Lock her up!

V-E-L-C-O-M-E to Germany! 

 Auto correct made me shout this..I could yell "welcome!" anywhere and  at any time.

 It wouldn't have the same oomph, which is German for oomph.

I don't feel like we've sailed through a series of towns.  It's more like a series of snow globes or villages one would see in a Christmas ornament. 

 Quaint--that's the word I'm looking for. Quite quaint.

As I jotted my morning notes, we were officially in a lock. It seemed to me to be a concrete box, surrounded by an algae covered wall to our stern side, our port side, and directly in front of us. The narration was wonderful and informative: Jim's googling of "How River Locks Work" was wonderful and informative.

You know what was rising alongside the river levels?

My paranoia.

I knew the physics of it, as much as someone like me can understand anything about physics, but I still felt like I was being strapped into the scariest and faster roller coaster at Six Flags. 

I had earlier given the hilarious cruise director a link to the blog, which he seems to be thoroughly enjoying, but I'm wondering what psyche ward in Germany he'll be sending me off to after reading this.

I was just as paranoid in the morning leg of our journey upriver,, sitting on the upper deck, freezing, and marveling how I was sandwiched between two countries at once:  Austria and Germany.  

An Avalon employee told all of us seated on the upper deck(Jim retrieved some blankets from the room by this time and I didn't want to leave my spot) that we had to stay low as we were going to ride under a bridge.

I was positive my charley horse would come to haunt me  and make me dart up just as we made contact with the bridge, but I am not decapitated, so...shut up and enjoy yourself, Karen.

Time to fess up...this was the first time in the whole trip I ate like a human garbage disposal.  Ironically, I pigged out on roasted pig.

And bratwurst. And sausage.  And Bavarian pretzels with a sweet and spicy mustard. And other foods that when you say them you sound like you're clearing your throat.

And I will walk it all off during our tour of Passau at 2:00 PM.

It was nice to view the villages from the river as we had a romantic lunch..with Betty at the end.

I'm fairly certain I won't be attending this afternoon's  Bavarian beer tasting in the piano bar but the entire ship will. Some seem like they already have.

Tonight's musical entertainment is something called the Bavarian Devils.

That'll be the euphemism I use later today when I pay the price for all the sausage and mustard , when Jim asks why I'm clutching my rumbly gut.

We will be in Germany for two nights..then our last destination will be three nights in a luxury hotel in the Czech Republic.

Still hoping I can hold your collective interest with my Prague Blog.