In celebration of Valentines Day, Doug treated me to a week-end in Salzburg, Austria, located at the northern boundary of the Alps. Saturday morning we caught an 8 a.m. train in Biberach, and arrived in Salzburg around noon. After a short walk through “old town”, we located our hotel – The Amadeus. Our room on the top/fourth floor was small but very charming. Windows faced a mountain backdrop behind buildings across the street. We took a walking tour of the historic district, and then crossed the bridge over the River Salzach to reach the walled “zentrum” (center) of the city. Towering statues were enclosed in glass triangular domes to protect them from winter weather, but we were able to see the statue of Mozart, born in Salzburg.
If the weather were warmer, we might have taken one of the “Sound of Music” tours. That evening we opted to have dinner in a nearby Japanese restaurant, and took a break from the traditional pork and bratwurst German dishes. The shrimp stir fry was delicious! Sunday morning we took a “funicular” (tram) to the mountaintop Hohensalzburg Fortress. Built ~1050, it’s a medieval Fortress that has survived and evolved for centuries. Views of the city from this vantage point were just spectacular! After exiting the tram, Doug bought me a beautiful amber ring in the gift shop for Valentines Day. This area is known for amber jewelry.
After check out, we returned to the train station and headed to Munich. Hundreds of people partied in the city center, and once again we saw many costumes (similar to our Halloween) in celebration of Karnival. Many food/beverage stands and performance stages were set up. Loudspeakers projected U.S. classic hits sung in English by German entertainers! It was a snowy day and we were freezing after a long walk, so a local Rathskellar provided us with welcomed warmth…as well as a tasty lunch of brats and beer. From Munich, we took a train to Ulm and eventually back to Biberach. Trains were so crowded with travelers and skiers during the week-end that we took refuge in train dining cars…an excellent place to relax and occasionally converse with other travelers. Truly a Valentine’s celebration to remember!
After check out, we returned to the train station and headed to Munich. Hundreds of people partied in the city center, and once again we saw many costumes (similar to our Halloween) in celebration of Karnival. Many food/beverage stands and performance stages were set up. Loudspeakers projected U.S. classic hits sung in English by German entertainers! It was a snowy day and we were freezing after a long walk, so a local Rathskellar provided us with welcomed warmth…as well as a tasty lunch of brats and beer. From Munich, we took a train to Ulm and eventually back to Biberach. Trains were so crowded with travelers and skiers during the week-end that we took refuge in train dining cars…an excellent place to relax and occasionally converse with other travelers. Truly a Valentine’s celebration to remember!
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