Interlaken, Switzerland

We had such a great day today!

We had breakfast at the hotel, checked out, loaded up and headed out.  We did not explore the city of Lucerne at all.  It was really just a resting place in our travels and we were anxious to get to the next destination.

On the road we headed south-west to Interlaken.  If you look at a map of Switzerland, Interlaken is almost smack dab in the middle of the country. The drive from Lucerne to Interlaken was really beautiful. We never seem to tire of The Alps, the lakes, the towns and this time there were even waterfalls. So cool.

Lungern, Switzerland
On the way to Interlaken

We arrived in Interlaken around noon, found our hotel and dropped off our bags. We are staying at the Hotel Royal-St. Georges, which is the former Monastery Building. It is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. I'm sure there is a rich history here and the decor is so ornate and beautiful, but I have not had an opportunity to research the property. That will be homework for later.

With cameras in hand, we headed to the train station. Stan had a plan.

Church we passed on the way to the train.

We hopped a train to a village called Grindelwald which is located in the Bernese Alps. The train took us higher and higher until it felt like we were high above the trees.  When we arrived, Stan told me the plan was to take an aerial gondola to the summit of First which is one of the mountains in the area. It is referred to as a "minor" summit but I don't know why . . . it seemed pretty high to me, thank you very much! Grindelwald has always been known as a winter tourist destination because of the skiing, but recently it is also very popular for hikers. We saw a great trail up the summit all the way to the top. If you're a hiker, this is the place for you.

On the train to Grindelwald

Another tidbit of information I thought was interesting: The James Bond film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" includes a chase through a skating rink and Christmas festival in Grindelwald, and Grindelwald's mountains were used as the basis for the view of Alderaan in "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

Anyway, back to the scary part.

So we walk through town and arrive at the ticket office for the gondola ride. We decided to "go for it" and bought a ticket all the way to the top. I wasn't scared. Not one bit.

Aerial Gondola. Yep.

Up we go.

Even higher.

Oh . . . it was so BEAUTIFUL. The town below, the trees, the streams, the mountains, the snow, the fresh air . . . how can I describe it?

Waterfalls.

As we rose higher and higher it got so quiet. You could almost hear a pin drop. Then all of a sudden we heard the sound of bells.  We looked down and saw a small herd of cattle grazing on the mountain side and they were all wearing big cow bells. Listen:

We arrived at the top and here is some of what we saw.

See the town below?

I love that God created such beauty for us to discover!

Stan at First Summit.

H.A. at First Summit.

After our mountain top experience, we boarded the train and headed back to Interlaken. While we were waiting for the train, I saw this cute little boy with a BIG backpack. I just had to take a picture of him.

Such a big backpack for such a little guy.

Here comes our train.

It was a great day! What will tomorrow bring?

Goodbye Austria, Hello Switzerland

This morning (Thursday) before leaving the hotel I decided to go downstairs and have breakfast in the little bistro / bakery adjacent to our hotel.  The place is owned and operated by a lovely couple and the wife is the baker / chef. What struck me is how calm and peaceful the dining experience was. You see, in Europe dining is treated as a leisurely, relaxing, enjoyable experience. The servers do not rush their patrons, they do not interrupt, they do not bring the check until it is requested, and the food is served on real dishes with stainless forks and knives. Morning tea is served in a cup (not a mug) and saucer.  (Those who know me well know much I appreciate this!)  

This is not unique to this establishment. We have experienced this throughout our travels so far.  I will admit it takes a little getting used to.  We are so used to rushing through our meals and receiving the check before the last bite is finished. I actually have to "work" at relaxing and slowing down.  I have vowed to myself that when I get home, I will try to incorporate the practice of relaxing and enjoying mealtimes a little more often. Another benefit: I have found that eating slowly causes me to eat less ~ BONUS!

Moving on . . .

Waving "goodbye" to my beloved Austria, we headed west.  I discovered that we were in route to Switzerland. Yay! 

If you look at a map of Austria, you will see the tiny principality of Liechtenstein sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland.  I don't think a stop in Liechtenstein was originally on the itinerary but we decided since we were so close we should pop in and say hello.

Principality of Liechtenstein

Do you know anything about Liechtenstein? I didn't until today.

Liechtenstein, established in 1719, is known as a principality as it is a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince. Valduz is the capital and it is located along the Rhine river.  It is simply adorable. The whole principality is only 62 square miles and has a population of 35,000. It is the smallest yet richest German-speaking country in the world and the only country to lie entirely within The Alps. 

The reigning prince is Hans-Adam, II.  His castle is perched on a hill overlooking the city.  We drove around until Stan figured out how to get up there so we could do a drive-by since the castle is not open to the public.  I managed to snap a few photos of the back-side of the castle and the city view below.  I also took a few shots from the city looking up toward the castle. 

Back-side of the castle.

View of Valduz from the castle.

View Valduz from the castle.

Castle perched on a hill.

Closer view of the castle from the city street.

According to the Internet, "Prince Hans-Adam, II owns LGT banking group and has a family fortune of $7.6 billion and a personal fortune of approximately $4.0 billion, making him one of the world's richest heads of state and Europe's wealthiest monarch. He owns an extensive art collection which is displayed for the public at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna."  Who knew? We could have stopped by to take a look while we were there!

It was a short detour but now we can say we have been to Liechtenstein!

Lucerne, Switzerland

We drove through The Swiss Alps into north-central Switzerland to Lucerne.  When we were checking in to the hotel, I met a family from Montana. It's a small world! 

After getting settled in our rooms we were ready for dinner and a relaxing evening. Tomorrow we will explore more of Switzerland. Can't wait!

Innsbruck, Austria

Hello from Innsbruck!  

Stan started off his day with a trip to the eye doctor.  His eye has been bothering him for a few days so today he finally decided to have it checked out.  The doctor said he has an eye infection, gave him some drops, and told him he could not wear his contacts today.  

We were originally going to take a day trip into Italy, but since Stan cannot see to drive, we just hung out in Innsbruck.  It was a relaxing day.

We ventured out for lunch, walked around the city center area, did a little shopping and hung out at the hotel in the afternoon.

In the evening, we had a great dinner in town and on the way home I came across this building and just had to take a few pictures.  I love the detail. The lighting is a little dark because the sun was setting.

Notice the roof line.

I bet the view from the inside is great.
The corner windows face three directions.

Love the detail.

This is one of the few buildings I have
seen where the detail is painted.

Tomorrow we leave for Switzerland. Hopefully Stan's eye will be much better.

Alpine Village - So Beautiful!

We have a lot of catching up to do!

We were without Internet service last night so I will have to combine two days in one post. Here goes . . .

MONDAY, June 25, 2012

We packed up and left Vienna on Monday. It was raining and poor Max got all dirty. At least we know the wipers work.  We headed west, back toward Salzburg, and enjoyed the scenic farmland once again.  Just past Salzburg, at the Austria / Germany border, there is a wonderful little place called Berchtesgaden tucked away in the German Bavarian Alps. It is absolutely beautiful. The air was cool and crisp. No smog. No pollution. No litter. There is a river (I assume from melted snow) that runs through the town. Listen to the birds in the background of this video. 





We walked into the town square from our hotel for dinner and noticed several locals walking around with walking sticks (they look like ski poles) which aid in the ascent of the steep hills. There was a lot of activity in the square. I don't know if it was a festival or what the occasion was, but a group of local musicians were giving a concert outside our restaurant.

Walking to the town square.

Church near town square.

Church steeple.

Lovely flowers.

On the way into town, I noticed a gate next to the church and I went to see what was there. It was the church cemetery. I know cemeteries are usually sad and scary, but this one was so sweet. I imagine the people who are buried here were long time residents of this town and attended this church their whole lives. I loved how peaceful it seemed and obviously the family members attend to the graves of their loved ones as evidenced by all the beautiful flowers and plants. I told Stan I would like to be buried in a place like this.

Church cemetery.

Church cemetery.

This person lived 117 years.
Born 1705 - Died 1822.

Berchtesgaden National Park is to the south of the town and Mount Watzmann, the third-highest mountain in Germany, is Berchtesgaden's focal point.  It is very popular in the rock climbing community.  We got several pictures of it.

Mount Watzmann.

Flat Stanley in front of Mount Watzmann.

We only spent one night there so we didn't have much time to learn the history of Berchtesgaden. However, I did learn that during World War II it served as an outpost for The Third Reich and I believe Hitler's mountain retreat was located here. It is a sad and very unfortunate stain on the fabric of Germany's history.

TUESDAY,  June 26, 2012

Today we continued to travel south/west to Innsbruck, Austria.  Instead of taking the autobahn, Stan decided to take the back roads which took us through The Alps. The drive was spectacular.  We saw little towns along the way and the scenery was  . . . yes, I'll say it again . . . beautiful! We tried to capture some of it on video and photos but we can hardly do it justice.

Maximilian enjoying the view.

Shooting the view.

The view.

The other view.

We finally arrived at a very special place - The Swarovski Factory! Oh. My. Goodness. Stan knows how very much I love Swarovski so he arranged for us to spend the afternoon there. They have a beautiful store and a restaurant where we had lunch.  And yes, I did walk out with a little blue bag in my hand. Woo! Hoo!

After my shopping spree, we arrived at our final destination for the evening, Innsbruck. First stop: laundromat.  Next stop: hotel.

Final Day in Vienna

Today is Sunday. I am so glad that God's continual presence is a promise. No matter where in the world I am!

Today was a mellow day. I was tired from all the excitement of the week but I still managed to drag Stan out very early this morning to take pictures in the softer morning light without all the crowds.  But when we got to the church, I realized I had forgotten to charge my camera battery! Bummer!  (Poor Stan.)  I did manage to get a few shots and then we returned to the hotel and had breakfast.

Later we ventured out again to see different areas we hadn't seen yet and take a few more pictures. This time I realized I had forgotten to put my memory card back in my camera so I couldn't shoot anything! Thank goodness Stan had his camera and he got some awesome panoramic shots which you will see below.  After lunch, I returned to the hotel to veg for awhile.

BTW - Stan has put together a checklist for me which he says he's going to go over with me every time we leave the hotel from now on. LOL. I know my mother is rolling her eyes right now!

This picture was taken outside of Starbucks. As I passed by, I noticed these two little children sitting in their stroller leaning forward with their heads together, focusing intently on something.  I realized this young father was holding a phone that was playing a movie for his kids while he was surfing on his own phone with the other hand.  I got such a kick out of this I just had to get a picture! We have to have our media, don't we? Even when we're three!

Multi-tasking at it's finest.

Loved this baby John Deere!

Vienna fashion.

The Sacher Hotel, Vienna
(Sister property to our hotel in Salzburg.)

The Rathaus is the City Hall in Vienna.  It was built between 1872 and 1883 in the Gothic style.

Rathaus

When the Parliament building was commissioned, it was decided that the building's style should be classical Greek architecture since it is connected to the Ancient Greeks and the ideal of democracy. Construction on the Parliament building began in 1874 and was completed in 1883.

 The Parliament Building

The Parliament Building - Side

The Heldenplatz is the outer plaza of the Hofburg Palace and was built under the reign of Emperor Francis Joseph. The Library is the furtherest building on the right. On the plaza, there are two equestrian statues of Prince Eugene of Savor and Archduke Charles of Austria, who are remembered as great military leaders. It also houses Austria's unknown soldier.

Helden Plaza and Library to the right

Stadtpark

Stadtpark

Vienna, Austria

Greetings from Austria!

This morning (Saturday) started out with a bang . . . or rather, a poof!

Long story short, I couldn't find the hair dryer the hotel provided (it was hidden in a drawer), so I plugged MY blow dryer into the outlet using an adapter.  Not a good a idea. There was a pop, fire and all the lights went out. Oops! Apparently the outlets here are only 100v and my blow dryer requires 120v.  The facilities guy scolded me in German, moved the dresser and plugged the hotel's dryer in for me in front of the mirror so there can be no further excuses for blowing the electricity. Well, alrighty then.

Then . . . there was some confusion about where we were supposed to have breakfast. The Executive Lounge sent us downstairs to the main restaurant; the restaurant sent us back up to the Executive Lounge.  Apparently there was some confusion with our room numbers. Stan finally told the restaurant we would be dining with them and they could work it out amongst themselves. (These pushy Americans!)

Finally, we were getting ready to leave on our guided WALKING tour and I realized it was raining! I had to go back to my room and change into weather appropriate clothes and shoes and get a sweater.

Whew! Okay . . . ready to go.

Walking in the rain.

Our tour guide was great.  His name was Herbert and he was born and raised in Vienna. Perfect!  He told us that he had to complete a two year course at the university to become a certified tour guide.  He was passionate about his city and entertained us with interesting stories and jokes along the way. 

Herbert, our tour guide.

I cannot do justice to the history and architecture in this city. We covered a span from the 1200's to 1800's in two hours! Just to give you an example of the history behind one building - check this out:

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the most important religious building in Austria's capital and has been central to many important events in it's history. Here is a rough time-line:

• 1160 - The initial structure was completed in Romanesque style.
• Early 1200's -  They added to the structure and built the towers.
• 1258 - A fire destroyed much of the original building so it was rebuilt re-using the two towers.
• 1263 - Cathedral was completed and dedicated.
• 1304 - 1340 Albert I ordered a Gothic style three-nave choir addition to the structure.
• 1359 - Rudolf IV began another expansion which eventually encapsulated the entire structure!
• 1430 - The edifice of the original church was removed from within as work progressed on the cathedral.
• 1433 - The south tower was completed in Gothic style.
• 1450 - Construction began for the north tower but was never finished.
• 1474 - The vaulting of the nave was completed.
• 1511 - Construction was halted.
• 1578 - The north tower was originally intended to mirror the south tower but the era of Gothic cathedrals was nearing its end so the "stump" at the top was fitted with a Renaissance style cap.

St. Stephen's Cathedral
Vienna, Austria

North tower was never completed.
Renaissance cap added in 1578

This side is being renovated.
There is a screen over the section that is being cleaned.
Note the detail in the roof.

South tower.

Note: This cathedral was made of sandstone which is very porous and absorbs all the dirt and pollution so sections are always being renovated (cleaned). That's why some of the building looks light and other sections are black.

Pretty incredible, huh?  I am always struck with "awe" when I stand in a place that is several centuries old.  I can hardly take it in.  One cathedral that was built in three different styles over 400 years! I wonder about all the important political and social events that took place there. For instance, this is where Mozart was buried. Inside there are alters, a stone pulpit, chapels, tombs, catacombs, crypts and organs that are historical in-and-of themselves. It would probably take a whole year to absorb all the information and history of this single cathedral!  And the city is full of historical buildings like this. Can you imagine?

So, walking on . . .

Here are photos of buildings we saw.  I'll save the history lessons.  Enjoy!

I love the detail on the
corner of this building.

Narrow cobble stone streets.
Not good for driving!

Lunch break.

I love the size and detail in these doors.

Vienna at dusk.

I took this picture out of the restaurant
window while we were having dinner.

Travel Day

Today was a travel day.  Destination: Vienna, Austria.

Oh my goodness! I have always wanted to visit Vienna and now, here I am!

So, this morning we took our time getting on the road. It was hard to leave Salzburg and The Sacher Hotel but I was looking forward to the next destination.  As I was standing in the lobby waiting for Stan to bring Max around, I happened to notice a plaque on the wall.  It read:

On May 4, 1945, the city of Salzburg was liberated without combat by the 3rd Infantry Division and the 106th Calvary Group of the 7th U.S. Army.  General Robert N. Young accepted the surrender of the city in the Hotel Osterreichische Hof.

Wow. I was standing in a place of U.S. history.  I was so proud of our men and women who sacrificed so much for so many and I whispered a prayer for the soldiers who are serving right now.

As we traveled east we moved away from The Alps and the landscape changed from mountains to rolling hills, dense forest, and clearings of rich, fertile farmland. Everything is green and lush with little towns scattered along the way.  I noticed that every town had a church with a prominent steeple.  Churches still seem to be a central part of the community in Austria.  We noticed that the church bells still toll at certain hours throughout the day.  It's so charming.

After about 4 hours we arrived in Vienna.  Oh my goodness . . . you should see the architecture in this city! It is mind-blowing.  Tomorrow we are set up for a personal walking tour of the city center so I will have more information and, of course, pictures to share.  There is certainly a strong vibe of power here; not surprising given the fact that Vienna is not only the capital of Austria, but it is also where OPEC and the third headquarters of The United Nations are located. (The first is in New York, the second in Geneva.)

Lord, have mercy!

Gone are the flower boxes in every window and the gentle hospitality of Salzburg. Vienna feels more like a mix between New York and Washington D.C.  It's all about politics, the arts, and design all wrapped up in an old world package.  It's hard to describe.  (It's kinda like the two women in "The Sound of Music" ~ Baroness Shraeder vs. Maria.)

I'm a little obsessed with that movie, can you tell?

I did not know that Austria is surrounded by land on all sides.  It's neighbors are Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.  We are on the east close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary borders.

Learning my geography today. 

Okay, that's all.  Tomorrow we tour.  I'm so thankful for this opportunity.