Glass Museum
More than 30,000 pieces of Bohemian glass are on display at this unique museum.
Little Pleasures
One of the little serendipitous pleasures of being on a cruise is coming back to your room and finding that the towels are folded into little animals.
Fine Dining
Breakfast and lunch on the Emerald Sun were always buffet and dinner was usually served. The meals were often themed to match the ports we were visiting.
Through the Locks
We went through quite a few locks on the river as we journeyed from Budapest to Vilshofen. The locks were chambers that sealed behind the boat, filled with water, then opened in front of the boat to allow us to continue our journey at a higher water level.
Cruisin'
As we sailed along up the Danube River, we were treated to interesting and varied scenery along the way. Sometimes we passed castle ruins; sometimes interesting churches or beautiful little villages.
Wonder What that Guy "Nose"
We passed some beautiful forests and lots of neatly planted fields as we moved along the river. The most unique thing that we passed, however, was a large model of a nose sitting along the banks of the Danube. Not sure why someone would pick this as a topic for a sculpture, but maybe he nose something we don't know...
Animal Life
As we cruised along the river, we saw a little bit of wildlife. There was a deer grazing by the side of the river and many swans and gulls along the way. In addition, I happened to see a pair of stone flies sharing an amorous moment aboard ship. How cool is that?
Regensburg
Old town Regensburg is one of the largest medieval towns in the world. In order to get into the old town, you cross a stone bridge that was built between 1135 and 1146. This same bridge was used by knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusades.
Farmer's Market
Near the bridge we happened upon an interesting farmer's market.
Unique Style
There were some interesting wall paintings, including one large mural of David and Goliath on the side of a building. Another building had a series of windows painted on the side that matched the real windows. Apparently, if you could not afford to build the windows, you could just paint them on.
Wealth was displayed by the size of a building. The taller the building, the more wealthy the owner. The seven story Baumburger Tower, which was built in 1270, also displays the wealth of the owner by the unique design of the windows at each level.
