You might ask a very logical question. Vilshofen, Germany. Where’s that and what’s there? To get right to the point, Vilshofen is on the banks of the Danube and is the ancestral home of both Alex and Oliver Rudolph and their mother and her father and mother and…etc. Not only that, it’s situated directly between Cesky-Krumlov and Schliersee. A perfect reason to stop and see their mother, Christa.
But, let’s solve the first problem…how to get there. Our GPS, Schatzie, took this as a personal challenge and led us across the countryside and through small villages, including the one above. She suddenly called out, “Turn left and continue to ferry.”
At first I thought it was a joke, but sure enough, at the end of the road was a lake and coming toward us, a ferry. We scrambled to put together the fare in Korunas, our very last.
It wasn’t a very big lake but it turned out to be a shortcut to Austria that would lead us to Vilshofen. On debarking, Schatzie led us through narrow country lanes more suited for bikes and tractors.
In just a few miles we left Czechoslovakia with even less formality than going in. This sign was it, followed by a
“Willkommen auf Osterreich” sign. A large building that once housed the border guards and officials, sat sad
and empty…the only large building for miles around.
We came through dark forests on winding roads and ended up on the banks of the Danube River, some 20 miles north of Passau, Germany. Vilshofen, a town of 8,000 people, was settled somewhere around 1280. This is its main street today.
For many years it made it’s living off the salt trade, joining Salzburg and other nearby communities. Now flower stalls help fill in the gaps.
We have known Alex’s mother, Christa, for over 40 years but have never met. She insisted on a tour of her
hometown and we hit all the highlights. Naturally that would include the Catholic Church where she was
christened, baptized and has worshiped for more years that she wanted to tell us.
Gold was the predominant color theme for the interior. Shows what you can do with a little salt if you set your mind to it.
We had promised Astrid and Alex that we’d cook some spare ribs on their brand new Weber barbecue. He insisted on ribs from his hometown so we dropped in to the local butcher shop. When the clerk learned we were from Hollywood she turned on the charm.
Hoping we’d take her with us, she basted the ribs in a barbecue sauce and wrappedthem for transport. It didn’t work but at least she was pleased at making a sale.
The boyhood home of Alex and Oliver is what we now call a “Mid-century modern.” It was built in the ‘60’s
and sits high on a hill with a commanding view of Vilshofen and the Danube.
