This morning we awoke in the most picturesque river valley on the shore of the storybook town of Dürnstien. A very quick coach ride took us to an old train station that had been converted into a workshop space by the local farmer and his family who together grow the world's most valuable spices: saffron. This entrepreneur had traveled to Dürnstein and heard legends of saffron being grown there in medieval times, but none of the locals knew how that might be done. He traveled to the library at Melk abbey (where we would visit this afternoon and found a book in the library at Melk abbey written in the late 1700s that described in great detail exactly how to do it. He and his wife left their jobs in Salzburg and moved there with no farming experience at all. It was very difficult to get land in this expensive farming region known for very fine wine, but they were fortunate to secure just enough land to get started. Today they farm 9 acres, which while tiny by my midwest farming standards, makes this the largest saffron farm in Eastern Europe. In his fascinating presentation, he described four main themes: botany & cultivation, history, quality & spotting fakes, and uses in cooking. For a foodie like me, this quickly became another trip highlight. The spice we know as saffron is actually the stigmas of the saffron crocus, a lovely purple flower that is about 3 inches in size. The bulb's blooms are harvested by hand during the 6-week period in the fall and stigmas are removed, dried, sealed in an airtight container, and stored with protection from sunlight within 24 hours of harvesting. It was interesting that for a spice that has been used for 4000 years, there is no real description except that "it tastes like saffron". We tasted squares of dark chocolate, one with a standard creme and one with saffron-infused creme, and attempted to describe the effect of the spice on chocolate. The saffron changed the chocolate's flavor completely, taking the edge off if you will, creating a less acidic, smoother, and more balanced taste. Saffron is such a potent spice that one gram is enough to create 2000 chocolates. That same one gram can last a whole year in a kitchen when utilized correctly. Since the spice is so valuable, there are many fake saffrons sold in various markets, and we were educated on how to spot low-quality saffron. Firstly, the color will always be a deep red, and it should not be ground. Common dupes used by scamming vendors are tumeric (which is yellow), paprika or thistle flowers (ground red powder), or even an inedible powder made from brick dust. Also because light and air are the enemies of saffron, the spice should be in an airtight container (often glass) and protected from sunlight exposure (often low-quality products are sold in tins with transparent windows). The high-quality stock produced by this family is actually stored in local bank safes. When we turned to saffron's applications in cooking, the farmer noted the biggest mistake people make is simply throwing a bit in the hot water, watching the color change to yellow, and calling it a day. While this process will bring out the classic colors, it destroys the flavor of the spice. Instead, grind with a mortar and pester, add a small amount of liquid (not water, but use milk instead), and avoid cooking it too much if at all possible, but add at the end. The family makes chocolates with saffron creme, infused honey, infused salt, and saffron liquor, all by hand in their farm kitchen. They only recently contracted with a local chocolatier when demand became too high to handle at home, but the vendor is located just 5 km away and uses their family's own recipe. I may or may not have some in my suitcase.

Just after stepping out of the seminar, I saw a text from Jeff saying "I don’t know if you can leave your group and come to the village church, but they are starting a procession and the church is as beautiful as anything we’ve seen!!" So I hurried down and by Divine Providence was just in time to witness the Eucharistic Procession from the center of town to the local church in honor of the Feast of Corpus Christi (Honors the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ). I joined the end of the procession and found Jeff along the way, and we went with several others toward the church. In continuation of an ongoing theme on this trip, my eyes swelled with tears as I was overwhelmed by this magnificent Baroque church in this small town on the river. I know I will think of this beautiful town and church every year from now on this special feast day. Completely smitten, I returned to the ship which was preparing to sail toward our late afternoon excursion at Melk Abbey.