• Out of Venice they decided to leave the crowded streets of Italy for a cooler climate!  It was off to Austria and the beautiful baroque and rococo buildings of Vienna.  They stayed at charming Pension Pertschy that was at one time a palace for a count built in 1723. It was located inside the "Ring" or Vienna's Ringstrasse as it is called which is a circular boulevard built in the 1800's along what used to be the fortifications for the city.  It was convenient to everything there although using all the available trains, trams, trolleys, subways, bahnhoffs, etc. can be a bit daunting at times.

• After walking around Stephansplatz (which was just down the street from their pension), they took a trolley out to visit Schönbrunn (which was the baroque summer palace of the Empress Maria Theresa (mother of Marie Antoinette as well as 15 other children).  It has withstood many wars and it remains virtually as she left it (all 1441 rooms of it).  There are 500 acres of land and gardens to visit so good walking shoes are a must!

•  Bob and Tania also enjoyed the Spanish Riding School with the morning exercises and took in a delightful concert at the Hofburg Palace complex.The Spanish Riding School is the only institution in the world that has been maintaining and cultivating classical equestrian skills in the tradition of the Renaissance "High School" for more than 430 years. It is the aim of the morning exercise to train the horses and to strengthen their various muscles. During morning exercise, the horses are made supple, their muscles are loosened and all lessons right up to the "High School" are being taught, exercised, refreshed and perfected. (Tania's camera was acting up and she unfortunately lost a number of the Vienna pictures.)  After Vienna they headed off to Salzburg and then Innsbruck. 

• Bob is viewing Salzburg and the Salzach River from the ramparts of Hohensalzburg Fortress which dominates the city's skyline.  Tania had visited here in 1983 but there seemed to be more parts of the fortress now available to view.  Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and so their is music festivals there as well as the setting for the movie "The Sound of Music".  The city was much more crowded than they like so it was on to Innsbruck.  The crowds were thinner there and they enjoyed a few nights at the Weisses Rössl.

• They rented a car in Austria and took a side trip into the Bavarian part of Germany.  Tania wanted to see Neuschwanstein (the inspiration for the fairy castle at all "Disney" theme parks. Bob in front of their "Inn" in Innsbruck.

(Thanks to the website: www.mayq.com for the great picture of Neuschwanstein Castle)

•    After a wonderful picnic and viewing some great sailing on the beautiful lakes along the Alpine Road (Route 23) out of Oberammergau through Germany, into Austria and back through Germany again.  The scenery of the Alps is spectacular along this road.