The Best of Europe Day 13
The Best of Europe
Day 13 Thursday September 18, 2003 - Salzburg
The alarm went off at 5:45 and we were sleeping soundly. We knew we had a tight time schedule so we showered, packed the suitcases and had them out the door at 6:20.
We went down for breakfast but they were not yet open. When the doors were opened there was a mad rush as three groups of 40+ (120) tried to enter together.
It looked like people had not eaten in weeks. This was very rude behavior by many. Breakfast was again super and we took our time as we did not have to be out until 7:45.
We met on the bus at the appointed time and we left Vienna during early morning rush. We drove out of the city following the Wein River and then the Danube Valley on our way to Salzburg. The hills are terraced for fruit trees and vineyards.
We crossed the Danube River and entered the village of Loiben where Richard the Lionhearted was captured and held for ransom in the huge Dürnstein Castle above the city.
The most famous and best tasting white wines come from this area - we walked to a vineyard and had the opportunity to taste these ripe sweet grapes.
We had planned to just stop for photos, but Craig and Rose found a restroom in the Information Center, so Gennie and I followed. Others saw us and Otmar decided to extend this “necessary stop” or suffer a revolt from the rest of the people.
Back on the bus and on the road at 9:35, Otmar gave us a running account of the history of the area and the economic factors dealing with this prosperous valley. They have a very mild climate and it is the only place in Austria where they can grow apricots.
People come from all over, specially Vienna, to buy apricots for jelly and jams and to use in baking their fantastic pastries. Biking along the Danube is a typical sport and we have seen many families and groups touring along this easy grade.
It was along this area that the Venus of Vienna, a small eight inch statue was found. The book Valley of the Horses is a novel about this area and portrays the Venus in prehistoric times.
We re-crossed the Danube one more time and got back on A1, their primary autobahn, and had an excellent view of the abbey and monastery of Melk and the growing city of the same name. As this road is the same as we traveled to Vienna, we are seeing the same sights.
Our next stop was our old and familiar Rosenbergers, where we had an apple and the wonderful Bavarian pretzel. Others had coffee, desserts or both.
Some are collecting the special mugs that they may keep if they order a particular coffee. We also took time to take some pictures of the four sided farm houses that were close to this stop.
On the remainder of the long trip to Salzburg, Otmar gave us the history of this area. We also received a map of the city and a very nice Trafalgar map of Europe.
Salzburg is a community of 150,000 people, and is very famous for the birthplace of Mozart, Joseph Strauss and is where they filmed "The Sound of Music".
We were first driven to the hotel, Austrian Trend Hotel Airportcenter, in the outskirts of town, next to the airport, and then we went to the old city center.
As the buses cannot enter the city, we were dropped off at a predetermined point and then walked as a group to the center. There we were given an hour for lunch.
Gennie and I had a sandwich made at a small bakery, ate it and then went to the internet café. We both checked our mail, sent out yesterday’s journal and she worked on her classes for CSU and UoP.
At 3 PM we met Veronica, our local tour guide and she gave us a tour of the city, with stories and anecdotes on its history. We explored the Residenz Square, the Catholic Cathedral, Mozart’s birth house, and the Horse Fountain.
At 4 PM we had free time. Some went up to the castle overlooking the city. Gennie and I wandered through the old town, looking at small alleys with their little stores, the open air market in another square and just window shopping throughout the city.
At 5 we sat down at a coffee shop and had a beverage and awaited the rest of the group. At 5:30 we met our fellow travelers and walked back to the bus.
Dinner was at our hotel this evening and scheduled for 7:15. The meal was lamb and as Gennie and I are not too partial to this meat, they gave us a substitute - chicken. We sat with a couple from Tasmania and had a “lovely” time chatting with them about their life there and their travels.
They also asked about our experiences so when the meal was over we were the last table to vacate. Gennie and I returned to our room and worked on the journal and pictures. We also began our evaluation forms for Trafalgar. We will need to return these to Otmar by the last day.
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