Saturday, June 27, 2026 (5.8 miles)

The first thought that popped into my mind in starting this blog was to say I had a “pretty chill day”! Why did that come into my mind?!  When we left the hotel at 8:30 this morning it was already 80°!  We then had a two hour tour of the artistic treasures and Baroque wonders of the Benedictine Abbey in Melk.  Our guide was great and hands on exposure and historical details to aspects of the premises were quite edifying, astonishing and wonderful, yet temperatures were high 80’s!

And then, thankfully, we looked forward to a cruise along Austria’s prettiest stretch of the Danube River, passing by villages and lush hillsides blanketed in vineyards and apricot orchards, not to mention seeing over a dozen medevial and historical landmarks along the way…. Frankly, it was quite warm on the boat!!  We hit 99° in our afternoon “Old Town” tour in Vienna (once the capital of Europe’s wealthiest empire).  In the end, it was so hard to pay attention to all of the pertinent facts of royalty, opulence, family inbreeding, empires and wars…. I guess having the evening to myself after 6:00 pm felt chill…!  

There really is so much to share about the Wachau Valley, through which we cruised on the Danube River – and Vienna’s Old town and Ancient history that we explored today.  I’m just too overwhelmed to share it here now, and frankly, reading it is one thing – living it is another, being in between and exploring firsthand, one foot in front of the other – and hearing experts is quite mind expanding!!  

I have one full day left of this tour!!