The Bavarian Forest

Yesterday was quite liesurely, which was appreciated after all of the activity in Passau. We sailed all morning, so we slept in until a bit after 8:00. After breakfast, we went up to the sun deck to relax. I was wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt, and still needed one of the Uniworld-provided blankets to stay warm. It was a chilly day.

At 11:00 a.m. was a meal we'd been looking forward to: Fröhstuppen. This is the traditional late morning Bavarian meal of weisswurst, pretzels, and wheat beer. The chef also provided two additional sausages, German potato salad, and a variety of pickled vegetables. The mustard was sinus-clearing spicy (there was also a sweet option). We managed to finish our meal before the rain came around 11:30. After that, there was no need for lunch.

At 1:00 everyone boarded busses for our afternoon excursion. Although we were docked in Deggendorf, we were driving to Barnzell and Zwiesel to experience some traditions of the Bavarian Forest. Our bus first went to Bärnzell and visited the home of the Wiederer family. Only 12 families live in Bärnzell, and they are all farmers. However, they're unable to generate sufficient income from farming, so they rely on the tourism industry, either by hosting German travelers in rooms for rent, or offering cultural experiences like the one proviided for us. Grandma Widerer baked us some rye sourdough bread in a wood-fired oven, served schnapps and elderberry juice, and took us on a horse-drawn wagon ride throught their village and the forest. It's my understanding that Uniworld is the only river cruise company that offers this experience.

After leaving Bärnzell, we went to Zwiesel to visit the Theresienthal glass factory. We started with a brief tour of the museum, then went to the factory floor to watch a few employees work. I was chosen to try to blow glass (it's not as easy as it looks). Unfortunately, they didn't show me what my finished product looked like. I'm sure it was thrown back in the stove to melt into something they could actually sell.

Once the tour was over, our guide Heike showed us our favorite part of the factory - the employee vending machine. The local brewery makes a special low-alcohol beer just for the employees to drink while they're working (the oven is extremely hot, and drinking water all day would drain their body of electrolytes). There was also a traditional helles and spezi. The beer prices were insanely low 65 cents (euro) for a liter.

The bus returned us to the ship around 5:30, so I took a quick nap before the port talk and dinner. We had a special epicurian dinner, which featured local specialities for every course (with a slightly extended menu) and local beer pairings. Every course was excellent, but the apple strudel was a bit doughy for my taste.

After dinner, a local musician provided entertainment. He sang both modern and old country and folk songs that were very popular with the crowd. I personally liked his Austrian yodeling song, but he also sang Johnny Cash and Elvis. After his performance it was time for bed - we'd have a full day in Regensburg to rest up for!

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