Day 6: Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany/ Baroque Abbey, Beer and a Home-hosted Visit Bavaria is an area of Germany that has great pride in their heritage.  Our bus driver, Patrick, said there is no place else he would rather live.  He said the Pope, when asked what he thought Heaven would be like, responded, "I think it must be like my hometown in Bavaria" and if that was good enough for the Pope, it was just how he felt as well.   Our first stop this morning was at Weltenburg Monastary, where there was an amazing Baroque church which also has the oldest monastery brewery in the world.  They have been brewing beer for 1,000 years and it is really good!!  Nothing like a tankard of beer at 10 a.m., with a pretzel thrown in to soak up all the alchohol!  Next was a ferry ride through an amazing gorge, down the Danube, with about 50 bicyclers headed for Vienna (350 miles away) and a few locals.... beer was also served with this adventure. We did have another stop, but it would take too long to describe it and really, you wouldn't care when I was done. Back to the boat.... more food, lunch, then off to a home visit with a REAL (vs. unreal) German family.  This was lots of fun. Our group was met by a mom and her 20 yr. old daughter.... the dad was at work and the son was avoiding us completely :-). The fun fact about the mom and daughter is that it was the daughter who talked the mother into hosting home visits!  She had a friend whose mom was also doing it and she told her mom she had to do it too.  That was several years ago and now the daughter is in college to be a translator!  We had an hour and a half with the family, which sounded like waaaaaayy too much time on the front end of the visit, but was not enough time in the end.  There are so many interesting things I could say about this family, but I don't want it all to get boring.  I will make a little list about what was great and if anyone cares to hear about something on the list, please let us know..... Garbage cans Gardens Driver's licenses Cars, bicycles and driving year around Generations living in the same house Then we went back to the boat, had cocktails, a review about the upcoming day, dinner and holy cow!! it was 9:00!! Mom and I got into our jammies. She read and went to sleep.  I am writing.  Now  I am done and headed for bed.  Smooches!!