Travelogue 1993 / Episode Ten

Travelogue Deutschland 1993 / Episode Ten

Weltenberg Cloister
The silence of sleep was shattered as a farmer lumbered past the apartment on his clattering old tractor. I could hear Karin as she was busily organizing breakfast for us. Semiconsciousness filled our heads as we took turns in the bathroom getting showered and dressed.

While eating, we discussed plans for the day with Karin, since she had offered to give us a tour of the area and because Andi had to work. Her plans included running a few errands, a visit at an old cloister and a tour of Regensburg.

After breakfast, Martin drove us into Geisling, where Karin took care of her errands. Once on the road to the cloister, I opened my diary and began writing the previous days entry, while Martin and Karin conversed in German.

Soon we arrived outside of the cloister called Weltenburg Kloster and parked the car in a large lot. We walked for about a half mile on a road that followed the Danube river, or Donau, as it is called in Germany.

As we approached, an arched gate stood at the front of the cloister, and through it was what appeared to be a small village of buildings surrounding and open courtyard. Interestingly, the cloister was also known for its Bavarian beer, brewed there since 1609. One section of the courtyard was reserved for drinking Kloster Bier and food offered at the small cafe there. Across from the cafe we walked toward a small gift shop. Inside were all types of souvenirs, from little figurines to paintings. Next to the gift shop was an old church.

We paid a quick visit to the church. Martin opened the heavy wooden doors, and we slipped inside just as a mass was beginning. Admiring the interiors ornately decorated walls and ceilings was difficult because of the dim light. We realized that interrupting the mass could spell trouble, we slipped back outside.

Passing through another archway on the other side of the square, we followed the pathway along the Danube river as it flowed swiftly past the cloister. While strolling along the wall that encircled the complex, I stopped and began to sketch the cloister from a distance.

Tour boat on the Danube
A tour boat sat at the shore end of the cloisters wall, offering rides down the Danube past several points of interest. We decided to take the tour, bought tickets and boarded the tour ship Wilhelm. Once the boat was adequately filled, it pulled away from the shore and began the tour of the Danube.

As the boat passed points of interest, the ships captain delivered his well-rehearsed tidbit of information. Martin and Karin were laughing about something. Being the curious type, I asked what it was, and they mentioned that the tourguide seemed a bit lazy. His voice was extremely monotonous and He would occasionally neglect describing points of interest until we had already floated past them. Nothing like a man who loves his work!

Upon returning, we walked back through the courtyard of the cloister, on the way back to the car. We stopped for a few minutes to watch a small ferry take a Volkswagen bus across the river. The ferry looked like a small barge and was connected to a cable that was strung from one side of the river to the other. Once the vehicle was on the ferry, the gruff old operator untied from the shore and began fording the river. The design was quite ingenious, because it took advantage of the rivers current to push the ferry across. Once on the opposite side, the passenger paid the old man for his service and drove off.

A Tour of Regensburg
Back on the road again, we headed for Regensburg, an old city built on the Danube. Martin parked the car across the river from Regensburg. While crossing one of the bridges over the river, Karin told us about the stone bridge we saw up river, in the distance. It was built in 1100 by the Romans and still looked to be in pretty good shape. Karin also mentioned that in another part of the city stood an ancient roman building and archway, from the same time period. Once in the city, we walked through narrow streets past old shops, buildings, and the roman structure, eventually stopping for a coffee at a small cafe. This particular cafe, located in the shadow of some interesting old buildings, looked like the perfect place for a sketch. Having an opportunity to sit back, relax and draw felt great, after so much driving over the past few days. Andi was due to meet us around four-thirty, near the old Roman bridge.

Leaving our table at the cafe with empty coffee cups, we made our way back to the bridge and met Andi a few moments later. Next to the old bridge was a small outdoor restaurant, that only served sauerkraut and sausages. Finding a table, we all ordered and enjoyed our dinner while we talked about the days events.

Karin had several more errands to complete, leaving us boys to explore the city in detail. As dusk began to settle over Regensburg, the streets became silent, and people that had filled the streets that afternoon, seemed to have all gone home. At the east end of the city we visited a very old church and the palace of a former Earl.

We found an old Catholic cathedrals were very old and ornate. Once inside, we spent some time looking at the ancient paintings and statues in the sanctuary. In this particular cathedral, there were remains of important people in the basement. They were commemorated with large rectangular stones that had each ones name inscribed in the stone.

In one section of town, stood several towers. These were built to look like fortress turrets, by very rich families to display their power and wealth. Several blocks away at the palace of the Earl, we found a beautiful park and walkway behind the palace. Strolling along the pathway, we could see the palace from behind.

Later, back at the river we saw two kayakers fighting against the current flowing between the supports of the old Roman bridge. They were having quite a bit of trouble getting under the bridge. A strong current spun and tipped them both over repeatedly.

It wasnt long before the sun disappeared behind the city of Regensburg,. We were all tired from walking, so we decided to drive back to Geisling and take it easy for the rest of the evening.

At the apartment, we sat around the table, talking and eating chocolate pudding that Karin had made. We didnt stay up quite as late as the previous night, because we were tired out after all of the days travels.

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