I woke up wondering what I was going to do today. So I took a look in my guide-book to see what day-trips from Vienna I had yet to undertake. The Wachau valley was the answer. So I hopped on a train to Melk just before lunch, poked around there for a bit (very cute town - I'll have to check out the Abbey some day), then rented a bike and cycled my way down the Danube to Krems (about 38km). It took me under three hours, but I was bookin' it, because it was spitting rain the whole time, and I was afraid of getting caught in a downpour. I did manage to take some pictures of the scenery on the way, and even pinched some apricots from the orchards I was biking through. (Don't tell). If the weather were nicer I would have looked around the cute towns I was cycling by, including Dürnstein (where Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned in 1193), and Willendorf (where the oldest piece of European Art was found). But I arrived in Krems just in time, as it started to pour. I was able to deposit my bike and break out the umbrella for the rest of my sight-seeing. My timing was great, despite the bad weather, because the day I happened to be in Krems was the day of the Apricot Festival. The cobbled street of the old town was lined with vendors in traditional garb, selling all things apricot. I picked up a Marillentopfenbällchen (little apricot-quark ball). Lecker! I was also tempted by the apricot schnapps and apricot ketchup, but decided to pass. I was starting to get tired, so I hopped on a train and was back home in time for supper! Geschafft!
