Continuing on our journey, we left Vienna for Salzburg after picking up our rental car, a very fuel efficient VW Golf - important considering gas prices here are somewhere north of $8 per gallon (and we Americans complain ...).   I have now driven in a total of 14 foreign countries (both left- and right-hand driving) and navigation systems make it a breeze since street signs are in the native language and mostly on the second story of buildings making them hard to see! No, Bruce does not drive on these trips (I barely tolerate his driving at home), but he's an excellent navigator when not buried in a book.

View from Salzberg hotel

The hardest part about driving is not getting distracted by the scenery, in this case snow-covered Alps, which will only get more beautiful as we progress into Switzerland.   As much advance planning as I do (immense), there's always surprises -- in this case the utter beauty of Salzburg.  We enjoyed some Beethoven and Schubert at the Mozarteum here where lots of folks were dressed in traditional garb (dirndls and collarless felt jackets) -- easy to expect Maria and the Captain to appear at any minute. 

Pavilion from Sound of Music!

And while it is our preference to hire our own guide, experiencing the Sound of Music bus tour here-- complete with sing-along on the bus and stops at many locations used, was definitely a trip highlight.  The tour guide has been doing this 10 times per week since 1996, and he's broken many a heart with the real story of the von Trapp Family vs. what was portrayed in the film.  I'm choosing to stick with the Hollywood version.   Also visited the Mozart Museum, where he spent many years and composed a number of his greatest "hits."

Lake Wolfgang near Salzberg

So since writing the portion above, I am changing my stats to 15 foreign countries where I've driven --  we left Salzburg, had a lovely lunch in Innsbruck and then drove through Lichtenstein, which additional "country" lasted about 20 minutes total.  But the one person we encountered there during our brief stop seemed very nice.   

Now in Zurich, it is a bit of nostalgia as this was the first city I experienced outside the U.S (in the late 70's).  In hindsight, that was pretty brazen as I ventured to St. Moritz alone for two weeks of glorious skiing ... so my takeaway is grab all the opportunities you can to experience the world!   

We spent Sunday here walking around the old city, visiting churches and taking photos, with Bruce being thankful the only shopping was of the "window" variety -- not that ANYTHING is the least bit affordable as the Swiss economy is apparently quite fine.  Tomorrow we continue on to Lake Como, a few hours south.

  

Warmly,

Teri B.

As discussed in my previous email, here are the comparisons of Budapest vs. Vienna, both of which are very similar to Prague but Budapest in particular never gets as crowded!  Thoughts on two cities ...

Budapest highlights included The Barber of Seville at the State Opera House -- a bit challenging sung in Italian with Hungarian translation, no discernible air conditioning and rock-hard seats but a gorgeous venue; visiting the largest Jewish Synagogue in all of Europe (#2 in the world) where Hungarian priests risked their lives to hide the Torah from the Nazis, enabling the original scrolls to be saved (talk about Righteous Gentiles); the birthplace of Theodor Herzl; the Hungarian Statue of Liberty ironically contributed by the Russians; seeing the city from both the Buda and the Pest sides, divided by the Danube River.  This rebirth of this city is really in its infancy considering it was under Communist rule until 1989 ... 

Vienna highlights included desserts, of course (start with the REAL highlights); the Albertina Museum (Impressionists); Jazzland (intimate club with great music);  Schonbrunn Palace -- royal family summer home which comprises 500 acres including the world's oldest zoo and could easily consume days to see all; Vienna State Opera House and the Konzert Haus.  There is clearly greater wealth in Vienna, not surprising given it's history as the Austrian-Hungarian Empire capital and being a democracy since 1945. 

Schonbrunn Palace

So in comparing the two cities, both have gorgeous and historical buildings but Vienna has a big graffiti problem (that just kills me) while Budapest is more pristine and less bustling by comparison.  If you like to cook, buy saffron and paprika at the Central Market in Budapest -- great, cheap, and plentiful. We had the most efficient and pleasant train trip between the two cities with the cleanest bathroom and great service, other than getting jacked by the two "porters" in the Budapest train station (hard to argue with the guys AFTER they shlepped all 5 bags).  On the other hand, the Nigerian taxi driver in Vienna spoke fantastic English, was extremely honest, and a great lover of America and Americans (sending his son to college in the U.S. next year).  Engaging people from all over the globe is a fantastic part of the travel experience! 

 

Warmly,

Teri B.

In the Beginning ...

You are cordially invited to travel along with me as I visit destinations around the globe.  I will share the must-sees, and both the good and not-so-good travails of my travel experiences. 

As you go along with me for this maiden (shared online) voyage, we will be visiting Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Zurich, Lake Como, Geneva and Baden-Baden by rail, car, and foot.  There might be side trips and a few even unplanned "oopsies" as we venture along.

Along with me for this (and almost all other) journeys is my ever-faithful and mostly obedient hubby Bruce, who has two main tasks:  handle the coin and the luggage.  I always joke that the thing I ask more frequently than anything else on these trips is "how much is that in dollars??"  And he is "johnny-on-the-spot" with the correct conversion.

So enjoy the ride.  Forward to your friends.  And let me know your thoughts!  The next edition will include trip highlights comparing Budapest and Vienna, along with photos ...

Warmly,

Teri B.