Day 7

Passau.

Today was disembarkation day. We had arranged for a taxi to take us to our hotel early in the AM where we could deposit our luggage and then go to 9:30 mass at the cathedral.  The point (at least for me) was to be able to hear that magnificent organ but it turned out that this was a special celebration where villages and organizations from all over the area gathered in traditional dress both for the mass and then for a parade afterward. While waiting to go into the cathedral we talked to some locals with Nicki being the translator for us.

Because of the holiday, there was not only the organ but a small orchestra and a men’s choir in addition to the usual choir. It was everything I hoped for music wise and Nicki enjoyed the mass since she could understand what was being said.

After mass, there was a huge parade with each organization or village group dressed to represent their group parading in front of the cathedral. Quite a spectacle and many of the groups had a marching band with them.

Not everyone enjoyed the festivities

After all this excitement we needed some nourishment. After all it had been at least 3 hours since our mammoth ship breakfast. We went to a lovely café across from the cathedral and had some delicious soups followed by some of the decadent desserts they offered.

After our dainty little lunch, we went back to our hotel to await Utmar, Nicki's ex brother-in-law who picked us up to go to Plattling, a small town about 30 minutes away from Passau where we were to meet Ute, a relationship to Nicki too convoluted to explain other that that she was close to Gudrun, Nicki's sister-in law (Joe's sister) and wanted to meet us and to show us Gudrun's burial site. The plan was that we would go there for "tea" and to meet Ute and her 13 year old daughter, Franzis (?spelling.) Tea turned out to be a MAMMOTH spread of baked goods: a home made cheesecake, a home made sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries, a home made mandarin cake and a bakery bought Black Forest cake. (No pics, unfortunately. We had just met and didn't want to reveal our true selves yet.) Ute's parents came over to meet us and we all enjoyed ridiculous quantities of delicious stuff. (Of course, it HAD been 2-3 hours by then since our dainty lunch.) Ute, her daughter, Franzis and Utmar were all terrific company and we had a great time with them. We had some somber moments as we visited the burial site of Gudrun and then returned back to Ute's house for champagne and to visit with some delightful friends of Ute's and to have perhaps just a bite more of the yummies. Frances is busy figuring out their flight arrangements to visit us in San Francisco in Jan 2017. Frances and Utmar made maps for our trip to Berlin with Utmar offering really valuable route advice.

Franzis, Ute, Utmar and Nicki

Note cat sleeping in cat tree basket on right

Utmar drove us back to our hotel and we went out for a typical German meal at the only restaurant open in Passau on Sun night. You might ask how it was possible that we ate again....we're tough!!