Danube water levels 2020 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[notamermaid]

Going for a walk could become a much longed-for activity in Bavaria soon. Herr Söder is considering putting the state under lock down if people do not keep their distance.

See Deutsche Welle Top Stories daily reporting. Bavaria now has 2282 cases.

 

steamboats, get down to the Isar and the parks while you can.

 

notamermaid

 

[pacmom]

yesterday afternoon saw some of our many daffodils are in bloom.

Here in Dayton Ohio the weather matches our mood---overcast with dense fog.  Trying to stay optimistic  that being away from people will really help curtail this minster.

 

Notamermaid, steamboats and G.M.T. and all posters stay well and safe.  Pat

[steamboats]

7 hours ago, notamermaid said:

steamboats, get down to the Isar and the parks while you can.

 

Actually we do have a large park area almost across our home and we use it for our daily Nordic Walking routine. It´s not very crowded anyway and we tried to keep distance to all others when passing or overtaking even if we had to leave the path and go into the lawn part.

 

All playgrounds have a closure note. Yesterday especially the toddler playground was crowded while all others were empty. Maybe that´s been because toddlers can´t read yet (and neither obviously can their parents). Today even the toddler playground was empty. So finally someone was able to read. New signs were up all along the walkways telling the people to keep a safety distance.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

Well, it was just a question of when not if, wasn't it? Bavaria will go into lock down tonight. Freiburg im Breisgau (that is near the Rhine close to the Black Forest) is in near lock down. Will the whole of Germany follow on Monday? https://m.dw.com/en/germany-coronavirus-lockdown-imminent-if-people-dont-reel-in-social-activities/a-52852286 

 

notamermaid

 

[pacmom]

we are so blessed to have this means of communicating.  We are not in lock-down yet, still no cases in out comminity.  A nursing home  about 25 miles north seems to be an incubator. 2 positives and a few more pending.

 

Also our May barge trip with Road Scholar has been cancelled--offered cash refund or future cruise credit. My prayer for all is be safe and stay well.  We will return to the rivers.

Blessings, Pat

[notamermaid]

Thanks for keeping in touch Pat. It is so brutal when a home for the elderly is affected. It is supposed to be a haven of care and safety, but turns into something else.

 

Minor detail: I wrongly wrote it above, the town is called Freiburg im Breisgau.

 

Stay safe everyone.

 

notamermaid

 

Note from Host Jazzbeau:  I fixed the earlier post for you

[steamboats]

Not really much of a lock down... now additionally closed are home improvement stores and hairdressers... That´s basically it. We´re still allowed to go out but only as family group and we have to keep distance.

 

Restaurants are closed too but can stay open for pick up. We decided to order a bit more food from our favorite restaurants to support them.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

22 hours ago, steamboats said:

Not really much of a lock down... now additionally closed are home improvement stores and hairdressers... That´s basically it. We´re still allowed to go out but only as family group and we have to keep distance.

 

Restaurants are closed too but can stay open for pick up. We decided to order a bit more food from our favorite restaurants to support them.

 

steamboats

More of a partial lock down then. Here in Rhineland-Palatinate we are getting closer to your measures. Restaurants are now also only pick up or delivery. As I do not live in a major city, finding a restaurant that I like and which offers delivery is not that easy. Need to look into this a bit. My favourite Italian has already said he will be closed completely.

 

Oh, delivery: I had ordered some food stuff online - which by the way was also limited to five individual items per article ordered - and received it yesterday. The delivery guy said "Good morning, I just leave the parcel here, do not need a signature, goodbye and have a nice day". He kept at quite a distance, but was nice about it. The current rule is that no more signing on delivery is necessary so that no pen is shared, etc. Good idea.

 

Right, need to phone a friend who had to cancel her birthday party for today.

 

It is a strange world.

 

notamermaid

 

[steamboats]

@notamermaid yes, DHL and all others started at the beginning of the week to skip the signature and drop the parcel at the entry of our building (which is no problem for us as were on ground floor anyway). We even got an email by Lieferando that they are going "contactless" and you´re not supposed to open your entry door but they leave the food on the doormat. You pay online anyway. Our next door restaurant (Bavarian) is starting pick-up orders by today.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

A small restaurant near me has gone from serving food lunch and evening to a pick up or delivery lunchtime menu only, Mondays to Fridays. A good idea, especially for older people. Will check that out. Yesterday, my local drugstore had two pallets (!) of toilet paper at the front door. They never display toilet paper in that way. A sign of the times.

 

Cooking and baking, many of us now have a bit more time for that. Why not try out a Danube wave, a cake popular in both Germany and Austria. Here is the Wikipedia page on Donauwelle: 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donauwelle 

And a quick search on the internet will give you several webpages with instructions in English, even some videos.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Bavaria's Herr Söder has extended the restriction measures till 19 April. Austria has closed all hotels for the purpose of tourism. Strict measures in Austria remain in place and now face masks need to be worn when shopping. From the sound of it measures that seriously restrict daily life will run into June. With Hungary having also increased restrictions, a return to river cruising on the Danube looks impossible before June in my opinion and I doubt that a enjoyable cruise will be possible even then.

 

Herr Kurz of Austria says that the curve of rising cases is flattening, a good sign. Here is the German dashboard for Austria: https://info.gesundheitsministerium.at/

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Let us take a big jump on the map from Bavaria to Bulgaria, or take a long river cruise towards the Black Sea. In Bulgaria is the so-called "valley of roses", where much of the rose oil for perfume-making comes from: https://www.dw.com/en/the-valley-of-roses/av-49761188

 

On a river cruise as an excursion from Russe it is nearly three hours by car. Perhaps another port could give better access. Perhaps a place to earmark for a land trip for rose lovers.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

A few days ago I said to a dear person: "I cannot see Oktoberfest happening this year". I am sure many other people think the same. Now Herr Söder of Bavaria has uttered such a possibility publicly. According to Deutsche Welle he said that he is "... very, very skeptical ..." Oktoberfest is scheduled to start on 19th September.

 

notamermaid

 

[steamboats]

I doubt the Oktoberfest will be held this year. He also said the doesn´t see any foreign travel (for vacation) this year. Currently all big events til August 31st have to be cancelled. So I don´t think there will be an Okoberfest on Sep 19th as they have to start to build up the tents by June/July.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

@steamboats 

If they need all that time for the logistics, then I can even more see the Oktoberfest not happening. Apart from that, with all the knowledge we have about the virus now, can we really allow all those tourists into tents, I mean, it could be a "virus spreading spinner" worse than the Carnival in Heinsberg or the apres-ski parties in Ischgl. You mention foreign travel, yes, our head of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, advised against booking Summer holidays just yet.

 

As a side note, nature is very dry around here, green-yellow dust on cars everywhere. Little pollen and blossom mixes cover pavements. Pfelling gauge has fallen to 299cm. Not much water in the Isar either, I suppose?

 

Is Bavaria staying closed or are you going together with us into "shops and libraries are open" mode?

 

Info for river cruisers: borders between Germany and Austria remain closed for leisure but according to the Austrian government an opening can be envisaged as Germany seems to be in control of the spread of the virus. No prospective date given.

 

notamermaid

 

[steamboats]

We´re opening up nurserys and home improvement stores today. Rest is next week. And starting today we can meet up with one other person for walking or doing sports (who is not a member of our household). We´re still a little more strict than the rest of Germany.

 

As for the Oktoberfest... our local newspaper more or less said... everyone knows it´s not gonna happen but who is telling it the people...

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

On 4/20/2020 at 7:18 AM, steamboats said:

 

As for the Oktoberfest... our local newspaper more or less said... everyone knows it´s not gonna happen but who is telling it the people...

 

steamboats

It was the unhappy task of Markus Söder to tell Bavarians that the Oktoberfest has been cancelled. After talks with Munich's Oberbürgermeister they agreed it would be too dangerous in these times to hold such a big event. It attracts six million visitors each year and I am sure Munich people will feel like this is going right to the heart and soul of their city.

 

https://m.dw.com/en/coronavirus-in-germany-oktoberfest-canceled-due-to-outbreak/a-53142998

 

Sorry, to read it steamboats. I hope they put it to you mildly this morning.

 

notamermaid

 

[Roger88]

Water levels depend on many factors, on the nature itslef, human interference and the phases of the moon. I am tired of hearing news from Venice and their water level. It has laready been discovered that the process is natural. Even in middle ages people were predicting the city to drown in 18-19th centuary, but as we can see nothing has happened since then. Yes floods occur here and there but not like people have to permenatly move somewhere else from the shore. 

[Daisi]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

It was the unhappy task of Markus Söder to tell Bavarians that the Oktoberfest has been cancelled. After talks with Munich's Oberbürgermeister they agreed it would be too dangerous in these times to hold such a big event. It attracts six million visitors each year and I am sure Munich people will feel like this is going right to the heart and soul of their city.

 

https://m.dw.com/en/coronavirus-in-germany-oktoberfest-canceled-due-to-outbreak/a-53142998

 

Sorry, to read it steamboats. I hope they put it to you mildly this morning.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Sad news indeed.  We have a big party here in Kitchener, I wonder if they will think about cancelling that.  We have been informed that there will be a "virtual" Canada Day celebration, but seeing as we celebrate July 1, I can see that being cancelled.  I guess the one good thing (?) for us is no neighbourhood fireworks every weekend.  Don't mind them so much on Friday or Saturday, but when they do them again on Sunday night, it's really tempting to get some to let off at 4:00 Monday mornings when we have to get up to go to work. 🙂

 

[steamboats]

8 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Sorry, to read it steamboats. I hope they put it to you mildly this morning.

 

Personally ... I don´t mind and I haven´t even checked the news (I knew of course that there was a press conference at 9 am). For me it´s the worst 16 days of the years. I worked pretty close to the Oktoberfest grounds and believe me it´s not "amazing" seeing people at 8 am with a bottle of beer in their hand or having to watch people closely and check their eyes whether they are blurry and then better look for another seat in the train or tram...

 

But of course especially for the hotels and all restaurants it´s a great loss as those suffer from the closures right now most. No date given when they are allowed to open again. During Oktoberfest the hotel prices skyrocket to never seen dimensions and if you haven´t made a reservation a year in advance you are basically lucked out finding a hotel room.

 

It definitely is the right decision...

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

@steamboats

I had the feeling the Oktoberfest is not quite "your cup of tea" 😉.

 

For the health of the people it is certainly for the best, not to go ahead with it. For the hospitality trade it is a disastrous year and the revenue that will be missing from Munich's purse is really high.

 

Perhaps some enterprising fan could invent a computer game that lets you walk round a virtual Wies'n, complete with whatever stalls one finds there and you can donate actual money to the stall holders. And how about virtual Maßkrug toasting in the tents and for every successful toasting without falling off the table or under the table the tent owner gets some real money? I could imagine that being a hit. Chuckling to myself at this point...

 

If you see it sometime, you know where and who the games company got the idea from. I could do with some credit and royalties money. 😀 

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

From one million to zero

 

Can you believe that this was only just under 12 weeks ago, G.M.T. and I talked about Hallstatt:

On 2/5/2020 at 7:40 PM, G.M.T. said:

The corona virus outbreak has one positive side, the small Austrian town of Hallstatt (UNESCO Site), 800 natives and a million (thats 1,000,000) invaders (mostly Asians) in a year, the numbers have dropped dramtically. They can now breath.

 

https://www.insider.com/hallstatt-photos-town-ruined-by-tourists-what-its-like-austria-2019-10#i-also-chatted-to-a-couple-from-shanghai-and-a-family-from-india-the-mother-was-directing-a-full-blown-photoshoot-much-to-the-apparent-dismay-of-her-son-everyone-visiting-seemed-to-be-in-love-with-hallstatt-37

 

And we know how tourism has gone right downhill from there, everywhere.

 

So what does Hallstatt look like now. Well, literally from one million tourists a year to no tourists at all: https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-brings-silence-to-tourism-hotspot-hallstatt/av-53168922

 

If you feel like visiting Hallstatt some time, a land trip is of course better but from a river cruise it is possible, it is about 1h 45min by car (one way) from Linz.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

After Hallstatt in Austria let us return to Bavaria, Munich and the Oktoberfest. The cancellation news has also spread to Australia of course and this is an article from travel weekly Australia: https://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/ach-nein-oktoberfest-cancelled-due-covid-19-pandemic/

 

Probably every health minister, virus expert and many others are now aware of the story of the ski resort in Austria and those in charge of lock down fear an "Ischgl scenario"* when returning to normal life.   *my term, no-one else' as far as I know

 

notamermaid

 

[pacmom]

Noramemmaid, tried the Danube Wave cake I bought at our local Aldi.  Bought it frozen just before Easter.  Had half of one of the pieces last evening.  It was soooooo good.  Can see where making a whole one would have to be for a larger gathering than we are now allowed.  Thanks,  for all your wonderful info.  Pat

[Coral]

On 4/28/2020 at 4:53 AM, notamermaid said:

From one million to zero

 

Can you believe that this was only just under 12 weeks ago, G.M.T. and I talked about Hallstatt:

And we know how tourism has gone right downhill from there, everywhere.

 

So what does Hallstatt look like now. Well, literally from one million tourists a year to no tourists at all: https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-brings-silence-to-tourism-hotspot-hallstatt/av-53168922

 

If you feel like visiting Hallstatt some time, a land trip is of course better but from a river cruise it is possible, it is about 1h 45min by car (one way) from Linz.

 

notamermaid

 

Thanks. I know it is touristy but I still want to go one day.