From Regensburg to Linz -

Only after we had been on our walking tour of Regensburg for a few minutes did we realize why the city's name seemed so familiar - it is the home town of Pope Benedict. The cathedral (begun in 13 something and finished in 18 something - such is the history of cathedrals!) is quite impressive, especially under a threatening sky. Although we were prepared to break out the umbrellas, nothing more serious than a few big drops accompanied our walk.

And then we finally joined the Swiss Emerald, which will be our home until June 22. Only 36 of the present company will go that far - the rest depart in Budapest. There are 106 passengers aboard the vessel, very well served by an excellent crew.

Blogging while in transit is frustrating - no, impossible. Only in Linz was I finally able to pick up e-mail, first time since Prague. No hope of connecting to Blogger. Nancy can check mail on her iPhone.

One of our Danube-a-Tube readers says we sound like two sorority sisters on a post-college trip to Europe, partying our way from here to there. Not really -- although, since joining the group in Prague, we have been to (1) a welcoming reception (champagne & wine); (2) an elegant dinner at a castle in the country near Prague (champagne, of course, and wines from the castle's own vineyards) and (3) the captain's welcome reception on board the Swiss Emerald (need you ask? Champagne, followed by local wine.)

During the day we walk all this off, in interesting places. Today Nancy and most of the rest of the passengers are on an excursion to Salzburg, which is about 2 hours away. We who stayed behind are enjoying a hot day in Linz, third-largest Austrian city. The Swiss Emerald is moored alongside a waterfront sculpture park, and it's possible to walk for miles along the Donau, on either side of the river. All the way from Regensburg we have seen cyclists and walkers along the river, and many campgrounds and caravan parks full of holidaying Europeans. On the river the weather has been wildly changeable - from sideways rain to sun to wind and clouds and sun again, all within a short time.

Nancy, the boater, says she is glad she never had to go through locks as large and impressive as the ones we transited yesterday. In some places we estimated the boat went down 50 or 60 feet before the gates opened.