We packed all our belongings from our three day stay in our Prague apartment. Somehow we managed to pay our bill of 24,000 crowns and get all of our acquisitions in the car. We left at 9:36, the weather changed, and we had a beautiful sunny day driving to Heidelberg. We filled up our gas tank while still in the Czech Republic because it was only $5.60 a gallon compared to the $7.00+ that we paid at the beginning of the trip. At 11:30 am we entered Germany where we cruised at 105 mph!!! Needless to say we made good time. The roads are wonderful because the Nazi’s were the first to invent divided highways. Under President Eisenhower the US began to do the same. At 12:45 we stopped at an Autohof (busy gas station, truck stop) and ate outside after going through their buffet line.
At this point we would like to say something about the toilets in Europe. We have been so impressed with the cleanliness and the ingenuity of their flushing systems. Today’s was the most interesting. The toilet seats rotate under a cleaning system after each flush….I could not believe it when I saw it start to move all the way around and come to rest in its original spot all clean. Wow! We would all like one of these at our house. However, we have to pay for this service…it’s almost always $.70 (except in Prague, where it was free) but to me it was worth it as I have had some weird experiences in the past…having to bring my own Kleenex many times.
We arrived in Heidelberg about 3:30 which is our last stop before returning to our “Day’s Inn” in Amsterdam. David has promised us we could do laundry immediately upon arrival at his home.
After checking in at the Marriott we took the tram down to the old town (Bismarckplatz), where we could stroll down the main (shopping) street in search of a the perfect view of the castle, the infamous bridge and the river, and, of course, to choose the perfect restaurant for dinner. This part of town was bustling with tourists and Sunday afternoon strollers. Of course, we couldn’t resist the souvenir shops and tourist stores, and felt compelled to again contribute the local economy.
To our surprise, Heidelberg came across as the least clean of all the cities we have visited. We stuck our heads into a few churches and walked half way out onto the bridge to get the perfect view (the money shot, for those of you in the know!). We even made a few purchases, ate a huge dinner, and took loads of pictures. The castle on the hill was built centuries ago, and became a ruin during the 30 Years War in the 1700s. Of course, we were entertained to see scaffolding on the castle ruins, demonstrated that even ruins need to be renovated! The oxymoron of the day
Our hotel is right on the Necker and we enjoyed a beautiful view of the sunset from the terrace. We are off to bed early as Jeff and David are anxious for us to get an early start in order to see Cologne – 2 hours to the north - before getting to Amsterdam. We all leave Amsterdam on Wednesday, Mary and Jeff fly together to Chicago where they part ways and Joy flies into DC, she hopes and then to NY and home next Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
May 30….Day in Prague
After a leisurely morning and breakfast in our apartment we got Mary all bandaged up, and got back in the car to head out for the Konopiste Castle, located about 45 minutes south of Prague. This Castle was built in 1350 but became famous for its last occupant, the heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand. The Gothic castle has richly furnished apartments, collection of late Gothic paintings in the chapel, and a gallery of the Archduke’s artifacts relating to the cult of St. George. We were lucky to arrive right as the English speaking tour was leaving and enjoyed our cute guide who opened and closed doors between the 11 rooms that we were allowed to view. We started in the trophy room which contained more than 700 animals that he had mounted on the wall. All kinds of animals with plaques with the date and place of the kill were arranged very attractively. He is known to have killed over 275,000 in his career. Now don’t get excited…his servants arranged for the animals to stand in front of him while he stood or sometimes even sat in front of the animals and all he had to do was pull the trigger. Franz and his wife, Sophia were assassinated by a student in Sarajevo…this is the incident that sparked WWI. Franz was the richest of all the Hapsburgs because he inherited from his mother’s brother (from Italy) who had no children.
Franz married Sophia, a Bohemian countess who was beneath his station so none of his children were able to inherit the throne or even carry on his last name. However the 3 children (2 sons and 1 daughter) lived in the castle until 1922, at which time they were kicked out by the newly formed Czechoslovak government. The two sons were sent to concentration camps at the beginning of the war but survived, thanks to their brother-in-law who was a member of the Nazi Party. They died in 1962 having poor health resulting from the camps but the daughter lived until 1990. She died in Salzburg.
We drove back to the city for lunch and ate in the cellar of a Pizzeria, right around the corner from our hotel. After lunch we headed out for the Charles Bridge, hoping to get a better view today…but it was raining as we left. However, the rained stopped as we got to the bridge and were able to get some good pictures and enjoy the artists and their wares on the bridge. Of course we shopped and took another look at the clock before coming back to the hotel before dinner. We chose a typical Czech restaurant for dinner and decided to go all out….lots of dumplings, cabbage, various meats (Mary still eats only chicken) and of course, sauerkraut. But we could not bring ourselves to indulge in the apple strudel…home to reorganize for our trip to Heidelberg tomorrow. It promises to be warm and clear…TBTG!
After a leisurely morning and breakfast in our apartment we got Mary all bandaged up, and got back in the car to head out for the Konopiste Castle, located about 45 minutes south of Prague. This Castle was built in 1350 but became famous for its last occupant, the heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand. The Gothic castle has richly furnished apartments, collection of late Gothic paintings in the chapel, and a gallery of the Archduke’s artifacts relating to the cult of St. George. We were lucky to arrive right as the English speaking tour was leaving and enjoyed our cute guide who opened and closed doors between the 11 rooms that we were allowed to view. We started in the trophy room which contained more than 700 animals that he had mounted on the wall. All kinds of animals with plaques with the date and place of the kill were arranged very attractively. He is known to have killed over 275,000 in his career. Now don’t get excited…his servants arranged for the animals to stand in front of him while he stood or sometimes even sat in front of the animals and all he had to do was pull the trigger. Franz and his wife, Sophia were assassinated by a student in Sarajevo…this is the incident that sparked WWI. Franz was the richest of all the Hapsburgs because he inherited from his mother’s brother (from Italy) who had no children.
Franz married Sophia, a Bohemian countess who was beneath his station so none of his children were able to inherit the throne or even carry on his last name. However the 3 children (2 sons and 1 daughter) lived in the castle until 1922, at which time they were kicked out by the newly formed Czechoslovak government. The two sons were sent to concentration camps at the beginning of the war but survived, thanks to their brother-in-law who was a member of the Nazi Party. They died in 1962 having poor health resulting from the camps but the daughter lived until 1990. She died in Salzburg.
We drove back to the city for lunch and ate in the cellar of a Pizzeria, right around the corner from our hotel. After lunch we headed out for the Charles Bridge, hoping to get a better view today…but it was raining as we left. However, the rained stopped as we got to the bridge and were able to get some good pictures and enjoy the artists and their wares on the bridge. Of course we shopped and took another look at the clock before coming back to the hotel before dinner. We chose a typical Czech restaurant for dinner and decided to go all out….lots of dumplings, cabbage, various meats (Mary still eats only chicken) and of course, sauerkraut. But we could not bring ourselves to indulge in the apple strudel…home to reorganize for our trip to Heidelberg tomorrow. It promises to be warm and clear…TBTG!
Friday May 29th Prague, in the rain and cold…about 40 degrees
We woke up with the ambition to cover all of Prague before it rained today, which the Weather Channel had predicted to start around noon. At 8:00 am it was still bright and sunny, although a little chilly, so we got out on the street just in time to make the 9:15 Prague City Tour including Prague Castle, where we were hoping to admire the grandeur of St. Vitus Cathedral and have a stunning view over the whole of Prague…but it was cold and rainy and very crowded. We stood out in the wind and cold for about 20 minutes and then we headed back to the bus.
Our city tour in the warmth of the bus was divine, seeing the old city, the new city, and many sites in between. Prague has a long a complicated history, having been taken over by the Austrians, French, Germans, Habsburgs, and then the Russians before regaining independence in 1989 in the Velvet Revolution. Only 4 short years later, there was the Velvet Divorce as Czechoslovakia split into two countries – the Czech Republic (with Prague as its capital) and Slovakia (with Bratislava as its capital, and where we stayed last week).
As promised, it started to rain exactly at 12 noon. However, shortly after lunch, if can you believe at TGI Friday’s, it stopped raining and we strolled through the city, shopped and took loads of pictures. We first headed off to buy the famous Bohemian crystal and look for the cheaper tourist souvenirs off the beaten path in the new city. Of course, it started to rain again, as soon as we got to the open air market, but that didn’t stop our hunt for just the right gifts to purchase.
After a pitstop back the hotel to drop off our new acquisitions, we headed out to the Jewish Quarter, called Josefov. Unfortunately, the synagogues and cemetery were closed since it was a Jewish holiday. They are also closed on Saturday, so we will have missed this site completely. We peeked through the gates and could see enough to know we missed a site. However, the outsides of the buildings are still there, and the most interesting thing is the wall clock outside of the town (precinct) hall, with a clock in Hebrew that runs backwards! Of course, when it started to rain again, we ducked back into the nearest souvenir shops to make some more acquisitions.
The rain slowed down a bit, so we made our way through the winding Karlova (street) to the Charles Bridge. We couldn’t resist even more tourist shops, but had to rest to have a 5:00 o’clock glass of wine and beer at an Italian restaurant. From here, we went to the garnet store that Mary had shopped 4 years ago, “just to have a look”. Next door was a Russian “embedded doll” store, with all kinds of US sports teams. Needless to say, both shops were happy to see us, and gladly took our money.
However, the rest of our day was wonderful but David is worried to death as to where all of our shopping bags are going to fit in his car.
After a delicious traditional Czech dinner (lots of dumplings, pancakes, lamb, pork, chicken and duck…a little chocolate to top it all off.) in a 16th century cellar restaurant (it had started raining again), we headed back to the main square and arrived just in time to see the astronomical clock chime in the Old Town Hall Tower. What a sight that is to see the twelve apostles appear in the window of the old clock every hour on the hour. This Town Hall was built originally in 1338 and refurbished in 1470…pretty old and beautiful.
All day slipping and sliding on the cobblestones we knew that it was likely disaster was going to strike….and it did, but not on the streets. Mary fell going up the steps from the grocery and bummed up her shin and wrist. It was scary but she didn’t break anything and after a hot tub, a first aid bandage from the car and David playing doctor, she felt much better. Tomorrow we are off to see Konopište Castle, the home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (of Austria-Hungary), but more about that tomorrow…
We woke up with the ambition to cover all of Prague before it rained today, which the Weather Channel had predicted to start around noon. At 8:00 am it was still bright and sunny, although a little chilly, so we got out on the street just in time to make the 9:15 Prague City Tour including Prague Castle, where we were hoping to admire the grandeur of St. Vitus Cathedral and have a stunning view over the whole of Prague…but it was cold and rainy and very crowded. We stood out in the wind and cold for about 20 minutes and then we headed back to the bus.
Our city tour in the warmth of the bus was divine, seeing the old city, the new city, and many sites in between. Prague has a long a complicated history, having been taken over by the Austrians, French, Germans, Habsburgs, and then the Russians before regaining independence in 1989 in the Velvet Revolution. Only 4 short years later, there was the Velvet Divorce as Czechoslovakia split into two countries – the Czech Republic (with Prague as its capital) and Slovakia (with Bratislava as its capital, and where we stayed last week).
As promised, it started to rain exactly at 12 noon. However, shortly after lunch, if can you believe at TGI Friday’s, it stopped raining and we strolled through the city, shopped and took loads of pictures. We first headed off to buy the famous Bohemian crystal and look for the cheaper tourist souvenirs off the beaten path in the new city. Of course, it started to rain again, as soon as we got to the open air market, but that didn’t stop our hunt for just the right gifts to purchase.
After a pitstop back the hotel to drop off our new acquisitions, we headed out to the Jewish Quarter, called Josefov. Unfortunately, the synagogues and cemetery were closed since it was a Jewish holiday. They are also closed on Saturday, so we will have missed this site completely. We peeked through the gates and could see enough to know we missed a site. However, the outsides of the buildings are still there, and the most interesting thing is the wall clock outside of the town (precinct) hall, with a clock in Hebrew that runs backwards! Of course, when it started to rain again, we ducked back into the nearest souvenir shops to make some more acquisitions.
The rain slowed down a bit, so we made our way through the winding Karlova (street) to the Charles Bridge. We couldn’t resist even more tourist shops, but had to rest to have a 5:00 o’clock glass of wine and beer at an Italian restaurant. From here, we went to the garnet store that Mary had shopped 4 years ago, “just to have a look”. Next door was a Russian “embedded doll” store, with all kinds of US sports teams. Needless to say, both shops were happy to see us, and gladly took our money.
However, the rest of our day was wonderful but David is worried to death as to where all of our shopping bags are going to fit in his car.
After a delicious traditional Czech dinner (lots of dumplings, pancakes, lamb, pork, chicken and duck…a little chocolate to top it all off.) in a 16th century cellar restaurant (it had started raining again), we headed back to the main square and arrived just in time to see the astronomical clock chime in the Old Town Hall Tower. What a sight that is to see the twelve apostles appear in the window of the old clock every hour on the hour. This Town Hall was built originally in 1338 and refurbished in 1470…pretty old and beautiful.
All day slipping and sliding on the cobblestones we knew that it was likely disaster was going to strike….and it did, but not on the streets. Mary fell going up the steps from the grocery and bummed up her shin and wrist. It was scary but she didn’t break anything and after a hot tub, a first aid bandage from the car and David playing doctor, she felt much better. Tomorrow we are off to see Konopište Castle, the home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (of Austria-Hungary), but more about that tomorrow…
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday May 28 Prague
We continued to have bath problems before we left this morning. I proceeded to take a shower and because the shower head was not stable I immediately flooded the bathroom….this before Mary ever got out of bed. In order to function we had to sop up 4 towels and wring them out about 5 or 6 times in order to just walk around. Picture this…Mary in her night gown and Joy, well she just got out of the shower…we leave the rest to your imagination.
After a big breakfast at the hotel, and packing our lunch we left immediately for Kehistein. This is a stone building resembling a mountain shelter and is known as the Adlerhorst or Eagle’s Nest. This was given to Hitler as a birthday present in 1939 by one of his close allies and it became his favorite residence. The approach to the building is a true engineering masterpiece: the initial section, the Kehisteinstalle, is a scenic mountain road which passes through five tunnels and offers some breathtaking views up the mountain. The down side was it was misty rain and very cold! But we braved the weather and went right on. The final ascent is an elevator, all brass and mirrored that took us up to the top…124 meters. Today the Eagle’s Nest houses a restaurant that is very popular with tourists, not only because of its history, but also for the spectacular views that it provides over the Alps.
From there we had a 5 ½ hr drive to Prague…stopping only once for gas and potty break, mostly on two lane roads, and through many small villages. We had to stop at the border of the Czech Republic to get a sticker for the car, $10.00 which is good for only a week. But the most interesting amusement, as we crossed the border, were the prostitutes along the highway beckoning the Austrians! We arrived at our lovely apartment in Prague where we will be for three nights. Mary and David have stayed here before and it is one of Mary’s favorites because it has a refrigerator and ice cubes.
We settled in, unpacked and hit the streets in search of favorite restaurants on the square. It was cold so we chose one with outdoor heaters and enjoyed a delicious dinner. The souvenir shops beckoned after dinner and we checked the tour schedule for tomorrow…off to bed as it is now midnight……
We continued to have bath problems before we left this morning. I proceeded to take a shower and because the shower head was not stable I immediately flooded the bathroom….this before Mary ever got out of bed. In order to function we had to sop up 4 towels and wring them out about 5 or 6 times in order to just walk around. Picture this…Mary in her night gown and Joy, well she just got out of the shower…we leave the rest to your imagination.
After a big breakfast at the hotel, and packing our lunch we left immediately for Kehistein. This is a stone building resembling a mountain shelter and is known as the Adlerhorst or Eagle’s Nest. This was given to Hitler as a birthday present in 1939 by one of his close allies and it became his favorite residence. The approach to the building is a true engineering masterpiece: the initial section, the Kehisteinstalle, is a scenic mountain road which passes through five tunnels and offers some breathtaking views up the mountain. The down side was it was misty rain and very cold! But we braved the weather and went right on. The final ascent is an elevator, all brass and mirrored that took us up to the top…124 meters. Today the Eagle’s Nest houses a restaurant that is very popular with tourists, not only because of its history, but also for the spectacular views that it provides over the Alps.
From there we had a 5 ½ hr drive to Prague…stopping only once for gas and potty break, mostly on two lane roads, and through many small villages. We had to stop at the border of the Czech Republic to get a sticker for the car, $10.00 which is good for only a week. But the most interesting amusement, as we crossed the border, were the prostitutes along the highway beckoning the Austrians! We arrived at our lovely apartment in Prague where we will be for three nights. Mary and David have stayed here before and it is one of Mary’s favorites because it has a refrigerator and ice cubes.
We settled in, unpacked and hit the streets in search of favorite restaurants on the square. It was cold so we chose one with outdoor heaters and enjoyed a delicious dinner. The souvenir shops beckoned after dinner and we checked the tour schedule for tomorrow…off to bed as it is now midnight……
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Day in Salzburg
We started off the day with the Sound of Music tour from the Mirabell Palace bus stop. The tour bus was full of Americans and Canadians who all had seen the movie multiple times. Most of the guys on the bus were there at the behest of their wives or mothers, and Jeff felt largely the same way. Our (camp) tour guide was an American who had married an Austrian 21 years ago (because his in-laws gave them a house). He was an army brat moving around the States and Europe in his youth and really knew how to work a North American crowd. The ladies loved him, but Jeff felt a little left out since he is not a Julie Andrews aficionado.
We saw many of the famous sites from the movie, while listening to the songs, and having half of the bus even try to sing along. Good thing there were no locals on the bus, else we would have felt hugely out of place. But having a bit of Americana nearby surely made us feel more at home after more than two weeks on the road.
One of the many things we noted on our trip through the Austrian countryside, were the beautiful vistas, mountain pastures and the many, many Linden trees that are everywhere (not to mention the Edelweiss flowers). Mary inquired why there were no linden trees in the US, and David responded that there were no maple trees in Europe……. Next question, Mary???
We at lunch at a schnellimbiss (another snack shop like at the Popcorn festival in Marion, Ohio or county fair), standing up feasting on bratwursts and pretzels, before moving to the Mirabell gardens. You might remember this from the movie, where the children and Julie Andrews sang the do-re-mi song dancing through the gardens, fountains, and dwarf statutes. Here we got the “money shot” with the photo of the gardens, the castle on the hill and the many church steeples in between. The weather decided to cooperate, and the sun even came out for our pictures.
David directed us over the river and to the old city, walking down the Getreidegasse (Produce Street), where we had the obligatory stop at the McDonald’s for what the boys thought would be a good, free “toilet break”. Unfortunately, the franchisee had figures out that he was at a “hot spot”, and he had installed a machine charging 50 cents through a turnstile to get in. Jeff paid his coin, but failed to take the ticket. When finished, he was “controlled” and (as he says) – “the man got in his face” for not taking his ticket. This set Jeff’s tone for the rest of the afternoon.
We moved on through the tunnels and alley ways to the University Church, had a rest in the church with a little quiet time then moved on the to the Archbishop’s Dom (Cathedral). – not much from the outside, but spectacular from the inside. There are endless tourist traps, all of which had to be visited by the ladies, and Jeff looking for his infamous T-shirt. We had a little dispute over the price of the Mozartkügel (Mozart’s candy balls), and the many styles of t-shirts. Fortunately, the sell Fruit-of the loom here. The talked me into a classical “Austrian style hat”, which everyone we met fell in love with (instead of my previously obligatory baseball caps!!) It was red to match my jacket. We loved it (see photos).
We chose not to take the funicular to the top of the mountain to go inside the castle…I took one look at that train going up the mountain and knew right away I was staying on the ground…so instead we walked back to the Augistinerbräu – a bierkeller (beer cellar) run by the Augustine monks. (This Day family is trying their best to corrupt me with these long cocktail hours!) On the way, we “raced” the Salzach River – a extremely fast flowing tributary of the Danube. The beer cellar itself is run by the monks and they don’t have any wine and of course, they had no ice cubes, but to maintain the illusion, the guys got us some beer mugs and poured our Cokes into them before we “toasted” to our good fortune for having a wonderful day in Salzburg. (Thank goodness we were not in Vienna!)
After a couple of beers (or cokes, as it were) we moved on to the Sternbräu, another beer hall, where we enjoyed a spectacular dinner. Instead of boring you all with the details of what we ate, Jeff took pictures, for those who really care. (David has decided that we should only stop talking about the price of everything (since the dollar is getting weaker every day), and that we should just enjoy our vacation!! (this will be a major challenge for Jeff and Mary!!)
Back to the hotel, they decided that they hadn’t had enough (since it was still daylight) so we went back to the Bierstübl (beer hall in the hotel) to have another round or two. I, of course went to search out the computer to get our commentary written before midnight.
(By the way – Mary finally got the joke about “there are no kangaroos in Austria” – so we can now share the answer. Apparently, many Americans confuse the country of Austria and Australia, since there are only two small letters in between. For the Anglo-Saxons, Australia is more popular, unless you are watching the winter Olympics).
Tomorrow we are “schon wieder auf der autobahn” (yes – they have translated the famous song into German – we are “on the road again!!)” on the way to Berchtesgaden and Prague. Wonderful day….Mary is in the tub…just pray I don’t hear my named called to help her out!
Now for those of you who really want to feel like you are a part of our day, just click on this link, sent by my friend The Rev. Jim Metzger and get in the spirit of do, re, me….etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY
We started off the day with the Sound of Music tour from the Mirabell Palace bus stop. The tour bus was full of Americans and Canadians who all had seen the movie multiple times. Most of the guys on the bus were there at the behest of their wives or mothers, and Jeff felt largely the same way. Our (camp) tour guide was an American who had married an Austrian 21 years ago (because his in-laws gave them a house). He was an army brat moving around the States and Europe in his youth and really knew how to work a North American crowd. The ladies loved him, but Jeff felt a little left out since he is not a Julie Andrews aficionado.
We saw many of the famous sites from the movie, while listening to the songs, and having half of the bus even try to sing along. Good thing there were no locals on the bus, else we would have felt hugely out of place. But having a bit of Americana nearby surely made us feel more at home after more than two weeks on the road.
One of the many things we noted on our trip through the Austrian countryside, were the beautiful vistas, mountain pastures and the many, many Linden trees that are everywhere (not to mention the Edelweiss flowers). Mary inquired why there were no linden trees in the US, and David responded that there were no maple trees in Europe……. Next question, Mary???
We at lunch at a schnellimbiss (another snack shop like at the Popcorn festival in Marion, Ohio or county fair), standing up feasting on bratwursts and pretzels, before moving to the Mirabell gardens. You might remember this from the movie, where the children and Julie Andrews sang the do-re-mi song dancing through the gardens, fountains, and dwarf statutes. Here we got the “money shot” with the photo of the gardens, the castle on the hill and the many church steeples in between. The weather decided to cooperate, and the sun even came out for our pictures.
David directed us over the river and to the old city, walking down the Getreidegasse (Produce Street), where we had the obligatory stop at the McDonald’s for what the boys thought would be a good, free “toilet break”. Unfortunately, the franchisee had figures out that he was at a “hot spot”, and he had installed a machine charging 50 cents through a turnstile to get in. Jeff paid his coin, but failed to take the ticket. When finished, he was “controlled” and (as he says) – “the man got in his face” for not taking his ticket. This set Jeff’s tone for the rest of the afternoon.
We moved on through the tunnels and alley ways to the University Church, had a rest in the church with a little quiet time then moved on the to the Archbishop’s Dom (Cathedral). – not much from the outside, but spectacular from the inside. There are endless tourist traps, all of which had to be visited by the ladies, and Jeff looking for his infamous T-shirt. We had a little dispute over the price of the Mozartkügel (Mozart’s candy balls), and the many styles of t-shirts. Fortunately, the sell Fruit-of the loom here. The talked me into a classical “Austrian style hat”, which everyone we met fell in love with (instead of my previously obligatory baseball caps!!) It was red to match my jacket. We loved it (see photos).
We chose not to take the funicular to the top of the mountain to go inside the castle…I took one look at that train going up the mountain and knew right away I was staying on the ground…so instead we walked back to the Augistinerbräu – a bierkeller (beer cellar) run by the Augustine monks. (This Day family is trying their best to corrupt me with these long cocktail hours!) On the way, we “raced” the Salzach River – a extremely fast flowing tributary of the Danube. The beer cellar itself is run by the monks and they don’t have any wine and of course, they had no ice cubes, but to maintain the illusion, the guys got us some beer mugs and poured our Cokes into them before we “toasted” to our good fortune for having a wonderful day in Salzburg. (Thank goodness we were not in Vienna!)
After a couple of beers (or cokes, as it were) we moved on to the Sternbräu, another beer hall, where we enjoyed a spectacular dinner. Instead of boring you all with the details of what we ate, Jeff took pictures, for those who really care. (David has decided that we should only stop talking about the price of everything (since the dollar is getting weaker every day), and that we should just enjoy our vacation!! (this will be a major challenge for Jeff and Mary!!)
Back to the hotel, they decided that they hadn’t had enough (since it was still daylight) so we went back to the Bierstübl (beer hall in the hotel) to have another round or two. I, of course went to search out the computer to get our commentary written before midnight.
(By the way – Mary finally got the joke about “there are no kangaroos in Austria” – so we can now share the answer. Apparently, many Americans confuse the country of Austria and Australia, since there are only two small letters in between. For the Anglo-Saxons, Australia is more popular, unless you are watching the winter Olympics).
Tomorrow we are “schon wieder auf der autobahn” (yes – they have translated the famous song into German – we are “on the road again!!)” on the way to Berchtesgaden and Prague. Wonderful day….Mary is in the tub…just pray I don’t hear my named called to help her out!
Now for those of you who really want to feel like you are a part of our day, just click on this link, sent by my friend The Rev. Jim Metzger and get in the spirit of do, re, me….etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday May 26, 2009
Before leaving Vienna we took the city tour which included the splendor of the Schönbrunn Palace. The tour started out with a ride through Vienna’s most historical sights such as the Museum of Applied Arts and the Museum of Fine Arts, the State Opera House, the Museum of Natural History and the Hofburg, the famous residence of Habsburgs’ Empress Elizabeth, affectionately known as Sisi to the Austrians. We also saw the City Hall, the Burgtheater, the University and the Votive Church. But our real treat was seeing the inside of the Schönbrunn palace, the summer residence of the Hapsburgs. While Maria Theresa, mother of Marie Antoinette, never lived here, there are many paintings commemorating her legend, as well as her children. Everyone remembers Marie Antoinette, who later became Queen to Louis XVI of France, and had her head chopped off at the guillotine. The palace was built between 1692 and 1715 and is bigger than Buckingham Palace. We were able to view over 50 rooms…a lot of gilded gold leaf and inlaid wooden pieces, tapestries, brocade, damask and paintings. For me the special treat was seeing the breakfast room…small table, beautiful china and crystal and gorgeous lace curtains. Now I have a new project when I get back to Andalusia.!
A little tidbit about Vienna...there are 9 provinces in Austria and Vienna is the smallest but has 20% of the population and still 50% is green pasture. Everything revolves around Maria Theresa who was not only queen of Bohemia and Hungry but also empress of the Holy Roman Empire and defended Austria against all the other European countries successfully.
The Opera House which was built in 1869, bombed in 1945, and now restored. All the Strauss waltzes were played here as well as in our bus! Beethoven and Mozart performed here as well.
This city was overwhelming to us. There are 163 famous buildings to see, each one more ornate than the other, with 1.7 million people milling around. Oh, forgot to say we saw the highest Ferris wheel in the world, and I think the first. (Thought Chicago had the first at their world’s fair) but we did get a glimpse of it off in the distance.
By 1:00 we had about had enough so again we settled in at Subway for a reality check, took the tram back to the hotel and off we flew (90 MPH) to Salzburg, about 3 hrs. away. The Days continued their repertoire and I took a wonderful nap. Mary was disappointed that there are so many fences by the highway blocking the beautiful view of the alpine villages and countryside. It was exciting to see the Alps with their snow covered peaks. David was thrilled to return to Salzburg, as he studied here for a year abroad from Bowling Green. He had chosen the perfect hotel for us. We dined outside in their courtyard until the rain threatened. Dinner was great and all was well until Mary got stuck in the bathtub. You can imagine my trying to get her out…with that thought we leave you for the day.
Before leaving Vienna we took the city tour which included the splendor of the Schönbrunn Palace. The tour started out with a ride through Vienna’s most historical sights such as the Museum of Applied Arts and the Museum of Fine Arts, the State Opera House, the Museum of Natural History and the Hofburg, the famous residence of Habsburgs’ Empress Elizabeth, affectionately known as Sisi to the Austrians. We also saw the City Hall, the Burgtheater, the University and the Votive Church. But our real treat was seeing the inside of the Schönbrunn palace, the summer residence of the Hapsburgs. While Maria Theresa, mother of Marie Antoinette, never lived here, there are many paintings commemorating her legend, as well as her children. Everyone remembers Marie Antoinette, who later became Queen to Louis XVI of France, and had her head chopped off at the guillotine. The palace was built between 1692 and 1715 and is bigger than Buckingham Palace. We were able to view over 50 rooms…a lot of gilded gold leaf and inlaid wooden pieces, tapestries, brocade, damask and paintings. For me the special treat was seeing the breakfast room…small table, beautiful china and crystal and gorgeous lace curtains. Now I have a new project when I get back to Andalusia.!
A little tidbit about Vienna...there are 9 provinces in Austria and Vienna is the smallest but has 20% of the population and still 50% is green pasture. Everything revolves around Maria Theresa who was not only queen of Bohemia and Hungry but also empress of the Holy Roman Empire and defended Austria against all the other European countries successfully.
The Opera House which was built in 1869, bombed in 1945, and now restored. All the Strauss waltzes were played here as well as in our bus! Beethoven and Mozart performed here as well.
This city was overwhelming to us. There are 163 famous buildings to see, each one more ornate than the other, with 1.7 million people milling around. Oh, forgot to say we saw the highest Ferris wheel in the world, and I think the first. (Thought Chicago had the first at their world’s fair) but we did get a glimpse of it off in the distance.
By 1:00 we had about had enough so again we settled in at Subway for a reality check, took the tram back to the hotel and off we flew (90 MPH) to Salzburg, about 3 hrs. away. The Days continued their repertoire and I took a wonderful nap. Mary was disappointed that there are so many fences by the highway blocking the beautiful view of the alpine villages and countryside. It was exciting to see the Alps with their snow covered peaks. David was thrilled to return to Salzburg, as he studied here for a year abroad from Bowling Green. He had chosen the perfect hotel for us. We dined outside in their courtyard until the rain threatened. Dinner was great and all was well until Mary got stuck in the bathtub. You can imagine my trying to get her out…with that thought we leave you for the day.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday May 25 Memorial Day at home…for us it’s on to Austria
We had a lavish buffet breakfast with everything from fresh fruits, cereal, eggs, cold cuts, etc. Joy just had no idea how to make toast. Then we were off for our 3 hr. City of Bratislava tour with our guide, Luba. The minibus picked us up at the hotel and drove us all around the city…from the wealthiest to the poorest sections of Bratislava. There are a half a million people in this capital city and 95% now are Slovaks. It wasn’t always that way – before WWI, the city was 50% German and 25% Hungarians, as the city was the once the capital of Hungary (during the Ottoman occupation of Hungary) and the Coronation City of the Habsburgs (of the Austro-Hungarian empire). Since the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1919, the Germans, Hungarians have gradually returned to their own countries.
Our first stop on our tour was the New Bridge over the Danube River, which we could see from our room, and was built in 1972. The flying saucer at the top of the bridge is a revolving restaurant and viewing tower. Up on the castle hill, we could see a small portion of the original wall around the city. Bratislava is the political, industrial, and cultural center of this country. There are three universities in the city, all of which are free of charge. Therefore it is known for being the city of young people. We saw the lavish home of the Slovak President, who has no power as the Prime Minister runs the show as well as the home of the American Ambassador whose home looks like a miniature White House overlooking the Danube…beautiful! From this height you can see Austria to the right and Hungry to the left.
This used to be a very famous wine making country…they even produced wine before Christ. However, since independence in 1991 and the onset of global warming, the wine growing regions have become less economically viable. All the children must learn English from either the first or the third grade.. The unemployment rate is 10% and the average salary is only 700 euros per month whereas in Austria, the average is 1400 euros per month so many commute the 10 miles over the border for higher wages. 41 euros a month is deducted from their salary for health insurance and 70 euros per month is deducted for social security.
Because we were in a hurry, we decided to violate our principals and committed the cardinal sin of having lunch at the local McDonald’s. At least they had a terrace on the square, so we didn’t feel totally guilty. We were in a hurry to move on to the next stop – Caranthum, a Roman ruin halfway between Bratislava and Vienna. Our principle goal was the Heiden Gate (pronounced like Joseph Hayden), which was the primary entrance into the ancient Roman legion city on the Danube in this area.
Back to the car, we moved on to Vienna – another wonderful hotel organized by Kelly Steward with giant beds and a refrigerator. Here we had a our next public transportation experience, buying tickets for the tram, and getting into the central city at the Steinbergerplatz – the square with a giant monument commemorating the Soviet led liberation of Vienna in May 1945. We walked up the main shopping street, looking for souvenirs, as our time here is limited. Joy got another souvenir for her quilt, and David forced some Mozart balls (Mozartkügel) and marzipan for everyone to try. We headed to the Stephansdom – ground zero of Vienna – a gigantic Gothic cathedral at the heart of the old city of Vienna. Around the corner, we found the Apostelskeller – a traditional Viennese “heuringa” restaurant, located in a cellar (think of a beer hall) of a building originally built in the 1500s. Great traditional Viennese food – even though Mary kept calling Vietnamese schnitzel (instead of Wienerschnitzel) – go figure!
The local violin player and accordion player came around the corner to us and sang New York, New York and several other Frank Sinatra numbers, which set Mary off to dancing in the aisles! Then back to the hotel for our well deserved night’s sleep. Tomorrow the Viennese city tour (or is it Vietnamese city tour?) The famous T-shirt ? “there are no kangaroos in Austria” - can you figure it out? (Mary couldn’t – answer tomorrow)
We had a lavish buffet breakfast with everything from fresh fruits, cereal, eggs, cold cuts, etc. Joy just had no idea how to make toast. Then we were off for our 3 hr. City of Bratislava tour with our guide, Luba. The minibus picked us up at the hotel and drove us all around the city…from the wealthiest to the poorest sections of Bratislava. There are a half a million people in this capital city and 95% now are Slovaks. It wasn’t always that way – before WWI, the city was 50% German and 25% Hungarians, as the city was the once the capital of Hungary (during the Ottoman occupation of Hungary) and the Coronation City of the Habsburgs (of the Austro-Hungarian empire). Since the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1919, the Germans, Hungarians have gradually returned to their own countries.
Our first stop on our tour was the New Bridge over the Danube River, which we could see from our room, and was built in 1972. The flying saucer at the top of the bridge is a revolving restaurant and viewing tower. Up on the castle hill, we could see a small portion of the original wall around the city. Bratislava is the political, industrial, and cultural center of this country. There are three universities in the city, all of which are free of charge. Therefore it is known for being the city of young people. We saw the lavish home of the Slovak President, who has no power as the Prime Minister runs the show as well as the home of the American Ambassador whose home looks like a miniature White House overlooking the Danube…beautiful! From this height you can see Austria to the right and Hungry to the left.
This used to be a very famous wine making country…they even produced wine before Christ. However, since independence in 1991 and the onset of global warming, the wine growing regions have become less economically viable. All the children must learn English from either the first or the third grade.. The unemployment rate is 10% and the average salary is only 700 euros per month whereas in Austria, the average is 1400 euros per month so many commute the 10 miles over the border for higher wages. 41 euros a month is deducted from their salary for health insurance and 70 euros per month is deducted for social security.
Because we were in a hurry, we decided to violate our principals and committed the cardinal sin of having lunch at the local McDonald’s. At least they had a terrace on the square, so we didn’t feel totally guilty. We were in a hurry to move on to the next stop – Caranthum, a Roman ruin halfway between Bratislava and Vienna. Our principle goal was the Heiden Gate (pronounced like Joseph Hayden), which was the primary entrance into the ancient Roman legion city on the Danube in this area.
Back to the car, we moved on to Vienna – another wonderful hotel organized by Kelly Steward with giant beds and a refrigerator. Here we had a our next public transportation experience, buying tickets for the tram, and getting into the central city at the Steinbergerplatz – the square with a giant monument commemorating the Soviet led liberation of Vienna in May 1945. We walked up the main shopping street, looking for souvenirs, as our time here is limited. Joy got another souvenir for her quilt, and David forced some Mozart balls (Mozartkügel) and marzipan for everyone to try. We headed to the Stephansdom – ground zero of Vienna – a gigantic Gothic cathedral at the heart of the old city of Vienna. Around the corner, we found the Apostelskeller – a traditional Viennese “heuringa” restaurant, located in a cellar (think of a beer hall) of a building originally built in the 1500s. Great traditional Viennese food – even though Mary kept calling Vietnamese schnitzel (instead of Wienerschnitzel) – go figure!
The local violin player and accordion player came around the corner to us and sang New York, New York and several other Frank Sinatra numbers, which set Mary off to dancing in the aisles! Then back to the hotel for our well deserved night’s sleep. Tomorrow the Viennese city tour (or is it Vietnamese city tour?) The famous T-shirt ? “there are no kangaroos in Austria” - can you figure it out? (Mary couldn’t – answer tomorrow)
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