August 2011: Germany & Austria
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We began our trip in Berlin, a fascinating mix of modern and historical. Among the highlights were the Reichstag Parliament building with its incredible glass dome and the Museum of the Wall at Check-Point-Charlie where we were guided by a man who had smuggled 129 East Berliners to the West while the Wall still stood. Next we headed to Munich where "Guten Tag" gave way to "Gruss Gott". We visited the Nymphenburg Palace and in our free time, walked around the Marienplatz and other sights. We toured our choice of Neuschwanstein, Nuremberg or Dachau. Those who went to Neuschwanstein got some great views and photos of the castle and its surroundings. The Nuremberg group learned the residents consider themselves Franconcian rather than Bavarian and (understandably) want their beautiful 950-year old city to be known for its Christmas Market rather than the Third Reich and the trails. Nonetheless, we visited the Rally Grounds and Courthouse, a moving experience. From Munich it was a short train ride to Salzburg. There we attended a concert at Mirabell Palace, did a Sound of Music tour and visited Berchtesgaden/Eagle's Nest. The train ride to Vienna was most scenic as is this imperial city itself! With our private guide we spent part of three days visiting sights that included St. Stephan's cathedral, the Hofburg complex, the Treasury, the Sisi Museum and the crowning jewel, the Schönbrunn Palace. On our own we also toured the City Opera. We enjoyed various foods from traditional to contemporary from wienerschnitzel, wurst, potato soup, pork knuckle, sauerkraut and spätzle to pork roast, simmental beef and several types of fish. And of course we sampled a variety of local beers (and, ok, wines) that went along with them. We so wanted to like the dumplings, too, but just couldn't! Although the trip was 2 weeks, we felt we had just scratched the surface of these fine cities, particularly Berlin and Vienna. Perhaps another time... |