Hatches, matches, and dispatches...

Yesterday we were in Dürnstein and yesterday was my birthday.

One of the many picturesque doorways/streets/houses/etc in Durnstein

And picturesque gates, too.

The ferry to the other side of the Danube

Greg & Kathy in the courtyard of a small inn.

The local cemetery and Randy (red shirt) with Paul and Jim, husbands of Patsy and Susan, about whom there will be more later.

Yolanda at the gate into the cemetery

These are the bones (yuck!) of people who died in town but couldn't be buried in the picturesque graves.

Randy and a view of Durnstein and it's ruined castle on the hill. Richard the Lionhearted was held here for ransom oh so many years ago.

Our boat and one other, the Amalyra plus another docked nearby made about 500 tourists in town.

I don’t know which of those was better. Well, yes, actually I do—it was my birthday!

The best part was dinner! I got the obligatory cake (deliciously decadent, so I’m told, I didn’t have any) from the ship but what was absolutely wonderful is that Susan, a professional opera singer, sang Happy Birthday to me! What a gorgeous voice she has! And Patsy, Susan's and my friend, composed the following little poem for me:

Happy Birthday to Pam, what a pet!
She’ll become a new friend, this I’ll bet.
She’s as nice as can be,
Shares her drinks with me free,
And she owns a brand new red Corvette!

On your birthday just let me be frank
And I hope I’m not turning your crank;
I think you’re just swell,
Family, husband as well,
You’re really a great gal for a Yank!

Last night you shared the last of your brandy,
And for that I think you’re just dandy.
Trading room cards was fun,
We had each other on the run
But next time make sure I get Randy!

For your birthday, advice is my best,
Just be happy and here is the rest.
Drink wine when you thirst,
Laugh and love till you burst
And your whole life will truly be blessed!

Patsy and Susan are Canadians who seem to accept Americans as almost equals and they, but especially Patsy, are a real kick!

All in all, a wonderful day, perhaps the best birthday ever.

All of us in our "It's a Ryan thing; You wouldn't understand" shirts. I think everybody on the ship knows us. Certainly after the serenade and the poem last night they do!

L-R, Patsy reading her poem to me, Jim (Patsy's husband), me, Paul, and the wonderful singer, Susan.

My cake. As if you couldn't tell!

The weather has changed to rain so that’s not good but yesterday was (mostly) beautiful sailing up the Danube toward Germany. The captain warned us to expect a small bump as we transited from Austria to Germany. I’ve lost track of the locks as we go through some in the middle of the night but I think we still have about 58 to go until Amsterdam.

Just one picturesque sight after another.

And one ruined castle after another.

Have I mentioned picturesque villages before?

Impossible to see on the photo, but this ferry has no power. It is attached to a guy wire across the river and the power of the current pulls it across and back without an engine or motor of any kind.

What a tough life. We are having to wait for Ferris to bring us our drinks. The drink of the day is a Seabreeze.

You've heard of dancing around a Maypole, well, here's the Maypole.

Yet another---ABC

One of our friends deliberately running in front of the photo I was trying to take.

This is what I was trying to take a photo of, Kathy & Ken

Last year's flood was well above the top line on this marker on the white house.

You want me to build a castle WHERE? That will be extra!

Up THERE? Seriously?

Kathy and Ken doing selfies in the Piano Bar.

Tamas (the Cruise Director, from Hungary) told us that yesterday was just a taste of what was to come in the way of castles. Soon we’ll be seeing two to four castles per mile. ABC: Another Bloody Castle/Church/Cathedral is becoming our mantra.

There are rabbits on the roof of this church for no discernible reason.

Seven rabbits. Nobody has any idea why.

 Today, however, is miserable. We’re in Passau, it is cold (13C/54F), rainy, and the river is rising (although we are still able to get under the bridges, thank goodness). Everybody in my family except me is out and about in the rain. I’d like to go but am not feeling really great and figured that getting cold and wet is probably not the wisest thing to be doing!

Tomorrow will be better. I hope. Maybe.

Oh, yes, Hatches, matches, and dispatches: those are the only times our Australian friend, Derek, wears a suit. Therefore, no suits for him on this cruise!