Melk, Austria and the Wachau

We awoke to a very foggy morning as we cruised down the Danube to the Wachau region, a stretch of the Danube between Krems and Melk, regarded as one of the loveliest stretches of the Danube. Even though it was very misty and the visibility was low, we could see the magnificent terraced vineyards at the foothills of the Alps. Dotted among the vineyards were quaint medieval hamlets and their churches, and several castles, some ruined. This area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is described as "a basically medieval landscape which has evolved organically and harmoniously over time." Even shrouded in mist, it was picture perfect!

Melk is often referred to as one of the most beautiful places in Austria and it has one of the most beautiful monasteries in the world – the Melk Abbey. (We learned the abbey consists of the monastery, the grounds and over 30 monks.) It is found on a rock outcrop rising above the Danube and the views from it are sensational. In 2000 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The monastery was founded in 1089 followed later by the monastery school in 1160. (Today there are over 700 students.) In the 11^th century the Benedictine monks turned it into a fortified abbey. (Black-robed monks still stroll amidst the marble sculptures.) The entire complex is a blend of historic (High Baroque) and modern architecture. The abbey itself took 34-years to be constructed and it offers ceremonial courts, guest apartments, halls and library (it has 80,000 medieval manuscripts), frescoes and a church of amazing decorative richness.  It was amazing to be standing in a library with huge ceilings, floor to ceiling shelves of books many hundreds of years old (we could not take photos in side the library). There was also a huge globe of the world from the 1700's- it wa s remarkably accurate in terms of the shapes and positions of the continents.

The church had twin spires and a high octagonal dome. The inside of the church was huge! Pink marble, soaring vaulted ceilings, and gold leaf on virtually every surface made it absolutely jaw dropping. When you walked into the church it was both shocking and stunning at the same time. And the aroma of hundreds of olive branches suspended from the dome brought a whole new experience to its many visitors. The ceilings were covered with over 50 frescoes that depicted Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Outside the gardens had a labyrinth of creative trails that provided many artistic interludes to those strolling its paths. We then descended into the village to look in the shops, ogle some wonderful pastry shops and a brau house for cold beer along the Danube.

Over the last few days we have plotted and planned.. laid the seeds of thought.. for Page to be one of the two “volunteers” to help make the strudel in a ship-wide demonstration in the lounge. We chatted with the chef several times and minutes before the demo took place Beth reminded them ….”Page is your girl”!.. , and who could refuse Beth! The table was set with all of the ingredients and she was called up front and put on an apron and large chef hat. She was the apple girl and had to peel a bowl full of apples with a pretty dull peeler. Next step- slice the apples and pour in the cinnamon, biscuit crumbs, raisins, sugar, and two big healthy doses of rum. Page was a pro! The strudel pastry was rolled up, and looked professional. Everyone was invited to try the delicious dessert! Fabulous! After the event she had her pastry hat autographed by the three chefs. A good time was had by all.

 The terraced vineyards at the foot hills of the Alps in the Wachau region along the Danube.

 An old medieval church in one of the many hamlets we passed along the Danube on our way to Melk.

 Another cute hamlet on the river Danube on our way to Melk- terraced vineyards in the background.

Beautiful castle we passed as we approached Melk.

 Visiting the Abbey in Melk, Austria

 Ceilings painted with beautiful murals everywhere!

 Statues representing the quest for knowledge in this working Abbey

 Huge halls with beautiful marbled columns and painted ceilings

 View of the little town of Melk as one looks over the portico of the Abbey

 An opulent church- full of gold and marble- almost rivals the Vatican. Fresh cut olive branches hanging in mid-air

 The amount of gold in the Church was breathtaking!

 Gold leaf statues everywhere and fresh cut olive branches suspended in mid air.

 Detail looking up at the ceiling of the Church

 Afterwards we walked the narrow streets in this tiny medieval town.

We returned to the ship for an afternoon demonstration on making apple strudel and Page, thanks to Beth :-) got to be one of the volunteers to make the apple strudel!