History Of Gothenburg
Gothenburg was established by Sweden’s King Adolphus in 1621. During those times, the area’s west coast area operates as a military base to guard Sweden against the Danish invasions.  After thirty years, the Danes, along with the Norwegian regions, came to be a division of Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde. With the military base gone, the city of Gothenburg experience several economic developments because of its well-placed location and soon developed into a thriving business seaport. During the 19th century Gothenburg flourished into a significant industrial center and port of the country, and handled half of Sweden’s international business.

Things To Do In Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a green oasis, so don’t miss out on the Botanical Garden. 500,000 visitors per year flock to see its herb and kitchen garden, the animated perennial beddings, and its rock garden which boast more than 6,000 distinct marshes and plants. Then there’s the Slottskogen Park, the city’s most famous recreational spot with its luscious greeneries. The area has countless restaurants and cafes, a theme park and zoo which will be a sure hit amongst children. Since Gothenburg is famous for its seaport, go on a cruise. Sail or rent a canoe and explore and discover the enthralling waters of the city. Museums are also abundant in Gothenburg. Visit the Gothenburg Art Museum with a vast collect of 19th century Scandinavian art and several masterpieces of Picasso, Monet and Rembrandt.  The Gunnebo Castle and Gardens is perfect for picnics during the summer months. Experience the Art of Gastronomy in Gothenburg in the restaurants around the city with highly-reputable international chefs serving mouth-watering courses, such as the Sjömagasinet, 28+ and Fond, as well as Hos Pelle, Caleo, Kock & Vin and Brasserie Lip. For shopping and souvenirs, go to Innderstaden, Nordstan and Avenyn, there are countless boutiques and shops along the areas.

Getting To Gothenburg
There are several ways to travel to Gothenburg. You can opt to go by plane which will either land in Landvetter or Säve. There are also ferries from UK, Germany, Norway and Denmark. If you have a Eurail Pass, then you can travel by train via the SJ or Swedish Railways, or several private railway companies such as the Veolia, MerResor, Arlanda Express and Tågkompaniet.

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First, a little background. 2010 was a turbulent year for the Euro. It went as low as 1.1$ following the terrible Greek financial crisis and subsequent bailout. Today, the Euro is trading for 1.353$ after a prolonged recovery. Even the minor bailout of Ireland, another Euro country is severe financial trouble went by with relative ease. For the time being, the Eurozone was able to withstand the problems its weaker members face.

In 2011, the Euro may be facing even greater problems. Spain, a much larger country than either Greece or Ireland, is facing major economic challenges of its own. With 20% unemployment and massive debts, the prospect of a Spanish loan default is nightmarish for all those who favor the Euro. Spain will not be easy (or even possible) to bailout. It is simply too big. Smaller economies such as Portugal and Italy (and some Easter European countries) may also require aid. All this will likely make 2011 a challenging year for the Euro and may lead to lower Euro-dollar prices.

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On the other hand, we have the US. While the financial crisis of late 2008 is still showing signs of slowing down the biggest global economy, there are indications that the US is steadily recovering. With very lot interest rates and financial easing measures taken by the Federal Reserve, the US Dollar may have little room to rise. This may mean that the first months of 2011 will be good ones for the EUR/USD. However, I predict that in 2011, interest rates in the US will begin to rise. When this happens, the value of the Dollar will likely increase across the board.

All in all, I predict a good year for the Dollar and a difficult one of the Euro. How accurate will this Euro Dollar Forecast for 2011 be? We shall have to wait until December and see how right I really am.

Knowing where the Forex market is going to go is always difficult. In this article, I’ll focus on just one currency, the Euro, and predict how it will fare in 2011. Will this be a good or bad year for the Euro?

Euro Prediction For 2011

The Euro is a collective currency, used by 16 countries in Europe. Among those countries are strong economies such as Germany and the Netherlands, but also weak ones such as Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Portugal. The Euro policy and central interest rates are determined by the ECB, European Central Bank. However, each country governs itself so there is financial unity but not an administrative one.

This makes it hard to create and uphold the best monetary policy for the Euro. The weak countries would like a weak Euro to make their exports more attractive but the stronger ones would like a powerful Euro to give them more purchasing power. In 2011, as Europe is still recovering from the crisis of 2008, we will see those conflicting pressures increase, one thing which will weigh down on the Euro.

In 2010, two major aid packaged were given to two small members of the Eurozone whose economy was in virtual ruin: Greece and Ireland. This led to a lot of pressure on the Euro, driving it as low as 1.1$ .

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There are hundreds of websites offering European dating services, but not each of them is legitimate.

Dating Europe –

In Europe, a large number of men & women are single and they all want to find their life partners, be it online or offline, but the first way is much easier now. Hundreds of thousands of people have registered themselves on the European dating sites & you can choose from this huge list according to your interests & preferences.

Now, the phrase European dating itself has many meanings within – French dating, Italian dating, Spanish dating, German dating & so on.

Dating European gives you an easy way to find a European partner of your choice with no hard efforts. It gives you a platform to know a person before making a decision to spend your life with them. You can search for a prospective European partner for you by searching for you that matches with your interests, likes & dislikes. And, the language is no more a barrier now, the online language translators help you translate what you want to say to other person.

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You just need to create a profile filling your basic & personal information like your age, race, nationality, built, profession, height, weight & appearance, single/divorced, children/want children etc-etc. Then, you need to fill in information like what kind of partner you are looking for & you also need to describe yourself in few sentences that give a clear idea about you to other people searching for their partners. And, not to mention that adding a picture to your profile always increase your chances.

You can find women from all different parts of Europe on European dating on the net – Russian women, Romanian women, Ukrainian brides, Belarus women, etc-etc. Hundreds of thousands of beautiful women have their profiles on European dating online.

So, enjoy the benefits of European dating and find a perfect partner for yourself sitting miles away. No more geographical limitations can limit you from meeting your European date. You can have your choice of European dating partner that matches your interests & preferences.

European dating provides you free trial and you can enjoy many great services like chat, video chat, SMS & email for a nominal fee. You can hide your contact information in you profile unless you want it to be visible to everyone.

You can find your European soul mate within a few days. Millions of people are enjoying dating Europe, so why left behind when a meaning relationship can be formed very easily.

So, go ahead and date a European partner with commune interests and color your life.

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A popular journal in Greek stated Greek debt crises focused less on the crisis and more on the market reaction. It also stated that Hedge Funds Try ‘Career Trade’ Against Euro” and “Speculators Bet Record Amount against Euro for 4th Week” and “Europe Trouble, U.S. Opportunity” in the headline. It explains the collapse in the Euro mainly against the dollar as one of the important and profitable techniques for exploiting the crisis. The debt crisis has become self fulfilling both for Greece and Euro, both Greek and Euro bonds lost their value which makes the crisis more badly. Most of the speculators are using this favorable condition by making more bets against Euro. Based on the viewed commitment of Trader’s report, the net short conditions against the Euro have a record 12 billion dollar. Some analysts took these details at face value. 

There is also proof that most of the speculators are now trying in concert to bring down the value of Euro. The magazine also mentioned about the private meeting between Hedge funds managers and investment banks helping their customers bet against Euro by using derivatives. These speculators influence the currency markets. The Euro has down 10 percent in less than three months which is more surprising for a currency whose daily trading volume is calculated at 1.2 trillion dollars. The famous choice trade is based on the Euro falling to party against the dollar. It is also not in the good position to accept the market power that these speculators have.

But emotion has no place in forex trading. EU member states contain shaky finances which cannot be dismissed. The Euro is controlled by the European central bank over which Greece has no power. Usually in the forex trading investors like to buy one currency because they think it is going to appreciate in its value against other currencies. If all the investors have same sentiment, these purchases will cause the Euro to appreciate and the dollar will depreciate. In the European debt crisis of 2010, some countries in the European Union were at danger to default on their debt. 

This caused the Euro to fall down so investors look for the other currencies. The three big safe havens are the Treasury bills, U.S dollar and gold. These investments are regarded as less risky of all investments. The strength of the Euro is currency stability. Businesses will not face any risk from currency exchange rates and tourists also no longer to pay the price of the currency conversion. But the weakness is the Euro using countries are not able to set their own monetary policy and they should act according to the policies which are drawn by the European central bank. Greece is unable to devalue its currency to keep prices stable and increase exports to increase money. So forex traders always should keep an eye with the fluctuations of the currency value to operate their forex trading successfully. This helps them to avoid unnecessary frustration in forex trading.

England and Germany Head to head
Total Match::27 England Win:12 Germany:12 Draw:3

England vs Germany Football History:

1966 FIFA World Cup World Cup 1966
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England was chosen as hosts by FIFA in August 1960 to celebrate the centenary of the standardisation of football in England. England won the final, beating West Germany 4–2, giving them their first (and, to date, only) World Cup win, and becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in
London’s Wembley Stadium provided the venue for the final, and 98,000 people crammed inside to watch. After 12 minutes 32 seconds Helmut Haller had put West Germany ahead, but the score was levelled by Geoff Hurst four minutes later. Martin Peters put England in the lead in the 78th minute; England looked set to claim the title when the referee awarded a free kick to West Germany with one minute left. The ball was launched goalward and Wolfgang Weber managed to poke it across the line, with England appealing in vain for handball as the ball came through the crowded penalty area.
With the score level at 2–2 at the end of 90 minutes, the game went to extra time. In the 98th minute Hurst found himself on the score sheet again; his shot hit the crossbar, and bounced down and hit the ground either onto or just over goal line. Whether the ball actually crossed the goal line or not has been a matter of discussion for decades, and this goal, known as the “Ghost Goal”, has become part of World Cup history. Recent digitally-enhanced footage is said to clearly illustrate that Geoff Hurst’s second goal did not cross the line.[8] In the last minute it was Hurst again, who dribbled easily through the German half to net his third goal, just as the gathered crowd invaded the pitch to celebrate with the team, thus cementing the victory for England with another goal. This made Geoff Hurst the only player ever to have scored three times in a World Cup final.

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BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme’s description of the match’s closing moments has gone down in history: “Some people are on the pitch. They think it’s all over … [Hurst scores] It is now!”.
England received the recovered Jules Rimet trophy from Queen Elizabeth II and were crowned World Cup winners for the first time.

The first German victories
Two years after the World Cup, on 1 June 1968, the two teams met again in another friendly match, this time in West Germany, in which the Germans won their first victory over an English team, thirty-eight years after they had first played. The scoreline was 1-0, Franz Beckenbauer scoring for West Germany, but as Hugh McIlvanney wrote in his match report for The Observer: “Comparing this miserable hour and a half (in which fouls far outnumbered examples of creative football) with the last great meeting between the countries is entirely fatuous. But that will not prevent the Germans from doing it. Their celebrations will not be inhibited by the knowledge that today’s losers were almost a reserve team, and even the agonies of boredom they shared with us will now seem worthwhile. They have beaten England, and that is enough

1990 World Cup
There were several friendly games played, with wins for both nations, in the 1970s and 1980s, but the next competitive match — a second round group game at the 1982 FIFA World Cup — ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw. However, when the teams next met competitively, at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, it was a rather more dramatic and eventful clash in the semi-finals, the first time England had reached that far in the competition since their win in 1966.

1996 European Championship
England’s first match against the unified Germany since 1938 was a friendly in 1991 at Wembley, which the Germans won 1-0. Five years later, at the 1996 European Championships, England played a unified German team for the very first time in a competitive fixture, when they met in the semi-finals. As with the 1966 World Cup, the tournament was being held in England, and the semi-final was played at Wembley Stadium

2000 European Championship
England and Germany were drawn to meet each other in the first round group stage of the 2000 European Championship, held jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands, with the England–Germany game taking place in Charleroi in Belgium. Before the game, held on 17 June 2000, there was trouble with incidents of violence with England fans in the town centre, although these were mostly brief and did not involve confrontations with German fans. Nonetheless, reporting of the violence did to a degree overshadow the match result in some media coverage

2002 World Cup qualifying
Before the 2000 European Championship, England and Germany had already been drawn together in the same qualifying group for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. England’s home match against Germany was played on Saturday 7 October 2000, and was particularly significant as it was to be the last international fixture ever to be played at the old Wembley Stadium, before it was demolished and rebuilt. However, England did not get the result they would have wanted, and lost 1-0 to a German free kick scored by Dietmar Hamann. “It was the last refuge of the inadequate. Half-time neared, England were a goal down and a sizeable section of the crowd sullied the ever-dampening occasion. ‘Stand up if you won the War,’ they sang”, wrote journalist Ian Ridley in his match report for The Observer

After 2002
The two teams did not meet in the next major contests, UEFA Euro 2004 and 2006 FIFA World Cup (England managed to avoid a showdown with Germany in the Round of 16 by holding Sweden to a draw and finishing at the top of their group), and England did not qualify for Euro 2008.
England and Germany next played on 22 August 2007, in a friendly at the newly-rebuilt Wembley Stadium. England lost the match 2–1, their first defeat at the new Wembley. In the most recent meeting between the two sides, in an international friendly held on November 19, 2008, England inflicted Germany’s first defeat in Berlin for 35 years.

South Africa World Cup 2010 soccer match England vs Germany, Sunday Sunday June 27th at 14:00 GMT

Live Streaming Link

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HYBRID TEA

The title of this rose is somewhat optimistic: as yet truly ‘blue’ or ‘black’ roses are not available, and still belong to the realms of fantasy. The efforts to breed these colours have, however, produced, especially in hybrid Teas, some delightful varieties in mauve, lilac and blackish red. ‘Blue River®’ is just such an example, with large, beautiful, crimson-mauve blooms, which become lighter at the heart as if powdered, while the petal edges become darker. The blooms are usually borne in clusters and smell exquisite. Whether the rose is planted in a perfumed or perennial bed, its partners should not be planted too close, a minimum distance of 35 cm (14 in) apart, as unfortunately, as with all varieties of this colour grouping, it is susceptible to black spot.

• The ADR rose, ‘Mainzer Fastnacht’ (synonyms: ‘Blue Moon’, ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Blue Girl’, `Sissi’) has striking lilac-mauve tones and a wonderful scent. This popular variety blooms in great profusion and is hardy.

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FLOWERING: Repeat bloomer; fully double; 0 8-10 cm (3-4 in); magenta mauve with a darker edge; strong, delicious scent

GROWTH: 70-80 cm (28— 32 in) high; upright; bushy

FEATURES: Award-winning scent; temperamental; lovely cut rose; requires protection in winter PLANTING: For perfumed beds and flowerbeds and borders; as specimens or in groups

 INTRODUCED: Kordes, 1984, Germany

‘BARKAROLE’

Synonyms: ‘Grand Château’, ‘Taboo®’ / HYBRID TEA

‘Barkarole®’ will be assured a place as one of the noblest hybrid Teas with its characteristic slender, tall buds that open spirally to reveal dark velvety red petals that are lightly reflexed and borne singly on long stems. This tall, bushy variety will bloom to late autumn without suffering in the rain. In southern locations it may suffer some heat damage in full midday sun. ‘Barkarole®’ is unusual for its vigorous, bushy growth habit, as most ‘black’ roses do not grow well and are susceptible to disease. ‘Barkarole®’ is different from the norm in that respect, too, as it has proved itself very resistant to black spot. However, mildew may be a problem, and this should immediately be treated with fungicide.

? ‘Black Baccara’ (Meilland, 2002), with its deep, dark red, velvety blooms, is even darker than `Barkarole. The darkest of the ‘black’ roses does, however, have no scent and is very susceptible to fungal diseases.

FLOWERING: Repeat bloomer; fully double; 08-11 cm (3-41/2 in); dark red; delicious scent

 GROWTH: 80-130 cm (32-51 in) high; upright; bushy

FEATURES: Top quality variety, popular worldwide; rain resistant; good cut rose

PLANTING: For perfumed beds, flowerbeds and borders; as specimens or in groups; lovely standard

INTRODUCED: Tantau, 1987, Germany

Sold out to eighteen countries, the huge television hit ‘Big Brother’ was originally aired in the Netherlands in 1999 and has generally been a huge success all over the world (not all series being a big hit). Big Brother Sweden had it’s first launch in 2000 by the production company responsible for the Netherlands show, Endemol, who launched the UK version on Channel 4 and the Swedish version can be watched on Kanal 5. They had success in countries such as Bulgaria, Germany, Mexico, Greece – to name but a few – and Big Brother Sweden was soon launched.

Producers initially thought the idea of cramming around twelve people of mixed races, backgrounds and persona’s and isolating them in a small house was the way to get huge viewing numbers, and they were right. The contestants, or ‘house mates’, were to be chosen by the public, and the nominated for eviction each week, eventually leaving a winner with a cash prize at the end of the shows long twelve weeks.

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Plenty of TV companies bought into the idea and aired their own countries’ versions of the show. So far in most of the series aired in the United Kingdom, we have seen drunken capers, plenty of nudity, and rumbles under the duvets and that’s not set to stop just yet. Big Brother Sweden has provided the many Swedish viewers with endless amounts of the same, plus many more sexual activities, and the house mates are showing no signs of being more subtle whilst on screen, giving Endemol exactly what they wanted! The surveillance camera’s that are appropriately placed so that they can catch every move the house mates make have caught plenty of action and sex on tape, most of which is still shown (officially AND unofficially) on video websites like www.youtube.com.

In the five years that Big Brother Sweden has run, the house has been located in the fabulous city of Stockholm, the countries capital. The winners to date have been Angelica Freij (2000), Ulrica Andersson (2002), who amusingly spanked one of her house mates when her name was announced! Danne (2003) S?sen and Carolina Gynning, a nationally renowned model, won the 2004 show which was surrounded by controversy after two house mates were filmed having sex. Britt Goodwin (2005) and Jessica Lindgren (2006) took home the finalist places in the two years that Big Brother Sweden was co-produced and filmed with the Norwegian show.

It is Carolina Gynning that you are most likely to see as she hosts TV shows and popular reality shows in the country. Most of the contestants find out just how hard the celeb lifestyle can actually be and shrink into the background, often returning to their former jobs. It’s thanks to Big Brother Sweden that some of the house mates that have stayed in the confines of the Big Brother house actually gain the celebrity lifestyle they wanted and yearned for.

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• Each company’s consolidated and segmental financial performance;
• Each company’s growth strategies and major acquisitions and divestments relating to the specialty chemicals market;
• Key partnerships and alliances formed by these companies;
• Business-related strengths and weaknesses of these companies.

Key features of this report

• Key drivers and resistors to growth of leading European specialty chemicals companies.
• Common industry characteristics in strategies and performance of European specialty chemicals companies.
• Analysis of financial performance and growth strategies of leading specialty chemicals companies during 2005–09.
• Overview of specialty chemicals product portfolios of leading companies.
• SWOT analysis of the leading European specialty chemicals companies.

Scope of this report

• Learn from the strategies of European specialty chemicals companies to target future growth markets effectively, avoid their mistakes, replicate their successes and learn of the threats they face.
• Benchmark your performance against the leading European specialty chemicals companies by understanding their strategies.

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• Measure the resilience of specialty chemicals operations of European companies during the economic downturn.
• Compare performances of specialty and non-specialty chemicals operations of European companies in the global soft drink market arising from the change in consumers’ preferences and global recession.
• Save time, money and resources on analyzing the performance of leading specialty chemicals companies using this report.

Key Market Issues

• Raw material price fluctuations: Review of the 2005-09 period indicates that profits of specialty chemicals operations of leading European players are influenced by fluctuations in raw material prices. Rise in prices in early 2008 coupled with lack of backward integration squeezed margins of Ciba leading to its acquisition by BASF. Fall in prices during the economic downturn had considerable effects on operating margins of European players.
• Fall in demand during downturn: Fall in demand considerably suppressed operating income of European companies in 2009. However, prompt restructuring activities enabled several companies to maintain steady levels of operating margin.
• Relative resilience of specialty chemicals operations: Business Insights observes that the impact was less profound when compared to non-specialty chemicals. The contribution of specialty chemicals to the decline in consolidated revenues was relatively modest. Our in house developed Revenue Growth Index clearly differentiates the performance of specialty and non-specialty operations of European players.
• Consolidation: European players are focused on consolidating their position in the global specialty chemicals market through backward integration and shifting attention to core franchises. Ciba merged with BASF, sensing opportunities for backward integration. Lanxess divested its paper chemicals business, which was later acquired by Kemira.

Key findings from this report

• Business Insights forecasts that the global specialty chemicals market will grow at a CAGR of 2% during 2010–14 to reach a total value of approximately 9bn in 2014.
• The 15 leading European companies generated .9bn sales in 2009, accounting for 15.6% of the 8bn global specialty chemicals market.
• BASF was the largest European specialty chemicals company with bn sales in 2009. The acquisition of Ciba in 2008 propelled the company’s topline significantly.
• European specialty chemicals companies were not insulated from the fall in volume sales experienced by the global chemicals industry. The majority of these players were affected by the fall in industrial input costs as was observed in their selling prices.
• Business Insights’ Revenue growth index found that during the downturn, specialty chemicals businesses of European players performed better than their non-specialty operations.

Key questions answered

• What was the market size of the global specialty chemicals industry by value in 2009?
• What will be the market size of the global specialty chemicals industry during 2010-14?
• What are the key trends observed in the European specialty chemicals companies and strategic responses that are taking shape?
• Who are the major European players in the global specialty chemicals market?
• What are the growth strategies of the leading 10 companies?

To know more about this report & to buy a copy please visit :
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Travel adventures, especially those to foreign countries, are always exciting.  Several members of my family and I began planning a two-week biking/ sightseeing trip to Europe through Vermont bike Tours (www.VBT.com) in the cold months following Christmas.  Once the warmth of summer arrived we set off on our journey to the fascinating Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.   Baroque spires and domes from the 1400′s looked down on the modern and busy cities seemingly nodding their approval.  Our group arrived in Passau, Germany, a city founded at the confluence of three rivers:  the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz.  We settled into the quaint Alstadt Hotel, located on the finger of land separating the Inn and the Danube, and promptly checked out the beautiful terrace that provided a unique visualization of the comingling of the rivers.  The Danube is dark bluish grey and the Inn has a silvery tone from mountain runoff high in the Alps—fishermen lined both rivers and from the look of their buckets, had great catches for the day.  
            As presented in www.FirstLightSports.com
Luckily our visit coincided with the town’s annual river festival just across a couple of lovely bridges on the banks of the Ilz River.  I have never experienced a German town festival and was willing to immerse myself in the local culture, especially when that meant cold beer, smoky grilled sausages, and yeasty, fresh baked pretzels accompanied by live music! We crossed the Inn River bridge and marveled at the number of barges anchored for the evening:  some decorated with Swarovski crystal chandeliers and private balconies—what a way to enjoy the scenery of the Danube!  Then on over to the Ilz River bridge where we were treated to a boat jousting tournament going on below.  Two low, flat bottom boats fitted with small platforms off the stern each held a jouster.  Contestants perched on the platforms armed with a six-foot padded lancing devices. The boats were rowed smartly toward each other with the intent of getting close enough for one jouster to knock the other off into the river.  Rowdy crowds attired in costumes of lederhosen and dirndls lined the bridge.  From the banks of the river they shouted encouragement to their favorite contestants.  Multiple participants, men and women, ended up taking their licks and good-naturedly splashed their way to the shore.  Volunteer jousters would certainly have been found in our group if they had been needed.  Several of our adventurous folk might have run down to the shore to join in if asked, everyone looked like they were having a blast.  
               
Everyone worked up quite a thirst with all the cheering for the jousters.  A frothy mug of Hacklburg ale (“two fisted” drinking required for the mandatory liter mug that weighed a ton!) was the perfect drink to quench my thirst from the spicy grilled sausage, crispy baked chicken and chewy salty pretzels accompanied by tangy stone-ground mustard. The evening ended with lively, sing along, can’t keep your feet from moving, songs performed by a Beatles’ tribute band.  It was easy to join in with the song lyrics, sung in English, not so easy to translate the conversation between songs, but great fun was had by all.
             
Morning broke the following day and after enjoying a hearty breakfast buffet with a selection of fresh sugar sweet strawberries and melon, aged fragrant sliced meats and cheeses, crusty homemade breads and fresh brewed coffee with sweet cream it was time for our next adventure.
           
Vermont Bike Tour (VBT.com) tour leaders Zuzanna and Andy once again transitioned us seamlessly to the next mode of transportation: a huge and luxurious river boat.   Andy had a plethora of regional maps and used the large tables on the boat to point out the pathways of the rivers in the region.  River travel allows passengers to cruise through four different countries—Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.  The historic Danube has inspired songwriters, poets and kings.  The Blue Danube Waltz was a symbol of Imperial Vienna and Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned along its shores, the proud fortress where he was once interred stands proudly high above the rapidly moving waters.  While silently cruising down the twirling, winding route gazing as castles and ancient ruins appeared on the steep, thickly forested mountains lining the river; We all began to understand the power of the water.  The movement of the boat became hypnotic and I could picture a time when beasts of burden lined the paths tethered to the boats pulling loads to the next destination.  These one-time animal pathways have been paved over and converted into a bike trail with million-dollar views.  We docked at the river port town of Schlogen and began our tour of the Wachau Valley.

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Guidebooks describe the Wachau Valley as a UNESCO World Heritage Site—a grouping of 936 properties chosen by the World Heritage Committee as having worldwide cultural or historical significance and include such lofty cohorts as the Great Barrier Reef, Yellowstone National Park, and Machu Picchu.  While gratified that I traveled through an area of such epic history, my fondest recollections of the Wachau valley are that of gliding through fragrant vineyards lining the bike trail, warm sun on my back, glistening apricots ripening on the tree, and sipping delicious young heuriger wine.  
           
The bike trail along the Danube winds peacefully adjacent to the river and veers off into picturesque towns lined with bright earthen-toned stone houses draped with flowering vines and stunning fuchsia and blue hydrangeas.  On our bikes we meandered over one of the many bridges, gazed at the swiftly moving river and admired the stately Baroque church silhouetted on a hillside while standing with one foot in Austria and one foot in Germany.  Thanks to the enactment of the European Union, borders are crossed with ease and many only bear small markings indicating the new country entered.  My journey downriver took me past stunning gardens—one complete with bamboo, sculptured evergreens and stunning double fuchsia plants.  We pedaled through lovely forested areas only to emerge at a clearing with breathtaking views of ruined castles, abbeys and churches.  Lunchtime brought us to a dam crossing and we entered Scharding, Austria, a town famous for its nutty, Swiss-like cheese.  Fragrant silky cheese sliced directly from the wheel, crusty locally baked bread and fresh apricots purchased at the local farmer’s market made for a delightful picnic lunch.  Rich and velvety chocolate Sacher torte provided a sweet ending and incentive to bike a few more miles.
           
Have I mentioned anything about the food?  The attention to detail, expert planning, and near-perfect execution by VBT included an amazing array of meals and snacks throughout the trip.  On one memorable evening Zuzanna and Andy organized a scrumptious meal served in an ancient winepress room.  They brought our group together that evening to enjoy house made braunschweiger and juicy sausages accompanied by fresh grape tomatoes and mozzarella for an appetizer.  Roasted chicken, slow cooked beef served with homemade sauerkraut, lentils and potatoes for the main course.  Spongy, spiced chocolate apricot torte was the finale.   Afterward I was just barely able to roll myself back up to my room and dream of tomorrow’s adventures.  Once again, VBT comes through with a lovely, unique, “never would have found this place on my own” establishment with delicious food.
  
    
      
The next morning the group and I pedaled through the enchanting Wachau Valley along the Danube towards the Baroque town of Melk.  The paved path was smooth and led me through vineyards lined in robust grapevines heavy with the promise of a hearty harvest end-capped with multicolored fragrant rose bushes used as sentinel agents predicting disease.  Stopping to admire and pick a few blushing apricots from a tree near the pathway, I took on some fresh fuel for my pedaling trip downriver.  The majestic Melk Abbey appeared high above me on a rocky outcropping over the Danube.   Our VBT trip included a guided tour of the Abbey and our knowledgeable escort was ready and waiting for us; how lovely to have someone take care of all of these details and make the trip so stress free.  The Baroque monastery stands tall on the hillside capped with a trio of towering spires and a lovely golden yellow facade.  The abbey was built in the early 1700′s and still has 900 active students attending.  The size and scale of the building was impressive, but the most breathtaking portion of the abbey was the church.  Pink, purple and violet orchids spun into 10-foot diameter wreaths decorated each side altar and blossoms threaded onto wires suspended from the ceiling.  These colorful cascades created the image of raining orchids in the center of the church in honor of the feast day for Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Stunning frescoes on the ceiling gilded with four kilograms of pure gold embellished the opulent statues and altars.  Stunning—I felt like I was in the company of royals with such an opulent display.
         
After enjoying brick oven fired freshly made pizzas topped with tuna, eggs, artichokes, and pepperoni for lunch provided by VBT, it was time to cycle back to Weissenkirchen.  Friendly locals called out greetings of “Állo!” to passersby while perched on benches lining the Danube enjoying the sunshine and views.  I paused along the way to breathe in the scenery and snap a few photographs of the uniquely terraced vineyards lining the lush green hills along the river. The Riesling wine bottled here is world renowned:  crisp and fruity, lovely on the taste buds and perfect accompanying a multitude of foods.  The VBT van appeared regularly along our biking routes with a delectable array of local goodies to sample and re-energize us.   Each town and village had several convenient and accessible konditorei (German/Austrian pastry shops), every one of them offering a mouth-watering selection of delectable treats to hard working cyclists.  Going hungry is never an option!
                  
A biking voyage down a quiet river path might lead some to fear monotony.  This is absolutely not the case at all:  the twists and turns of the Danube provide delights around every corner.  The path led us through villages with Renaissance buildings surrounding hidden inner courtyards gushing with newly bloomed flowers, past ancient ruins, through orchards heavy with ripening fruit and alongside vineyards holding the promise of both sweet and earthy vintages.  Home cooked regional dishes were available in every town and harbored winemakers galore.  Wine tasting was available every evening.  Traditionally, the winemaker offering a tasting hangs out a wheat wreath on the gate offering an invitation to visitors.  Andy and Zuzanna treated us to a lovely evening of conversation and wine sipping under the apple orchard strung with lights, I felt like I was in a fairyland.  
               
The Wachau Valley enchanted me with its picturesque views, fabulous bike paths, fragrant vineyards, and exquisite cuisine.  I left a bit of my heart in the valley and would love to go back.   Read more at  www.FirstLightSports.com