Follow my journeys around the world….
Summer 1994
The Lakes District or Salzkammergut in Austria is one of my favorite places in all of Europe. The rolling green hills dotted with cows, sparkling blue lakes and the strong Alps in the backdrop make it one of the prettiest places on Earth.
Summer 1994
I did this tour all by myself because no one else wanted to. It was a little hokey at first with everyone on the bus singing the songs but after about 15 minutes I was singing along at the top of my lungs too!
Summer 1994
Summer 1994
With a few days off from University we decided to head over to Salzburg and Vienna for a few days.
Summer 1994
With a few days off from University we decided to head over to Salzburg and Vienna for a few days.
July 2001
HALLSTATT is the postcard perfect town that you always see of Austria. It’s just as beautiful in person.
The Bone House is pretty interesting. The graveyard here is so small that you are only buried for 16 years. Then you’re dig up and your family decorates the skulls and you go in the bone house! Then there’s room to bury more.
I love this town, it’s so pretty!
Great place for a Stiegl
August 2001
Imperial Vienna is one of my favorite big cities! I could definitely live here. I love the opulence of the palace, the history of the monarchs and the empire, the architecture and the culture.
Karntnerstrasse is the pedestrian shopping street
It’s worth the climb to the top of the tower at Stefansdom!
Hard to believe that the ceiling was blown away in WWII and it looks like this now. They are pictures from the devastation on display in the cathedral.
I love the Opera House and the inside is so gorgeous in gold and red velvet. The tour is a must, especially to see how the backstage works!
Belvedere Palace is spectacular but my favorite Hapsburg palace is Schönbrunn with its 1,440 rooms! Painted in the ubiquitous Austrian Maria Theresa yellow, it rivals Versailles with its opulence.
July 2001
THE DANUBE – WACHAU VALLEY
The Blue Danube is not blue but it is beautiful, especially in the area of the Wachau Valley. Rolling hills with vineyards and crumbling castles line the river and their special Marille! Marille are what they call their type of apricot and they make so many things with it and even have a festival! My favorite is the Marillenbrand which is like a brandy or schnapps. I always take home a bottle of this and serve it at dinner parties.
The beautiful Melk Abbey is close to the town of Dürnstein where we stayed at the castle hotel.
July 2001
This was a sobering stop outside of Linz. Mauthausen was a concentration camp during WWII and was known for the Stairway to Death where prisoners were forced to carry heavy stone blocks up 186 stairs from the quarry.
July 2001
This was not one of my favorite places, it was okay but nothing special. It’s located at the confluence of two rivers.
