Even the best itineraries don’t always go as expected. Today was to be a full day of the Hofburg Palace. This was the winter residence of the Hofburg Dynasty for over 600 years. The palace today houses everything from the royal apartments to the Spanish Riding School (you know those fancy white horses that stand on their two hind legs). We had intended on doing 6 different things today, but things change. The Ugly Truth of Travel Now for some of you this might be going too far in travel advice or should I say travel commentary, so I will be as gentle as possible. The simple truth is that travel is not always smooth and there are some things that can just put a strain on your trip. Ok, I will just say it, sometimes ... read more

We are now on the train bound for Vienna. While we wait to leave I thought it a good time to summarize my thoughts of Salzburg. First and foremost, it is a definite must see. I might suggest winter as we both thought it would be truly beautiful here with the snow, cold and all the wunderbar soups. We are here at the start of the season so the crowds were not too bad, but July and August it’s going to be very crowded. Three days is simply not enough to do the city justice or in a pace that is sane. We saw must everything we wanted to see, but could have used at least two more days to really take in the sights and on a more leisurely pace. If you are a Mozart ... read more

Tonight was all about Mozart and has been the Highlight of the trip to Salzburg for me. The setting was Barocksaal in Stiftskeller St. Peter. This is the oldest restaurant in Europe. We were on the second floor in a beautiful room. Dinner was served in between sets of Mozart music. The room was candle lit and chandeliers from the ceiling (they of course were not candles). The music was done in three sets, the first selections from Don Giovanni, the second from The Marriage of Figaro. The final set started with A Little Night Music, you all know the song, it was made more famous than it already was by the movie Amadeus. The final selections were from the Magic Flute and it was a magical night. We had a three ... read more

Some Musing Salzburg is a postcard city, that is the old section of Salzburg is picture perfect. The outskirts are just like any other city no cleaner, no dirtier. Salzburg is also very old, it is home of the oldest restaurant in Europe, we will be there tomorrow and older than Paris. It was an independent city state until the early 19th century. It was originally ruled by Arch Bishop’s and the architecture is very mixed, in fact according to Jerry It is pretty plain and not as detail oriented as Paris, Rome, and other cities. One thing Salzburg is more than any other city I have ever been to, is all about music. It’s the birthplace of Mozart, Haydn lived here, and of course the Sound of Music is all about Salzburg. If nothing else ... read more

I woke up at 5:00 and got out of bed about 5:15, Jerry got up at 6. I took a quick shower, did the final dishes and made coffee. Once Jerry got up I changed did my final packing and then walked to the ATM for my last chance at free ATM use until we get to Berlin. It was a beautiful morning, the streets had just been washed and the sun was just coming up. The sky was perfectly clear and the city was just beginning to wake up. The brasseries were just opening, the boulangerie were putting out there first batch of fresh banquettes and croissants. It was very peaceful and pleasant. It was really one of the first times I have ever seen Paris at this time of the morning. I would have ... read more