Avalon Waterways Day 2 – Regensburg Germany

Regensburg, Germany was the primary docking point for Artistry II on day two of our Highlights of Germany cruise.  However, it was not the first docking stop for the day.

Throughout the cruise the ship made “technical stops” for a variety of reasons. Our first stop of the day was to allow passengers signed up for the optional Weltenburg Abbey and Danube Gorge tour to disembark and board the coaches for their excursion. The ship continued on from this technical stop towards Regensburg where, later in the day, the coaches would drop the passengers participating in this tour.

Each day of the cruise there was at least one tour for all passengers included in the price of the cruise. On some days there were additional Optional Tours that could be booked with the Cruise Director.

For all tours, included and optional, the cruise director provided printed background information and maps of each city. On the back of each map were sections on Sights of Interest, History at a Glance, Heroes, Poets and Artists, Local Specialties and tips for Enjoying the City.

Once we docked in Regensburg, local tour guides met the ship to guide passengers on an included town walk. I was feeling a little under the weather so chose to walk into town on my own a little later in the day.

It took between five and ten minutes to stroll from the ship into Regensburg. Almost opposite the ship, next to the river, I passed Villapark which surrounds the old royal villa of King Maximilian II of Bavaria.

Sausages and sauerkraut are a staple in this part of Germany. Wurstkuchl claims to be the world’s oldest fried sausage kitchen. As we disembarked Artistry II each passenger was given a voucher good for a beer and one plate of sausage and sauerkraut at this Beer Garden.

I have to admit, I ate these succulent sausages before I took a photo.  This online photo of sausages from Wurstkuchl is an accurate portrait of what I was served. They were the best sausages and the best sauerkraut that I ever tasted!

I continued my outing with a walk through the city center. I was hoping to spot a pharmacy and ask about some herbal remedies for my symptoms.

At first I did not find a pharmacy, however, I found many baked items to tempt me in the shop windows.

I saw a window full of an unusual looking pastry and stopped to have a closer look.

I discovered they were called Snowballs.  Just about the time I was considering giving in and purchasing one I spotted this sign.

I decided I did not want to eat a pastry with a six week shelf life!  More about these unique pastries will be found in my review of our Day 5 stop in Rothenburg.  Having foregone the questionable pastry treat I continued my search for a pharmacy.

I found just what I was looking for. A shop with both traditional and homeopathic medicines sold by a friendly and helpful staff.

Very close to the pharmacy was an interesting structure called the Roman Tower that included stones from an early Roman settlement.

On my way back to the ship I passed the entrance to the “crypt of St. Erhard,” dating from the 11th century. Passengers who participated in the included guided walking tour of Regensburg visited additional historic sites while learning about the history of the area.

Lunch was next on the agenda.

A second guided city walk started at 2:45 so that the passengers who took the optional tour to Weltenburg Abbey in the morning could also have an opportunity to see Regensburg.

I opted to read in the club lounge and have a cup of tea.

Of course, once they announced afternoon tea I couldn’t resist going to the Panorama Lounge for a look at the cakes of the day. They were tempting, but I chose two cookies and a pot of tea instead as I was still full from lunch.

Following afternoon tea two local experts on Bavarian Beer boarded the ship. They presented a slide show on the history of beer and beer brewing in Bavaria. They also served us glasses of four distinct regionally produced beers.

Immediately following the beer presentation the All Aboard was called and we set sail for Nuremberg, our destination for the next day.

A Port Talk (description of the following day’s activities) by Cruise Director Sabine preceded the Welcome Gala Dinner. While there were no formal dress nights on this cruise, many passengers brought out their sparkly tops or sports coats for this occasion.

This evening’s Amuse Bouche was Chicken Galantine. Every meal involved difficult choices.  The options were all so appealing!

Because the beer tasting took place during what would have been Happy Hour, a Happy Hour 50% off was offered during the evening’s entertainment. Generous considering we had four free beers earlier.

He is hard to see but there is an local singer/accordion player in the far right of this photo. The close-up photos that I took were too dark to post. He was a comedian as well as a musician and the night included a lot of passenger participation in quickly formed bands accompanied by a good deal of laughter.

The last item on my agenda for the night was to return to my room, enjoy the chocolate on my pillow and review the information for our next day’s stop, Nuremberg.