May 20 Passau and Linz

Got to sleep in again as we had until 9:00 to meetI the local guide.
Passau is a small sleepy town where three rivers converge. Their largest employers are the four breweries and tourism. They used to harvest pearls but not any longer. The town is pretty and hilly with cobblestone streets, no high heels worn here. Many buildings have marks on them indicating how high the water got in each of the big floods. Apparently, it is tough to get house insurance here, no kidding!
The cathedal is being renovated and has been for as long as our guide remembered. It is beautiful inside and we caught the tail end of a mass so we were able to listen to the pipe organ which is one of the largest around. The sound was intense.
We spent the afternoon on the deck watching the world go by; hills, trees, an occasional castle and the Danube spread out before us.
I had the absolute pleasure of having dinner with my cousin, his wife and my uncle in Linz. The language was a bit tricky but we made it work. Although my uncle lives close to Linz, my cousin and wife drove over two hours to see us.Thanks. My uncle brougt back some memories of my youth while we walked through Linz pointing out stores where Mom had shopped for clothes and jewellery. As we walked my uncle and cousin pointed out the local highlights so I got a tour and a visit. This is the first time I met my cousins wife and we hit it off very well. We may be stopping at Graz where they live. Tomorrow another port.