with us in which we were to keep our eyes closed until we could see the entire spectacle of the palace. It is a patchwork of palaces added at different times, and is quite spectacular if not beautiful. The grounds are well kept, and we really enjoyed the fountains and the swans gracing the ponds.
Next we were back on the road to Munich, but before we arrived we were treated to a view of the 1972 Olympic stadium, and the BMW headquarters. Once in the center of Munich, we were dropped off at the Opera House. We then walked to the town square, taking time to take pictures of the magnificent new Town Hall. We wandered around the square, some did a bit of shopping in the department store, but we all met in front of the town hall to watch the 12 noon performance of the Rathaus-Glockenspiel. After the 10 minutes performance most of us wandered off to the market – a great place, then made our way back to the bus, a number of us stopping at the ‘exclusive grocery store’ along the way, or the local Starbucks. We could also have stopped at any of the exclusive clothing shops along the way, but most resisted the temptation.
We were then back on the bus to enjoy the rest of the trip to Oberammergau along the ‘Romantic Road’, but Fred had another surprise in store for us. Because we had managed our time so well, we were able to make a stop at the WeissKirche, a beautiful church from the period around the time of the reformation. It has a very simple design on the outside, but is fabulously beautiful inside. All enjoyed the extra stop.
Then we were on our way to Oberammergau, arriving just a short time later. While in town, Fred pointed out the kindergarten – which will be worth a few pictures tomorrow. After checking into our hotel we went on a brief walk-about to get oriented to the village and the way to the theatre.
Supper was a delightful dinner at 7:30, then we got together to finish the left-over wine and celebrate our ‘secret pals’. We had a really great time exchanging gifts and memories, then off to bed to rest up for the big day tomorrow.

Friday August 27th, 2010 – Nuremberg

We were awakened early by a very noisy lock – this on our last full day aboard. We noted that this morning’s locks took us lower rather than higher as was happening yesterday. We arrived in Nuremberg right on time at 8 AM and then headed off for a day’s sightseeing in Nuremberg in the rain at 9 AM. Four members of our group had decided to take the optional WWII Tour, so headed off a little earlier.
As Nuremberg was the centre of the Nazi Party in the late 30’s, our guide gave us some pertinent information about the party, their rally’s and the Congressional Hall and Documentation Centre which was never completed. This building was built on very marshy ground, and as a result has a huge number of pilings to keep it from sinking. The location was chosen for two reasons, there was unused space, but more important the building would be reflected in the nearby lake – thus adding to the propaganda effect. The building was similar to the coliseum in that it is round, with granite walls on the outside and what was to be marble on the inside. We were able to drive around but not stop inside the structure. This structure was only one of several structures planned by Hitler to confirm the massiveness of the party in comparison to the individual. The congressional hall is the only building to remain standing as a warning to future generations.
The next site was this beautiful cemetery filled with roses and very uniform tomb stones – to represent the equality of all in death.
The focus of the balance of our tour through Nuremberg was the middle ages, and the structures and part of the city that was build during that period of time. Most of the homes are – what is called – half timber houses, which means that they have a stone base, and the balance of the house is made of wood. Much of the Old Town was destroyed during WWII, but has been faithfully rebuilt to its former appearance.
Once we left the bus we ventured into the Imperial Palace which has been completely rebuilt. We were told about the careful construction that was designed to ward of any attacks from neighbouring enemies.
We then ventured down the cobble stone roadway into the Market square with the Church of Our Lady on one side of the market. We all had to watch the clockwork on the facade of the church at noon. We were also encouraged to turn the golden ring on the “Beautiful Fountain”, and to make a wish while doing this!
We also noted that a number of us purchased one or two souvenirs, including some of the wonderful home made gingerbread.
Then back to our ship for lunch and to catch up with the rest of the group. This afternoon was a time for relaxation and to have a bit of fun with the Pete Seeger song in the Library. We shared this with the rest of the ship at the briefing at 6:45. At supper we celebrated the 50th Wedding Invitation for John and Lois. The ship provided the Champagne to toast the fabulous couple, and Earl wrote a Limerick for the occasion.
This evening will include a German Folk Festival for all who can stay up. It was really a lot of fun, and the musician was wonderfully talented and had a great deal of fun as well.

Then we are off to bed and rest up for tomorrow as we disembark and meet with our new guide Fred Blum at 8:15 AM for our tour of Munich on the way to Oberammergau.

Wednesday August 25th, 2010 - Passau

This morning arrived with a beautiful blue sky and comfortable temperatures. We arrived in the city of Passau which is located at the junction of three rivers, the Danube, the Inn and the ILZ. This results in an environment that is subject to flooding which is graphically displayed on the walls of several buildings including this scale which shows the height of various years. Prior to disembarking the ship for our walking tours we had a very interesting session on the European Union given by a guest speaker (who later led one of the tour groups.)
Our tour this morning was simply by foot. The majority of the group were with Bridgette who gave us a wonderful commentary of the sights and landmarks of this very old city. Some of our members took a more leisurely tour which involved a little less up and down, a little less standing and a little slower pace. We all got to spend time in St Stephen’s Cathedral and later to enjoy the magnificent organ recital. The organ in St. Stephen’s is actually 5 different organs connected by electronics to enable it to be played by one central player in the back balcony of the church. The organist was Dr. Hors Buchholz from Cleveland Ohio. The recital was to say the least absolutely amazing. The sound that came from those 27,974 pipes was wonderful, and could be felt deep inside ones chest. The concert lasted only 30 minutes, but there was complete silence in the cathedral during the recital, and the artist was met with thundering applause at the completion of the performance.
At the end of the concert most of us returned to the ship (only 10 minutes away) for a light lunch, then we were off on our own to explore Passau. This delightful town met all of our expectations for shopping and general sightseeing. We were also able to get a bit of exercise by walking around the town, to explore the connection point between the three rivers, and explore some of the many shops and museums, or just spend a quiet afternoon on the ship.
This evening we had an International Dinner with dishes from China, Egypt, Russia, Austria and several other countries served by Viking Tours. After our great dinner we rushed up to the presentation on the Viking tours which was ably introduced by our own (Liar) Lila!.
Now back for a quiet evening to prepare for Thursdays adventures.