After 4 walking, eating, picture taking action filled days in Prague, it was time to take the train to Regensburg, but before we do, here is a quick recap of our time there.
In the Prague old town and Christmas Markets, the air was thick with the smell of mulled wine and all sorts of food being cooked, but the crowds and tour groups, that was something else. 😩 If this is what it was like now, the summer crowds must be horrendous. In stark contrast, being up in the hills overlooking all of this was pure serenity. 😌 Walking through snow covered parks, trees still laden with snow, and very few people, it was a pleasure to be out and about.
There had been a very heavy snow storm just before we arrived and true to the Carol, in Wenceslas Square, the snow lay all about, crisp and clean and even. With daytime feel-like temps around freezing point and below, I had to offer a kind word to the NZ possums who contributed to my possum fur beanie and scarf. At least they have the capacity to do at least one positive thing for mankind. It’s a shame their Australia cousins can’t do the same.
As with all of our travels, the challenge is to find a “go to” cafe and in Prague, it was the Caffé Miliani, just off Wenceslas Square, away from the crush. Coffee and the lightest croissant every morning, fantastic.
Then it was time to leave, and thankfully we did so at 8:00 on a Sunday morning. The streets had been cleared of the icy slush and there was barely anyone around. A brisk 20min walk to the train station and we we soon on our way to Regensburg, but not before a quick coffee and cinnamon bun.
Just the three of us in a 6 berth compartment for the 5 hour trip made for an easy start to the day. Through wide snow covered country side, interspersed with pine and beech forests and the occasional sighting of deer in the open fields, it was all very relaxing.

Arriving in Regensburg, which was awarded UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status in 2006, the contrast couldn’t have been greater. With next to no crowds, it made exploring the narrow streets and Christmas markets a pleasure as the fb photos show.

Day 1 and after mastering the intricacies of the Waschsalon (laundromat) and getting in the necessary supplies from the supermarket, it was time to find the Christmas markets, each one of which varied in size and speciality.

Day 2 a stroll around town and it was time to headed to the night time Romantic market, reputed to be one of the best in Germany. It is held in the grounds of the St Emmeram Castle and with an array of food offerings greater than one could imagine, we grazed on bratwurst in a bread roll with pickle and horseradish ( 3 during the night was enough) and waffles with cherries and cream to finish.

Day 3 and tonight we ate potato soup followed by the house speciality, homemade sausages and sauerkraut at the 500 year old Wurstkuchi restaurant on the banks of the Danube.
While big enough to hold about 20 people, we shared it with 3 people from Manchester, UK and a Romanian waitress. Needless to say, it turned into a great night out, with lots of laughs and anecdotes about Boris J, BREXIT and Manchester United vs AFL.
Our last night in Regensburg and it was spent at the Hofbrauhaus. Pork knuckle, roast pork, and some other unpronounceable piece of pork was the menu for the three of us. At least it was a change from sausages.

On a more somber note, Regensburg was also the site of a small concentration camp housing 400 male prisoners of various faiths and nationalities during WWII. Throughout the former Jewish quarter, there are small brass plates ( Stolperstein) set into the footpath in front of many of the houses. These plates are inscribed with the names of those who lived in the particular house and the date that they were taken and/or died during the Holocaust. The practice of setting these plates in the footpaths, of which there are in excess of 100,000 across Germany, not only serves to commentate those of Jewish faith but also all those who were victims of this terror.

Notwithstanding this terrible chapter of history, Regensburg is a particularly charming and interesting city. Set on the banks of the Danube, with evidence of Roman ruins from 179AD, and the subsequent mix of architectural styles and colours made even the shortest walk, not that there were many, very enjoyable.
So now it’s off to Munich, where we will no doubt once again be plunged into a sea of humanity, all desperately following a raised umbrella or plastic flag on a stick.

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