Melk Thursday 11 September

Lovely sunshine to greet us today in Melk.

After breakfast we board the coach that takes us on a 5 minute drive to Melk abbey. We weren't allowed photos indoors at all but suffice to say the the church was extremely opulent (it was designed to bring heaven to earth) and the library just amazing.

We went to the top terrace for some lovely views over the abbey and Melk, plus a short walk through the Gardens before getting back on the coach to the boat.

We were greeted back on the boat with apple spritzer and a piece of onion tart.

Whilst we are at dinner we are now cruising through the Wachau Velley which is almost as lovely a cruising through the Rhine Valley.

After lunch there is an advertised apple strudel making class to be held in the main lounge. We head up there, get our colour of the recipe and watch one of the chefs put the pre prepares items together. It takes less than 5 minutes.

They then ask 3 times for a volunteer to come up and make it but no takers. As we were sitting near the front and Julie kept saying that she wasn't going up, I put my hand up and became the apprentice pastry chef! Keeping in mind that when in Hedley I was called Chef Karen from Australia (Gordon Ramsay's Australian version) making meat pies, it maybe isn't such a stretch to see me as a chief cook.

We have now arrived in Durnstein. Originally we planned on doing the optional tour, but instead opted for doing our own thing and so head into the delightful little village on a mini train! We go via 2 other smaller villages and it takes about 25 minutes, what we are then dropped in the middle of the village.

We are definitely in wine country and schnapps! It is quite hot so we take our time in the winding lanes and see the abbey which is just stunning.

There are plenty of samples of chocolate to be had in the chocolate shop.

Time to head back via the mini train which only takes a bit over 5 minutes to get back to our boat.

Dinner is a quiet affair as I successfully get us a table just for 2.

The pumpkin risotto entree was excellent but very small portion which turned out just as well because I then had cream of cauliflower soup and then cauliflower in white sauce as the main. Julie manages to talk me into going to the crazy karaoke which is in the lounge but after half an hour I had well and truly experienced enough of the show offs so took myself back to the cabin for bed. It really has been a full on day.