The travelers have all hooked up successfully. Bernie and Philip – SFO to Munich; Vinnie and Anita – Copenhagen to Munich. V&A got our rental car – a Peugeot 308 SW – very comfy and good for luggage. Vinnie was pulled over by a German polizei the first night. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. We think our French license plates were to blame – the cop just wanted to check that are papers, etc. were in order. Stayed in Erding the first night – good hotel and pretty good German meal.
Next day, off to Austria. Stopped in Salzburg. Walked about downtown and then climbed a big, long hill to the Festung castle overlooking the city. Castle has been there since early middle ages and had good displays. By late afternoon, on the road to Bad Ischl. It is the capitol of the Salzkammergut region, the summer residence of the Austrian imperial family back when they were still in power. Beautiful mountain views and alpine lakes. Surprise – the hotel that Bernie had booked is not actually in Bad Ischl (although their website implied that it is). It is 4 kilometers outside of town – dohhh!! Other than that, it is fine.
Next day, we went to Hallstatt. It is home to the world’s oldest salt mine. Prehistoric man discovered the mountain salt and it has been actively mined since then. A steep cable car ride up the mountain – putting on mining coveralls (because it is a cool 45 degrees inside the mine) – deep into the mountain – sliding on our butts down 2 chutes, which is the way the miners did it for hundreds of years. Another attraction in town was the charnel house. Cemetery space was at a premium back in the day. So, after one was buried for 15-20 years, they would be dug up, the bones and skulls would be sun-bleached and cleaned, and the caretakers would decorate the skulls with the name and date of death. These skulls and bones were then put in the charnel house and are there now for display. Grisly and cool at the same time.
Heading further east tomorrow – destination Vienna at the end of the week.
