After leaving Melk and its Abbey, we were treated to a scenic cruise of the Danube River’s Wachau Valley. Unlike the Middle Rhine, which was characterized by castles, this part of the Danube featured small towns with their vineyards, quaint buildings, and churches. Sections of the river in between the towns reminded me of Canada’s inside passage on Alaska cruises.
Like the Rhine, i roads and railroads meandered along the shores of the river … and there were no observed ways of crossing sides of the river. I noticed one huge landslide that completely blocked the road, and looked like it would take a month to clear.
There was the occasional castle but no Siren legends of sailors being lured to their demise.
The towns were the real show, and there were numerous stories about names that had to do with the quantities of wine produced on their hillsides. The ship slowly cruised by for a couple hours … then it was time to get back to cruising speed and head for Vienna.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 