Day 5 — April 30, 2009
We are very close to City Hall and about to enter. Inside there is a display of amber models of boats. That is not what we came to see but it is the only thing we were able to see. The entire stairway and hallways were overrun with school children, supposedly there to learn about city government. That would be difficult considering the running around and noise that they were making. So we settled on viewing the amber and then getting out where it was more peaceful.
From City Hall, our guide told us a little bit about the history of the town. Across the Danube, was an old building built in 1099, see date inscribed on the side. The bridge presented a defensive feature for the city. Constructed with little clearance to prevent the entry of large boats. Notice the markings on the building in the fourth photograph. These are flood marks, the highest in year 1501 and the latest in year 2002.
At the Glass Museum, located in the Hotel Wilder Mann, the collection and variety of the glassware was amazing. Below is but a small representation of that on display. It was a maze of display cases and rooms which, on conclusion of the visit, made it difficult to find the exit.
Of the different periods of history, the making and use of glass dates back to the Egyptians. This museum has representative samples from all these periods — Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Arabia and Venice, but it is the Bohemia and Silesia in central Europe that is the most important. On display is a variety of ideas and splendor of colors of this period from the 17th to 20th century. With, reportedly, 80 percent of the glassware manufactured in the Bohemian and Silesian glass factories having fell victim to war and barbarism, it is remarkable that the collection here in Passau is known as the greatest collection.
For now it was back to the boat for lunch. A simple matter of following the “yellow marked cobble.”
The afternoon was free for leisurely exploring the town. Since Mieko did not go on the morning tour because of the amount of walking, I took her into town to retrace some of the sights seen in the morning. The shopping area and markets were new to me as they were not open on the early morning visit.
Of particular, I wanted Mieko to see the inside of Saint Stephan's Cathedral. It turned out that we took a difficult way of getting there but we made it. The walk was well worth it. During the morning visit, there was some sounds of the organ, like one tuning the pipes. This tuning was still taking place when we arrived in the afternoon but while we were there the tuning concluded. The organist then commenced playing! The sound was wonderful. We stood in awe at the sounds that filled the Cathedral. We were the only one from the cruise who was there and fell upon a treat purely by luck.
Use this link to here this organ.
Our “personal” organ concert finished, it was back to the boat. It was a good afternoon that we would always remember.
