Melk, Wachau and Krems

Melk and Wachau and Krems :

Woke and we might just see a sunrise. 

We soon docked in Melk and were bussed to the Melk Abbey. This a Benedictine Abbey where we were provided a tour of this magnificent Baroque structure. As history would have it, the abbey in the 11th century was a fortified abbey.  We must remember in those days the church and state were not separated. The spires reach high above the abbey and the interior is extravagant. The sculptures, art works, court yards, frescos, and the magnificent chapel, leave one in awe. Most striking to me was the  library, containing many olds works. Many of these works  were hand written and illustrated. The oldest book in the library is 1200 years old. 

 This is stiff an active Benedictine monastery and products made by the monks are available for sale. This area is rich in apricots and we bought some jam and honey, and an apricot liquor. 

From the abbey we walked the cobbled streets of Melk as we returned to our ship. 

We soon departed to sail the Wachau Valley. This section of the Danube is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its beauty.  The weather turned a bit nasty with a bit of snow and cold. Several hardy souls braved the weather and eventually it cleared a bit. 

We soon Docked in Krems. Here we took a shuttle to the old town area. We walked about the old town area and had a Doner Kabob and a great cheese pastry. In stead of waiting for the shuttle back to the ship  we walked back to our ship. 

It was a good day even with the nasty weather, it is all good. 

Vienna tomorrow and a Christmas market will be open.