Out the window...

This morning from our hotel window in Italy...

Ciao Italy!

This morning from our plane window...

 Auf Wiedersehen to Germany, Austria & Switzerland.

And finally New Jersey from John & Judy's window...

Tomorrow it's goodbye to John & Judy and hello to New York and home!

And until our next trip, goodbye to you too!

The shortcut...

We left Munich early this morning, taking the most direct route back to Milan in preparation for coming home tomorrow. We started I n Germany, drove into Austria, then into The Swiss Alps where we stopped for lunch. The Swiss are such tidy people. I took this photo of a workman across the street from the restaurant weed eating the roadside. The side roads are very narrow and curvy. There's a reason he's wearing all that safety gear.

Then it was onward through the beautiful scenery and through the long San Bernadino tunnel that even the birds use when they migrate. If it's a choice of flying up and over the Alps or taking the shortcut through the tunnel, wouldn't you do the same? Of course, on the other side you have to come down the mountains to get to Italy. I thought you might better appreciate how twisty these roads are if I included a shot of the road as it looked on the GPS. Usually the road appears as a narrow pink line. That big glob of pink is all switchbacks.

However, we finally arrived, safely, at our hotel relatively near the airport and the Johns have gone to return the car and hopefully find the shuttle that will bring them back here. Judi & I refuse to think about how they're making out. We may indulge in a glass of wine before they return...

A zither, a keg & a two-necked guitar?

Being total tourists, we decided to go to dinner last night at the Hofbrauhaus, one of the oldest beer halls in Munich and probably the one tourists visit the most. The ground floor alone seats 1,300 people and their beer. Just as we were getting there and wondering where to go an older gentleman, originally from Scotland, and his wife arrived. He told us to follow them up to the first floor where the locals went. Because it was the first Monday of the month it was sort of like "open mike" night for bands. They just sat around the tables, drank beer, ate, drank beer and took turns playing. In the photo is the band with the zither player who was incredible; the beer keg player (who needs real drums?); and the two necked guitar (or whatever it's called) player. They were marvelous! The other groups weren't slouches either.

Today it was off to one of mad King Ludwig's castles (the one Disney patterned theirs on and whose name I can't spell). Too many tourists and lines so we settled for a distant photo instead.

The countryside is beautiful and we always seem to get lucky finding out-of-the-way places with great food to eat. The restaurant below is a favorite of locales and bicyclists. If you're a biker, the bike paths here look great! The rest of just just like to eat (and probably gain weight!).

As an aside... We were aware that Germany, up until last year when Spain came out ahead, generated more solar energy than any other country in spite of having a solar effectiveness rating on a par with Alaska. After driving around Germany we have no doubt how they've managed it. It's very difficult to go more than a few kilometers without seeing banks of solar panels on roof tops and we passed at least three solar "farms" just on today's drive. The U.S. has some catching up to do!

 

PS - the 2 Johns can't stop raving about their BMW tour yesterday. Very high tech. They say if you're ever in Munich it's not to be missed. (Guess Judi and I will have to come back.)

A parting of the ways...

Yes. It's true. John & John have left Judi & I to our own devices while they went off to take the BMW factory tour. So of course we went shopping. The food in the markets looks terrific - fresh mushrooms and lots of white asparagus and strawberries. Even truffles if you're willing to spend at least $20 for a small one. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) food is just not a "take home" option for a tourist so Judi & I settled for a great little lunch at a sidewalk cafe. 

And I know some of you have been wondering where those clothesline photos are that I've done for past blogs. The one below I just took out our hotel window of a balcony across from us. (And no, Susan, those aren't painted clothespins. They're plastic. Yikes!)

M is for Munich Museums

We spent the morning into the afternoon touring the big, VERY big, Deutsches Museum. A lot of technical exhibits that the Johns found incredibly fascinating. (Judy & I became more excited when we finally located the cafe and the massage chairs while we were waiting for the Johns to reappear.)

Then it was off to the Verkehrszentrum (honestly, how do German kids ever learn to spell?) Museum a.k.a. Transportation Museum which contains everything from baby buggies to the lastest ICE high speed train. Luckily for us a very nice beer garden was directly across the plaza so we could rest and fortify our weary bodies after all that education for the 10 minute walk (that's German walking time - older American time is a bit, ok - quite a bit, longer) back to our hotel.

Hanging out with the kids...

Moving on to Munich

After a short (VERY ENJOYABLE!) few days we parted ways with Garry & Yvonne this morning; they to Prague and us to Munich. A plug for our hotel overlooking Salzburg. The photo is the view from our bedroom window. In addition to the incredible view, the staff was friendly, the food great, and they had solar panels on the roof. The only drawback - a very long steep walk up the mountain. We did not attempt it. (Are you kidding Jose?! This is why cabs were invented.)

Heading toward Vienna, then correcting course and heading toward Munich we stopped in the pretty city of 'Wasserburg am Inn' where John tried to connect to his roots.

And finally we arrived at our hotel in Munich located on a very lovely quiet street this time of year. (Thanks for the recommendation Frank!) Am sure it's quite different in the fall when the enormous park across the street is home to Munich's Octoberfest. Our rooms are on the top floor with the little balcony and the round circles above the doors. (We're all giving John a big thumbs up for finding great little hotels for us.)

A day in Salzburg

Lots of churches to visit. The ceiling of the biggest.

A mini beer wagon.

A passageway for...

We ended the day by going to the Marrionetten Theater to see a wonderful puppet production of (you guessed it) the "Sound of Music". 

The hills are alive...

John finally made it to Mozart's birthplace (number 1 on his to see list) although, in looking at the guidebooks again, this was probably the back door. We'll give it another try tomorrow.

The latest Austrian fashion (perhaps as close as John will ever come to wearing lederhosen).

This afternoon was filled with the "original" Sound of Music tour (on Judy's must do list). The guide was EXCELLENT, better than some plays we've been to see. He had everyone laughing and singing and, even though it was a very rainy afternoon, it was interesting to see and hear about how they filmed the movie. Judy really got in the spirit...

On to Salzburg

A wonderful concert last night followed by Sachertorte (thank you Vicki & George for that strong recommendation!) and Prosecco. A great way to leave Vienna. The photo is of the inside of the concert hall (you may have seen it already if you've been there yourself or watched "Live from Vienna" on New Year's).

And in case you're wondering, no one got very dressed up. They really do cater to tourists who come in casual attire even though the music is first class.

Today it was on to Salzburg. One thing almost everyone we know who has visited Salzburg has recommended doing is taking a salt mine tour. So, since it was a rainy day, we decided to take a slight detour and visit Hallstatt. This beautiful little village is a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site and the home of the world's oldest salt mine. It's 7,000 years old and salt is still mined there. The mine is waaaaaay up above the village. However, the locals were nice enough to build a funicular so us out-of-shape folks could partake of the tour. The first photo shows the funicular in the background with John & Judy trying to convince themselves this was really something they needed to do. Cousin John & I are here to tell you they made it by standing backwards to the view with their eyes closed.

The mine tour folks very kindly installed bathrooms for "those in need" at the top of the funicular. From there you take a glass elevator (that's the black shaft to the left of John's shoulder in the next photo). You get off the elevator and walk across the bridge either to the restaurant you see or to the trail that

Cousin John & Judy are on. It's about a 15 minute uphill walk to the mine entrance. Was it worth it? We all agreed, YES! Do it if you get the chance. (Perhaps Syracuse, also a salt city, should consider a tour of its own.) 

Did John & Judy make it down? Yes although when John saw from above the bridge he'd walked over when he got off the elevator I thought he'd faint. Only the alternative of walking down in the rain convinced him to go back the way we'd come.

Did Yvonne's luggage arrive? Yes. She & Garry left Vienna today as well. They took the train and met us at our hotel here in Salzburg.

Were the ponies in the carousel pictured yesterday real? You bet they are. Plus they looked as happy, healthy and well cared for as the kids did.

Horses to Music

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the oldest riding school in the world, 430 years old. Think Lipizzaner stallions. We went to watch them be exercised this morning and, while they wouldn't allow photos, I thought you might enjoy seeing this one instead. It was built in 1887 and the riders were every bit as enthusiastic.

After a visit to the cathedral in the heart of the city we proceeded to get lost hunting for the Figlmuller restaurant, home of the original schnitzel. After all the walking we did we felt we deserved every calorie they had to offer. The schnitzel covered the plate and hungry though we were, none of us could finish it. Then it was off to the Opera House for their afternoon tour, the only way we would be able to see it as every performance is completely sold out over 2 months in advance. My photos didn't turn out so well so am throwing in a photo of the nearby rose garden (yes, they were fragrant!) instead. Potluck Trio listen up. We do have tickets tonight to hear the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra host an evening with compositions by the "King of Waltz" Strauss as well as arias and duets of operas by Mozart. Sounds like we all better take a quick nap!

New York, New Jersey, & now Idaho...

We complained of a couple hours delay leaving Newark.  However, friends Yvonne & Garry left their home in Boise at 1:00 Saturday afternoon. The airline crew didn't show for the first leg of the trip which meant they also missed their connections. The bottom line... They arrived, one suitcase short, at our hotel last night, Sunday, at midnight just as the hotel was locking the door for the night. So I guess you can say they finally got lucky? At any rate they beat us down to breakfast this morning and have managed a full day of sightseeing starting with a city tour (thank you Jean) and a tour of the Schonbrunn Palace (Rick Steves says if you're going to visit one palace, make this the one). No photos allowed inside but got this one outside with John, Judy, Yvonne & Garry.

Finally it was on to lunch (3:00 is a bit late even for us) at the Mozart Cafe (behind John in the photo). And in case you're wondering, no, he didn't have hasenpfeffer for lunch.

 A bit more touring around on foot and a trolley ride put us back at the hotel in time to put our feet up and have a cocktail on the hotel patio before the rain. A very pleasant day! Yvonne is told her suitcase is being flown from London tonight and will arrive in the morning.

From Oberdrum to Vienna

As promised, here's the photo of our hosts and their still. (They call this a small still?!)

And this is what happens to guests who drink too much...

But on to today and our drive on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road rated as one of the ten most scenic drives in the world. We agree even though my John & Judy who are both afraid of heights and who were both sitting on the passenger' side of the car, have now caused the car to have a definite tilt to the left from them leaning towards the center every time the road went near the edge on their side. John counted 50+ hairpin turns. The scenery was dramatic! That's Austria's highest peak, the Grosslockner, and the Pasterze Glacier, slowly melting away.

This is John imitating Otzi or maybe even how those many bicyclists we passed must have felt at the end of today.

And then it was on to Vienna. Simply a lovely day of driving through the beautiful alpine countryside. Our hotel, Der Wilhelmshof, is decorated throughout by artist Ty Waltinger. Thought you would like one last photo of the wall above our bed. Wild dreams tonight!

Otzi

Leaving Lake Garda this morning we traveled further into the Italian Alps stopping in Bolzano to visit Otzi, a.k.a. Iceman, who died over 4,000 years ago. (http://www.iceman.it/en/node/226 in case you want to read more.) The museum was well worth the stop. And in case you want to know what Otzi looked like, Cousin John does a darn good  impersonation. He sends word to his grand nephews, Ryan & Jason, that he's thinking of them. (Kind of scary isn't it?!)

Then we waved goodbye to Italy and said Hello to Austria staying once again in a farmhouse, this time on the mountain overlooking Oberlienz. Garmin, the GPS, was a bit confused so I found myself interrupting the evening milking in a barn trying to find the house. Maria, the person who greeted us, doesn't speak a word of English and John, in spite of two years of German, can just about manage "ya" and "bier". However, we somehow got shown to our rooms, shown the history of the house that was built by her family in the late 1800's, and learned she has 6 children, 14 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Luckily Sonja, the daughter-in-law, who does speak a little English, showed up so making arrangements for breakfast became a bit easier. Sonja also brought out the apple schnapps they make in their own distillery. POTENT! I hope to get a picture of the still before we leave to post tomorrow.

I think comments are now working...

I messed around with the settings again and think the comments work again. If you feel like it, give it a try...

Another view from our balcony. Please note Snow White and the Seven (trust me, there are 7 on that ledge) Dwarves - so close to Germany. Our hosts speak Italian and Germany and less English that we speak their languages. Beer and wine is pretty much self-serve, just write it down on the clipboard. We all speak food. Our dining area hangs off to the right.

Being tourists

Before we left home, the booking service sent tourist suggestions near our hotel. There were only 3 and the last one was the bus station in Malcesine. (I speculated before we came that perhaps they thought we might need to leave quickly.) The bus station was, well a bus station, but the village was delightful. John spent a few of his euros (thanks to the Zahns) on an Italian leather wallet and (will wonders never cease!) threw his old ratty one away. John & Judy had their first "real" Italian pizza (they declared it delicious!) with us at a sidewalk cafe where we watched the human jack-in-the-box (the guy in the middle of the first photo if you can't guess) entertaining passers-by. For you gardeners out there, please note the grape vine growing out of the wall shown in the left of the photo. That vine trails up and around the balcony shown in the second photo. And yes, the bride and groom also had their photo taken with "old jack".

And just because Lake Garda is so pretty I thought I'd also include the following picture. You may have to blow up the photo a bit, but you should be able to find two roads that skirt the lake. We arrived on the lower one that has at least four tunnels in this section. I think I mentioned yesterday there were a lot of tunnels. Believe me now?

Visione sfocota

Off off and wait a while longer was us last night in Newark. Everyone was on the plane and ready to go except the pilot who didn't show. Luckily they located a "sub" so with only a two plus hour delay we headed east and landed in Milan at 10:30 a.m. very "visione sfocato" (blurry eyed I hope that means). Only Cousin John had an excuse. Somewhere over the Atlantic in the middle of the sleepless night, he turned 75. To celebrate we all groaned, shifted positions for the zillionth time, and began to question our wisdom in saving a few bucks and flying economy.

Our rental car is an Alfa Romeo Guiletta with a standard 6 gear transmission. It holds our luggage but just barely so Judy and I will need to make wise purchases. We missed Joe (he took us to the airport) and his driving skills especially after circling the Milan airport a couple of times trying to find our way out before heading into Milan traffic, much like Newark. Early afternoon we finally found ourselves on the beautiful road skirting Lake Garda. It's not for the faint of heart. It's narrow and winding and goes through countless tunnels. Old hotels and olive trees and lemon trees are everywhere. Think "Enchanted April" (the movie) or the Amalfie Coast without the single lane blind curves.

And just for Pat P. who wished us good fortune, comfortable beds and paved roads... The road to our first two nights' lodging (you can see the road behind John who's sitting on our private balcony) is dirt. However we can hear John & Judy (their balcony & bedroom adjoins ours) snoring away enjoying a power nap on a most comfortable bed before our hosts serve us dinner.

Ready for another adventure?

Do these folks look ready for fun, food and excitement? Or at least almost ready? We're about to find out as Judy and Patty prepare to head east from New Jersey with their Johns. Next stop... Italy!

And then there was....

SNOW! Was it really only yesterday morning I had on sandals and short sleeves?! We're told (although our "sources" may be just putting us on) that it was in the 80's here on central NY as well. Nevertheless it's very good to be home. Until our next trip...

You fill in the blank.

Still moving north...

At some time today we were in Tennessee where the redbud and dogwood are in bloom. It was beautiful driving. Then we checked off Kentucky, then Ohio and finally into Pennsylvania before giving it up for the day. Soooooo close to home but our butts were protesting!

We just had dinner at an Irish pub in Erie, a bit bigger than Riley's but with the same atmosphere. It was packed. Lots of folks of all ages talking and having a good time and, amazingly, not a cell phone in sight. Great to have something different to eat although the turnip greens, fried okra, slaw, and pinto beans that I had for dinner last night does have a certain appeal...

Bye, bye...

After a full day of laundry, "doing" the last of the thrift stores, picking through my sister's discards, convincing John to pack all my "finds" (even though he's not coming home empty handed either), and enjoying last minute company and good food with my mother and sister including (true confessions) ice cream twice in one day, we caught a few quick winks and headed off well before dawn this morning.

The destination - Natchez Trace Inn at the state park in Tennessee. I called in the afternoon to make a reservation and was told they had plenty of room but the desk closed at 8:00. We arrived at 7:15 to a beautiful facility but dark, locked and deserted. NOT what we were anticipating at the end of a long driving day. Soooooo, back in the van we drive on to Hurricane Mills. Loretta Lynn lives just down the road and has a dude ranch but somehow John just wasn't up for any more excitement so we're staying in a motel of MY choice (not the $29.95 version John spotted when we took the exit).

A done deal...

In response to Jane's comment at the beginning of the build that we women don't wear underwear, Jane was presented with a bra in case she or the women on the next build needed a bit more "support". She wore it to work this morning to which John said "Brava!"

It was a VERY busy day... 1 hour before the 2:00 p.m. dedication...

45 minutes before the dedication... Note - in addition to Rose Mary hand mopping all the floors in the house (she's on her last knees here), the clamps are still on the kitchen counter waiting for the glue that's holding on the backsplash to set.

30 minutes before the dedication... The last of the planting is underway.

But we made it and the house is now in the hands of the new owner. None too soon either as it was in the 90's again today. Waaaaaaaaaay too hot for a New Yorker! The photo is of the new owner (or her head anyway) and the quilt Becky made for her. Everyone who worked on her home signed a block of the quilt and where they are from.

How many men does it take?

The grandmother of our new homeowner bought her a beautiful black enameled cast iron sink for the kitchen. The one thing is it took two strong men or five old guys to wrest it in place. (The grandfather bought us all lunch today. We thought it was a pretty good deal.)

While the task list seems to be getting shorter, the appliances have caused problems this year. A late delivery (they didn't arrive until last night). This morning in the unpacking they found the dryer severely dinted so it has to be returned and the dishwasher was white instead of the all black (and, no, it didn't mean simply turning the front panel over). Both have to wait for replacements. Otherwise, there's a bit more work in the kitchen and some general cleaning and it's ready to go on the inside. 

 Outside, the porch posts are done and the sidewalks poured. The crew on the left have started work on the gutters. And there's some landscaping (if that's what you call working on this dry red Texas dirt in the wind).