2013-07-05: Leaving Munich, arriving Passau

Today was a big day - we left our comfy apartment in Munich (and all of the coolness that city entails), hopped the tram to the zughof and took off for Passau.  We had to say goodbye to our new friend, Zoettl.  We got our bread fresh there every morning.  More importantly, we got our espresso there!

On the tram to the stop just after our favorite (Karlsplatz).

What's this?  No smoking in the train station?  YES!

Caught in the act of another selfie :)

Panorama of the Munich train station.

Ella and Amy sharing music.

This is the gorgeous Artistic Maya (species: maya artisticalum americanii) in her natural habitat.

The train ride from Munich to Passau was not as enjoyable as our other train rides, although that's all relative :)  MUCH more crowded, with people that would be happy to just move your luggage if they didn't particularly like where you put it.  I may have blocked it out, but there was a fair amount of children making horrible sounds as well (not the crying that I like, but more the "HEY!  MOM!  I'M OVER HERE AND YOU AREN'T PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO ME!" (but do that while half-crying, half-screaming, and half-whining).  

Arriving in Passau

We got to Passau with plenty of time to get a taxi to the hotel and still go exploring a bit. Here's the thing, Passau is beautiful.  Lots of old buildings, 3 (THREE) rivers that converge, and I believe the finest Baroque cathedral in Europe (and the largest organ - *snicker*)  Seriously, this thing has something like 17,000 pipes in it.  Amazing. 

Panorama of the view from the bridge to Passau's old city

Getting closer...

Exceedingly cool sundials like this one are all over the place in Europe.

My favorite people.

Yes, that really says 1099.  As in the year 1099.  This was the end of the First Crusades, and marked the recapture (and slaughter) of Jerusalem by the Christians.

Cool old town hall tower.  They have lines marked and dated for all of the flood events.  And about 2 feet above the highest one (from the 1500s) was penciled in - July 2013.

Inside St. Stephans Dom - fabulous.

Yep.

Holy crap - are you guys seeing this?

And this?!?

Ta da!  The largest organ in Europe!

Gorgeous.  Even upside-down (which is how I remember seeing it).

DEM HINGES

I'd have a scowl on my face too if I had bird shit there for 400 years.

Indeed!

One of the greatest parts of this trip is seeing them hang out together.

Oh man - the looks.

This was the restaurant at the hotel we stayed at (Innsento - very nice)

When we wake up in the morning, thus will begin the next portion of our trip, the biking portion!