Day 6: Regensburg – St. Peter’s Cathedral, “Arcaden,” and Cemeteries on Yelp

Previous Posts: Day 1 in Budapest, Day 2 in Vienna, Day 3 in Vienna, Day 4 in Durnstein & Melk, and Day 5 in Salzburg

Day 6 of our Danube River cruise trip landed us in Regensburg, Germany. There was a short tour in the morning, but for the rest of the day, we got to explore the city on our own.

St. Peter’s Cathedral

Regensburg is home of St. Peter’s Cathedral. The cathedral is considered to be the most significant Gothic work in southern Germany. Its two tall spires can be seen from all over the city. The first church was built around the year 700 but it burnt down around 1156. The current cathedral was started in 1273 and it took 500 years to complete! Many bishops were buried here in the basement level of the church (dating all the way back to the early 1800s!).

It was also a nice escape from the hot temperatures outside. When we walked into the cathedral, it felt extremely dark and cold. After spending a few minutes in there, our eyes adjusted and it became a bit lighter over time. Still, the stain-glassed windows kept most of the light out so it was a nice and cool environment to rest in. And there was no shortness of things to see while we were in there. The architecture was unbelievable – so detailed and intricate!

Stadtamhof

After we left the church, we crossed over the Old Stone Bridge (which links Old Town with Stadtamhof). My father-in-law (but let’s just call him “my second papa” because the word “in-law” makes me cringe) is an engineer and bridges are his specialty. So it was really fun to watch him get excited by all the different types of bridges we came across on our trip – particularly this one!

We didn’t stay for too long, but we did manage to walk down the main street to the end where there was another river running parallel to the Danube.

And then my papa (in this case, my “OG Papa”) got really excited because while Papa #2 loves bridges, Papa #1 LOVES TRAINS. Like a little kid loves trains. Only he’s a grown man. But that level of excitement when he hears a train off in the distance? It’s real. And genuine. And his eyes will wander around until he can spot the train. At which point, he breaks out into a big, goofy grin.

Eventually, our tummies were grumbling so we made our way back to the cruise for lunch. But, shortly after we inhaled our food, us young ones decided to go explore Regensburg on our own.

Exploring Regensburg

This was also the time my body decided it’d be funny if I sprained my ankle. All the roads were cobblestone and only a few minutes after walking away from the cruise, my right foot missed an indentation in one of the stones, causing my ankle to roll outwards. And, instead of making the smart decision to go back to the cruise and ice and elevate it, I decided to keep on going. I mean, it was our only chance to see more of the city! We’d be sailing to the next place at 6:30!

I don’t regret my decision. But, I do regret that I listened to this crazy fool who thought that Arcaden meant “arcade.”

That Time We Used Google Maps But Forgot to Use Google Translate

Yes, we followed this doctor-to-be for miles because he said he had spotted an arcade in the middle of a huge park on Google Maps! Well, that sounded interesting. I’ve never heard of an arcade in the middle of a park before. So, when in Germany, do as the Germans do?

Well, lo and behold, we reached the “Arcaden” and then this brilliant man said, “Oh…..guys? I think ‘arcaden’ means MALL.” Sure, it was an honest mistake, and we felt reassured that at least we could step outside the mall into the beautiful park surrounding it.

Wrong again.

Turns out, the “park” was a just a big cemetery (which not only wasn’t a park, but we found out online it was rated 2 stars on Yelp. Who rates cemeteries on Yelp?!)

Fortunately, my anger was appeased by donuts. Donuts fix everything.

Historische Wurstkuche, The Old Sausage Kitchen

Before saying farewell to Regensburg, the four of us decided to eat at Historische Wurstkuche, one of Germany’s oldest restaurants and a local tourist attraction. Our cruise gave us a few vouchers that bought us sausages, bread, sauerkraut, and beer!

I’m still not a huge fan of sauerkraut or beer. But the sausages were great. And the sweet mustard they were paired with was also pretty delicious. It tastes like hot mustard. But sweeter and with less zing on your tongue.

Back on the Boat

After our walk (or, in my case, “hobble”) back to the cruise, we quickly showered and went to the lounge for a beer tasting event. I didn’t partake, but I figured I might as well learn about beer from the folks that consume the most liters per year!

Shortly after the beer tasting, it was time for another wonderful dinner together. That’s one thing I love about a cruise trip. Even though there were moments when we branched off and did our own thing, we always came back together in the evenings.

Our evening entertainment was a Bavarian one-man-band, Hm Pa Pa Hansi. While he didn’t speak any English, he was very engaging and interactive with everyone in the lounge! He had a one-pager to reference with some English words to try to convey what was coming next. (He also referenced it when he heard us shouting, “Encore” at the end of his performance. And, he did, in fact play more!)

I loved all his silly antics and I loved – even more – that he pulled people on stage to participate in his show (including my mom and dad!). They had to wear silly looking hats and play one of his many instruments. I didn’t get a clear picture of them, but, thankfully, I DID get video footage.

He was my favorite entertainment. Typically, Ankur and I would avoid the after dinner entertainment because it was mostly catered to the older folks. But Hansi is entertainment for all. We loved him so much that we ended up purchasing one of his CDs. And it’s on repeat at the office. Because I’m just pretending I’m back there, on the boat, listening to Bavarian music and not working on spreadsheets til my eyes turn inward. 🙂

Questions of the Day:

• When you travel to a different country, do you carry a pocketbook or use Google Translate to help you navigate the language barrier?
  
• Are you a fan of sauerkraut?