Danube

Left Salzburg for Vienna today by a rather circuitous route via the Danube. Took the train the Melk and bought tickets for the Blue Danube Cruise before visiting the magnificent Melk Abbey. This Benedictine Abbey is HUGE and looks very noble overlooking the little village. Nearly fell in love with the library, filled to the ceiling with tomes of hand-copied scriptures by the monks. The interior of the abbey was beautiful as well, shell-like spiral staircases, marble halls and baroque chapels and wide courtyards...

The Danube isn't blue... more like a muddy green. P was certainly not impressed ;p but still, the views along the way of austrian villages, castles and ruins has a charm of its own.

We stopped over at the fairytale village of Durnstein, a dainty little place with only one main street with interesting little shops, but its so perfect! When the boat was approaching the village, I prayed so hard that this would be our stop... its so pretty with a tall blue and white church tower right at the docks! It still have its medieval wall surrounding the village, to get up to it, we had to climb up a covered stairway, making us feel like we are entering another time. I want to go back there one day and stay in its schloss hotel...

We left Durnstein for Vienna, a long boat ride complete with two locks (this thing that changes the water level of the boat, quite fascinating. P went "we're sinking??" at the first one when we didn't know what's going on). Also caught a beautiful sunset on the Danube, skies and water turning a delicate shade of pink, accentuated by the lights of the boat..

But this had us arriving at Vienna at 9pm... causing a adventure in finding our hostel accommodations... but it was all worth it when we saw our hostel room, a cozy little room complete with a mini-table, closet, tv (which we never used) and comfy bunkbeds, our first private room in our travels...