Sunset

While I was composing the previous post by our bedroom window, this was happening:

The Sound of Music

Hell yes this tour was worth it. Kitch, yes. But the satisfaction was just as high.
The first stop was at the house used as the rear of the Von Trapp home and lakefront garden. It looks just like it did in the movie. Also there is the road (and trees) that the baron sees children climbing as he drives past.
Next stop, the gazibo. It’s not in the orignal location. It was built by the film production and given to the city of Salzburg. It was actually on the “Trapp home” location. But the present owners got tired of the tourists tresspassing. So it was moved to a public park not too far. Also near the park is the “Confidence in Me” road, further down this road is where the front of the Trapp home was filmed. Neither locations are where the real family lived.
On the way to a different town where the wedding church is located we made a quick stop along the way at the city inwhich Mozart’s mother was born. It is called Wolfgang, she named her son after her hometown.
We got to the very cute small town of Mondsee where the famous church resides. Lucky for us it just completed a four year renovation. We stopped for lunch with some fellow Candians and had some nice apple struddle.
The tourguide, Gary was awesome. I’m sure he’s heard the music more than enough times, told the jokes more times than he can count but I must say he really made it seem original and well loved. He also reminded me of an Austrian Bob Barker if you can imagine.
It’s our last night in Salzburg. I’ll be sad to go. But we are both looking forward to getting home. Though, not the trip itself. Air Transat isn’t exactly in our good books.
We’ve got a little time to spend in Frankfurt not sure eactly what we’ll do there. I hear there’s a great Irish Pub there that serves Thai food. Yup. You read that right.
-j

Natalie is making an “A” for Amy, because she is her Liesel.

Bavarian Snowballs

Ps. Jason threw his first snowball of the season.

Bavaria

Jason confused the tours we were taking when he posted yesterday. We are doing the Sound of Music tour tomorrow. Yesterday we went full throttle and did 3 tours in one: the Bavarian Lake tour, the Eagle’s nest and the Salt mines. We went to the King’s Lake, which is supposed to be magical. You have to cross it to get to the pilgrimmage site of Saint Bartholew. Beautiful. We, as geeks, were reminded of Lord of the Rings.

For the history buff in me, we went to The Eagle’s Nest, which was a mountain top retreat given to Hitler for his 50th birthday. Since he was afraid of heights I like to think it was someone ’s petty revenge. The Allies bombed the whole area (it was also his second headquarters) except for a hotel that the SS had commandered and the Eagle’s nest. The German people have done a wonderful job of reclaiming the area. They do not ignore it’s history but now it is mostly used as a viewpoint to the amazing Bavarian Alps. After all, the mountains were there long before Hitler and they will be there long after.

After that we had to celebrate Jason’s geeky side and go visit the Salt Mines. We couldn’t take pictures but it was incredible. We took a train inside and used the miner’s slides to go from one level to another. As long as I didn’t think about how deep we were, or the movie Descent, I was fine.

Jason and I still aren’t feeling 100% so we are taking it east today but tomorrow – Maria!

Nat
Ps. If you want a good look at the Eagle’s Nest, try the Hbo miniseries, Band of Brothers
Pss. We had the most delicious desert in Bersgaden. It was like a French toast fritter with plum jam inside. So gooood.

An Easy Day

Let’s start from the very beginning. Very good place indeed.
We woke after a nice sleep in to have breakfast here at our hotel. Then we went back to bed for a few more hours. We’re both sort of fighting a cold so it seemed like a good idea. Later we took the bus into town to go for a leasurely walk. We saw the gardens the Von Trapp children sang in. Took in the beauty of everything around us. We even did a little shopping in the old part of town. Dinner was lovely. I had beef golosh with a giant dumpling. Natalie had wienner shinzle. Then we had dessert, including the famous sachre tort chocolate cake and I had apple studdle. (pardon all of my spelling).
Now we’re back at our room and we’re considering going to bed. But…. it’s only 6:30. :S
Hmmm

Tomorrow we have the Sound of Music tour among others booked. I can’t wait!

-j

We arrived at our cozy room.

This would be a cool idea for our backyard.

Our Crazy day in London

When they say London is the most expensive city in the WORLD they aren’t lying so Jason and I foiled the money makers and took not one but TWO free tours. NewEurope tours, we love you. We took Royal London at 11 am (all the palaces and the changing of the guard!) and Old London at 4pm (the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge – we even got to see tower bridge do it’s drawbridge thing which is apparently rare these days). Since both tours are 3 hours long you can see how that took up most of the day.

We finished up our day in London with a show (Avenue Q – hilarious!) and dinner in London’s West End. After that it was back to our hostel (clean but that is the only good thing to say about it) to wake up for 5am to get to Salzburg. Which is where we are now. I am enjoying a nice cup of tea with lemon after sleeping about 11 hours.

Love and miss you all!
Nat

Arrival in Salzburg

London was awesome, but also a bit of a blur. It’s such a busy place. We did two walking tours and a show in the evening. It may have pushed our immune systems a little too far, as we’re both feeling a little rough. But we’re not letting it bother us. We had big rests here at our cute hotel, and plan to sleep most of tomorrow away. Then, when refreshed we can dive into all that glorious Salzburg has to offer.

The internet connection here is dreadfully slow, so we’ll attempt to post pictures and more on London shortly. But in the meanwhile you can have a look at the adorible hotel we’re staying at for the remainder of our honeymoon (save for one night in Frankfurt)
http://www.turnerwirt.at/
-j

Platform 9 3/4

We’ve arrived. But before we could do anything we visited Platform 9 3/4.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I was looking forward to this one!

Goodbye Edinburgh

I have really fallen for this city. And this country. I an so very very glad we extended our stay here longer. We totally lucked out with the weather (though it is rainy and drab today; the perfect send off, I say).
Jana has been an amazing host. He’s really made this leg of out journey both a comfortable one and a fun one.
Today we returned to the National Muesum and saw some cool stuff, including Dolly, the cloned sheep. She was cloned here in Edinburgh. It’s the kid section that’s often the most fun (Natalie broke down the wall with the minature catapolt!)
Next we stopped in at The Elephant House for a hot chocolate. This is best known as the birthplace of Harry Potter. She sat at the table pictured and looked out upon the school (name to follow) which has four towers, inspiring what would become Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. You won’t really see that school in the photo because some trees obscure it this time of year.
We’ve returned to basecamp to repack. We’ll then go to lunch with Jana for some jacket potatoes then we board Hogwarts Express bound for London’s King Cross Station, where I look forward to taking pictures of us at Platform 9 3/4.
Natalie will probably write about our adventures yesterday while we’re on the train.
-j

Last glimpse of our room (thank you Jana!

Ready for departure: Hogwartz Express, bound for London King’s Cross:

Euchre

Jason used to be undefeated in Scotland…. Until he battled Jana and myself. I got the game point by going alone and getting all 5 tricks. I am the new Queen of Euchre!

- Nat

Ps. We went to St. Andrew’s today. It was beautiful and sunny. Perfect day.