Docked at Passau where our bags were transferred to a truck for removal to Vienna while the crippled ship went on to dry-dock. We got up at an unreasonable hour, boarded buses and headed blearily off to Salzberg, home of the Sound of Music movie.
Arrived in time for a rainstorm so skipped the tour of Hohen Salzburg and settled for a king-sized pretzel, a softdrink for lunch and a short shopping tour. Re-boarded the bus at 2PM and headed for the beautiful lake district under sunny skies. Stopped at Mondsee to admire the lake and visit their basilica which was the site of the wedding in the movie The Sound of Music. Established as a parish church in 748 AD the present late-gothic church was consecrated in 1487 AD and looks new.
Austria is a kinder, gentler Germany, sort of like our relationship with the U.S. It is somewhat more agrarian in nature and we got quite a lecture from our tour guide about farming in the country. Among the more interesting tidbits was the fact that it takes 100L of Mountain Ash berries to make 3.5L of the juice used to make Schnapps.
After supper at a surprisingly good Autobahn rest stop, we got back on the highway and motored into Vienna at 9:30 PM to register for the night at the Intercontinental Hotel downtown while the ship is being repaired. Happily our bags were there.
Hohen Salzburg
Sound of Music church in Mondsee
High altar
Oh to be able to say, "I'm staying at the Intercontinental in Vienna".....wow!
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the boat and the weather but it sounds like you're having an interesting adventure for sure. And your bags arrived!!!- bonus!
And now, my friends - Vienna awaits.... Lucky you! Art, history, culture, music - But watch out for those pastries! LOL
Sunny and warm here. Champlain and Mercier down to single lanes in each direction. Construction on every major highway. And this is before the kids go back to school!!! I humbly predict a nasty traffic gridlock in our future...
On the job search front things are hotting up and I had a busy, interview-filled week. Fingers crossed.
Can't wait for your next blog - enjoy!
Love and Cheers,
Per