Travel in a Time of Tension

Greetings from Munich in Germany!

I hope this post is coherent.  I am more jet lagged than usual.

Don't worry, Pil.  No one can tell the difference.

Very funny, but I am going to be serious for a little bit.

The morning I booked my trip was the day that the airport in Brussels was attacked.  Today the day before I depart there was another attack at the airport in Istanbul.
Scared Pil?
No.  But I am aware.  Continuing to travel is my protest against terror and my way of striking a teensy blow for civilization. I expected Major Security at the airport, but no such thing.  I did not have to take off my shoes, and no one was interested in my plastic bag full of toiletries. But the trip has already had its adventurous features.

Like?
On-line check in and the first time ever. I have done it.  Lufthansa now as a policy that if one wants a confirmed seat one must pony up an additional thirty bucks at booking.  Well phooey on that, Lufthansa.  I set an alarm on my google calendar and went on their site twenty-three hours in advance with the assurance that within limits I could choose my seat.
Didja get a good one?
As it happens, yes.  I sat on the aisle mid plane, but I did not choose my seat.  There was no way to choose, I guess unless one creates some kind of Lufthansa account with password and pin.  And the process was anxiety making.  They rejected my frequent flyer account, and I couldn't figure out at first that I needed the USA's international code to enter my cell phone number.  Once I got all my info entered and confirmed it was quick, and now that I've done it once, I won't dither around so much next time.  But I pity the poor saps that forgot to check in or think they are getting decent seats once they arrived at the airport.

I rode on one of the new air busses.  I liked it.  It was almost comfortable.  Alas I got no sleep.  Here's the second adventure.  We had a very smooth flight and were about to touch down at Munich airport.  We were like 100 meters above the ground and expecting the landing bump any second, but instead the pilot pulled up and we climbed--and he must have been amazingly skillful to pull that off safely.  We did another circle and it was explained to us that some kind of wind shear was detected, and the pilot did not think it was safe to set down.

Added to which when I was leaving the airport my cell phone kept beeping at me.  It was a text from Lufthansa saying my gate at LAX had been changed.  Now they tell me!

One nice thing about returning to a place is that one knows the ropes.  I got my S Bahn ticket from the machine and had a nice ride in free from beggars and buskers.  Everything is green!  And I remembered the short cut to Citadines.

The Munich Citadines is a class act.  There's a welcome bottle of water in the fridge, and they have normal hangers and not the "we're sure you're going to steal these" kind.   I can't settle in though.  This is not my final destination.  In a couple of days I am off to Salzburg in Austria--city of Mozart and Maria Von Trapp.  Please join me!

Regensburg!

Ummm.  When I hopped off the train I went to an Imbisse and for my last Munich dinner ordered the biggest, most serious sausage I could find.  I have no idea what it is.  I pointed.  It's wonderful!

I took a longish day trip to Regensburg on the Danube in Northern Bavaria.  The city actually deserves at least three days rather than the few hours I was able to give it.  It's a lovely place with an impressive Alt Stadt and a lot of pedestrianized streets and lanes.

My first stop was the St. Emmeran Palace of the Thurn und Taxis.  The family, which is still around, has a long and fascinating history.  The Tasso originated in Lombardy, and one of them conceived the idea of creating a reliable and confidential messenger service, which soon attracted the notice of crowned and mitered heads. The Duke of Burgundy established some of the family at his court, and they ended up working for the Holy Roman Emperor.  So rich did they become and so vital their service that one was appointed a Prince of the Empire--hence the palace.  When Regensburg became part of Bavaria all monasteries became state property, and the Duke of Bavaria let the Taxis have St. Emmeram and they turned it into a lavish palace.

The palace is still occupied in part by the Family, and the current Princess--Gloria--is much in evidence.  Many products in the shop bear her name for example.  One can visit the palace only by guided tour--in German, but a (meh) audio guide is provided for the rest of us.  I carefully timed my arrival using the information in my guidebook which turned out to be wrong, but I got my ticket and explored the town until it was time.

The palace is very worth seeing and to my mind far more impressive than anything Ludwig II came up with.  Most of the rooms we saw were Rococo done in the most lavish of styles.  Then to my surprise someone who appeared to be the Princess herself welcomed us and warned us of a religious service in the chapel. We tromped through as respectfully as we could.

Although the Thurn and Taxis kicked the monks out of St. Emmeran, they carefully preserved the cloisters part of which are Romanesque and part Gothic, and all lovely.  The tour takes about an hour.

Then I walked though the Alt Stadt because I was very keen to see the Stone Bridge over the Danube. And I did, too, by peering under the scaffolding.  It's undergoing a major restoration, and a wooden substitute takes pedestrians across the river.  Since the original was built in the Eleventh Century, I think we can cut the structure some slack in the need for restoration.

I walked back up to visit the Cathedral which is a magnificent Flamboyant Gothic structure.  I strolled some more and made my way back to the Hauptbahnhof and came home.  I tried to check in on line, but Lufthansa does not like my iPad, so keep your fingers crossed for me that I don't end up in a middle seat!

Glory in Green

Guten Tag,

I had a good night's sleep in my new home.  I breakfasted on tea and the bread I'd brought from Austria.  I had nothing to put on it, and I don't have a toaster now, but the bread was so good in itself that I was satisfied.

But it was a situation that could not last. I needed enough to survive for a couple more days.  My first errand was to find an ATM.  Now this is not difficult in Munich or anywhere else in European cities, but I distrust the generic ones, and I prefer when I can to use a European partner of my own bank at home. So I went looking and looking. My first stop was the Hauptbahnhof, of course, because most things can be found there.  I did discover a large grocery store, and I returned later.

I walked and walked all the way to Mariaplatz where my persistence was rewarded.  If one uses a partner ATM the fees are waived, and this results in some significant savings, but I'd walked a long way, so I took the S Bahn back to the train station and attended the grocery store.  After dumping my take off at my room, it was time for the real business of the day.

I'd gotten a strip of tickets when I arrived in Munich the first time, so I am well provided for and I knew the tram I wanted.  I had enjoyed riding it many times on my visit in 2013.

Pil, you do realize don't you that a tram is just a bus on rails rather than wheels?

Not the same at all!  For one thing you don't have to flag them down or request stops.  They stop at every assigned station and the stops are more clearly marked.  Trams are cool, and this one would take me straight to Nymphenburg

When I planned my trip one thought that delighted me was the prospect of wandering once again in Nymphenburg Park.  I'd seen the palace, and it was interesting enough, but the Residenz is more impressive, and I understand that a lot of the rooms at Nymphenburg are closed.  When I was there last I had a pass and could spread my visit over several days.  I had three goes at the park, and while I saw a lot of it, I did not see it all.

I come from a place that is dusty and desiccated--brown with persistent drought.  One thing that I reveled in this trip was the green--deep and intense.  I crave it, and I found it at Nymphenburg under the trees.

Most of the tourists are in the formal gardens with their splashing fountains.  I headed for the woodland.  Most of the park is planted with trees or is left as open meadow.  It is also crisscrossed with streams, and a couple of canals also flow through the park.  There are at least two lakes.  All this water means water fowl.  I liked the swans.  The geese were very active and honking.  They liked suddenly taking off wheeling around and then splashing down.  I disappointed a duck.

Signs urge visitors not to feed the animals, but someone must have violated the rule because one of the ducks associated people with food.  When I sat down to rest a bit, the duck made for me.  It waited expectantly, but then realized all that I was going to give it was kind words.  It twitched its tail and waddled off.

I wandered at length under the green canopy of boughs inhaling the faintly fragrant air and enjoying the bird song and hum of insects.  I had a lovely experience, but truth to tell I am not as young as I used to be, and at length I was footsore.  I returned to the Schloss to inspect the shop.  If you have friends richer than I am you might get an elegant present from said shop.  I got my tram and got off at the Hauptbahnhof.

I walked around poking into stores and looking for gifts for people.  I did not have much luck.  It had turned hot and humid, and I thought longingly of the cooling drinks awaiting me at home.  I picked up some food.  Fortunately my room had been done, so I had some water.  I also indulged in a "mezzo" of stuffed olives and nuts. My new grocery store does not have a good selection of beer. I got beer this morning, but I also got a bottle of Prosecco.

Dinner is a Wiener sausage with mustard.  Frankfurter is a protected product name and can be used only for sausages actually produced in Frankfurt.  But the sausage by any other name tastes just as good.  It's got that rich, complex flavor and snappy skin--great with a dab of mustard.  This is no hot dog, friends.  And the beer I got in the plastic bottle is actually good.  It's called gold and that indeed is the color, and the taste is nice, too.

An Arty Afternoon in Munich

Guten Tag!

Shall we have a sip of beer?  Mmmm.  It's called Urtyp. Yes.  I am back in Germany in my new apartment.

It was a smooth trip despite the rain in Salzburg.  I don't like moving these days, and I like moving in rain even less, but I have done it before, and I know I can cope.  I got my bags down the steep stairs, got my bus ticket, got my train ticket at the machine in the Hauptbahnhof, and there was a train pretty much right away--an express.  I got out at Munich about an hour and a half later, and it was not raining.  I was thinking how odd it was that I had not been asked for help, but at the bus stop a young woman needed to know how to get to the Volksgarten in Salzburg, and I knew!

The lack of rain was good because I was not going back to Citadines.  I couldn't get a reservation for my return.  I don't know why, but I did find an acceptable alternative.  I'm in a room with a kitchenette of sorts not too far from the Hauptbahnhof.  I had an idea where it was, but I did not want to have to manage my bags, my umbrella and the map. And for a wonder I did not get turned around.  I came right here.

My room was not ready, but I expected that, and I had a plan.  I left my bags with the nice young man at reception, and set off--in pursuit of art!

One great thing to do on a Sunday in Munich is go to art museums because the entrance is reduced to one measly Euro.  Munich is very walkable, and if you can't walk you don't even have to take a bus because there are trams and subways.  But I walked about ten minutes to the museums.  It was good walking weather, a bit humid but cool.

My first step was the Alte Pinakothek, a wonderful museum replete with Old Masters.  I shoved my stuff in a locker.  One slips a two Euro coin in a slot and then one can take the key.  The two Euros are returned when the key is.  Many museums do not permit bags, etc. in the galleries. Then I slapped down my Euro coin, put on the green bracelet, and set forth.

The museum is undergoing renovation, so not everything is on offer, but there was a lot of good stuff.  The collection of Rubens, for instance, is superlative and includes his marriage portrait with his first wife Isabella Brant, the Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus--now I can't approve of the subject, but the shiny, shiny hair and opalescent skin of the women are gorgeous.  There's also his Lion Hunt which features my favorite bitey lion in all Art History.  Pretty much everybody from Giotto on is represented.  Don't miss Durer's self portrait (looking like Whom?) or Albrecht Altdorfer's Battle of Issus. The museum is rather a project, but a very worthy one.  A nice young couple at my hotel had to wait for their room to be ready, so I sent them off there.

Then I crossed the grassy plaza to the Neue Pinakothek.  Same drill with the locker and the admission. It's a good museum, but one has to wade through a lot--a lot--of nineteenth century genre paintings most of which are undistinguished.  That did not stop my fellow visitors from taking pictures of works I considered dull.  They should have asked me.  But you can also find Cezanne and the Impressionists.  There's a Modern Art Museum, too, but by that time, I was arted out, tired, and hungry.  I made my way back to the Hauptbahnhof.  It's Sunday in Bavaria again, and things are closed tight--except for the Main Station where the lucky traveler can find an open grocery store and numerous food stands.  I got some beer, and for dinner, I decided to honor the German Heritage by having a Donner Kebab.

Are you being sarcastic, Pil?

Not at all. Many Turks came here as guest workers, and they brought their food, and the Germans liked it, but it's Pan-European now.  There's a grilled bun filled with giro meat, and shredded cabbage and lettuce, onion, tomato, doused with Tzatziki sauce.  I got mine with crushed red pepper, too.  It's good eating!   Goes well with beer.

Auf Weidersehen, Salzburg!

Guten Tag

Today is my last full day in Salzburg, and when I post again it will be from Germany.  Before I go on I want to refer to my first post this trip "Travel in a Time of Tension."  Well, that's what I and many others are doing.  A horrific attack took place in Nice, and today I woke up to the news of an attempted coup in Turkey.  Interesting times.   But since the purpose of terrorism is to disrupt lives, continuing with one's plans is an act of defiance.  You see, terrorism does not work.  It never has.  It kills and maims, and destroys, but never ever has it achieved its goal.

So I am glad that the Tour de France and other sporting activities went on.  Those involved were mindful and expressed their concern and sympathy, but it was appropriate and defiant that they stayed their course.

Since it is my last day in the city, I did not want to get on another bus or a train.  I wanted to take a final tour and revisit the places I enjoyed.  I resolved to return to Hohen Salzburg--this time by foot.  I figured that all the walking around I've been doing had rendered me fit enough to make the climb with no problem.  I was right.  I huffed and puffed a bit, but I was fine.

Once up the hill, I wandered around the footpaths taking those I had not before.  I come to Europe in part to walk, and if the walking takes me through lovely woodland, well then--all the better.  The weather cooperated, too.  It was cool and dry.   Off one path stood an odd rather Asian looking object, and a man was circling it with some enthusiasm.  Eh?  A sign identified the object as a stupa or Buddhist meditation site.

The man saw me observing him and spoke to me.  He switched to English quickly probably clued in my blank expression.  He said he didn't really believe, but walking around was supposed to bring good luck and why not.  "Clockwise," I asked?  "Yes."  "I'll try it."  And I did.  I didn't notice any particular luck, but I did have a very pleasant day.

I carefully descended the stairs down to the Alt Stadt and walked around ignoring beggars, dodging cigarette smoke and tour groups, and licking windows.  At length I fetched up at the market--the one on my side of the river in the Alt Stadt.  The Saturday market is a good deal larger and livelier, and I saw more locals buying than tourists.

Passing what seemed to be a popular bakery stand I spotted some scrumptious looking Apfel Strudel.  The apples were mounded up higher and were more abundant than the bakery version.  Not wishing to be rude I bought some.  I am eating it now.  You can get fancier pastry, especially in Vienna, but there are reasons the classics are classics.  It's just so good.  For dinner I stopped and got a Bosna.  There are good sausages in Munich to be sure, but I don't think they have this kind in Germany, so I wanted to make sure I had another.

I think most folks spend a day or two--maybe three--in Salzburg.  They take the city tour or the Sound of Music Tour and shop and eat.  And that's fine, but I have had the privileged experience of two weeks here, so I have gotten to know the city and the region a little bit.  I want to plead for visitors to stay longer--to linger.  The region is so rich and so lovely.  Please come.  Please stay.

Of course after proclaiming that there were no Priuses in Austria I saw one. It was a taxi.  Of course it was.  I have enjoyed the historical sights and the food and drink, but I think what I have loved the most is the lush greenery of the mountains, woodland, and grassy meadows studded with Alpine flowers.  Breathing is fun.  The air is fresh and has a faint sweet fragrance that comes from the trees and grass. I'll be more urban when I go back to Munich. See you there.

Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills!

Guten Tag,

It's still rainy, so not good for an excursion to the mountains, but I wanted to take a day trip so I got on the bus for Hallein.

Gold, Pil?  Is there gold there?

Weiss Geld.  White Gold--in other words salt.  It was the basis for the prosperity of this region for thousands of years.  Let's start with the Indo Europeans.

Let's not.

They began to disperse from Central Asia and their languages diverged around the third millennium BCE, moving west and south mostly.

What has this got to do with salt, Pil?

Everything!  Because some of those Indo Europeans ended up in this area.  The Halstatt Culture is the first identifiably Celtic Culture in Europe, and they were drawn here by the deposits of salt.  There are the physical remains, but there's also linguistic evidence.  Our salt word derives from the Latin--sal, and it has a common root with the word the Celts and Greeks used for salt--hal.  You can see it in the place names.  Halstatt and the city I visited today Hallein.

I got the bus at the Hauptbahnhof as usual. There was a trainee driver, and he had a frustrating time because we got stuck behind a couple of slow construction vehicles. But we got there, and I hopped off.  It was drizzling but not badly.  I headed for the Alt Stadt figuring that would be the best bet for tourist information and a toilet.  Nope.  What I found was a lot of ripped up streets and construction and no signs.  I retraced my steps and came across a sign for parking for the Keltenmuseum--the very place I wanted to see.

Now the signs were for parking and not the museum itself, but I figured it was worth pursuing so I followed them down the road.  I was beginning to worry when my eyes lit on a welcome sight.  "WC."

It was nice and it was free.  I felt empowered to go on, and then I saw that right across the street was tourist information.

The young woman at the desk graciously provided a map and directions.  It turned out I was two minutes walk from the museum.  I crossed a footbridge and I was there.  They were glad to see me, too, as I was their first visitor of the day.

It's a good museum and worth visiting.  All the really fancy famous stuff is in Vienna, I suppose, but there's still enough for a lot of good and informative exhibits.  The museum is well set up for kids with some interactive stuff, but mercifully today it was free of school parties.  There are weapons and jewelry and tools and explanations of the environment and how the Celts discovered and processed and then traded the salt.  Some of the trade goods--including an Etruscan vase--were also exhibited.

Now if you are visiting Hallein, you can take a bus to Bad Durrnberg and tour an actual salt mine.  I contented myself with the much smaller mock up at the museum, but it did have a salt slide.  The miners reached the deposits by sliding down and down.

I was also able to solve some of my present issues.

After I finished with the museum I walked back to the Alt Stadt, which is indeed very pretty.  It had cleared up a little, and I was able to find some non-torn-up cobbled streets.  The next task was to find where the bus would pick me up because I figured out it would not be where it let me off.  I had to hunt around, but I found it.  I also witnessed an interesting drama.

A bus pulled up, and the door opened.  It was not my bus, so I made no move, but a young man ran up.  The door closed, and the bus pulled away despite the young man pounding on the door.  It was actually a good thing the young man did not get on that bus although I am sure he did not think so, but he wanted to go to Salzburg, and that bus was going in the opposite direction!  My bus came, and I got on and so did he.  I reached my destination.  I am not sure about him.

To Market

Guten Tag,

It's a very wet day in Salzburg and rather chilly.  I came back rather earlier than usual to commune with some green tea.  I am prepared for weather in Europe and only wish I could bring the the rain home with me.  I have the habit of always carrying my umbrella, and I pack stout shoes.  I did wish when I set out this morning that I had a raincoat or jacket instead of just my cotton sweater, but I was staying in town and not getting on a bus, so I knew I would be fine.

I crossed the river by the pedestrian bridge.  A lot of tour groups were out braving the wet with their umbrellas and rain gear.  I went to treat myself to another stroll through the Mirabell Gardens.  Then I attended the weekly market.  I passed some beggars on the way maintaining their stations under their own umbrellas with their plastic cups awaiting coins.  All the beggars appear to be immigrants.  The stationary ones are older and call out to passersby.  A few days ago I followed an Austrian woman who made a practice of dropping a coin into the cup of each beggar she met, so people do give, and it must pay--although I don't know how.  The younger more aggressive beggars are found at bus stops and the train station.  They approach women.  A couple of them tried to block my path when I wanted to evade them.

I love markets.  Sometimes I buy things, but today I did not, but there was plenty to see as the stalls extended over several streets and even on a rainy day attracted plenty of custom.  Bright blooming flower stood in one corner next to fruit and vegetable displays nearly as colorful and just as enticing.  Most of the stands and carts sold food.  I marveled at the variety of sausage.  I don't think there are varieties enough to make a different one for each day of the year, but surely one could have a different one each week of the year.  Other meat, including poultry was also for sale.  I saw huge rounds and slices of yellow cheese--large enough to supply a family for a year.  A lot of different kinds of cheese was on offer, and, yes, I was tempted.  Other stands sold prepared foods, olives, pickles, Mediterranean products including pasta.  Some merchants advertised their goods as "bio" or organic. Non food offerings included lotions and soaps.

So that was fun even in the rain.  I strolled though the town and licked a few windows and then recrossed the river.  I had decided to spend the day in shopping.  One of the pleasures of travel is bringing back presents, and I do some Christmas shopping if I can.  There are a lot of touristy shops in the Alt Stadt, and I visited them all.  I did buy a couple of things, but mostly I ended up frustrated. None of my friends likes souvenirs, and neither do I.  The stores are well kept, but they all carry the same things, and I don't think anyone at home is interested in T shirts, or little dishes, or key chains--or those mysterious rubber ducks that they all display.  Nor do I think my friends would truly appreciate the Mozart or Sisi themed perfume or liquor. So that was frustrating and tiresome.  I have time to try again, but right now I am going to enjoy the rain--from inside!

And here's a rather random observation.  I notice Priuses because that's what I drive at home, and there were plenty n Germany, which makes sense because of the price of fuel in Europe.  I have not seen a one in Austria.  I have seen a few Toyotas but not a single Prius.  I wonder why.

Dinner was very simple.  I had a couple of hard cooked eggs and some toast thickly spread with that tasty Liptaur.

Country Life in Austria

Guten Tag,

As someone who hates buses, I have been taking an awful lot of them this trip. But the destination today was worthy. Open Air museums are one of the delights of my life and certainly one of the greatest pleasures of travel.  If I can get to one with public transportation, I make sure to go, and so I went today to the Freilichtmuseum near Salzburg.

The weather has turned.  I fell asleep last night to the sound of rain pounding on the windows.  It's raining now.  I even needed my sweater today.  But fortunately for me the rain held off while I was walking around Freilicht.

I got my bus from the Hauptbahnhof, and we wound through some dull suburbs and then farmland until my stop came up.  What the Europeans do is "rescue" old farmhouses, barns, and whatever buildings they can to reconstruct in these parks.  They are a lot of fun and almost always places of serenity and beauty.  One can enter most of the buildings and sometimes there are period furnishings or exhibits.  In addition to the sights, there's the smell of hay, gardens, musty wood, and old stone.

Freilicht is fairly large and the regional villages are spread out, so I got some lovely woodland walks in as well as seeing the buildings.  I ran into some goats, but those were the only animals.

I have mentioned before how compelling I find the remains of the lives of ordinary people.  The houses are dark with low ceilings, small windows, narrow stairways. I would find it fun to live in one for a day or so, but then I'd want my indoor plumbing and running water and electricity.  And yet people were able to create comfort and beauty with what they had.  I did not see every single building, but I spent a good part of the day and saw most of it.  There are picnic areas and a restaurant, too, for those needing nourishment.

One charming feature, I made sure to take advantage of.  A small gage railway runs (very slowly) through the park.  Riding it is included in the admission to the museum.  I love these little trains and after my explorations on foot, I did another round by rail.

If you are in the area make sure you come.  The museum does have a web site, but they don't market a lot to foreign visitors, which is a shame.

It began to rain as I got to the bus shelter.  I had to wait a while--and then the bus was late and the city traffic snarled.  But here I am safe and dry.

How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?

Urge her to marry Captain Von Trapp clearly.

Guten Tag,

It's a day of uncertain weather, so I gave myself an easier and less expensive day than the last two.  I decided to stay local and off the busses, so feeling rather like Judith Starkadder, I set off to see old churches.  Fortunately today was cooler although very humid.  I found out that 37C = 99F.  No wonder I felt wilted yesterday.

That was after a trip to the cash machine and the grocery store.  The sky began to spit at me as I got cash, and when I left the grocery, it was raining lightly.  I did not have my umbrella, but I was ok. After dumping off my food and drink and picking up my umbrella I made my way down Getriedegasse, at that hour mercifully free of tour groups.  There are a lot of tours in Salzburg with different themes.  I generally run into the Sound of Music folks.

But today I went to a couple of Sound of Music sites, one of which the tours skip.  Come along as I follow a narrow street behind the tourist zone that winds around and then up the Hohen Salzburg hill.  I was in search of Sift Nonnberg, a Benedictine convent that was founded in 714 and is the oldest continuing community of nuns  It's a fair step from the center of the city and to my mind worth it to see the lovely late Gothic Chapel--also featuring some Romanesque frescos, but this was the convent where Maria--yes, that Maria, was a postulant before being sent as a governess to the Von Trapp kids. If there are any Merovingian survivals on the site, which I doubt, they are not on display as the convent itself is not open to the public.

I wound my way back down into town to find the Sift St. Peter complex.  The missionary St. Rupert found an abandoned Late Imperial Christian Church and founded his monastery on the site in 696.  Now the church is a Romanesque foundation with glittering Baroque decoration.  It is not as large as the cathedral, but it is grander.  Attached to the church is a pretty, serene cemetery or Freidhof (place of peace?) that was also featured in the Sound of Music movie as part of the convent even though it's not, of course.

By the way these churches do not charge admission, but there is a small box for donations for the upkeep of the building.  I like to give something.  I think it's fair.

I went on to the Franciscan church.  I found this one the most interesting as a building.  It had gone through a lot of reconstruction.  The general plan was more or less Rayonnant Gothic, but the high altar was surrounded by sturdy columns.  I thought it was to support the vault, but it also lent an air of grandeur and strength.

After that since it wasn't raining I took a longish stroll along the river.  I came back via a bakery.  Today's treat is Topfenstrudel.  Topfen is a fresh cheese something like Marscapone, and it's often sweetened and found in pastry.  It's very typical of Austria.  Let's have a bite.  Ummm.  Tastes something like cheesecake wrapped in good pastry.  Green tea, which I am having is definitely not the traditional accompaniment.  For that you'd need strong coffee doctored up with whipped cream and maybe rum, but the green tea suits me on this sultry afternoon.

Alpine Adventure

Guten Tag,

I am home with the air conditioning on after having had two glasses of cold water. I am now sipping Prosecco as an aperitif, so I am feeling refreshed at last.

When I hopped off the bus to walk home across the river the temperature at the drug store display read 37C.  Now I am not sure what that translates into for Fahrenheit, but I am guessing high eighties at least with accompanying humidity.  Foof!

But before that I was in the mountains.  On my trip to Bad Ischel I spotted a town that looked like fun, so I went to St. Gilgen today.  Autocorrect seemed to think I meant holy ginger but no.  I have no idea who St. Gilgen was, but he or she has a mighty fine town right on the Wolfgangsee, a large and beautiful mountain lake.

I had a hard time getting started. I could not find a ticket machine that worked at first, and then I forgot the stop to the Hauptbahnhof.  In Munich and Frankfurt I began my day with a walk there, and generally ended it with a walk back to my apartment.  The Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is way across town, and is too long and uninteresting a walk.

I arrived to find my bus ready and waiting so I bought my ticket and got on.  As before it was crowded, but this time not as full, and the trip wound upwards through beautiful countryside.  Apparently for this region the towns have a Hop on Hop Off bus that runs between the charming and picturesque towns of the region, for those folks staying in the area who want to make a day of it.

I got off at St. Gilgen and first headed toward the lake.  I walked through the town to get there.  It's lovely!  It's clearly a holiday destination, with abundant accommodations, restaurants, snack bars, and touristy shops, but the effect is delightful.  I especially loved the traditional flower boxes and wood carving that decorated the buildings in a traditional fashion.

At the lakeshore I found a free toilet!  I want to give the Austrians full credit for their kindness to visitors.  At train stations and the Alt Stadt in Salzburg you will have to pay for your relief, but in shopping malls and these tourist destinations, the facilities are well maintained--and free!!!  For some of us it matters.

Having done the town, I turned my attention to the Seilbahn--a cable car--going way up the mountain. It is fairly expensive (and in my case more expensive than it needed to be), but I feel the experience was worth it.  Now my practice with this sort of thing is to ride up an walk down, so I got a one-way ticket. I shared my carriage with a pleasant German couple and up we went.  And up. And we continued to climb.  Up.  Really high.  Up we go.  My goodness what a steep slope this is.  Did I mention the word up?

It's a longish ride, but the views are spectacular.  One sees not just the lake an the town, but all the way down the lake and across the mountains to other valleys and lakes.

At the top the view is likewise spectacular.  And many trails with good footpaths wind around the mountains and valleys and through the forests and meadows.  I strolled around and enjoyed myself and the views, but when it came time to go down, I chickened out.  Now I am fit enough to walk down hill for two kilometers, but the path was not just steep, it was rough and gravelly.  I feared slipping.  So back I went to the Seilbahn for a ticket down.  It's worth doing however you end up doing it.

I got the bus back and as I said hopped off in the heat.  I did not want to cook, so I made my way to the market figuring I'd get a sandwich featuring the wonderful pork products of the region.  Another iconic product of the region is the pretzel, or Bretzl in German.  I had not had one, so when I saw one sliced as a sandwich and filled with bacon and cheese, I sprang!  I say bacon, but it is speck which is not quite the same--more hamish or proscuittoish.  I also picked up some gelato--amarena and lemon--and most refreshing it was.  Now the Bretzl is chewy and salty.  You can get them plain or flavored anywhere.  They come in two sizes.  Huge and Gargantuan.  Makes a good sandwich too!

Heh.  Interesting times with autocorrect.  If I had left it, this would have resembled a particularly perverse mad lib.

Sunday in Bavaria

Guten Tag!

Hey wait a minute, Pil.  I thought you were in Austria.

Yes, I am now, but moving between countries in the EU is as easy as getting on a train.  You know the Schengen Agreement?  Once a person is in the EU, the passport stays put away unless your accommodations asks for it.  When I first came here, I tried to stay alert for when we passed from Germany to Austria--maybe a discreet Wilkommen im Osterrreich sign.  Nope.  I looked again today.  Still nope.

But why did you go back to Germany?

Well, it was a hot sunny day, and I was in the mood for a lake and a palace and both are to be found at Chiemsee in Bavaria.  Now this took getting to and some expense.  First the bus to the Hauptbahnhof.  Then the train.  I almost got on the wrong one!  I got to the platform, and something did not feel right.  It was an express straight to Munich.  I needed the local, which I found and boarded.  Oddly there was a lot of security around.  The police unlocked an out-of-order toilet to make sure no one was inside.  I think they were looking for ticket cheats rather than terrorists. I like riding trains and seeing the countryside the the towns we pass through.  If you choose you can visit from Munich just as easily.

I alighted at my stop.  Now my guidebook failed to mention the Chiemseebahn (a small gage railroad running to the harbor) which could have saved me some trouble,  I left the station, and for once my instincts which usually serve me well, failed.  I wanted the lake.  There was no lake or any signage.  I went back to the station and figured it out, but it was a fair step, and the weather was hot.  But the trip across part of the lake Chiemsee was smooth and refreshing.  We landed at the dock at Herreninsel.  I got a ticket for the palace called Schloss Herrenchiemsee.

Yes, meine freunden, Ludwig II, King of Bavaria was at it again.  Not content with the many--and sufficiently magnificent palaces of his Wittelsbach forebearers, he built or began to his personal tribute to Versailles and his hero Louis XIV of France--the Sun King. Ludwig readily admitted that he was only a pale moon in comparison.  The palace is predictably grand--and also--predictably--isolated and unfinished.  Not even the King of Bavaria could command unlimited funds, and his life was cut mysteriously short.

I took a tour in English along with a group of mostly Americans who apparently had never seen a palace.  They were gobsmacked.  The place is impressive and a creditable imitation of Versailles complete with a lot of Louis XIV tributes, but grand and ornate as it is, an imitation it remains.  I did enjoy it and I thought it worth the trip, but it's like Neuswanstein--a stage set.  I liked Linderhof the best of his palaces because it seemed like Ludwig actually lived there.

Herrenchiemsee features grand marble staircases and a lot of fake marble stucco--no shame there as most palaces in the area have this feature, crystal and ceramic chandeliers of incredible intricacy.  Marvelous clocks adorn every room, and each is hung with rich drapery and nearly every available surface is given a treatment with Rococco-looking gilt ornament and mirrors.  Ludwig's state bed chamber even featured the same kind of balustrade barrier that Louis used for his levees.

The walk from the dock to the palace is pleasant.  I had to share the woodland with a gazillion other tourists, but it was lovely, and I enjoyed the lake and seeing the pleasure boats and the swans.  I am feeling wilted at the moment because it was a long hot day, but fun.
Dinner consists of hard cooked egg and goat cheese on toast washed down with the Riesling.

These Are a few of My Favorite Things

At least while traveling. . .  It was another stormy day, so I chose an alternative activity.  First I went to the grocery store because tomorrow is Sunday and things will be closed up tight in pious Austria.  A trip to the grocery store is in fact one of my favorite things.  I just love looking around.

But after dumping my take and taking out the trash it was time for a further field.  I decided to go to the big mall Europark because I could get some walking and snooting around in a covered area.  I discovered a ticket machine much closer than the one I was using and found a bus stop. Yes.  I grew bold and was ready to brave yet another bus feeling that success would breed success!  Possible hubris.

I was confident because my stop was the end of the line.

The bus set out in a direction I had not been, and I enjoyed seeing a part of Salzburg that I had not seen before.  We passed through a swank neighborhood of grand Victorians that had not been made into hotels or flats.  How could the be kept up without a staff, I wondered.  Anyway it was a longish pleasant ride though the rain, and we arrived just fine.

Europark is a typical mall.  Americans would recognize some of the chains as they are European in origin.  McDonalds is there and so is Starbucks.  Both are also present and constantly busy on Getreidegasse.  Because of my many trips to Europe I am familiar with most of the rest of the chains.  I also came across some specialty shops that were fun to poke around.

When I was done I thought it might be fun to go back on the S Bahn, which I figured would take me to the Haupbahnhof, and then I could get a bus home, but the S Bahn doesn't run very often, so I went back to the bus.  I had a ticket from the machine, but the driver told me it was no good.

What?  It was the same kind of ticket I'm come out on.  Had I cheated inadvertently?  A kindly English speaking passenger helped me sort things out, and I paid a supplement because we would be leaving the city limits.  Now that statement should have bothered me more than it did at that instant.

But I soon became concerned.  This was the bus I'd come out on, and Europark was the end of the line, wasn't it?  But we set out for territories and indeed leave the fare limit for city, which I had not done previously.  At one point the bus wound its way though an industrial area, and I had no idea where we were or where we were going.  I had an anxious ten minutes before we returned to the more familiar route, and I got dropped off near home.

Since it wasn't raining at the time, I decided to stroll around.  I attended a tiny cheese shop.  I had to wait, too, because it was so small there was room only for one customer at a time.  I got some yummy goat cheese, but I'll save it for another day.  I also noticed that the market was a lot livelier, but still touristy, on Saturday afternoon, so I took a stroll through and bought some Marillen Likor--or apricot schnapps from one of the stands.  The apricot is the national fruit of Austria.  Shall we have a taste? It does taste fruity like apricots and is sweet, and fortunately the alcohol doesn't burn.  But this is best taken in small doses.

For dinner I have Kasenudeln an Austrian version of ravioli and stuffed with cheese and herbs.  It's ok--not my favorite because I don't like the herbs that much.  But the smooth--and cheap--Austrian Reisling from the Burgenland makes a nice accompaniment.

Imperial Spa

Is this another Sound of Music reference, Pil

It's an historical one, for today I went to Bad Ischel.  The name Bad tells the tale.  This is an area of healing waters.  In this case the waters cured an empress of sterility and won a future empress for a prince.

I set out to get a bus to the Hauptbahnhof, and I am figuring out the city bus system here, so it was not traumatic.  I arrived and found where to get my next bus--my success yesterday making me bold.  I did make sure to inquire at the information desk about getting a ticket, but truth to tell, I needn't have bothered.  A pleasant English speaking young woman came around to sell the tickets, so I was able to get a return and not worry the rest of the day.  The bus was huge and very nice, and also packed to the rafters.  I was lucky to get a seat since every one got taken, but the aisles were full as well.  At some stops the driver refused to take on new passengers.  I have no idea why all these folks were so desperate to get to Bad Ischel.  They certainly weren't going the same reason I was.

The bus ride alone is worth the trouble.  We drove through spectacular countryside.  Alps.  I saw steep-sided, pointy topped and darkly forested hills, and between them swiftly running rivers and deep valleys.  Here and there granite crags appeared as if they had suddenly exploded from the earth.

And the lakes!  The Salzkammergut is Austria's Lake District.  I have never seen that shade of blue.  The lakes have a color something like teal, but not quite.  They are extraordinarily beautiful, and I have marked out a future day trip to explore further.

At length we arrived in Bad Ischel. The Ischel is a fast-flowing alpine river.  The story is that the Archduchess Sophie despairing of her childlessness since royal women were expected to produce, sought a cure here.  It worked!  She gave birth to the "Salt Princes" one of whom was the future Franz Joseph I.  The Emperor retained a fondness for Bad Ischel and made it his summer home.  The place took on even more significance to him.  His mother build a Kaiservilla for him as his newly espoused wife Elisabeth Wittelsbach, a princess of Bavaria, who at sixteen had her arm twisted hard to accept the Archduke's suit.  Readers of the blog may recognize Sisi as Elisabeth was known.  She avoided returning to Bad Ischel but was kind enough to pick out a nice house for her husband's mistress--hoping probably he would not bother her as much.

The town is exceedingly pretty.  It reminded me strongly of Baden Baden with healing and luxury on equal offer.  I enjoyed myself, too.  A handsome man at the tourist office gave me a map and directed me to a very nice and FREE toilet.  There was a market going on, too.  I didn't not see much of it, and when I made my way back they were taking down the booths.

I strolled up to the Kaiservilla, the lovely home that Archduchess Sophie optimistically gave to Franz Joseph and Sisi.  It's a charming albeit elaborate sort of pseudo rustic lodge set in a lovely park.  One can see inside only on a guided tour, and I did not arrive at a good time, but I had a nice wander in the park and through the town.  I would not mind returning at all!  For one thing the setting is incredible--a river valley surrounded by mountains.

But I had to get back to the Tour de France and a mountain stage.  I knew where to get off the bus and crossed the river.  I stopped to get fish and chips.  I was very hungry by that time, but the food was good. And it's time to succumb and have a Mozart Ball-- a confection invented for Salzburg and named for the city's favorite son.

Dark chocolate smells good.  I bite.  It's like a truffle.  Yum.  I have reached the marzipan center. Very nice!  I understand their popularity. I could get used to these quickly.

I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen

Hold on, Pil.  No one is buying that!  You haven't been sixteen going on seventeen for--say--a gazillion years.

It's another Sound of Music reference, not a personal claim.  Sheesh.  I was at the site where the scene was filmed.

And where was that?

Schloss Heilbrunn!

I hate busses.  I'm afraid I won't have the right ticket, or I'll get on the wrong bus, or I'll get on the right bus going in the wrong direction, or I'll miss my stop.  Whew.  None of those things happened today.  This time the info on the Internet was accurate.  I crossed the river to find the bus stop.  Now it turns out I could have gotten on much closer to home, but it was a nice stroll, and I got to walk through a market.  And it wasn't one of those tourist markets either.  This was the real deal with locals and their shopping bags.  I need to go back next Thursday.

I figured out the ticket machine and waited for the bus.  It was a pleasant, but crowded jaunt out to the palace.  It was hot and muggy in town, but in the countryside it was cooler and very pleasant.

There's actually a lot to see at Heilbrunn although I did not do it all.  I am guessing the name has to do with a spring, and it may mean holy spring.  Maybe someone who knows some German can help me out.  There's a zoo, a folk art museum, and the trick fountains--all of which I opted out of in favor of the palace itself and the extensive grounds.

First I headed to the Pavilion much beloved of the Sound of Music tours where the song and scene were filmed.  It looked just as I remembered from the movie, but I am resolved to watch the movie again and play spot the spot.

The palace bills itself as the Lustig Schloss or Palace of Pleasure built by Mark Sitikuss one of the Prince Bishops of Salzburg.  I got the impression he was more politician than prelate.  No mistresses were mentioned, but I don't know if there were none or the guide was being discreet. The building is a fine example of Baroque, but some of the surviving decoration looks Renaissance to me. The audio guide is helpful, but it does not take long to see the rooms.  In one is a unicorn.

You need to stop claiming to see unicorns.  You said you saw one in Denmark, too.

Yeah well.  There was a stuffed rearing horse with a narwhal horn stuck in its forehead.  What would you call it?

Then I turned to what I Really Came For--the park.  It was lovely, green, and peaceful, and I was able to get away from the tourist crowds.  There are lots of paths and good walking, as well as places to sit and picnic.  I think this would be a great place for a picnic.  I walked a lot and ended up footsore and returned to the palace via the formal gardens and ponds.  In one of the ponds there are sturgeons.

I also heard the shrieks and laughter from the folks braving the tour through the the Trick Fountain Garden.  One is guaranteed to get wet.

Dinner this evening is going to be Italian.  I am sipping some rather nice Prosecco right now as an aperitif.  I am going to polish off the tortellini.  My excuse is that the Hapsburgs the ruling family of the Austrian Empire controlled most of the Italian peninsula until they were kicked out in the mid nineteenth century.  I dress my pasta with some lovely Tuscan oil I got at the grocery.  It cost a lot more than the wine I bought, but it's very nice.

Crisp Apfel Strudel

Guten Tag!

Today is stormy, so there's not a lot of tourist action today, but I'll make it up to you with some authentic Austrian food.

Thank, goodness, Pil. We were kinda over pasta.

I began the day with a trip to the grocery store.  I love snooting around groceries in foreign countries.  A lot of time I have no idea what is on offer, but it's fun to look.  My local Billa has a major section devoted to chocolates and other candy.  When you can't stand it any more and need some Mozart Balls (chocolate covered marzipan mostly) get it at the grocery instead of fancy pants touristy conficerie and save yourself a euro or two.

One of the things I got is bread.  I cannot say enough about Austrian bread. It's hearty and tasty and one can imagine generations of peasants surviving on this good stuff.  I have tried it with Liptaur, butter, and hummus, and it's all delicious.  Something else I got was artificial sweetener--with an ingredient long banished from the United States.  A person dates herself if she recognizes the term cyclamates.

After dumping off my groceries I set off again and crossed the river.  I spent quite a bit of time wandering around the pedestrianized streets in the newer, but still old, part of Salzburg.  It's more a real people rather than tourist area, but here is where one finds the big luxury hotels simply because there is no space for them in the Aldt Stadt.

I'd gotten some postcards at Mozart's birthplace and was delighted to come upon a post office.  I exercised my extremely limited German buying some stamps.  The man was very polite, and it occurred to me that he probably spoke English quite well, but he let me go on.

Then since I was in the neighborhood, I thought it would not hurt to stop in at the Mirabell Gardens.  This time I really got to experience the rain drops on roses!  More this time some of the building was open, so I got to go inside and admire the marble floors and grand stair case.  Mirabell isn't really a museum, but you can visit because they hold frequent concerts there.

By that time I needed a toilet and there is one in the park nearby.  It costs fifty euro cents, but the machine ate my change!  A kindly Austrian woman saw this, and held her stall door open for me.  That was nice, but Austrians are.

Then back to the Aldt Stadt . . . For . . . Food.

Finally!  What sort of food?  You said it was authentic.

Are you interested in Apfel Strudel?

Slaver.  Drool.  Isn't some kind of law that a visitor MUST have strudel while in Austria?

If it's not the law, it should be.  Strudel is not crisp, you know.  It shouldn't be.  The dough is tender and apple filled.  There's some powdered sugar on top and a faint flavor of cinnamon in the apples.  The apples taste of apples, and the package is not too sweet or gloppy.  It's just a lovely satisfying pastry.  Some folks like their strudel doused in cream.  I like it plain and am having it with tea.

And for dinner is two thin sausages in a roll with some onion dressing  It smells divinely spicy and is called a Bosna and harks back to the days of the Austrian Empire.  Mine was obtained at a literal hole in the wall in one of the passages off Getriedegasse.  This imbisse is a Salzburg institution, and is mentioned in all the guidebooks. On busy days, the guy runs out so get there in good time.

First a sip of some Austrian rose.  It's not bad.  Now a bite.

And the verdict is YUM!  You really can't go wrong with sausage in Austria or Germany--unless you just don't like sausage.  This one has a complex almost herbal flavor. I may have to go back.

Re--a Drop of Golden Sun

Guten Tag,

So far the weather had been sunny, hot, and a bit humid.  I began my day with the usual stroll up Getreidegasse fighting the clumps of tour groups.  I found the Salzburg Museum open and whipped out my card.  I got it to pay for itself today, but I think that some of the museums here are (ahem) over priced.  Not all by any means, but you can safely skip the Salzburg Museum.  Now I happen to enjoy city foundations, and Salzburg was once Juvavem.  As far as I was concerned the highlights of the exhibition were a few meager Celtic sculptures and the remains of a very impressive Roman mosaic.  Unfortunately I also spent the day dodging school tours, and while I believe in high culture for the young folks, I don't want them to be there while I am trying to consume it.  The elementary students go around with teachers, and the problem is that they park themselves and monopolize exhibits.  Older students--let's say middle school--are let loose to be noisy.  Kids that age are rarely interested in the exhibits but rather themselves and their phones.  I'd prefer not to have to work around them.

Then the touristing took a turn for the better.  I next visited the cathedral, which is a lovely example of Northern European Baroque.  Entrance is free, but they ask politely for a donation, and I am happy to drop a Euro or two in the box for the upkeep of these amazing buildings.

There's a combi museum called DomsQuarter, which is definitely worth the visit and includes a helpful audio guide.  You can begin in the Residenz, but since I was at the cathedral, I went upstairs, flashed my card and started there.  The curios and ecclesiastical treasures of the prince Bishops are on display.  I happen to enjoy Late Medieval Art, so I was in my element.  There are some wonderful polychrome wood carvings and some nice altarpieces.  The other paintings are undistinguished.

Then I reentered the cathedral up in the gallery where one can inspect one of the many organs and peer down on the nave.  I also proceeded the the palace of the Prince Bishops--begun by our pal Wolf Detriech in the Baroque style.  It's known as the Residenz, and while not as extensive as the one in Munich it is quite grand and well worth seeing.  Ceiling paintings in the State Apartments portray the benevolent rule of Alexander the Great and unsubtly hint that Salzburg's Prince Bishops were Just Like Him.  Or just like the myth as the reality was not that fun to live under.  I was also impressed with some lovely tapestries portraying the four seasons and some beautiful furnishings.  The Prince Bishops lost power when Napoleon abolished the Holy Roman Empire and reorganized the German Confederation.

I made my way home via numerous touristy shops.  Souvenir hunters will be delighted.  I prefer to bring home gifts for myself and others that I can eat, wear, or use.

Dinner tonight is not very exciting.  I have some Austrian red wine, but I don't recognize the varietal, and I will cook up some tortellini.

Climb Ev'ry Mountain

Guten Tag!

Ok.  I did not exactly climb Hohen Salzburg--not on my own feet at any rate.  I went up the funicular to spare my aging legs and also because riding funiculars is fun and the ride is included in the Salzburg Card.  Yes.  I got another one of those cards, and it proved to be very handy.

People in the Early Middle Ages very sensibly sought out strong points that they could fortify against invaders or rivals.  Salzburg as a town is nearly ideally situated.  There's a fast flowing navigable river and beyond a steep cliff with plenty of space on top for a fortress.  Indeed the city's very name tells the tale--Fortress on the Salzach.  You can see the castle from most points in the city below.  I took about a zillion pictures of it, but today it was time to go there.

I love castles, and I like prowling around them and the spectacular views from high places, so I enjoyed myself.  Hohen Salzburg is one of the larger remaining castle complexes and is well worth the visit, but very little remains of the original furnishings.  The visitor can go through a lot of rooms with exhibits.  There are some audio guides in some of the rooms, and the usual display of armor, weapons, and ecclesiastical paraphernalia.  One highlight is the state rooms designed by one of the Prince Bishops, which consist of some handsome late Gothic chambers.  Heavily restored, I suspected.

The views from on high were indeed spectacular.  From one side you have a panorama of the city below.  On the other side you look across intensely green countryside to find Alps springing up all of a sudden.  I rode up, but I determined to walk down.  I set off on the well marked route.  First I strolled through a pleasant leafy neighborhood, in which I guessed dwelt the affluent.  It was delightful on a summers day.  I wondered if winter would be bleak.

I got a bit of woodland walk as the route meandered along the crest of the hill.  There's a little more to see, and there is also a fancy hotel as well as several places for those needing food and drink.  I fetched up at the Modern Salzburg Museum, but it was closed.  I started down and was glad it was dry because there were LOTS of stairs.

Back in town, I attended the market.  Well, of course I did.  It mostly seems set up for tourists rather than being an authentic and traditional market.  I did see a lot of locals around the fruit and vegetable tent.  I proceeded up and down Getriedegasse licking windows and occasionally popping into shops.  I came upon Mozart's Birthplace and found there was no line to get in, so I exercised my card.

Mozart is Salzburg's favorite son, and he and his name and countenance are everywhere.  The birthplace museum is nice and displays some of the letters and possessions of the family.  If you come to Salzburg you kind of have to go, but notice I am expressing no thrill.

Now I am back watching the Tour de France in German.  I had a snack of Liptaur.  I have the "mild" version, and I really like it and also a sip or two of the Gruner Veltliner.  Yesterday I had some Austrian sparkling wine which was cheap and not bad at all although I prefer Prosecco.  I had the dry version, but it also comes in semi dry and sweet.

Rain Drops on Roses

Guten Tag!

I did not personally experience these raindrops, but it did rain over night, and there were plenty of roses in the Mirabell Gardens, so . . . Indeed any Sound of Music reference is appropriate for Salzburg as this was the home city of Maria and her husband Captain Von Trapp.  You can stay at their home, too, just outside of town--for a price.

I had a nice breakfast of toasted rye bread, some hummus, and some lovely raw, pastured Tee Butter.  Yum!  And I washed it down with plenty of tea.

I went out early to explore and for a while had the old city and its pedestrianized streets nearly to myself.  My street is Getreidegasse, and I must say it is Very Touristy, but since I am a tourist that's not exactly a problem for me.  They make it easy to spend money in Salzburg, and that's all right with me as well.  Souvenir and chocolate shops abound as do stores selling Tracht, which is the traditional dress of the region.  It's lovely stuff and correspondingly expensive.

I came upon a market.  It wasn't The Market--just a market.  I'd forgotten to pack my rather frayed linen bag, so I was looking for something carry each day.  I have a sturdier bag I use for grocery shopping.  A stand had a good sized nice looking bag--Mozart themed, but this is Salzburg--and well priced.  I got it. I saw the same exact bag in a shop a few minutes later for five euro more.

After a quick stop at Tourist Information to pick up a Salzburg Card, I set off for Schloss Mirabell.  I crossed one of the many pedestrian bridges pausing to admire the view and watch the swiftly flowing Salzach.  I think now is the time to introduce you to Wolf Detriech Von Raitenau, the Prince Bishop of Salzburg.

Don't let that ecclesiastical title fool you.  Our Wolf Detriech was a very secular-minded guy and a shrewd politician who managed to keep Salzburg out of the nastiness of the religious wars of the sixteen century.  He regarded himself as a Renaissance Prince in the mode of Machiavelli.  He was a prolific builder credited with promoting the Baroque style in Northern Europe.  He was prolific in other ways as well.  His long-term mistress Salome Alt bore fifteen children!  It was for her he built Schloss Mirabell.

It's not a castle, but rather a small palace set in a pleasant park and exquisite formal gardens just up from the river.  It features on the Sound of Music tour as the site of "Do Re Mi."

I recrossed the river on another pedestrian bridge because I had spotted another market on the opposite bank.  I strolled along looking at the offerings.  There was some food, but it was mostly jewelry, clothes, wood products, and other objects that made me wonder why anyone would buy them and for what.

One delightful feature of my apartment is the existence a few steps down of a gelataria.  Not wishing to be rude I paid a visit and had some wonderful amarena (cherry) and Nutella.

Moving Day!

Guten Tag!

I have certainly landed on my feet in Salzburg.  I am living for the next two weeks in a charming and spacious apartment on a pedestrianized street smack in the heart of the Old Town.  Reviews extolled not just the location and comfort, but the warmth and kindness of the proprietor, and they did not exaggerate.

Right now I am watching the first stage of the Tour de France and wondering if my buzzed brain is actually going to fall out of my skull.  I would love to get more than three hours of sleep.

You promised us food, Pil--not whining.

There will be food.  And drink, too.  One of the delightful features of my new home is the existence of a grocery store within a few minutes walk.  I went there, but first let me relate how I got here.

I packed up most reluctantly.  I liked my room in Munich, and I wanted to stay in the city.  During my last trip there I planned a day trip to Salzburg, which was thwarted by construction at the Hauptbahnhof here.  I was most put out, but now I realize it was for the best.  Instead of a puny day trip, I can have two weeks to really do the area in depth.  Me and a zillion other tourists.

I walked up to the Munich Hauptbahnhof which took about twenty minutes and got my ticket from a machine.  I had to look around for the correct platform, but all was well and I got on the train.  I wanted a window seat, but I was burdened with luggage and did not care to hunt around, so I went into a compartment.  The window seats were reserved, but I figured I would be able to see enough from the other side.

My compartment mates showed up and the woman greeted me with a friendly Gruss Gott!  I explained in my dreadful German that I was a tourist who spoke little (meaning hardly any) German.  That was all right.  This lovely couple spoke English and were friendly and chatty, so I had an especially pleasant journey with lovely country side to look at and kindly, intelligent people to talk to.  We talked Brexit.  They were annoyed and concerned.  They asked me about American politics, and I can say we emphatically agreed on ONE of the candidates.  We talked about other things, too.

One thing I learned yesterday on the Internet is that an Austrian court has ordered a "do over" for the last election for president.  The nativist right winger lost a narrow race.  Too narrow apparently.

None of this has to do with food.  You said you went to the grocery store.

First I had to get to the Alt Stadt.  I got a bus ticket on the machine and got on the bus the Internet said would take me to the Alt Stadt.  I hate taking busses!  And it wasn't my fault.  The Internet fibbed to me.  I ended up at the sports arena quite a ways away from the target.  I appealed to the bus driver who was exceedingly kind and put me on another bus that did take me where I wanted to go. And the clouds are gathering, and there is rain in the forecast.  Just right for a snug bite.

I thought I would try liptauer, a beloved Austrian snack of soft sheeps milk cheese and spices (I definitely taste pimento) spread on the rye bread I toted from Munich.  It goes nicely with the chilled Gruner Veltliner I picked up.  The wine is off dry and very slightly fizzy.  I like it!  And I did not violate the five euro rule either.  I also got some leberkase which more or less translates to liver cheese even though it's neither.  It's good.  I have to say I like the Bavarian version better.

Tomorrow I take on Salzburg!

Overwhelmed by a Palace

Guten Tag, Meine Freuden!

Did you know that today is the 100 Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme?  We can all think of unfun things about the early Twenty-first Century, but at least major world powers are not sending their young men to slaughter over land and power.  Look. I don't care for Brexit myself, but at least no one is shooting, and it goes to show that British politics is even More Messed Up than what's going on in the USA.  If that's a comfort to anyone . . .

Thank you for the history lesson, Pil, but that's not why we're here.  Do you know why we're here?

Food.

And drink, too.  How about it?

There's food and drink aplenty in Austria.  I am just here temporarily, so . . .

Don't let us down, Pil.

Well, I got some dark rye bread at the grocery store. I was attracted by the fragrance.  I spread it with soft goat cheese and herbs yesterday for dinner and with hummus for breakfast this morning.  I'm having a wrap this evening with chicken teriyaki.  Sorry.  I'll do better in Austria.  I promise.  I've been drinking beer--which is truly wonderful in Bavaria.  I like Helles and Weissbier.  I think the latter is made from wheat rather than barley.  Don't you want to read about the palace?

Oh.  All right.

I have written about the Wittelsbach dynasty before, and their town palace called the Residenz sits in the heart of Munich.  I visited the place the last time I was here, but I did not remember much or more was open this time.  You really should go, but be warned that this is a project.  I set out in good time deciding to walk as I needed the leg stretch.  But I forgot how far it was--really not that far, but further than I remembered.  I also detoured looking for an ATM from my bank's foreign partner.

I got a combi ticket for the palace and the treasury, and for what the visitor gets it is a bargain.  There's an audio guide included in the admission.  I saw people walking around without one and wondered why?  You can also take a guided tour, but the audio guide is a good one.

One begins in a room with a complex "grotto" constructed entirely of shells.  It is fantastically ornate with shells standing in for flower petals and other decorative motifs.  It just goes on from there--room after room--after room.  Now I happen to love period rooms and furniture inlaid with exotic woods or pietra dura, or marquetry.   Some of the smaller items would sure look good in my condo.  I also enjoy silk hangings, the elaborately decorated ceramic stoves they used to keep warm in winter, and the numerous and extraordinarily beautiful objects d'art. Paintings and sculptures abounded.  I actually overdosed on the gilt stucco work executed by Francois de Cuivelles.

There is a lot to see.  Think Versailles only a lot less crowded and more accessible.  If you want a variety of marble--blue or green or dappled.  It's there.  Throne rooms and formal bed chambers?  You got it.  One highlight is a Renaissance inspired Hall of Antiquities where you can play spot the Roman Emperor.  You can also see where the deeply Roman Catholic Wittelsbachs held their court and private devotions.  The palace just went on and on.

I enjoyed it all, but I am newly arrived and jet lagged and by the end I was brain buzzed and physically worn out.  I took the S Bahn back and stopped at the grocery store for that teriyaki wrap. I think I'll have it now with some good Bavarian beer.

Next stop--Salzburg!