2016/05 Europe cruise - Krems |
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The Wachau Valley gave us views of yet more castles and churches. [Accidentally omitted from letter: We passed these ruins of the castle 
at Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned on his way home from the Crusades. We also saw a monument to Blondel the minstrel, who according to legend found him by recognizing the King's singing voice. This seems an unlikely story as the King was being held for ransom and there was no secret about where he was. ]
Occupying one of the hilltops further downstream is Göttweig Abbey, another Benedictine monastery, also still in use.
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Wachau Valley |
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I was up on the sundeck when we approached Krems and its low bridge. The captain’s bridge retracted into the deck and we were warned to keep low, but I think everyone shorter than eight feet tall was OK. We stopped in Krems for a few hours and most of us took the shuttle bus into town to look around. 
We walked through this town gate to the shopping street and found interesting lanes leading up the hill and then a covered 
stairway that went up to the Piarist church. The Piarists are an educational order, still teaching youth and children around the world. By this time we were pretty much churched out but it was nice to be able to look around without a crowd.
Outside, the church was decorated with dioramas. Inside we were again surprised, this time that this small town would have so elaborate a church interior, with its golden altars.
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Krems |
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Krems train (0.05) |
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We didn’t bother with the bus or the tourist train and we walked back to the boat through the town’s parks and the little village of Stein.
We had an Austrian evening with a small band and the staff in lederhosen and dirndls. And the obligatory servings of wiener schnitzel and schnapps. That’s Frank, the hotel manager, with Sandie. We took off later that evening towards Vienna.