AUSTRIA (OSTERREICH)

So a little funny:

We were driving with our GPS on and she says “alternate route, you will save 24 minutes”, we say “Cool!”

Five minutes later she says “alternate route, you will save 8 minutes”,  we say “Oh, cool!” again

The third time she says “alternate route, you will save 6 minutes”, Kevin says, 

“Holy Shoot!  By the time we get there it’ll be yesterday” 🙂  🙂

We have done a lot of driving in the past two days, but first:

I couldn’t see how to include videos in our blog so I left this out until I could research it.  It was super easy so I wanted to share this.  Not sure how well it will play for you. Italian ambiance at it’s best, right?

The Drive

We took off driving yesterday morning from Venice headed for Austria.  The Alps are absolutely gorgeous!  Unfortunately, I was the photographer for the day because my photographer was the driver.  It’s hard to be both, I know (I haven’t even been allowed in the driver’s seat even once since we landed in Portugal). I tried to capture the beauty but taking shots from a moving car is tricky. 

The Alps are amazing because they mimic all our mountain ranges.  Some parts look just like the Rockies while some look just like the Sierras and others look like the foothills.  And the amazing part is that they are all intertwined within each other.  Kevin and I were in awe!  Pictures can’t even capture the true beauty!

At one point I was surrounded by the alps, listening to 70’s light rock music on pandora and marveling at the wonder of where we were right then, not only in our European adventure but in our life’s journey.  Never did I imagine I would see what I was looking at.  Life is good!

Arriving Vienna, we were pleasantly surprised by the beauty and cleanliness of the city.  

Vienna is very grand!

Tall buildings with beautiful architecture.  We only stayed one night, but what a night!  It started with a short walk around Vienna and a stop off at an outdoor bar for a drink and snack before a concert …..  

A concert with music by Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss.

It was glorious!

We were in the first row.  There were opera singers, ballet dancers and wonderfully talented musicians.  They played polkas and waltzes.  We were so close we could see the hand and finger movements of the violins and bass viol and the footwork of the dancers.  No pictures were allowed.

A most wonderful evening!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The story of Mozart is a story of success and tragedy.  He was talented and yet riddled with challenge.

He was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria and died in 1791 at age 35.  During his short life he composed over 600 pieces.  When he died so young, it was rumoured that he was poisoned by one of his rivals, Antonio Salieri.

But the poor guy was riddled with disease.  He had chronic tonsilitis which just poisoned his system and lead to renal failure.  And that’s not even what killed him.  His death was due to cerebral hemmorrhage and bronchial pneumonia.  Back then they didn’t have the antibiotics we have today and every bout would weaken him even more.  I can’t imagine how he produced such beautiful music when you know he must have felt badly most of the time.  So sad!

But wow! did he produce beautiful music!  And we enjoyed listening to some last night!

On a personal note ……..

Living out of a suitcase is getting old and doing laundry on the road is a challenge. In some ways we feel like we are in our 20’s again, not necessarily a good thing.  But I have to say this trip has been a great adventure for both of us!

Gute Fahrt! No, it doesn’t mean that 🙂 It means …….. Good Trip! 

So far, I have been pretty much fearless, until last night.  Big city, at night, riding a subway where most pick pockets and other criminals pick their targets, obvious we are trying to find our way, looking around to see that we are alone and vulnerable, not knowing the German culture, I got spooked!  So I freaked out a bit and tried to get back to the safety of my hotel room as quickly as possible.  We made it safe but not necessarily sound, I was shaken.  I think I let my wandering mind get the best of me.  

Or maybe I sensed something that was real?  

I don’t know ………… but I’m glad it’s behind me. 

das Leben ist nur ein Walzer!  And I am enjoying the dance!