Austria - Salzburg sound of music

Salzburg may be small but it packs a lot! First it was the home of Mozart and his family.

There is a tour of his home of course no photos allowed inside the home however at the end they had this little 'how do you stand up to Mozart' begin me is our guide and friend Chelsea!

And one of those put your face here things. Here is Mozart's sister Nannerl. She had the mist lovely countenance ;).

This area is also where much of the Sound of Music was filmed. If you are a fan of the film or never seen it before our hostel shows I every evening! Bastian had not seen it yet so we had dinner and watched the film. Then the next day wandered around Salzburg pointing out sites.

You can take a sound of music tour however we have a friend studying local and wanted to hang out with her. I believe we got a much better tour!

Originally Salzburg was an Archbishopric. He had this huge horse stable (100 horses). He would run the through this shallow pool to wash them.

We visited St Peter's cathedral to look up at the domes. In the other photos it is the greenish dome things.

Of course there was Beer. We partook in the Augustiner beer hall. You drink from these heavy beer mugs. You grab your mug and then rinse it out before taking it to get filled.

Then of course you drink until satiated!

Tho was the first time we found radish as a side dish. They shaved and salted a big radish the display was very pretty!

Even the night view is picturesque!

Austria is over our last stop is Zurich, Switzerland!

Austria - Vienna old town

Today was a bit chillier (50's) and overcast. All day it threatened to rain but only drizzled a little. I wasn't in the museum wandering mood so We walked around seeing the lovely buildings and pausing at coffeehouses.

I get mixed up on which building is which they all have beautiful architecture.

And amazing sculptures depicting a lot of Greco)Roman themes ie Hercules.

Here is the famous Opera house.

My favorite is town hall. We had some difficulty navigating about as everywhere is setting up stalls for the Christmas selling and festivities you can kinda see the roofs of the temporary structures in the photo here.

Another lovely building. I love the jagged and curved sides of the walkway.

Here is a monument against War and Fascism. There are two sculptures the tall one is the gate of violence recalling the Nazi mass murders in concentration camps. And the small figure between them is street-washing Jew which is of a kneeling man with barbed wire on his back depicting the terrorizing and degradation of the Jewish people.

Dessert is everywhere! Here is an imperial specialty - pancake like bread with plum and apple toppings and of course my Viennese hot chocolate!

Tomorrow onward to Salzburg about a two hour train ride.

Austria, Vienna - Schönbrunn palace

The zoo I mentioned later I actually part of this estate.

A garden complete with hedge mazes

And a detached Gloriette (literally meaning Little room') is a building in a garden erected on a site that is elevated with respect to the surroundings. This one was built in 1775 (with the palace) but destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1947 and restored in 1995. Now it has a cafe but back in the day they used it for a dining hall and breakfast room for the emperor.

Just for reference this is the view rom the Gloriette to the palace. All those trees are part of the gardens.

Two Sphinx greet you at the grounds entrance.

And once in the palace there are Two Hercules statues which double as heaters! I do love art that also serves a functional purpose. Here he is fighting the dragon. The other one he is fighting the Nemean Lion.

No photos allowed inside the palace but it is as spectacular as the grounds and zoo. You learn a lot about the Austrian aristocracy. The first to live here was Marie Teresa who bore 16 children one of which the unfortunate Marie Antoinette. She had 11 daughters only one allowed to marry for love, the others were married off young for political and diplomatic reasons (like Marie Antoinette). If you are ever in Vienna you must tour this palace and the grounds! And you can see squirrels :).

Austria, Vienna - Tiergarten Zoo

This is the World's oldest zoo over 250 years old. It started as a menagerie of the Austrian Emperor and Empress and progressed to so much more. Currently housing 700 unique species some nearing extinction. This zoo has been through 2 World Wars and survived. It I as much a historic land marker as it is a zoo. They even kept the ok cages to show what zoos use to look like.

They have a bat enclosure with the birds. Many bats were just hanging out.

There was even a cave with awake bats. When I walked through it they were flying all over even into me! It was super freaky and awesome.

Here is one of the many bird enclosures.

The Cheetah has three little babies with her. Soo adorable!

And a bee exhibit and you can buy their honey!

Penguin, goats, monkeys all just to name a few! It is one of the nicest zoos I have ever been to!

There was even nature area with suspension bridges through the treetops. And a fair bit of Squirrels up in them treetops! Overall a nice stroll.

Germany - Dachau concentration camp.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to visit this concentration camp turned WWII memorial. It is never uplifting to walk amongst these preserved old war regions. They aren't designed for comfort and enjoyment but for reflection and awareness.

However, the other plans for this region became unrealistic because of train work and we found ourselves with the extra time and the want to visit and pay respect.

Being a sensitive person I cannot understand how anyone can hate and fear entire groups of people, especially to the point of torture and eradication. How can anyone think a person nothing more than a bug to be crushed and exterminated.

Dachau was the first concentration camp. It became the design and model for the other camps. They also trained the SS officers here in what Is now the riot police training ground. The prisoner section, which was built by prisoners, was demolished after the war. This area has been occupied by different groups over the years including the USA military. However it was restored to its original state and made into tho memorial with the assist of former Dachau prisoners.

Dachau was not a death camp. There was a gas chamber but it was never used for mass killings. It was opened in 1933 as a political prison and work camp. In 1934 when Hitler gained power it became a place to put anyone who opposed him or who he didn't like - such as Jewish, Jehovah witness, homosexual, beggars, homeless, and foreign opposition.

There is a lot of art work, sculptures, and churches around the complex. Many were designed by survivors.

In the 30 minute Dachau film they show footage and photos from the camp between and at one point refer to concentration camps as 'Human liquidation centers' it was a powerful film.

The camp was built to hold 6000 people when liberated there were 40,000. It is a horrible thought and the photos taken are beyond disturbing but it was reality and what happened and should never have happened. I hope it will never happen again.

Germany - Münich

To enter old town you walk through this arch.

Shortly after you see a cathedral dedicated St. Michael. It wasn't the most impressive cathedral we have seen.

Not jaw dropping. But still nice.

Up the road a little bit in Marienplatz is a gothic town hall complete with mechanical clock that moves to two songs. Really fun to watch but it only plays at 11am and noon.

Nearby is Münich's oldest church Alter Peter. Complete with a tower view, 300 steep narrow steps up.

So restaurants do not give you water. If you order water you get bottled (still)or sparkling. If you ask for ya they say "we do not serve that". So .5L or 17oz you pay €3. For €4 you get .5L of soda or beer. I have grown accustom to ordering beer with my meals. But I REALLY miss a nice tall glass of ice water. But the Hofbrauhaus 1L beer doesn't leave much room to anything else!

Squirrelies like them too!

Maybe a little too much...