Whimsical End

As our journey concluded with a travel saga yesterday, we found this humorous. In our trip from London to Philadelphia, Howard and I did not get our regular meal so a British Airways flight attendant wanting to make us feel better, came up with this array of treats as an apology. We found it amusing.
 

Cruising the Vltava River

We enjoyed a dinner cruise on the river to watch Prague come alight. 

Prague Intrigues

Here is the Chapel of Saint Wenceslaus in Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle. I didn’t know “Good King Wenceslaus” was the first Czech saint and is buried here. Also in St. Vitus is this balcony for the new pipe organ but they found out it would not support the new organ so it is being reinforced. The organ will be shaped so as not to block the Rose window  
Moving on to the outer wall of the castle, I was enchanted with the tiny houses, where folks used to live but without electricity or running water they eventually were turned into shops. They are very small. 
The canal part of the Vltava River by the Charles Bridge was beautiful. 
We of course had to sample the famous Czech treat Trdelnik. A special dough chimney filled with ice cream. 

Highlights of Vienna

Despite hitting a record high of 90 degrees, much to see. This Hundertwasserhaus, which is one of the public apartments built among other housing, was delightful. Apparently the apartments don’t have square corners in them so unique inside as well as out. On to St Stephan cathedral. So hot inside but impressive. 


Uniquely painted steps up to the Albertina Museum where a Picasso and Monet exhibit is playing. 

A Night of Revelry

A fun evening in Vienna began with a ride on the Riesenrad Ferris wheel in Prater Amusement Park in Vienna. Built in 1897, it has 15 gondolas that hold up to 17 people and never gets going around because it stops for every car to load. But you get an aerial view of surrounding area. 
After our ride we visited a pub outside Vienna for a Heurigen - a local custom of celebrating new wine. Fun evening of good food, good company and music. They had a delicious herb lemonade for non wine drinkers. 

A Glimpse of Salzburg

Mirabell Garden is a beautiful place to start a journey in Salzburg. Then Salzburg Cathedral takes us to an historic part along with St. Peter’s cemetery. The cemetery strangely didn’t have graves older than the ’30s. It was a very restful spot in the craziness of Salzburg  


Salzburg is all about Mozart with his birthplace prominently marked and special chocolates commemorating him. Apparently he liked them. 

Sobering Dachau

We had a reality check to our grand adventure when we spent the afternoon at Dachau concentration camp. So difficult to understand this type of violence and hatred. 
The crematorium is one of the few remaining buildings. Below is the parade grounds where prisoners were made to stand for hours. 
Below is a plaque at the entrance thanking the liberators. 

Modern Munich

Munich was bombed badly enough by the Allies trying to remove the Reich that two-thirds of the buildings were destroyed but you wouldn’t know it now. The new City Hall looks old but was built in the 60s. It’s famous for the Glockenspiel that does its thing three times a day in Marienplatz. 

And of course one should partake of the local fare. See my Wiener schnitzel skillet. 

Checking Out the Guard

A mere 55 years ago, we were in London on our grand excursion. This is a guard at the Tower of London with Cindy, Susan, Scott, me and our friends Debbie and Sally.

The Grandeur of King Maximilian of Bavaria

Nymphenburg Palace, built in 1675 to celebrate the birth of his son, is the same vintage as Versailles and reminds me of it. Beautifully ornate, it  only has 20 rooms but each is huge. It is on the outskirts of Munich.

A Tiny Bit About Lichtenstein

We had our passports stamped here to show we visited Lichtenstein. 
I found it interesting that he had a picture of Ronald Reagan behind him. He was too busy for idle chit chat so I didn’t get to ask about it. 

This covered bridge over the Rhine River was built in 1901 to connect Switzerland and Lichtenstein but is now only for cyclists and pedestrians. It is the only covered bridge remaining over the Rhine. 

Four Countries in As Many Hours

We started the day in this beautiful part of Switzerland. 

Then made a stop in Vadoz, the capital of Lichtenstein. 

Next we briefly drove through Austria (we’ll return there later) and then to 

Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. The castle was built for Bavarian King Ludwig II beginning in 1868 but has yet to be finished. It’s alleged to be the basis for Disney’s magic kingdom castle. Amazing day. 

Above the Clouds

Except when we were amongst the clouds on Mount Pilatus, Switzerland. 

Hello Lucerne

A view of Old Town from the wooden bridge over the Reuss River. Switzerland is beautiful. 

We're Outta Here

See you on the flip-side.

 

Fungi Towers

While I'm not a fan of mushrooms, these seemed particularly artistic.