WE lucked out again with our scheduled "group" tour! Only 1 other couple (very nice young people from Silicon Valley California) so Mario (our guide) really did it right! We visited a couple of very small typical Bavarian dairy farm towns, just to see local culture. We stopped in to a couple of churches that although appeared somewhat "normal" from the outside, turned out to be artistic masterpieces inside! We had a delicious lunch at a cheese house farm restaura...

A short taxi ride back to the train station and we boarded the express from Salzburg to Munich feeling much like train pros Our arrival at the hotel Torbrau was late enough that we only had time for a quick Bus Tour around the city and then popped in to the world famous Hofbrau House for a beer and pretzel. I could get used to that!

We were met by our tour guide first thing that morning and pleasantly surprised to learn it would be a private tour, even though paid for group tour, because NObody else booked for that day...score! Bryan gave us more than we expected. We drove up to Konigsee and took the boat ride across the lake. Spectacular views, to say the least! Then we spent a little time in the small town of Berchtesgaden, had a quick lunch, then went to tour the Salt Mine. WOW! open top ...

We left our ship and ventured to the Nuremberg train station via taxi. I had already purchased our tickets online, so we had reserved seats in first class. We had to change trains in Munich, to then continue to Salzburg Austria. Our Boutiquehotel AM DOM in the old part of Salzburg was perfect! We were right in the heart of it all, next to MozartPlatz. After check-in, we just walked around getting familiar with it all. Darkness arrives at 5:00 p.m., so not out ve...

The tour of Nuremberg was heavy with Nazi history from World War II and I learned much more about Hitler and that horrible time of history. The museum at the Documentation Center (on Nazi party rally grounds) gave details of the era now called "Fascination and Terror". We also spent quite a bit of time at the Palace of Justice where the TRIALS were held in 1946. This would be our final night on board the beautiful Viking Ship RINDA, as disembarkation was require...