DAY 6 (MAY 7-MON)  PASSAU TO NIEDERRANNA, AUSTRIA     9:00 AM-6:30

Breakfast is included in tour price-don’t ever eat bkfast-will start now.  Eat w/Jean–make ham/cheese sandwich to take for lunch.  Food is biggest expense.  Drop luggage & try to follow Jean who is already gone–both end up at St. Steven’s Cathedral (have world’s largest organ). Again amazed at how magnificent art works & church is. Leave church & listen to guide speaking English-ask lady in group if church was bombed in WWII–no only women & children in town-Germans took all boys age 15+.  Where are you from?  Austin, TX–can’t believe it–she lives a few m from me–what a small world!!!  She is w/TX group taking cruise down Danube.  Jean(who always has maps& an agenda) is gone never to be seen again–but I have Armand (who just wants to bike around town)  Were given a tourist map w/15 pts of interest–want to go to sites.  St. S was #10–want to go to #1 VESTE OBERHOUS MUSEUM.  Beware of what you ask for–it’s at top of huge gigantic cobblestone hill w/22% grade.  Put your bike in low gear & go–watch him start up–not sure I want to go–must follow leader.  Not long before I’m walking-pushing bike–leaning on handle bars-panting–long hike–steepest hill ever done.  Get to top–fantastic view-can see #15 site high on top mt on other side of Danube.  Spend 2 hrs in Museum–history of Pissau 28.000 yrs BC to present–have place to ourselves–no one crazy enough to come up here.  Armand finds another way down–thank goodness.  Next #15-Pilgrimage church “MARIAHILF”–1ST bike up wrong steep  hill–then find lady from NJ who is looking for steps leading up to church.  success–at least 400 steps to top–some people are praying on each step–leave mementos.  Church was built by king who prayed to GOD for help to defeat Turks–he won.  Leave town at 3:30 to bike to next town.  Weather is perfect–bike paths (next to Danube) are perfect (smooth–NO potholes)–scenery is perfect (everything is green).  Stop at 1 more church in Engelszell (has 6 women corpses  encased in glass.  Get to Motel–very clean/nice..  Have dinner w/Jean & compare adventure-agree it was a wonderful day.  (Jean did not do Museum after looking at hill or #15.