Our tour for the morning was a tour of “Gottweig Abbey at Christmas”. It is a Benedictine Abbey where the monks live, work and worship. We had a “Privileged Access” and were able to participate and see things not normally on the tours. The oldest part of the monastery, a small chapel in the inner courtyard, dates back to 1072 and it is usually closed to visitors. However, Viking guests are invited to step inside the chapel and enjoy the nativity scene, an important work by the monks. The monks make a famous apricot brandy and we got to sample some. It was very good. We had a great, knowledgeable guide who made the Abbey come alive with stories.
The Abbey is a UNESCO site so what wasn’t finished before becoming an UNESCO site cannot be finished. So, no heat, some of the windows weren’t built yet and there are other parts in the plans that can’t be completed. I think that is a downside of being a UNESCO site but I understand the rational. 34 monks live there with some living in the surrounding districts as the parish priest and do their work in their churches.
After the tour with our guide, we had a wine tasting of three wines made here and went into the gift shop. Then we were dropped at the Christmas Markets. It was on a pedestrian street, no cars allowed.
As we were leaving port, it started snowing. There was snow on the ground and some coming down all through the Wachau Valley. It was so pretty!!
Mike and I went to the lounge for a demonstration of strudel making by the chef. It was very interesting. The whole time the chef was demonstrating how to make the strudel, they were serving a “Tea Time” with little sandwiches, small desserts and coffee or tea. We got to have a piece of the apple strudel he was showing us how to make. If mine would only taste like that!
Supper was an Austrian meal. We started with a shot of Aquavit then went in the dining room to tables decorated with red and white napkins, etc, soft pretzels, glasses of beer, etc. You could get a selection of food or go to the buffet of all of it. We mostly got a selection of food each then extra from the buffet. It was food like – sauerkraut, sausages, hot potato salad, cooked red cabbage, etc. The desserts were very elaborate and they made a dome pastry thing that they flambeed with rum (they seemed sort of like small rum babas to Mike). Then back to the cabin, stuffed.