[The confluence of three rivers. The very light olive color water near the top of the photo is the INN river, clay sediment imparts the color. The closer river is the DANUBE, a brown/grey depending on the rainfall and amount of organic material. A third and much smaller river is the ILZ, which is nearly black because it flows through the Bavarian National Forest, carrying tannins and humic acids from the abundance of organic matter. It’s black is much the same way that tea gets darker the longer it steeps. Photo is mine.]

The people are friendly and I actually spotted at least three people casually wearing traditional clothing and an old man with the funny dark green forest hat.

~~adventurings: Tales From Urban Bohemia

When the Viking Gefjon docked in Passau, we didn’t have to get up at 6:30 AM to meet a German local guide at 9:30 for the city tour. No indeed. We sat for a late breakfast and leisurely walked up the gangway to meet our local guides. I felt lucky because our guides were old friends of Mariam’s. Such pleasant luck made for a very well spent day touring this quaint little city.

[The first stop after meeting our friends was to drive to an ancient castle with a public view point of the city of Passau. L-R–Kjellaug, Price and Mariam. Photo is mine.]

Mariam and Price Browne sang opera together in New York City in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Then in 1984, Price went to Germany (he had a contract with an opera company). He is a Tenor. He settled in Passau and worked steadily until his recent retirement. That’s 42 years.

He never looked back.

He met Kjellaug Tesacker (she’s Norwegian, her first name is pronounced like the breakfast cereal.) She is a Soprano. They have lived together ever since. In fact, in the Cathedral of St. Stephen, the spiritual center of the city, they were the soloists for ten years. It’s worth noting that they sang from the choir loft and behind them, supporting their voices, is the largest organ in the world. It has 17,000 pipes. Anyone familiar with organs can appreciate the talent that was required.

[Price and Kjellaug performing in the opera Paganini sometime in the 1970s. Photo courtesy of Kjellaug.]

And they were our guides.

Inside the Cathedral, is a jaw dropping display of classic Baroque style. Unfortunately, there was a great deal of restoration so much of the wall art and, sadly, the organ itself is shrouded in construction material.

[The altar of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Mariam, Price and Kjellaug are standing in the lower left of the photo. Photo is mine.]

Kjellaug took me aside and pointed to a small detail in the art in the highest level of the Dome of Heaven, the area high above the main altar. Do you see anything unique in the depictions of the cherubs? No, I don’t think so, I replied. I was already straining my eyes, Keep looking, she advised.

Not seeing what I thought I should be seeing, (whatever it was), I pulled out my iPhone 16. It has a mean telephoto lens. She pointed out the cherub, I zoomed in and saw what the artisans in 1688 thought would be a fine joke to play on the priestly class footing the bill. I began to suspect it was an example of Trompe-l’œil (deceiving the eye). But, I was deceived (a pun). The cherubs leg was hanging over the edge of the railing. An actual leg made of wood. I wondered how many worshipers and tourists had stood on the floor of the nave and missed out on the little joke.

[Note the cherubs leg dangling over the edge. Zoom closer and look at his/her expression. Interesting, I think. Photo is mine.]

After we left the Cathedral, we went around the corner and sat for a light lunch in a outdoor cafe where Price had made reservations. I ordered two white sausages. I don’t even really like sausages but I thought I’d give them a try. I had to cut it length-wise and then peel away the skin. I lathered it with a awesome sweet mustard and savored every bite. And the lemonade…it was more than mere lemons. It was a bit of heaven…strawberry bits, lemons, sparkling water and another flavor I could not identify.

It was divine. Truly made somewhere, but not of this world. Not my first experience with the drink, but it became my favorite.

[As Sinead O’Connor once said: “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Photo is mine.]

Then a twenty minute ride to their apartment. Well appointed and full of original art on the wall. A baby grand piano sat in the living room. The balcony was filled with red and yellow flowers so bright my eyes watered.

A quick ride back to the place where we met the bus that would take us to where the boat had been re-positioned, but not before a quick stop at the Town Hall. On the outside wall, the various flood levels were marked. I looked at the top line and tried to imagine the devastation of the flood of 15 August 1501 must have been like.

[Mariam surveys the floods lines on the Passau City Hall building. Photo is mine.]

A fabulous day. Mariam got to reunite with an old friend and I got to know them better. I ran off to buy a Passau tee shirt and the obligatory refrigerator magnet. When I got back to the bus, they had left for home.

Thank you, Price and Kjellaug, for a special day in your home town.

[I felt, in my own humble way that I had to include this as a coda. Photo by Mariam Voutsis.]