Salzburg:

Birthplace of Wolfgang Mozart and like Maria, the local guide that took us for a tour, said, he is probably turning over in his grave today. The city of Salzburg is pedalling everything from free tuition to the Mozart school of music, (providing you can pass the very difficult entrance criteria) to Mozart pyjamas, Mozart plates, and chocolate truffles called Mozart's balls.

Nice town of about 150,000 people divided into old and new. Old town is narrow, car free, and full of charm. Being here on a Saturday we got to see the weekly Farmer's Market. We also toured the Mirabel Gardens where several scenes from the Sound of Music were filmed. A concert of classical music was going on at the time. We enjoyed wondering around Salzburg Cathedral and St. Peter's church and cemetery and up and down the narrow, shop lined, cobblestone streets.

Later in the afternoon we headed up to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. It is on one of the higher sub peaks on the border of Germany and Austria. The road to get there from his mountain retreat at Obersalzberg, was built through the mountains in just one year, by men working under the Nazi regime. It reminded me very much of the country hill roads of Portugal, one way, very narrow, cut on the side of a mountain. At the end you need to walk through a bunker tunnel, then take an elevator some 400 feet up to reach a large three room house, that Hitler only visited 4 times. He was afraid of heights. He used it to impress people including foreign heads of state. It escaped the bombing during WW2 and remains unchanged to this day, other than the elevator door being replaced to make it safer. The Allies decided to leave it as a reminder of just how mad Hitler was. It poured rain up there but was nice and sunny after we go back down to where our bus was parked.

For dinner, twenty two of us when out to a nearby beer garden, a much quieter place than the beer garden in Munich. The weather was nice enough for us to sit outside well into the evening. We are travelling with a good group of people, lots of experienced travellers, so some good stories going around.

TTF