winter wanderings: Monday, 23 December 2013

Another chance to get know the airport well with most of the morning spent waiting there.
We had been allocated an Easy jet flight from Gatwick at 9.15 to "arrive" on, which would be met by the riverboat company. Obviously we didn't actually get the flight as we were already in Munich, but that's where they would pick us up. Forgetting it was holidays we somewhat over-estimated the time needed to get to the airport so were very early. As was the flight, so we hung around and more or less on time a representative carrying a sign materialised to announce the bus was held up in a traffic jam which meant waiting another hour.
But eventually it turned up - just a little mini-bus and we had a pleasant couple of hours being driven to Passau.
Once we got on the boat we were offered a light lunch then they announced that they had decided to put on a couple of buses so anyone who was interested could go into town and wander through the Christmas markets.
We decided this was as good a way as any to spend the afternoon and, having exhausted the markets in 10 minutes or so, wandered into the very magnificent St Stephen's cathedral which boasts the biggest pipe organ in Europe.
This is where we are supposed to go for midnight mass tomorrow night.
Back at the boat we made a quick detour to the Lidl (supermarket) across the road to stock up on the oh so vital whisky supplies, and settled down to wait for the compulsory briefing at 6.
My main aim of the day was to get to the laundry room and organise a load of washing, but the room butler was horrified when we asked where it was. Apparently it is all part of the service so we decided to go with the flow. In the meantime all our suitcase creases clothes were ironed and returned to our room while we were out.
I could get used to service like this.
Sadly it seems we are unlikely to get snow for Christmas, so we're glad we had a few days of it in the Alps.