BELOW, A FEW OF ABOUT 175 PHOTOS I TOOK LAST WEEK ON TRIP TO AUSTRIA AND
GERMANY....CLICK-ON THEM TO ENLARGE THEM.
A COUPLE WERE POSTED HERE TWICE....GOING TO FAST DOING THIS.
I HAD SEVERAL REQUESTS TO PUT UP A FEW OF MY PHOTOS, SO ENJOY.
A FEW BELOW WERE TAKEN IN SALZBURG, HOME OF MOZART. ALSO THE
CITY WHERE "SOUND OF MUSIC" WAS FILMED.
LOTS OF MOUNTAINS EVERYWHERE WE WENT...AND SKI SLOPES. SEPTEMBER
IS OFF-SEASON MONTH....THE CITIES REALLY GET BUSY WHEN THE SNOW
ARRIVES AND WITH IT,THE SKIERS.
WE HAD SNOW ONE DAY, UNEXPECTED, AND A PHOTO TAKEN OUTSIDE OUR HOTEL WINDOW
SHOWS IT SNOWING. SO, WE GOT TO SEE SOME SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAINS
AS A BONUS.
ONE AFTERNOON WAS SPENT AT OCTOBERFEST IN MUNICH. NEARLY A MILLION VISITORS A DAY. A FUN PLACE. THE COLORFUL PHOTOS OF PEOPLE IN PAVILIONS ARE BELOW. THERE ARE ABOUT 6 OR 7 FOOTBALL-FIELD-SIZE COLORFUL BUILDINGS, USED BY COMPETING BEER COMPANIES, ALL TRYING TO OUT-DO EACH OTHER AT OCTOBEFEST.
AND BEER WAS BROUGHT TO EACH BY A COLORFUL BEER WAGON PULLED BY A 3-TEAM HITCH.
ALSO IN SALZBURG WE VISITED THE MIRABELI FLOWER GARDENS...PHOTO BELOW.
A WIENERSNITZEL DINNER WAS ENJOYED ONE NIGHT BY OUR GROUP OF 43...MY PLATE PHOTOGRAPHED BEFORE I ATE EVERY BIT. THIS ONE WAS VEAL...THIN AND CRISPY...AND VERY GOOD.
WE SAW SEVERAL McDONALD'S...AND BURGER KINGS...A COUPLE PIZZA HUTS AND
ONE OR TWO SUBWAYS. NO STORAGE RENTALS, LIKE THE MILLIONS WE HAVE.
WE SPENT A DAY IN INSSBRUCK AND THE BAVARIAN ALPS, AND CLIMBED HUNDREDS OF STEPS TO VIEW THE FAMOUS NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE, THE INSPIRATION CASTLE FOR DISNEY'S SLEEPING BEAUTY CASTLE.
WEARING SPECIAL COVERALLS, WE WENT WITH A SMALL TRAIN DEEP INTO A MOUNTAIN
TO SEE A SALT MINE. NOW I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE TERRIBLE SALT WE USE ON
ALL OUR FOOD.
WE WENT UP THE ALPS ON A SPECIAL STEAM COG TRAIN AND STOPPED OFF AT A
BIG MOUNTAIN LAKE FOR A BOAT RIDE AND GREAT SCENERY.
GALENA IS A POPULAR SHOPPING AREA HERE, AS YOU KNOW. ON OUR TRIP, WE WENT
TO OVER 25 GALENA-LIKE GIFT-SHOP CITIES, ALL LARGER THAN GALENA....AND EACH HAD NUMEROUS BUSY SIDEWALK CAFES. VISITED A SMALL DAIRY FARM TOO.
SOME FARMERS LIVE UPSTAIRS IN THE BARN. MOST TAKE THEIR CATTLE UP
IN THE MOUNTAINS IN THE SUMMER FOR GRAZING. HAD BEEF TWICE...AND
IT WAS NO WAY CLOSE IN TASTE TO IOWA CORN FEED BEEF.
THEIR BEER AND CHEESE VERY GOOD THOUGH.
OH WELL....I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT WILL END THIS. GREAT PLACE TO VISIT! A DIFFERENT WORLD! FUN TRIP! BUT AT THE END...GOOD TO
GET BACK HOME. ESPECIALLY AFTER A 9-HOUR TIGHT-SQUEEZE FLIGHT HOME,
FROM MUNICH TO O'HARE.
BY THE WAY, THE FIRST, TOP PHOTO IS WHERE MOZART LIVED FOR AWHILE.
AND THIS NOTE ALSO...ON SOME COMPUTERS,YOU MAY NOT SEE ALL THE PHOTOS
WITHOUT 'CLICKING' ON THE BUTTON FOR "MORE OLDER PHOTOS". ON MY COMPUTER,
THERE ARE THEN 5 REMAINING PHOTOS TAKEN ON THE TRIP. THE LAST PHOTO
YOU'LL SEE OF THE TRIP IS OF NANCY STANDING IN FRONT OF A McDONALDS
IN GERMANY.
DENNIS VOY