Day 12 : Budapest

Today is a trip to Budapest.  Found out that it was originally or maybe still is two cities.  Buda and Pesh, each side of the river Danube.  The whole ride there was thru the fog.  Between 2 and 5 cars in length visibility.  Doesn't work so well when the lady says there is monestary off to the right built in yada yada.  Kinda just tuned it all out at that point.

They are part of the European Union but not on the euro so the boarder crossing was nothing, kinda like crossing into California there is a few buildings but at least today no one was manning it.

So it's funny to remember seeing on Facebook all these refugee crossings and crazy posts.  So far we have only seen one family I would say we're likely refugees.  I kinda wonder if all the RVs we saw were related to that at all.  Seemed a bit cold for RVs in a few spots.

Anyway we first drive around the city over to a large park with a palace.  Also a memorials to heros called Heros square.

Opposite the palace is a large pond they use for rowing in the summer and ice skating in the winter.  I'd say likely the most popular place in Budapest because the lines were long and the ice was busy. 

We had lunch at the restaurant looking out at the ice rink and palace.  Great atmosphere and food.  First course was a goulash, or beef stew.  They gave us green fresh paprika peppers that were a bit spivey.  For lunch it was a paprika chicken with a noodle.  I looked it up and it seems easy to make so may try that some day.

After lunch we went to the old town the Buda side.  Although 70 percent was destroyed during the war they rebuilt much of it in a historic way.  

We saw this strange statue near the square.  The town also has a labyrinth of tunnels we saw going down but didn't get a chance to explore.  

We had a great view of the Danube.  And the church on that side had a fancy tile roof that seems very unique to this region.

Next stop the down town.  Our goal was to go see the synagogue which is the third largest in the world only behind Israel and Manhattan.  The place was beautiful with lots of tile work, however we missed the entrance by 10 minutes.  

So instead we went over to the basilica,  it had a lot of glitter to it.  A lot of gold plating on the cielings.  There was also a mummified hand of at Stephen I guess, that looked creepy.

Finally on our walk back we stopped to by this round dough treat at the Christmas market.  Ours was covered with sugar and kinda tasted like a churro.

  The Christmas markets had the a lot more food and drink than others we have seen.  Very colorful too.

Diner was in down town Vienna.  On our way back to the hotel we came across an "Opera toilet", listen to opera while you go.

Day 11: train to Vienna

Today we took the train to Vienna.  Everything is so green except the trees, I wonder how different it would be if this was a typical winter in this area.

After arriving at our hotel which is right next to the palace and oh what a palace it is.  The grounds are huge.  It even houses the oldest zoo in the world.

So first stop was a palace tour.  This time instead of kings it was all about Emperors.  I guess the emperors of Hungry before Austria and Hungary split.  A lot of different ornate rooms.  This picture is actually cut out wood pieces i layer to look tile like.

One interesting feature is at least each large palace has to have its oriental themed room.  With the bonzi tree drawings and things.

After the palace we toured the stage coach museum.  There were day coaches and formal coaches and sleighs.

Day 10 : Salzburg

We started the day with seeing the sound of music sites.  It's amazing how many different places were used to film.  Even the house was a couple different places. 

First stop was the lake view side of the house gardens.  This is where they fell into the river out of the boat.  It's private property so you can only view it from the other side.

Next stop was the front of the house.  There was this palace on the outskirts of town that served as the front of the house.  It was decorated with dates for Christmas like and advent calendar.  The grounds had some great walking areas and e first time we really saw ornaments.  And they were gigantic.

Then walking around the grounds they had moved the gazebo to a new location here.  Originally it was else where.

But really gotta love the yellow house with the Christmas decorated trees with bright red balls.

Next stop was the treed drive the kids were hanging from we took a long walk down this to some other palace like houses that not sure their significance.

But they were all yellow as well.  Guess maybe this area is a little more conservative with their colors.

After those stops we took a funicular up to the castle.  This place has been enhanced for centuries.  

During recent excavations they found roman coins in the lower portion of the castle.  In an upper section during renovations hey found covered archways.  Kinda cool to look at old stuff that they remodeled by hiding the older things.  

Funny because it really was e best way to preserve something hide it in a wall.  Reminds me of how you find old wood floors in houses underneath era carpet or other things.

And then there was the armor and torture stuff.  Bad picture but checkout this helmets they shamed people with.

Before we headed down we took a tour up a tower and had some great sunset opportunities.

Then back down the spiral stairs, and down long hallways with wee little windows.

Final stop of the evening was a marionette, we saw Mozarts Magic Flute.  It was in German with an occassional sub title off to the side that explained the jist of the scene.  Would have preferred to have more of a translation.  But it was neat, at the beginning a stage hand was setting up and a few marionettes were following here around like little people. One scene had animals and there was a playful goose and lion that made a little scene.

Day 9 : Salzburg

Drove back to Munich and took the train into Salzburg.  Goodby Germany.  At the train station there was a bicycle parking lot that was rather full.

After checking in tot the hotel the first stop was Mozart's birthplace.  When you first read about a one bedroom apartment and all the children his parents had I was thinking tight quarters.  But then the rooms are large and there is a large hallway to get to each.  Very spacious.  Also only 2 of their children survived long.  I remember on some other tour they mentioned it was very unhealthy living.  They ate mostly meat, bread and beer.  Which was a food not a drink originally.  They still seem to have that on their menus except it now includes potatoes and small side salads.

Anyway, I know Mozart did music but I didn't realize he was only 29 when he died or that he did so many operas.  Also he had a sister who was just as musically  as he was but likely being female didn't give her the opportunities that Amadeus had. 

We walked by the Christmas market that was still in full swing.  There was a giant cathedral but I guess it was bombed in 44 and rebuilt not sure how much was destroyed.  

It's a pretty town with a river thru he middle and high cliff on each side.

Day 8 : Linderhof

Christmas day we decided to go for a drive.  We first drove over to Linderhof which is another one of Ludwigs castles/country homes.  This was was much smaller but still as ornate. 

 We only were able to walk around the gardens but it had these cool tree tunnels you could image being very neat in the summer months.  The weather however is so warm the trees had buds on them, seems a little early for them to think its spring.

 Next stop was the highest point in Germany.  I always think of the Alps as these crazy tall extravagant mountains.  But it seems like the Rockys are really just as impressive. 

  The only thing interesting about this mountain was they had a train and cable car to the top.  There were people going up to ski, i guess the other side (Austian side) must have some snow because this side was solid  cliff rock.

Finally on our way back we stopped at this random church/abby.