Linz

Even an early early morning lightning storm would not spoil the backdrop on the Danube. The thunder did provide a different type of wake up call…the plan was to make the the ten minute walk to the town square called the Hauptplatz with its 20-meter-high column made of white marble. Completed in 1723 (do the math) as a symbol of gratitude for having survived the ‘big 3’….fire, war and the plague. We would return to this main square with a group of folks who were traveling with us on the river journey after breakfast. It is hard to emphasize enough the influence the Catholic Church has on this region, but is bifurcated with the changes that are occurring…fewer people attending church on a regular basis according to our guide…the baroque influence as given way to the impatient style the millennium has wrought. We did however find time in the afternoon to take the steepest train in Austria to the Postlingberg, the twin spires of the church were only trumped by the moat that protected it from those who which would like to invade. Sitting well above the city and the Danube it provided a great opportunity for see the future (literally and figuratively.)

The (red) Altra’s now have 300 miles + on them.Read more