Advertisement
Outlet Mall
Wish I'd had more time: if Deb's would only have been delayed....On Saturday I had mentioned to Ross that we should go to the airport and escort Deb and Dan back to the hotel. Then I thought maybe we’d just wait for them at the hotel around 3 pm. Two things changed my mind. 1. The bus route to the airport is one 20 minute bus ride on the #2 bus right from our hotel and we had the week bus pass but the clincher was reason 2. While I was on a wrong bus a kid had a Desigual bag and I mentioned how whenever we came to Europe I would try to find something by them. Well his mom said I should just take the number 2 bus to the outlet mall and check the Desigual shop there. My head nearly exploded – a whole shop – at an OUTLET on our bus route. Yes we will pick up Deb and Dan – In fact we will go out there extra early so we don’t miss them. The outlet mall is around the corner from the airport – a 5
Fortress sketch
things got a little moved around in my sketch min walk!!! Now on Tues. morning Ross was rather slow getting out the door and I convinced him we could easily get breakfast at the mall. We leave the hotel, stand at the bus stop and the bus is to come in 2 min. In that time I convinced Ross we were going in the wrong direction and needed to be about a half block down on the other side of the street. As we got to the new bus stop the #2 at the old stop went whizzing by. I thought how lucky we changed. Then as we looked at the maps again and I actually listened to Ross I realized no we had been on the right side so the #2 going the other way now whizzed by us and we crossed the street again. 10 min. later we were on our way – thank goodness for efficient Austrian bus systems.
Ross is a non-shopper so at the mall the first thing I did was go to customer service and sign up to receive any discount coupons, etc. He said why bother since we weren’t looking for anything. We’ve been married 43 years and he
Best mojito ever
so far in my life - more to try doesn’t know some things about me. I explained that we were at an OUTLET MALL so we would be buying something! Actually the first thing we got was coffee and a bun – Austria’s not big on the cereal and milk thing for Ross – he made do with juice and a bun but his mood was like a leashed dog planting all fours and refusing to walk. Surprise, the first money was spent on an outfit for him. Then I had to quickly find the Desigual shop – aaah – 2 shirts which fit fine and a dress. Mind you the dress feels fantastic but there’s that 5 to 7.75 pound area around the middle that’s stretching the fabric a wee bit too much. It’s now my incentive dress. I hope you see me in it someday.
Off to the airport. We waited and when everyone came out and the doors stayed closed at the arrivals I wondered what happened. Through a crack in the door I spotted Dan but no Debbie. Turns out her suitcase had never left with her – it stayed in Vancouver. It was on a different flight later in the day.
Back to the hotel, dropped off Dan’s luggage and our packages and then hit the old and new town. We walked all over, got good coffees, bought food at a farmers’ market for our breakfast and then ate dinner on the rooftop of the Stein Hotel. Best french fries ever. Excellent Mojito too! 12,000 steps
Wednesday, May 7 Up at 7 so we could have breakfast in the room and then the 4 of us set out for the tour pick up for the Salt Mines and Sound of Music tour. The Salt Mines sounded neat but the Sound of Music Tour was Debbie’s idea. 3 of us inwardly groaned at the idea of singing on a bus. The morning was the Salt Mines and the drive there was fast and entertaining with our guide Luka who sort of looked like a very young George Hamilton. The salt mines themselves were very interesting and the tour was well done and fun. Our drive back to town was accompanied by Mozart’s music and nearly had us all asleep. In town the rain started. Tour 2 started. We visited so many of
the places we had seen on the bike trip. In fact the lakeside where Ross and I had lunch and I took pics of a gorgeous mansion across the lake was one of the settings for Sound of Music – the part where Maria and the kids fell out of the boat. Well they couldn’t have been much wetter than us as the rain was coming down pretty steadily now. It turned out to be a good tour as well since the guide, Peter, had a great sense of humour and definitely know his Sound of Music. We ended up going out to the lake district for the wedding church in the movie and the scenery just made you want to see more of Austria – even us jaded by the Rockies and Lake Louise – were impressed. Back in town it took us a few wrong turns to find St. Peter Stiftskellar restaurant under the biggest black dome in the city. Once in the old town it’s hard to see the dome. We get there and the prices are a wee bit higher than we want but we are now hungry and there’s no place else we could find
Where's my "S"
behind you dear easily. Thank goodness because the food was excellent and filling and the atmosphere private and cosy. On our way home Ross said something like I hope you don’t have any trouble in Prague and I told him to hush – no jinxes! Too late. Beautiful double rainbow on the way home. Got home to email. Prague hotel is overbooked we have to change the hotel. Egads! 13,275 steps
Thursday, May 8 Could not get to sleep last night – earworms – Doh, a deer, a female deer kept going through my head and it’s not exactly lullaby music. Anytime I got that to quiet down the brain would start with ‘What do you do with a girl like Maria’ and the worst part about that tune was I could not get the words right in my head or the notes. After 3 hours I did go to sleep but I woke with ‘Doh, Re, Me’.
Busy walking, bussing, sightseeing day. After a few cappuccinos we worked our way to the fortress that overlooks Salzburg. Found some stairs that led up to it and started climbing – Dan figures we’ve gone up
4 ready to go
train, slide and boat ride through the salt mine at least one Alp. It seemed that every time you thought you were coming to the top, the little bend in the road provided another steep staircase or one of those thigh-groaning ramps. Great views from the top and a nice café view of the mountains and valley. After descending via the funicular (45 min climbing up there and 45 seconds to get down) we searched for the Bosna burger. We found the guy who made it famous (apparently Jack Nicholson and the pope have eaten there) in a truck stand in one of the platz and ate them at a park bench after being kicked off a restaurant bench. Finally got on the right bus (we all had passes so we didn’t really care if we were on the wrong bus) to go to Europark. Supposedly this is the most beautiful large mall in all of Europe. After trekking around its 2 floors we didn’t see anything special about it and from the outside it was definitely different architecture with a brilliant red roof structure but I think the Outlet Mall by the airport was much better on the inside anyway. Still managed to find a couple of good
the idyllic lake scene
where Barr and Bean enjoyed prosecco bargains though. Off to the old town for a wine stop and we had the crabbiest waitress ever. She was having a hard day. Then we sauntered off to a great dinner at the Auld Fuch (old fox). Great food, service and beer. Last thing for the evening was watching the marionette opera, The Magic Flute, at the theatre. Interesting and fun but definitely a one-time thing. Walked back to the hotel to start packing for Prague. I had answers from all the Prague travellers and everyone is okay that we have to move from a 3 star to a 5 star hotel and get a free dinner as well. The hardships we endure in order to travel! 14,992 steps (if I had looked before I unclipped my pedometer I would have walked down the hall for 8 steps)
Advertisement
Tot: 0.126s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 8; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0703s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Dick
non-member comment
Just like being there...
I am loving the photos and commentary...how in the world do you guys find time to research the sightseeing, tours and restaurants? Sicily promises to be very entertaining trying to keep up with you two! I believe today (5/13) you board the river boat, we wish you clear skies, smooth sailing and all good things. Can't wait for the next installment.