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Angela Rippon S River Cruises S01E01
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00:03I'm Angela Rippon. I've spent decades working as a broadcast journalist, but now I'm bringing you
00:10some very different global stories as I explore the world by river cruise. That's the thing with
00:17this river, there's always something to see. So join me on a breathtaking journey of discovery.
00:24We're underway. Hello. In Austria, we'll whirl around the magical ballrooms.
00:32Try to make it faster. So one, two, three, four, five, six. In Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, we'll be
00:37going for a spin.
00:39It's a majestic building. And in the trash old Kajapet forest, we'll slow things down a bit in stunning tranquility.
00:48This is so lovely. In Germany, I get ahead with some Hollywood stardust.
00:55Is that Johnny Depp's hat? Yes. And in Cambodia, we'll indulge in some scrumptious street food.
01:02Watch that. Prickets.
01:04Prickets.
01:14This time, in Budapest, a poignant monument moves me to tears.
01:20I don't think I've ever seen a more telling reminder of how cruel mankind can be.
01:27In Vienna, I'm enchanted by an equine ballet. You fear you want to laugh when he does that, but you
01:34can't.
01:36In Krems, we witness a magnificent abbey with a stunning interior and a culinary secret.
01:43Tasting. You've been waiting for this since the beginning.
01:46Yeah, that's the reason why I'm here.
01:47In Dernstein, we discover how a medieval castle has connections close to home.
01:54Richard the Lionheart, who was kept here as our prisoner.
02:26I've just been waiting for a while.
02:27traveled up the steep 95 meters from the river to Buda Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
02:34I'm in Hungary's capital city Budapest where my waltz along the Danube begins and up here
02:41this is the best place to get a view of the river that's going to be my guide for the
02:45next few days.
02:47What a glorious view of the river Danube in this early morning sunshine as this
02:55mighty river slices through Budapest. I think it's been a good 10 years since I was last in this city
03:02and it's going to be so exciting discovering this river all over again. There are going to be
03:09wonderful things to see, new experiences to have, the music, the architecture, the culture in each
03:17different country and my traveling companion is right there, the river Danube.
03:26I'll be joining my ship later and will then sail west to the Austrian city of Vienna
03:32and then into the Wachau Valley and the towns of Krems and Dernstein.
03:37My cruise then continues to Brandstadt where I'll detour to Salzburg and then pass through the
03:45German city of Passau before heading on to Regensburg. For the last leg of the cruise,
03:50I'll come off the Danube and onto the main Danube canal, sailing through the continental divide as we
03:57head to Nuremberg and on to my final destination, Bamberg. It's going to be quite the journey.
04:08I flew to Budapest to meet my ship, but I've got some time before I can hop on board,
04:14so I'm taking this opportunity to meet a local guide, Andrea.
04:20Hello, are you Andrea? Yes, I am. Oh, hi Andrea. So nice to meet you. What a magnificent backdrop. What
04:26a perfect
04:26place to meet you. Yes, exactly. What a place. Oh, this is fantastic.
04:34Budapest is only one of the four capital cities that are on the Danube, which is more than any other
04:40river. It's also a very popular city full of tourists who come for the historic buildings
04:46and the ancient thermal spas. The view from here is magnificent, Andrea, isn't it? Just talk me through
04:53what we can see. Yes, so basically we can see the entire Pest side of Budapest, which is...
04:59Because we're in Buda. We are on the Buda side. Yes, that's the first thing to know,
05:03that this is Buda side, the other side is the Pest side. You can see it's so much larger than
05:08the
05:08Buda side. Until 1873, the capital of Hungary wasn't even Budapest, but only Buda, only this side.
05:16Budapest was once three cities, Buda, Obuda and Pest, but they were combined to form
05:23the current capital city. Where we are right now in Buda Castle is the old historical area of Budapest,
05:29and the Pest side is a much more cosmopolitan, grandiose, European style, but primarily 19th
05:35century settlement. And tell me about where we are here. So we are standing right now on the top of
05:40the Fisherman's Bastion. When Nataya's church was beautifully restored, they finished it in the
05:45late 1800s, the architect, who was an outstanding Hungarian architect, built Fisherman's Bastion,
05:50which is a lookout terrace. But why fishermen? The reason is that down below us, close to the river,
05:56there used to be the former fish market, and fishermen were the guards for this area of Buda
06:00Castle, and that's why it was given the name the Fisherman's Bastion. Walking tours, like the ones led
06:07by Andrea, are the ideal way to have a whistle-stop tour of what is a sprawling city. So the
06:13chain bridge was
06:14designed by William Tierney Clark, British architect. And it's very familiar to British people,
06:20particularly people who live in London, because this is a copy, isn't it, of a bridge that is in
06:27Hammersmith in London? Yes, absolutely. Andrea, why are there holes in the middle of the flags?
06:33Yes, so the flags are the reminders of the 1956 uprising. When the uprising started out, the angry local
06:41people cut the communist coat of arms from the flags. Within two weeks, the uprising was squashed
06:47by the Soviets, with over two and a half thousand Hungarians killed. This is a reminder of that
06:52uprising in 1956, the communist invasion of Hungary, wasn't it? Absolutely.
06:59The Pest side of the river, whilst still historic, is a much more vibrant and trendy part of the city.
07:06So it's time for a coffee and a sit down. This is an area which is very cosmopolitan,
07:12you have lots of local people, you have people that come here for the weekend from surrounding
07:17countries. It's a mixture of different people and of all ages as well. We're in the heart of the
07:23Jewish district, which is not just important historically to Budapest, but also in terms of
07:30the culture of the city. Yes, absolutely. So this used to be a very flourishing area of the city up
07:37until the Second World War. So it started out with Spanish Jews coming from Spain in 1492 and were not
07:43allowed to buy land within the city. So just outside of the city wall was the area where they bought
07:50their lands. And here there was a kosher butcher and different synagogues. It was a very vibrant,
07:56flourishing area for the Jewish population. But all that changed during the Second World War.
08:03What happened to this whole area? After the mass deportation started in the spring of 1944,
08:09in this area there were still thousands of Jewish people and many of them died because of the terrible
08:14conditions during the siege of Budapest. The whole place was sieged, wasn't it? They weren't allowed in or out?
08:20And because of the hardships, because of the cold weather, starvation, many Jewish people died in this area.
08:26That's why they're buried in the middle of the city, as it were, behind the synagogue.
08:32That's right. So it's actually the courtyard of the synagogue where the special permission was given
08:36by the rabbi to bury more than 2,000 victims over there.
08:45It's a sombre reminder of the past. The history of the Jewish community in Budapest is marked by tragedy.
08:55And having said goodbye to Andrea, I'm going to visit a stark reminder of that time,
09:01immortalised in a unique memorial by the river.
09:08Back in the winter of 1944, when we were getting right to the end of the Second World War,
09:15here in the city of Budapest, Jewish people were being given sanctuary in the homes of ordinary Hungarians.
09:25But at the same time, there was a pro-Nazi, fascist Hungarian group who were called the Arrow Cross.
09:39Over the winter,
09:43they took those people out of the homes where they were being given sanctuary,
09:49and they brought them to the banks of the Danube.
09:54They lined them up, they shot them, and pushed their bodies into the river.
10:02But before they did, they made them take their shoes off, because they wanted their shoes.
10:17It just makes me feel sad.
10:22I don't think, I don't think I've ever seen a more telling reminder of how cruel mankind can be.
10:36Created in 2005, this haunting memorial represents 60 pairs of the victim's shoes.
10:46It's so easy when you're travelling to do the fun things.
10:49But for me, learning about a country's history helps you better understand it,
10:54even if you do have to confront the horrors of the past.
10:59And I know this image will stay with me.
11:10For now, I must leave the capital, as I need to get on board Scenic Amber,
11:15my home for the next seven nights.
11:19Bye-bye, Budapest.
11:21We're underway.
11:23So this is where our voyage of adventure really begins.
11:41Coming up...
11:42Angela, if you would be so kind.
11:44We'll whirl around an iconic Viennese dance school and learn how to Viennese waltz.
11:50And be dazzled by the stunning horses of the acclaimed Spanish riding school.
11:55Just touch his nose first.
11:57Just touch his nose first.
11:58Now you can have your sugar.
12:07I'm on my great river cruise journey, heading west along the Danube.
12:12And as the guests settle in for a day on the river, I'm up on the deck, taking in the
12:17sights.
12:18We're travelling through four of the ten different countries that the Danube passes through.
12:23And although we just sail past Slovakia, there is still plenty to see from the deck.
12:29We're sailing through Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia.
12:35And we're just going through the old part of the city here, with the white castle up on the hill
12:41there.
12:42That white building is Bratislava Castle, the former seat of the royals, and now a museum.
12:49And can you see behind me, that thing up there? They call it the UFO, it's a restaurant.
12:54When this country was under communist rule, apparently the communist leaders used to go and have their lunch up there,
12:59so they could look down on the city and make sure that everything was as it should be.
13:09After a day gently sailing along the Danube, we've arrived in Vienna, Austria's capital.
13:16Good morning.
13:17Good morning, good morning.
13:19Nearly half a million cruisers visit this city every year to take in a place that's renowned for its quality
13:25of life and for its culture.
13:32City of music and of dreams and of some quite extraordinary and beautiful architecture.
13:41The Habsburgs, who ruled here from, what, 1282, were rich, so rich, that they wanted to make this a city
13:50of culture.
13:51Everywhere you look, they've left their stamp.
13:55And they had 600 years in which to do it.
13:58And, oh my goodness, what the Habsburgs have done with those six centuries is extraordinary.
14:04Because as well as attracting a lot of musicians, I think they must have obviously attracted some stunning architects.
14:12These artists and intellectuals flocked to the cafes of Vienna, which became places for creative people to meet and socialise.
14:20So what better way to start your day than at one such place, Café Central.
14:30Look at that ceiling.
14:32Oh, this is so beautiful.
14:37Oh, my goodness.
14:39Just look.
14:42The cakes here are just divine.
14:45This place is famous for them.
14:46It's been here since, what, 1876.
14:52Throughout the 150 years that this place has been serving coffee, you might have bumped into a rich collection of
14:59historical figures,
15:00all sharing their creativity and spurring each other on, along with enjoying some Viennese classics like Saka Torta.
15:09Thank you, thank you.
15:12Oh, my gosh.
15:14And that's caramel.
15:20Thank you so much.
15:23Coffee houses were a hub for the innovators here in the world of music, the arts, of commerce and the
15:31politics.
15:33I was just thinking how wonderful it would be to come here and sit here and have tea, for instance,
15:39with perhaps Gustav Mahler, the composer sitting there, or Puccini.
15:44Imagine sitting in over a cream cake discussing with them the music that they'd written.
15:50But it wasn't always the nicest of people who were attracted to Vienna.
15:54I think it was 1913 when this city played host to Hitler, Trotsky, Tito and Stalin.
16:04I think that those four might have actually turned the cream in these delicious cakes quite sour.
16:11And that would be a real shame.
16:14Especially as this peanut caramel slice is a delightful, gooey, sweet and salty treat with just a hint of rich
16:23chocolate.
16:24But I can't soak up the atmosphere here all day, because I'm off to the Hofburg Palace.
16:30It was originally built for the Habsburg dynasty as a grand home and a base from which to run the
16:36country,
16:36and it covered 60 acres.
16:39This is one of those places you absolutely have to visit in Vienna, because it's full of history
16:45and is now a cultural hotspot, including museums and event spaces.
16:51And it's here at the Winter Riding School in the palace that the famous Spanish Riding School trains.
16:58When I was in my 30s, I moved to live on the edge of Dartmoor, so I learnt to ride.
17:04I got a horse and I used to ride her over the mall, and that was when I learnt and
17:09discovered
17:10the joy of being able to ride, being at one in harmony with another living creature.
17:18Famous for their ballet of the white stallions, the Spanish Riding School of Vienna opened in 1565.
17:26It preserves the tradition of dressage, where a horse and rider work as one to pull off
17:31delicate moves of strength, agility and elegance.
17:36They only ride Lipizzana stallions, descended from a Spanish breed that was imported to the school when
17:41it opened, hence the name, the Spanish Riding School.
17:52I've arranged to meet Marius, who joined the school 30 years ago and now trains horses and new riders,
17:59as well as performing in the shows.
18:02I have to say, I am in horse heaven here, but this is not your average stable, is it?
18:09We have here space for 71 horses.
18:12Yeah?
18:12Yes, and one of my special horse you will see here.
18:16Who is this?
18:17This is Maestoso Alia.
18:19Hello.
18:19He's 19 years old.
18:21I perform him in the performance for the schools above the ground and I do levade.
18:28Yeah.
18:29Moves that are referred to as above the ground are highly skilled movements,
18:34where the horse literally leaves the floor.
18:36That's all that very sort of advanced dressage, isn't it?
18:40Yes, it is.
18:40When did you start riding?
18:42I started riding when I was 12, so around 12 years old and I'm here since 1996.
18:52Oh, the joy you must have felt the first time you went into the arena on your horse,
18:57was that special?
18:58It was very, very special.
19:00Yes, it's, it's, I think my whole life it will stay in my brain.
19:04It can take a whopping 12 years to be fully qualified as a rider and performer at this school.
19:10What is the sensation you get when you're on your favorite horse?
19:16I think when you know a horse like him for 15 years, we learn together and we train together.
19:23Excuse me, you are photo, you are photobombing our shots.
19:27You do realize that, don't you?
19:29Sorry, you were saying.
19:32So after five years, you get to have, you can ride a full trained horse.
19:40Well, it seems Alea is more taken with my cameraman than with us,
19:44but Marius has just the thing to get his attention.
19:50Can you touch his nose?
19:54He's laughing.
19:59You want to try it?
20:00Can I?
20:00There we go.
20:01Just touch his nose.
20:02Just touch his nose first.
20:04There we go.
20:04Now you can have your sugar.
20:06There you go.
20:07Marius and Alea are off to train.
20:12Fortunately for me and my cruising friends, you can come along and watch these sessions most mornings,
20:18getting a chance to see for yourself just how talented the riders and their horses are.
20:29Watching the elegance and grace of these beautiful animals working in harmony with their skilled riders
20:35is almost like watching a ballet, especially in this stunning baroque setting.
20:47To witness this living, breathing historical institution is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
21:09It's wonderful to watch the horses there showing what they do in training.
21:13It isn't a sport, this. It's an art form.
21:16And if you love horses, ah, coming and watching a performance or even the training like that
21:24is, it's an absolute joy.
21:37My next adventure requires a quick trip back to the ship so that I can get a change of outfit,
21:42because I'm going to be putting myself through some paces.
21:48OK, I cannot come to Vienna and not learn how to do a Viennese waltz properly.
21:54So I've come to the top dance school in the city and a couple of friends from the ship
22:01are going to join me to give it a whirl.
22:09Here at the Elmire Dance School, they've been teaching students of all ages for over 100 years.
22:17Hi, Hilda, Joe, Mike, Leslie.
22:20Hello.
22:21Oh, this is going to be fun, isn't it?
22:22Yes.
22:23It's really, yeah.
22:24Yeah.
22:24Emerging in the ballrooms of Vienna in the late 18th century, the fast-paced Viennese waltz is in
22:30fact, the original waltz, with the slower waltz, or English waltz, developed later.
22:36Hello, Bernie.
22:37Hello.
22:38Nice to meet you.
22:39Today, the school director, Bernie, is going to teach us all how to spin the light fantastic.
22:45How long have you been dancing the waltz?
22:46I've been dancing for more than 25 years now, and it takes some time to practice.
22:51You have loads of balls here in Vienna, don't you?
22:53We have about 450 ball festivities each year in Austria.
22:59Well, we might not have 25 years to learn, but if anyone can teach us, it's Bernie.
23:05First up, a demonstration.
23:07Every time I take a turn, I try to make it, to turn more and try to make it faster.
23:13So, one, two, three, four, five, six, one, two, three, four, five, six.
23:17No pressure, then.
23:18So, let's start with the basics.
23:20For the Wiennese waltz, we need three different types of steps.
23:24So, one step to the side.
23:25Very good.
23:26And now we close the left foot to the right foot.
23:29One step forward, then to the side, and close.
23:34And while closing, don't forget to shift the weight.
23:37So, forward, side change of weight.
23:43And forward.
23:44With the steps mastered, it's time to partner up.
23:47And just a tiny bit of pressure here.
23:50Angela, if you would be so kind.
23:52As the other four are in couples, I'm dancing with the teacher.
23:56So, she will start left foot backward, and then going right foot forward.
24:02Four, five, and forward, side, close, backward, whoops, side, and forward, side, close, and backward.
24:15Here we go, side.
24:16The Wiennese waltz is believed to be the very first ballroom dance in a close hold,
24:22which was seen as rather racy.
24:24Now it's our turn to try those dizzying Wiennese spins.
24:27And as we're on the Danube, there really is only one piece of music that should be our soundtrack.
24:32This unofficial Austrian anthem, it's called the Blue Danube waltz, from Johann Strauss.
24:38Arguably the most beautiful waltz ever written.
24:41And let's try it, but slightly faster.
24:44Ready?
24:45Here we go.
24:48So, one, two, three, four, five, and one, two, three, four, five, six.
25:04Should we swap directions?
25:07Yes.
25:08OK.
25:09So, one, two, three, four, five, six.
25:20With such an iconic piece of music playing, it's like being taken back to the glittering age of ballroom.
25:30Thank you very much.
25:31What a fabulously culture-filled day I've had in Vienna.
25:35But for now, it's time to head back to my ship.
25:39And I dare say I'll be waltzing the whole way there.
25:50Coming up, I'm astounded by the thousand-year-old Gutwig Abbey.
25:55How many adjectives can you use to describe this?
25:58It's breathtaking.
25:58And I'm fascinated by the many things that the monks produce from apricots.
26:04Please tell me you don't put apricot jam on the sausages.
26:06No, no, never, never.
26:16I'm on a cruise along the great river that runs through central Europe, the Danube.
26:24When you're enjoying a leisurely sail on the river, dinner is a great time to make new friends and find
26:31out what draws them to this iconic waterway.
26:34Hi.
26:35Hi.
26:36Luana.
26:37Danny, hello.
26:38Oh, thank you for joining me for dinner.
26:41Luana and Danny are experiencing the Danube for the very first time.
26:46You're both from Canada, aren't you?
26:47Correct, yes.
26:48Where in Canada?
26:49Uh, Ontario.
26:50Right at the bottom of Lake Huron.
26:51Oh, you're on the lake.
26:52Right at the bottom of Lake Huron, yes.
26:53So you're used to being near the river then?
26:55Yeah, there's the river, the lake, and then the river, yes.
26:58Awesome.
26:58Cheers.
26:59Cheers.
27:00Yeah, cheers.
27:00Cheers.
27:01Cheers.
27:01Cheers, cheers.
27:02Wonderful dinner.
27:04To our river cruise.
27:06But why a trip down the Danube?
27:08We just were so fascinated that we would be going to so many countries along this river.
27:14And just the scenery.
27:15Oh, the scenery.
27:16Well, the scenery is, yeah.
27:17And the castles, the churches, just magical.
27:21And all of it's so old.
27:23I mean, the number of places that we visited that were here in the 12th century.
27:27I mean, it is an interesting way to discover a continent, actually, isn't it?
27:32By sailing down a river.
27:34Oh, you get a flavor of every, you know, country and every city.
27:39Yes.
27:39I always think that Buddha, when you look at it from the Peche side, you look across,
27:43and there's one little bit of it that looks as if it should be part of a Disney set.
27:48You know, you expect Tinkerbell to come flying over the top of it.
27:51Yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah.
27:52Just like a picture.
27:53And it's not just scenery.
27:55My fellow travelers are taking every opportunity to experience all that the Danube has to offer,
28:01including the food.
28:03I love the fact that we get to eat the foods of the region.
28:10Yeah.
28:10So as we travel down the Danube, you know, the menu shifts.
28:16So when you go back to Canada, what are the memories you'll take back of this river and this trip?
28:22Do you know what memory I'll have?
28:24Our time right now at this moment.
28:27Absolutely.
28:28To travel.
28:29Travel.
28:30Yes.
28:36The next day, we've traveled almost 50 nautical miles from Vienna to reach our next destination,
28:43the city of Krems.
28:45It's the oldest city in lower Austria, and it's a popular stop for cruise ships,
28:51as it's part of the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's celebrated as one of Europe's
28:57most stunning river valleys.
29:00And this whole area is renowned for its beauty, for its wildlife, for its history.
29:06When you look at the hills behind, we are surrounded by vineyards.
29:11So this whole area produces some pretty impressive wine, as well as apricots.
29:17You can't go far on the Danube without finding something really wonderful to eat and drink.
29:25Just a short trip from the dock is Gutwig Abbey.
29:29I'm told it's a must-see if you visit Krems for its architecture and history.
29:35Around 34 monks still practice here, and I've arranged to meet one of them,
29:40to learn more about the monastery and its culinary secrets.
29:47Hello, welcome to Gutwig Abbey.
29:49Father Pius, how lovely to see you.
29:51Hi, Angela, nice to meet you.
29:52My goodness, you live in a magnificent place, don't you?
29:55Isn't that a lovely place, yeah?
29:57How do you feel living here?
29:58I've lived here for nearly 30 years.
30:00I became a monk in 1996, yeah?
30:03And always, when I'm driving towards Gutwig, when I see our monastery on the top of the hill,
30:09my heart is always beating.
30:10I'm not surprised, it is a magnificent building, and very much a tourist attraction.
30:14About 125,000 guests every year are coming to Gutwig Abbey, most of them by ships.
30:22They are cruising on the river Danube, because we're here in the Wachel Valley, next to the river.
30:27Founded in 1083, the original abbey was destroyed by fire in the 18th century,
30:32but it was rebuilt and is now baroque splendor at its finest.
30:38And behind that façade, gosh.
30:45Oh, Father Pius, this is magnificent.
30:47You didn't expect that, right?
30:49You would never expect this from outside.
30:52No, no, because the church can't be seen from outside.
30:55And this is the beating heart of the monastery,
30:57where the monks are gathering five times during the day for the prayers.
31:03Oh, what a glorious place to pray.
31:07Look at that organ, for instance.
31:09Yeah.
31:09You could just have pipes, look at it.
31:11The organ is from 1703, a mechanical stop organ, and it still works.
31:16In itself, it's a work of art.
31:19Frescoes, the gold, the panelling, and the colour of blue, absolutely everywhere.
31:27And the reason is, the Blessed Virgin Mary is patron saint of our monastery,
31:30and in arts, blue is a sign of royalty.
31:55It's truly humbling standing in a building like this.
31:59The attention to detail and craftsmanship is simply stunning.
32:05It's not just the buildings that are impressive.
32:08It's also the 60-plus acres of vineyards,
32:12which get me one step closer to those culinary secrets.
32:16Wow.
32:17That's spectacular.
32:19This view is just spectacular, isn't it?
32:23I mean, how many adjectives can you use to describe this?
32:26It's breathtaking, it's awesome, it's gorgeous, it's unique.
32:30Because from here you see the River Danube, this is the direction to Vienna.
32:34Yes.
32:34Then you see Krems, and behind Krems, the border of the Czech Republic,
32:39all the vineyards here.
32:40These are your vineyards, are they?
32:42Not all, but the majority of our vineyards are here in this direction.
32:48And it's in their orchards that you'll find that secret ingredient, apricots.
32:53They turn this delicious fruit into a number of products
32:56to help generate an income for the Abbey.
32:58And Father Pius has invited us into the kitchens
33:01to learn just some of what can be done with an apricot.
33:05So this is the place where we produce the apricot jam.
33:09Hello. Oh, the jam.
33:10Hello. Hello, good morning.
33:11I'm Angela. Do you want one?
33:13Oh, I better put a pinion on. Yes, I suppose so. Yes, there we go.
33:16The jam starts life as one part fruit to one part sugar,
33:20with some vanilla thrown in for good measure.
33:23It has to simmer about five to ten minutes.
33:25Have they always been making jam here in the monastery?
33:28Yeah, it's typical, typical. We love it for breakfast.
33:31So it's apricot jam with your toast in the morning, not marmalade?
33:34No apricot jam. Every time?
33:37Not every time. Sometimes we have sausages as well.
33:42Please tell me you don't put apricot jam on the sausages.
33:45No, no, never, never. Mustard.
33:47But maybe mustard be the flavour of apricot.
33:49We have this in the shop. Yes, we have this in the shop.
33:53Apricot-flavoured mustard? That's new to me.
33:56I don't think you just produce jam out of the apricots, do you?
33:59No, we produce other things as well. What?
34:00We produce juice, for example, just to depress the fresh fruit.
34:04And then we have the juice. Brandy, schnapps, liqueur, sparkling wine.
34:11You get your value out of your apricot trees, don't you?
34:14You really do. So presumably the whole monastery is involved in this.
34:19Each monk has got his own job or work to do.
34:22This is a very old tradition. Saint Benedict writes in his rule,
34:27there must be always a balance between work and prayer.
34:31Now, I did say I was going to help out, but I have got a bit carried away just chatting
34:36to Father Pius.
34:37Yes. Now comes the best part of the cooking demonstration. The tasting.
34:42You've been waiting for this since the beginning, haven't you?
34:44That's the reason why I'm here.
34:46The second class for you. That's for you.
34:51Oh, yeah. That on a breakfast muffin or toast.
34:55Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.
34:57Well, there are no breakfast muffins here, though Father Pius does have one last treat for me.
35:04Outside, surrounded by the stunning valley view.
35:07We have a special thing for you, our famous apricot dumpling.
35:11Yeah. Guests to the Abbey can take part in a dumpling-making lesson.
35:15And they sell around 18,000 dumplings a year in their restaurant.
35:20And of course, that's not all.
35:24This is the apricot sparkling wine.
35:26Look at that.
35:28Inside the dumpling, there is the apricot.
35:32They smell excellent.
35:33The sweet centre of the dumpling, a whole apricot.
35:40This is absolutely superb.
35:43Father Pius, your good health.
35:47And your apricots.
35:48Thank you very much for your visit.
35:50Come back soon and God bless you.
35:54And just in case you were wondering what I thought of the dumplings.
35:57Anybody want to try this? Because it's lovely.
36:04Well, I came here to explore the beautiful architecture overflowing with history.
36:10But I think I'll be staying just a little longer to indulge in all the apricots that I possibly can.
36:17Coming up.
36:19OK. Ready?
36:19Yep.
36:20Ready.
36:21I'm blown away by the beauty and history of one of Europe's most popular cycle routes.
36:26Such fun.
36:27It's been lovely.
36:30And the dramatic Dernstein Castle's horrible history is revealed.
36:36Richard the Lionheart, who was kept here as our prisoner.
36:48I'm on a great river cruise journey on the Danube.
36:52I've seen the Wackau Valley whilst sailing along the Danube and from high up at Gutwig Abbey.
37:00But there's another great way of seeing this landscape.
37:03The next stop on my trip down the Danube is the medieval town of Dernstein.
37:11I've discovered that the Danube has a cycle path, so I've actually decided that it would be rather nice to
37:18cycle to Dernstein and get a whole new feel for this, not just the river, but this rather beautiful valley
37:26that it flows through.
37:32It's just a five-mile cycle ride to Dernstein, but the Danube cycle path stretches almost the full length of
37:39the river, all 1,770 miles of it.
37:43But since that would take four to six weeks, I'll save that for next time.
37:48First, it's time to meet my guide, Thomas, who leads cycling tours here.
37:52Hello, Thomas.
37:54Hello, how are you doing?
37:55I'm Angela. Hello, thank you for bringing the bicycle for me.
37:58Nice to meet you, yes.
37:59I'm so looking forward to doing this.
38:01While Thomas has provided the bikes today, many river cruise companies, like mine, have e-bikes on board so that
38:07you can borrow them to explore the places where they dock.
38:11Ready? Yep.
38:12Ready.
38:15It's no surprise that this is one of Europe's most popular cycle routes, and this stretch is thought to be
38:21one of the most scenic sections.
38:24And exploring by e-bike gives you a unique view of what life along the banks of the Danube is
38:29like.
38:30It's clearly a very popular thing to do to cycle along here, isn't it?
38:34Yes, it's an international cycle route.
38:44And look all around, this would be the vineyards.
38:47We're surrounded by vineyards.
38:49What is it about this valley, you think, that makes it so beautiful and so special?
38:53Oh, it's the beautiful landscape.
38:56It's the many layers of history.
39:00These stony walls, which are also on our right, some of them are 600 to 700 years old.
39:07Really?
39:07These are very typical for Wachau, because the hillsides are so steep that you need to terrace them in order
39:15to cultivate the grapes on them.
39:17After a jam-packed cruising schedule, cycling through this stunning scenery is pure bliss.
39:27So we're cruising through the romantic winemaking village.
39:32Several families making wine.
39:35In the valley, around 220 families make wine.
39:39One village can have around 20, 30 wineries.
39:43You just come here, knock on doors and taste them beautiful wines.
39:47While it might not be something to do on a cycling tour, visitors to the valley can pop into the
39:53wineries for drop-in wine tastings.
39:56But we're continuing on to Dernstein.
40:00Dernstein, we call it the medieval village of the valley, and you can find buildings there from the 14th and
40:0813th century.
40:09Probably the most known building is the castle above the village.
40:13On the right, is that the castle up there on the right?
40:15That's correct, the Dernstein castle towering just above the village of Dernstein.
40:20This castle made the valley famous because of Richard the Lionheart, who was kept here as our prisoner.
40:29Richard was captured near Vienna on the way home from the Crusades in 1192, and he was held in Dernstein
40:36for several months.
40:37He was finally released after a massive ransom of 150,000 silver marks was paid.
40:44And the ransom which we got for him kept us going for a while.
40:51We built fortifications from this money.
40:54We minted our first currency upon this silver, yeah.
40:58So it was a wise investment.
41:02Thank you for that.
41:05You're welcome.
41:06And after a lovely, leisurely cycle, my ship has beaten us to Dernstein.
41:10So I'm going to need to hop on board and head towards the next leg of my adventure.
41:16I've had such fun.
41:18It's been lovely.
41:21I'm glad to hear that.
41:22Oh, and you've been the perfect guide.
41:25Well, thank you very much.
41:26You're a perfect guest.
41:28Pleasure's on my side.
41:29Thank you very much.
41:44What a wonderful travel companion the Blue Danube has been so far.
41:49We've sailed through European history and culture, seen how it's grown and developed over the years.
41:56And there have been times when there have been quite a few treats for me personally.
42:02There are still hundreds of miles of this river still to be explored.
42:07And as our journey continues in the golden evening light, I can't wait.
42:15Next time, we travel to Salzburg, birthplace of the musical genius Mozart.
42:21He was like the Beatles of his day, wasn't he?
42:23Yeah, exactly.
42:24Dine out at the world's oldest bratwurst kitchen in Regensburg.
42:27Can I have one sausage?
42:29OK, with mustard?
42:30Oh, yes.
42:31And sauerkraut?
42:32Everything.
42:33And embrace a centuries-old Bavarian folk dance.
42:39Yahoo!
42:54And for the next time there, we go.
42:55Like, what do you think about like a guy who is a city-owned woman who comes to the world?
42:56Maybe you're thinking about like a guy by the outside-籍, didn't you think about it?
42:56He's not just an artist.
43:01But you're thinking about like this, where you are about to come.
43:02If you think about what you're supposed to be, then you can't look at the city once we can.
43:02Oh, yeah.
43:10So, yeah.
43:11Bye.
43:12Hope you're going to laugh.
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