3 August 2012

     I have spent 3 nights in Passau and I am now in Vienna.  I did not get a chanced to write while I was in Passau because of other events.  While there I got to see the entire city pretty much.  It is not large at all and it seems to me that it exists as a tourist site because tourists come there.  All the river cruises dock there and then the seniors get off and are toured through the city and then allowed to shop and have lunch.  I have to say that these seniors on these expensive cruises need to start to take a better look in the mirror before they go out and remember how they were raised.  Because I can tell you this, not one of them was raised to parade around a city the way that they do.
     I can not tell you how many seniors I have seen in capri lenght cargo pants, sports sandels and fishing vests, both men and women!  It is terrible.  And please, if you are too feeble to walk on  your own do not sign up for a walking tour through a city.
     Anyway, Passau has some nice buildings to see and going to end of the island where all the rivers meet is a nice walk.  The museum in the new Residenz is a waste.  Going up to the Ober Veste is a fun morning but the exhibits there are not too interesting.  The cathedral is a marvel.  I did go on a walking tour of the city.  You did not need a reservation, just show up at the cathdral at the right time, pay the 4.50 euro and go.  It is in German and I did not see anything that advertised a tour in English.
I ate in some nice places.  The first night I ate at Loungerie.  It is right on the ped-zone and the food was good, the beer was good, the service was good and the price was right.  I had a pork chop that came with a baked potato and grilled vegetables, a side salad and 3 beers.  I think I paid about 22 euro.  I got the waiter to take a picture of me.  The next night I ate right in the middle of Residenz Platz at the Italian place there.  I had a salad, 2 glasses of Lambrusco, my new favorite, and a penne with artichoke dish that was outof this world!  I can not describe how good this dish was.  Again, I think it all cost me about 21 euro.  On night 3 I ate at Kronos, a typical Greek restaurant.
     Over all I would recommend Passau as what it was for me - a stop on the way.  Three nights was plenty and two would probably do.  I stayed at the Hotel Residenz right on the river.  It is a lovely place.  I booked a double room, which always feaks the Germans out.  The people there were very nice and accommodating and the breakfast was included.  For my three nights and 3 beers and an obstler, I paid 293 euro total.  Not bad.  I think Weimar or definitly Bamberg would make for more interesting overnight stops.