Pausing in Passau (7-8 July)

Now I was being gentle, easing you into this post with the carefully placed 'pausing' in Passau. But substitute it for 'pissing around in Passau' and you have mum's summary of our time in Passau. We didn't get much accomplished, bar from eating and sleeping.

When you venture out of Lonely Planet territory, you know things will be more difficult. Rocking up in Passau, Germany we find ourselves totally stuck for accommodation.

We couldn't get through to anyone prior to book rooms. Following signs to Jugendherbege (youth hostel) we learn from locals that it is hours away. Where are my German speaking friends (Alice, Larissa!) when I need them? Dialling several pensions and hotels I learn they only speak German. English - nein!

Grabbing my phrasebook, I call again. Butchering German in process, I fire of a barrage of questions from the Deutsche: Accommodation section. Do you have double rooms,? How much? Can I come see?. Now I didn't understand all the answers, but I was pretty sure a room was free. With trepidation we set out to find the place, and it was only a few streets down. So for the next two nights we stayed at Hotel Wienar Wald.

It was fine, except for the first night. We were underneath the Go! nightclub which had revellers in and out until early morning. Also, a restaurant on the street below featured excrutiatingly painful live entertainment. An amateur songmaker sang English and German songs, receiving measly claps after a bout of buffoonery. Muffling the English he sang away and mum laments that he has killed her favourite songs.

Before we secured accommodation, as I mentioned, we had tracked the JudgendHerbegere (Youth Hostel) signs only to learn it was far away. Spotting Rhodos restaurant I suggested we stop for a drink.

Mum starts barraging the waiter in English and he looked bewildered. So I ask him in German if he speaks English. He shakes his head. Ellenika? His face lit up. So in Greek, I order tea and coffee and he tells me that he has sisters in Melbourne etc etc. I butchered the language but he understood me perfectly. We went back there the next day for pastitsio and mousakka. Now, the patsitsio was good but in now way surpasses Io's mums.

So there you go, practicing my Greek in Germany and some very basic German! Apart from that, not much else got done!