Eurotrip2011: Day 9

Landkreis Straubing-Bogen

Our hosts arranged a day trip to the delightful town of Passau for today's adventure. They were particularly keen to show us the world's largest church organ in the city's cathedral. A short public concert is played daily on this imposing instrument and I highly recommend attending - the powerful, foreboding tones really send chills down the spine.

Following the concert, we all met with a friend of the family, a local of Passau, who walked us along the Danube River, pointing out sites of historic and/or cultural significance.

We found ourselves hungry and outside a restaurant overlooking the Danube - the perfect opportunity for lunch. I enjoyed a fresh asparagus salad and came across a fantastic Austrian beverage - the "Almdudler" (okay, I have to confess that I really like its name too!) - a carbonated grape and apple juice made fragrant with various herbs. What an absolute gem of a drink!

Sadly, my beloved's ever-sensitive stomach reared its ugly head just before lunch was served and, after the rest of us had finished our meal, we decided to head home rather than exploring Passau further, as initially planned. Once home, we allowed him to rest and got stuck into yet more food - this time, a traditional Bavarian dinner - a meat roll filled with grated carrot, pickled cucumbers and mustard in a sour cream sauce. Lecker!


As the glow of the television replaced that of the sun, we all settled in for a relaxing evening. "Who wants to be a millionaire" featured on the idiot box - yet another show that is perfect for ameliorating my German skills. Turns out I'm not too bad at the German questions either...after a couple of glasses of prosecco, of course!