Göttweig Abbey & Wachau Valley Scenic Sailing

 December 19:  Day 5

Today was a much more leisurely day, but it was activity filled.  When I first got up and left the room our room attendant said, "It's a beautiful sunrise" so I went on top and took this photo above and the one below of the local parish church.  We had a later start today, as we left at 9:30 for the Gottweig Abbey which was a short drive away.

The Gottweig Abbey

Once we arrived, as we got off the bus our program Director announced, "Does anyone know what time it is.....It's WINE o'clock!"  And so as we first entered the abbey we were given a small glass of their locally produced wine to enjoy while watching a ten minute video about the history of the abbey, hosted by Viking CEO and "my good friend" Karien Hagen (because you may recall I chatted with here after filming my first Viking TV video!).  We then went outside and met our guide who gave us an hour long tour of the grounds, the church, the chapel, and the imperial staircase.  We concluded the visit with another wine tasting - of three locally produced wines - and then had free time to kill until the busses arrived.

"Wine O'Clock" - it's how you start the day in Europe!

Scenic overview from the abbey grounds

The Church

The interior of the church

The crypt - where the monks say their evening prayers

The chapel - oldest building on the grounds, built in 1070

The Imperial Stair Case looking up

The Imperial Staircase from the top.  NOTE:  All the paint is the original and has NOT had to be refurbished since the 1700's!

More wine tasting :) - it IS close to noon now

Shooting my video recap - look how the fog has settled in :O

Wachau Valley Scenic Sailing

We arrived back at the ship very shortly before lunch and Khloe and I ate with a couple we've talked with several times who are from Orlando.  I got a chance to talk to my sweet wife who's still bravely working through recovery of her double knee surgery, and shortly there after we arrived at the start of the scenic Wachau Valley.  I always love the sailing and this is one of my favorite sections of European rivers to sail through - second only to the Rhine River Valley.  I enjoyed today's scenic sailing where it was a chilly, "Christmas-like" 43 degrees on the top deck, but I was disappointed that we didn't have even a dusting of snow.  Certainly was spoiled from our 2018 trip through this valley when it was like being in a Christmas snow globe all day long.  Still, seeing the vineyards, the quaint European villages with their towering churches, and especially the castle ruins made for a very enjoyable afternoon.  After dinner tonight we have a Christmas tree trimming ceremony (where we get to create customized, personal ornaments for the tree in the lounge....and then take them home following the voyage).  Tomorrow is our next to the last day and it's the LONGEST day of the itinerary.  We'll depart the ship in the morning and cross the border into the Czech Republic to visit Český Krumlov.  I'm nearly certain that the castle and small village there - as well as the scenery along the drive - will NOT be snow-covered like it was in 2018.  But I'm glad it won't be as cold, because on that day six years ago it was in the teens all day and we were frozen solid by the time we returned to the bus!

The Viking Elmba - our home for the week

Heading down the Danube

The iconic blue baroque monastery tower marking the entrance to the Wachau Valley

Castle ruins on the hillside

The castle up close

The most fortified church on the Danube

One of the M-A-N-Y hillsides covered with vineyards

Another set of castle ruins

A closer look at this castle

Shooting the scenic sailing video

Wachau Valley Scenic Sailing Highlights