Vienna

Enroute to Vienna today. There is absolutely beautiful scenery in Austria. Most houses and business's have stunning flowers adorning their exteriors. We enjoyed a coffee on a terrace this morning just as a mass ended at an ancient church. People poured out onto the square to all the waiting patios around the square. Many were dressed in traditional garb for this region.

Next stop was the Benedictine Abbey in Melk. a huge baroque style, working abbey overlooking the Danube River, with beautiful gardens. We've seen a lot of church's in Portugal , Italy and now Germany, but this might be the most opulent one with 10, 14, and 24 kt gold leaf covering most surfaces. The monks make and market wine, honey, jam, and a liqueur.

The afternoon was very pleasant touring down the Danube river for 2 hours, sipping Austrian white wine. I had to pinch myself, but no, I wasn't dreaming!
We had a dinner tonight organized by Insight, the tour company we are with. We devided into 3 groups and went to 3 different local restaurants to experience typical Vienna cuisine.

Looking forward to tomorrow when we get to tour Vienna.

Sue